I recently used the tutorial on Volvospeed's Bay 13 website to change my front brakes. According to the tutorial (http://volvospeed.com/850fbrake1.php) there should be a 10mm stud holding the rotor in place that needs to come off when replacing the rotors. However, when I got my wheel off and everything there was no stud. I figured it wasn't a big deal and that it was just there to hold the rotor on place if the wheel is off and when the wheel lugs are back on and tightened they'd hold it perfectly in place.

So what should I do? Is this something paramount to proper operation of the car or can I get along just fine without it?

 

Mine had no stud so I just bolted the wheel back on without the stud. I don't see any problems and it has been a week. It can be a little tricky getting the wheel back on without the freekin rotor falling off. The new rotors that I was going to put on had a phillips screw to hold it in place (new rotors did not fit so I reused the old ones).

 

I built my own stud on one of my rotors. Found a bolt that threaded in, cut the head off, put a nut on the good side of the bolt about 1/4" on and then turned that into the hole. Does help with putting the wheel back on.