A car that won’t stop is not much of a car at all, so with a brake pedal that simple sinks to the floor made me think that brakes would be number one our our fix-it list. While I worked on them, though, I thought, why not get some fresh tires while the brake project is under way?
I grabbed a big enough wrench and got to work loosening wheel nuts. It wasn’t long before I got to the right rear. I approach nuts and bolts on an older car with some degree of trepidation. Sometimes I am surprised with a screw that will turn freely, even with a lot of evident rust, but all too often a bolt is frozen or weak or both.
One of the studs on the right rear was already missing–a bad sign. But the first two nuts come off easily. They were, in fact, a little loose. The next two, though were frozen, and it really took very little effort to sheer them right off.
A car without brakes is one thing, but a car with wheels falling off is another. The rear wheel studs are pressed into a flange at the end of the axle. It’s not hard to get them out, and they are readily available. I don’t have the tools to press parts apart, so this repair calls for a trip to the shop, on a flatbed truck.
