# 2004 Kia Optima front wheel stud replacement **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** optima, kia\ **Created:** [May 15, 2013, 5:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-kia-optima-front-wheel-stud-replacement/79318 "2013-05-15T05:48:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dockrat100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@dockrat100](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dockrat100)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 5:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-kia-optima-front-wheel-stud-replacement/79318/1 "2013-05-15T05:48:24Z")
I broke a wheel stud on this vehicle, and it appears that the fine engineers at Kia expect you to replace the entire hub assembly. There is a thin sheet metal dust shield behind the studs, preventing them from being driven out. Is there anything bad that would happen if I were to cut a hole in the dust shield to replace the stud? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 5:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-kia-optima-front-wheel-stud-replacement/79318/2 "2013-05-15T05:55:22Z")
I don’t have any experience w/Kias, but there was an article in Popular Mechanics a few months ago that covered how to replace a broken wheel stud. It might be good as a tutorial if nothing else. Are you certain replacing an individual stud isn’t possible? It’s sort of surprising to hear. Why do you think this? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-kia-optima-front-wheel-stud-replacement/79318/3 "2013-05-15T05:58:03Z")
Try rotating the hub to see if there’s a position where the lug stud can be driven out from behind. You might find a positon where the broken stud can be driven out. But the new stud will be longer. And that might be a problem. Tester ---
**Author:** ![dockrat100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@dockrat100](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dockrat100)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-kia-optima-front-wheel-stud-replacement/79318/4 "2013-05-15T05:58:22Z")
Replacing a stud is easy. Replacing a stud on this vehicle is problematic because there is a dust shield behind the hub preventing me from driving the old stud out. I would like to grind a hole in the dust shield, but I want to be sure I won’t regret it later. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-kia-optima-front-wheel-stud-replacement/79318/5 "2013-05-15T06:07:14Z")
If I were in your position, and the only thing that prevents you from replacing stud? I’d hit that thin back-plate with a step drill bit to gain access to the stud. And not worry about it. Tester ---
**Author:** ![dockrat100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@dockrat100](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dockrat100)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-kia-optima-front-wheel-stud-replacement/79318/6 "2013-05-21T05:09:49Z")
I used a dremel tool and die grinder to put a hole in the plate and replaced the stud as normal. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 6:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-kia-optima-front-wheel-stud-replacement/79318/7 "2013-05-21T06:16:41Z")
@dockrat100 “necessity is the mother of invention”