[DeTomaso] Rotors and Where They Are

MikeLDrew at aol.com MikeLDrew at aol.com
Tue May 1 04:40:43 EDT 2007


In a message dated 5/1/07 1 23 20, cdifani at pacbell.net writes:


> But Bobby gave me the only studs that he had... that he knew of... that 
> were the "right" studs... according to him. And the Wilwood hats that I have are 
> THE hats that Wilwood shows for "Pantera", which probably means that the 
> vendors are using something different... The hat/stud combination fits on the 
> front without any problems. It's only on the rear axles, with the axle flange 
> system, that trouble creeps in...
> 
> 

>>>There's the big A-ha.   The *aftermarket* studs from Bobby didn't fit.   
Factory studs, and aftermarket studs made to the same spec probably would have 
been fine.   FWIW I helped install a set of studs from Bobby on a car 
converted to GT5 specifications, and they were WAY too long, about an inch too long in 
fact--I had to cut all of them down with a die grinder.   They were 
substantially longer than factory GT5 studs in overall length, but were going through 
factory rotors, so grip length wasn't an issue.

As far as your problem goes, ideally, the 'grip' portion of the replacement 
studs and the overall length would both be identical to that of the factory 
studs, presuming the thickness of the Wilwood hat was the same as that of the 
stock rotor.   If the Wilwood hat is thinner, as you believe it is (and I have no 
data to contradict this, as I gave my stock rotors away), then the grip 
length of the stud should, ideally, be shorter too.   If the unthreaded 'grip' 
portion of the stud protruded slightly, it probably wouldn't be a problem, as the 
conical seat on the face of the wheel only allows the lug nut to get within 
about 1/2 inch of the face of the hub when the wheel is installed.   Thus 1/4 
inch protrusion of un-threaded stud would probably be irrelevant, but of course 
you would want to check to make sure.   It might make the wheels harder to 
remove, as the studs might 'grip' the wheel as well as the axle and hat....

Your problems were deeper and more profound than that, I believe.   The 
inside diameter of the holes in the hats and the axles should have been roughly the 
same, and the studs should have pressed through both neatly.   As I recall, 
your studs pressed through the rotor but somehow interfered with the flange of 
the axle--or something like that?

Mike


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