Thanks! This is info I needed and backs up what I interpreted looking stuff up on the internet the last couple days. And thanks for help with the terms. Like I said, I've always been a "do what I saw done" type, even back in the Army during my aircraft maintenance officer days. That said...

I did know that the thimbles being longer wouldn't move the wheels out; I need spacers to do that. BUT if I got it right, longer thimbles will allow me to use the spacers I need then reassemble what I've got with new parts since the 55-year-old parts are starting to wear out or are already broken. (I'm not allowed to post attachemnts, so posting the picture I have of the broken stud isn't possible.)

QUESTION--I've read that because I still have the original Budd (I think they're really Budd-built) split rims of the Firestone "widow maker" type that I need to let the air out of all the tires I'm working on before I do anything lest they injure or kill me should something go wrong. I do have replacement 22.5" tubless wheels/tires, so that's not a problem; however, my question is this: DO I NEED TO DEFLATE ALL THE TIRES ON WHICH I'M WORKING OR CAN I JUST WORK ON THEM WITH THE SERVICEABLE TIRES FULLY INFLATED? Maybe that warning was just for someone who had a similar problem but was using a torch to heat things up. My wheels are clean and have been in regular use with regular service and the vehicle has been stored inside most of its life; I'm lucky because things aren't all rusty or caked with road grime.

Tools aren't a problem; we've got all kinds of this stuff from when we actively farmed, though with the one broken-off outer nut I may need one of those special sockets like #2413 in the link, provided that's the right size:

http://www.toolzone.com/acatalog/Tool_Zone_Catalog_Broken_Cap_Nut___Wheel_Stud_Remo val_Tools_4079.html