Alcoa Aluminum Wheels - Let's talk about stud size!

[Tom Y]

Way to late...... but can you go hub pilot wheels? Now would be the time. My 80 5C hubs where made for both so I changed over.

[chessie4905]

I was going to switch our 4905 over to hub piloted but got a great deal on 7 alum wheels. Had them polished and there ready to install with new studs and new tires when I get to it.

[daveola]

can you go hub pilot wheels?

What is the advantage of hub pilot?  Stud pilot seems more common and easier...

[daveola]

Ah - no inner nuts.  Slick.

But I already have the stud piloted Aluminums.  Any idea on the cheapest cost for hub piloted (used or new) wheels?

[chessie4905]

Find a place that is the business of polishing wheels. Many times they have many used available, unpolished or polished.

[daveola]

Just checked online, and considering they are selling for $150 and up for a wheel on ebay, I'd be surprised if a store would hand some over to me for anything far South of that, otherwise I could make a profit just turning around and selling them...

So it looks like I'll be sticking with stud piloted.

[chessie4905]

A place here in PA. Charged $130 per wheel unpolished. Two thirds of about 100 rims were hub piloted.

[buswarrior]

Stud pilot was found to be the prevailing fastening system in wheel-off events.

You can read decades worth of reports from the NTSB and others as to the variety of weak points.

Who is re-torquing the inner fastener properly? Did you know there is a best practice for managing stud pilot fasteners? Ever try to follow it?

Now, compare that to the care and feeding of hub pilot systems...

Beginning to see why almost every big fleet has been using hub pilot for close to 3 decades now, since the wheel off thing started to make big news, and many fleets since the 70's?

The bus industry wasn't as quick to follow the stampede, as the equipment "comes home" far more frequently, for mother to look it over.

My old pair of '75 MC8, from the factory, one had stud, one had hub, according to the original buyers' wishes.

The debate has raged for a long time. Won't be any young people involved, all they know is hub piloted now.

Another danger point for the busnut, as more years pass, and the stud pilot info vanishes.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[Jim Eh.]

Cabover restoration is starting to heat up. If you want to switch post up a trade offer on Ebay or sell them outright and pop for the extra for the conversion. As long as you properly re-torgue on a proper schedule you will probably not have another stud or nut issue.

[daveola]

Well - I'd say this task of putting on Aluminum is already pushing it's budget seams, and I don't put huge miles on the bus anymore, so I think sticking with my stud piloted is probably going to be fine.

Which brings me back to where I can find the front/tag studs apart from Prevost for a whopping $12.50 each.

Will call Luke tomorrow..  Would love to know any part numbers people know.

[sixtyseven]

Let us know where you end up getting them, especially if it is a good price

[lostagain]

$12.50 is a good price. I've seen them as high as 20 something.

JC

[luvrbus]

LOL you want buy the studs from Luke for $12.50 ea,the MCI pricing is usually for 2 in a package for the standard studs ,they do it that way because when one breaks DOT requires the up and down studs from the broken one to be replaced so they sell you 2 packages to get 3 

[daveola]

Just talked to Luke.

Drive/steers are $19.08 for stud+washer+inner/outer nuts
Studs alone are $15.46, he generally doesn't want to sell the studs without the nuts because he doesn't think it's a good idea.

Ugh.  That's pushing my budget..   $800 just to get shiny wheels.

I really feel like if I can just figure out what the generic part number is for these that I can find them for $10 or cheaper.  I managed to track down the replacement studs for steel wheels, but obviously these need to be longer.

I tried searching the Prevost part numbers from sixtyseven, but that was a dead end...