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Has any here every tried to convert from lug bolts to lug nut on the 55 and prior years by having wheel studs pressed into the stock drums?

Just curious on what would be involved in that. I ask because my rear drums have a few cross threaded holes in them (from previous owners). Or should I just take the drums to a machine shop for them to try to clean up the threads? I am just trying to think what would be better going forward for my driver.

buy a $6.00 tap and clean them up yourself. That's all a machine shop will do.

I would leave the bolts as they are. If you pick up some nice drums etc. they will already be set up properly. I agree with Keith, buy a tap and do it your self. Maybe come in from the back as those threads may not be so buggered up.

Randys advice is excellent.

Try to start the tap catching good threads from the backside and DRY! If it feels good then add a little light oil or fuel oil as a lubricant. If it does not want to start then start out with some oil. There are three different types of taps. I would use a starting tap like used for cutting new threads. They are tappered at the starting end. The other two types are bottoming taps and so-called plug taps. Those kind can be used too but mite be more difficult to gauge.

If the threads are really bad u mite consider going to a metric or next size larger lug bolt which will require lite drilling and retapping with the next size tap.

I doubt that studs can be installed in these types of drums. Post a pic of the back side of the drum here. To use studs will probably require some precision machining of the back side of the drum to allow a flat place for the studs to seat. I's have to see the back side of the drum first to determine.

Thanks for the advice guys.

When I got home today I broke out the Tap & Die set my wife bought me for X-mas and went to work.

The lug bolts themselves were the worst of it. So I cleaned up all the threads with a die, then I also chased the holes in the drums with a tap (1/2 x 20tpi).

So now I can screw the lug bolt all the way into the drums by hand. There is one dodgey lug bolt that I will replace as about 5 rows of threads are missing for the start of that bolt.

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Last time I bought lug bolts was about 10 years ago, for my 1934 Eight, and they were an on-the-shelf item at NAPA.

Owen, thanks for the tip. I will go see if NAPA has any 1/2" x 20tpi lugbolts.

If u can not readily find a replacement then u can use a grade 5 or grade 8 standard bolt and lug nut. Screw the lug nut onto the bolt tight against the head of the bolt.

I am sure the various vendors will have them if Napa does not. I know that Dan Yocum has them if I want to make the that 60 mile drive for a single bolt!

Kev, I was thinking of converting to studs myself. I found these, but haven't ordered any yet.

prestigewheel.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=2803

My thoughts were that it would be easier to find lug nuts vs lug bolts in the future. Especially since I could take the gold metal in the Losing Crap Olympics.