Front Wheel Bearings

[why]

With a lull in the action around the house I decided it was time to check in on the front wheel bearings of my '65 BJ8 with 44,000mi. Got the castellated nut off, took out the spacer and the bearing, it had some grease but sparse, then decided to go for the inner bearing. The thing to do seemed to be taking off the five nuts spaced around the hub "flange" to gain I would hope access to the inner bearing. Three nuts came off easy, a fourth proceeded to turn with the stud, I used liquid wrench and finally got the nut off the stud. The stud now rotated in place freely, could not be screwed or pulled out but could be pushed back into the car until it barely protuded from the hub, I managed to get the nut back on to what might be called hand tight, but application of wrench would rotate the stud with the nut. Greased bearing, put it all back together.
1, Was I on right path to access inner bearing or do I need to take off caliper and remove disc/hub assembly to accomplish this? Drawings in manual show hub with studs going opposite way from mine, instead of protruding away from car in the drawing they go inward and through disc where I presume nuts are. I was hoping this change to nuts on the outside was made to obviate having to take off disc in order to access inner bearing.
2, Am I at risk with the stud that I loosened from whatever the anchor of the stud is on the back of the disc? The other four bolts are tight
"An idle mind is the devils playtoy" once again proven right, although the bearings on both sides were kinda dry.

 

[Randy Forbes]

To get to the inner bearing, unbolt the brake caliper (leaving the hose connected) and hang it with wire. Now the hub and rotor will come off in your hand.

You must get all the studs/nuts you loosened tight again.

Think simply; that's how the British did it.

 

[why]

thanks Randy, do you know how to tighten the stud, it just rotates freely and does not appear to be "screwing" in or out, you can push it in to a point and pull it out to a point, I thought if I had broken the stud it would pull all way out, as if something on its back side keeping it from pulling out. Also do you know why they switched from studs that point inward to studs that point outward (my car)? All manuals say to remove caliper/disc as you describe but they also show pics of studs point inwards with nuts behind disc.
Jay

 

[DavidThorn]

I think these studs are a splined fit and the losening of the nut has probably alowed the splines to slip out of the fitting groves.

If you remove the hub as described earlier the whole asslembly can be put onto bench and the studs either tapped back in or gripped with a wrench and then tightened up with the nuts