HO52 Wheel Stud Question

[Chaparralman1974]

Good morning everyone!

I have spent quite a bit of time reading and re-reading several threads regarding wheel stud size and brakes for the HO52/72 rear axle.

In this thread below, there is a lot of good information about swapping the brakes off of a Corporate 14 Bolt axle onto an HO52:

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...ht=HO52+9%2F16

According to the thread this is a fairly straightforward swap, and if you have 71/72 hubs, it is even easier to do.

The more that I think about my own restoration, rather than swapping the HO52 out for a 14 bolt that I purchased, I am now thinking about keeping the HO52 and doing a brake swap. The axle was working, and the only reason that I was going to swap it was so that it would match up with the new dana 44 that has 4.10 gears in it (the HO52 that I have is geared with 4.57's). I am really thinking now, that I may just want to stay with the lower gears for now, keep the HO52 and just regear the front with 4.56's from Yukon Gear as they are fairly cheap.

So, in following this information below:

Originally Posted by jbclassix

Interchangeability... Sop far, only the brakes are interchangeable between the 14 bolt and the Eaton. I have seen a lot of requests for part numbers and how-to's for the Eaton brakes. Well, here is my how-to rebuild the brakes on the HO72 and HO52. NOTE: for the 71 and 72 HO72/52 axles this is a direct swap. 70 and earlier use smaller wheel studs and will require a hub swap, or the holes on the hub to be enlarged.

Eaton left 14 bolt right


13 inch 14 bolt backing plate assembled and bolted to HO72. Perfect fit.


This is the one issue with this swap if you are performing it on a 70 or earlier axle. from left to right early Eaton stud, 71-72 Eaton stud, 14 bolt stud.


I went ahead and installed the 13 inch drum on a 69 hub with the small studs for this demo. you will notice the that flanges of the larger drums are also thicker. The studs stick out just 13/16". The drum center fits perfectly over the hub. I would not recommend running the brakes this way without using a spacer between the studs and drum, or enlarging the hub to use the larger studs.


Bam!

If I understand things properly, I can use the drum, backing plate and studs from the 14 bolt full floater that I have and then just transplant them onto the HO52 axle? It would seem that I can just drill out the holes in the HO52 hubs with a 39/64" bit, and then press the studs back into the hubs using the 14 bolt drum? Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks, Clay

[Short 3/4]

Sorry can’t help with the brake question, but if you go that route I have a good 4:56 R&P out of a ‘66 Dana 44F I’d make you a good deal on. Not sure if you need to change the carrier also with that swap, but have that as well.
Tom

[67 twins]

Originally Posted by Chaparralman1974

Good morning everyone!

I have spent quite a bit of time reading and re-reading several threads regarding wheel stud size and brakes for the HO52/72 rear axle.

In this thread below, there is a lot of good information about swapping the brakes off of a Corporate 14 Bolt axle onto an HO52:

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...ht=HO52+9%2F16

According to the thread this is a fairly straightforward swap, and if you have 71/72 hubs, it is even easier to do.

The more that I think about my own restoration, rather than swapping the HO52 out for a 14 bolt that I purchased, I am now thinking about keeping the HO52 and doing a brake swap. The axle was working, and the only reason that I was going to swap it was so that it would match up with the new dana 44 that has 4.10 gears in it (the HO52 that I have is geared with 4.57's). I am really thinking now, that I may just want to stay with the lower gears for now, keep the HO52 and just regear the front with 4.56's from Yukon Gear as they are fairly cheap.

So, in following this information below:



If I understand things properly, I can use the drum, backing plate and studs from the 14 bolt full floater that I have and then just transplant them onto the HO52 axle? It would seem that I can just drill out the holes in the HO52 hubs with a 39/64" bit, and then press the studs back into the hubs using the 14 bolt drum? Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks, Clay

I bought new studs instead of reusing old ones. I also don't remember the reamer size I used. But yes I reamed the HO52 hubs for the larger studs & the backing plates are a direct bolt in.

[Chaparralman1974]

Well, I ended up finding a set of HO52 hubs off of a '71 pretty cheap, so I think that I will go that route rather than drilling mine. Am I correct in assuming that the studs that I would use would be for a 14 bolt axle? Does anyone know what that part number is?

Thanks, Clay

[Chaparralman1974]

Originally Posted by Short 3/4

Sorry can’t help with the brake question, but if you go that route I have a good 4:56 R&P out of a ‘66 Dana 44F I’d make you a good deal on. Not sure if you need to change the carrier also with that swap, but have that as well.
Tom

Thanks Tom! I will pull mine apart and see what I have and let you know.


Clay

[Short 3/4]

Originally Posted by Chaparralman1974

Thanks Tom! I will pull mine apart and see what I have and let you know.


Clay

Hey Clay
Sounds like you’re getting it figured out, should make things much simpler.

No hurry on the R&P, it’s wrapped and stashed safely on a shelf and not going anywhere. When the dust settles and you’re ready, I may be interested in swapping for some of those unneeded drum brake parts, if the front or rear’s are 12”

Good luck with the project
Tom

[Jason Banks]

Hey Clay,

I ordered this lug stud(Dorman 610-192):
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=1060301

Installed them and they are short, so I went looking for longer studs with the same diameter knurl and found this, which is .375 longer. depending on where I look it up(Dorman 610-073):
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=1060276

I didn't want to convert to the larger studs, so, It looks like these will work, assuming I can press .249" more knurl in the hub.

Did you look at doing something like this?

[Chaparralman1974]

Originally Posted by Jason Banks

Hey Clay,

I ordered this lug stud(Dorman 610-192):
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=1060301

Installed them and they are short, so I went looking for longer studs with the same diameter knurl and found this, which is .375 longer. depending on where I look it up(Dorman 610-073):
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=1060276

I didn't want to convert to the larger studs, so, It looks like these will work, assuming I can press .249" more knurl in the hub.

Did you look at doing something like this?

Hi Jason,

I actually ended up going back to the original closed knuckle dana 44 for the front and I stayed with the HO52 on the rear. After doing a bit of research, I found that the Dorman 610181 studs worked for the front, and the Dorman 610188 studs worked for the rear. The knurl for the original 1/2" studs on my truck were .625". The 610181 studs were .623" and the 610188 studs were .620", all of which allowed for me to upgrade my 1/2" studs to 9/16" studs without having to drill anything at all. I was able to simply press the new studs in.


Clay

[Jason Banks]

That's nuts, your knurl is bigger than mine. Also 67 K20 closed knuckle Dana 44(but HD) in the front and HO52 in the rear.

The .56 knurl drove in fine for my rear, but they were too short. Seems like your 610188 are 2.75 long and what I'm getting are only 2.375 long. I think the 2.375 will at lease fill the threads in my lug nuts.

[vince1]

I have an early childhood memory of a driver's side rear wheel overtaking the 51 Chev one ton turnip truck and bouncing down into a ravine. It had recently had a flat and obviously the wheel nuts never got tightened enough. Good thing a car wasn't coming in the opposite direction.

[Jason Banks]

I'm just back to report the Dorman 610-073 work great with the .56 knurl and 2.375 length 1/2-20 threads....

Vince that reminds me of my uncle telling the story about the lock ring coming off the wheel on the beer truck he was driving and going so far down the road they were not able to recover it.