Altec driver mounting studs

[Al Klappenberge]

Guys,

Is it possable and practical to remove the mounting studs from Altec drivers (I'm thinking of the 902-8) and replace them with bolts?

Al K

[Steve]

Aloha Al

I have not done any work with that driver...
What I do to remove studs in general, drivers etc. is the double nut method.
Find the thread size and pitch of the stud then pick up at the local hardware store...2 nuts to match the stud pitch and size...
Then thread one of the nuts onto the stud leaving some room for the other.
Then take the other nut and thread it onto it the stud to the other nut.
Then take 2 wrenches, or a wrench and socket...and then tighten the 2 nuts against each other really really tight.....
Then put a socket or box wrench on the top nut and back out both nuts and the stud. The stud should come out. If the nuts seperate, retighten them with even more strength.
Of course the driver will probably need to be in a vise or something to hold it and be sure to do it with out damaging the paint etc.
I also put a few drops of lubrication on the stud where it enters the casting to help ease it out...

Should be that easy.....

Steve

[Al Klappenberge]

Steve,

Thanks, I figured that was how it could be done. Do you know if there is a "bottom" to the stud hole. Is there a danger of damage if a bolt is screwed in too far?

AL K.

[HenryW]

Not sure if I have the answer you are looking for Al, but yes, there is an end to the threaded holes in the ones I have run across (though not your specific driver). The only damage I could imagine was way too much torque and leaving the majority of the bolt in the driver.

I don't want to be gospel here though - many more have experience with a wider range of components than I.

[Earl K]

Hi Al,

Do you know if there is a "bottom" to the stud hole.

There is a bottom to the stud hole (well). The well is @ 3/8" deep . The stock altec stud ( which has 2 sizes of threads on it, ICYDK ) has max. of about a 1/4" of thread available to enter into that "well" . That leaves a safety margin of 1/8" , ensuring the stock stud never reaches the bottom of the hole .

Is there a danger of damage if a bolt is screwed in too far?

- Yes there is.
- The bottom to the "stud-well" is the actual ceramic magnet pancake. You could fracture the ceramic by applying pin-point pressure from a tightened bolt that is overly long.

ie; be carefull what you wish for. Removing the stock studs ( with their builtin safety margin ) puts all the onus on you to determine the correct working lengths for your new bolts .

- I don't know the thread size for the lower portion of the stud ( driver side ). It's certainly not 1/4"- 20 , which is the thread size ( the larger of the two ) on the horn side of the removable stud. I think you'll need to get an answer to that question over at Todd Whites' Altec Users Board - unless someone here knows.

[Al Klappenberge]

Earl,

Thanks for the details! I think the short answer to this is DON'T DO IT! I do not plan to do this myself anyhow. I was considering this as an alternative to making an Altec driver throat adaptor available for a horn I hope to make available to the Klipsch community as an upgrade for the stock squawker horn. It's obvious not going to be a good idea to replace the studs with longer bolts from behind the throat plate. I'll have to make an adaptor! Yuch!

Al k.