Wheel Bolts - BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum

pavo335 · 05-31-2012, 08:21 PM

I recall reading about replacing wheel bolts a few months ago and thought to myself mmmmm yeh i'll wait and see if any break and replace as needed.

Well after 2 1/2 track days, i would strongly suggest you replace all on an annual basis if tracking your car (and perhaps more so if you are tracking the car on a regular basis).

Why do you ask? well I popped the heads of 2 yesterday (i reackon they would have shot off like a cannon

) on the rear and didn't realise and spent an hour pouring over the car to try and identify the vibration, without joy. so I fugured i'd limp home and look at it the next day. with 50+ k"s left the vibration took a turn for the worse and I limped to Advan which was a mere 20k's through the gun swinging heartland that is south western sydney (I wasn't worried as i had Edwin there to back me up

but i did keep the doors locked

)

Long story short, my fears of stripped half shaft/chipped diff/twisted drive shaft/broken mount/bent suspension a waste of time as it was the affore mentioned headless bolts and their 3 lose friends.

Note to self - check wheel bolts before AND after every session

And a big thanks to Pete, don't know what I would do without you

BMJ · 05-31-2012, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pavo335

I recall reading about replacing wheel bolts a few months ago and thought to myself mmmmm yeh i'll wait and see if any break and replace as needed.

Well after 2 1/2 track days, i would strongly suggest you replace all on an annual basis if tracking your car (and perhaps more so if you are tracking the car on a regular basis).

Why do you ask? well I popped the heads of 2 yesterday (i reackon they would have shot off like a cannon

) on the rear and didn't realise and spent an hour pouring over the car to try and identify the vibration, without joy. so I fugured i'd limp home and look at it the next day. with 50+ k"s left the vibration took a turn for the worse and I limped to Advan which was a mere 20k's through the gun swinging heartland that is south western sydney (I wasn't worried as i had Edwin there to back me up

but i did keep the doors locked

)

Long story short, my fears of stripped half shaft/chipped diff/twisted drive shaft/broken mount/bent suspension a waste of time as it was the affore mentioned headless bolts and their 3 lose friends.

Note to self - check wheel bolts before AND after every session

And a big thanks to Pete, don't know what I would do without you

it's always the little things, literally!

BMW86 · 06-01-2012, 07:42 AM

Time for a stud conversion!

I'm forced to check my bolts after each session because I have to change my wheels/tyres anyway.

I wonder if you can claim new bolts under warranty?

luster · 06-01-2012, 10:15 AM

Stu from BMR sold me a set of bolts about a month ago!

sbce90 · 06-01-2012, 10:24 AM

center lock conversion!

John_01 · 06-03-2012, 02:16 AM

Just curious if you used a torque wrench.

I suspect the #1 cause of broken lug bolts is the rattle guns at your local tyre shop and 200+ Nm of torque.

pavo335 · 06-03-2012, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_01

Just curious if you used a torque wrench.

I suspect the #1 cause of broken lug bolts is the rattle guns at your local tyre shop and 200+ Nm of torque.

Yeh the tyre shop put about 500000000nm on them. I tried to take the wheels off a couple of months ago and rounded a tyre iron

.

So yeh I suspect they bent me over, I'm just grateful the wheel didn't fall off!

Any way stu is getting me a set of bolts and lock nuts and I'll take the old ones with me as spares on the next track day, which is scheduled for 31/7

lz419 · 06-03-2012, 02:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_01

Just curious if you used a torque wrench.

I suspect the #1 cause of broken lug bolts is the rattle guns at your local tyre shop and 200+ Nm of torque.

Possible..

Stuart@BMRAutowerkes · 06-03-2012, 08:19 PM

Wheel bolts are a tricky one

undertorquing and they'll come looose
overtorquing and they'll break (done this once before)

Definitely best to check before and after every track session, or if a 'regular daily driver' around 3 years max.

They aren't expensive.

John_01 · 06-03-2012, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmroxm5

Wheel bolts are a tricky one

undertorquing and they'll come looose
overtorquing and they'll break (done this once before)

I guess that's why there's a torque spec for them.

sbce90 · 06-04-2012, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmroxm5

undertorquing and they'll come looose
overtorquing and they'll break (done this once before)

Good to know you haven't done the former too lol

Stuart@BMRAutowerkes · 06-04-2012, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_01

I guess that's why there's a torque spec for them.

Haha, yeh it's 88 foot pounds for anyone interested.

05-31-2012, 08:21 PM	#1
pavo335 Banned Drives: 3.5 wheeler Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: sydney Posts: 2,991 iTrader: (0)	Wheel Bolts I recall reading about replacing wheel bolts a few months ago and thought to myself mmmmm yeh i'll wait and see if any break and replace as needed. Well after 2 1/2 track days, i would strongly suggest you replace all on an annual basis if tracking your car (and perhaps more so if you are tracking the car on a regular basis). Why do you ask? well I popped the heads of 2 yesterday (i reackon they would have shot off like a cannon ) on the rear and didn't realise and spent an hour pouring over the car to try and identify the vibration, without joy. so I fugured i'd limp home and look at it the next day. with 50+ k"s left the vibration took a turn for the worse and I limped to Advan which was a mere 20k's through the gun swinging heartland that is south western sydney (I wasn't worried as i had Edwin there to back me up but i did keep the doors locked ) Long story short, my fears of stripped half shaft/chipped diff/twisted drive shaft/broken mount/bent suspension a waste of time as it was the affore mentioned headless bolts and their 3 lose friends. Note to self - check wheel bolts before AND after every session And a big thanks to Pete, don't know what I would do without you
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06-01-2012, 07:42 AM	#3
BMW86 Major General Drives: BMW 135i / Kawa Ninja Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 8,619 iTrader: (0)	Time for a stud conversion! I'm forced to check my bolts after each session because I have to change my wheels/tyres anyway. I wonder if you can claim new bolts under warranty? __________________ BMW 135i N54 TWIN TURBO Quarter Mile 12.173@113.70mph - Street Tyres Queensland Raceway Sprint 1:01:22 - Street Tyres Queensland Raceway Clubman 1:04:74 - Street Tyres Lakeside Raceway 1:03:97 - Street Tyres

06-01-2012, 10:24 AM	#5
sbce90 Me Boosta Drives: 320i / MB C63 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 4,966 iTrader: (3)	center lock conversion! __________________

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06-01-2012, 10:15 AM	#4
luster Major Drives: e90, e88 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Sydney AU, NJ US, TST HK Posts: 1,114 iTrader: (21)	Stu from BMR sold me a set of bolts about a month ago!

06-03-2012, 02:16 AM	#6
John_01 Lieutenant Colonel Drives: E90 325i, E82 135i Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 1,713 iTrader: (0)	Just curious if you used a torque wrench. I suspect the #1 cause of broken lug bolts is the rattle guns at your local tyre shop and 200+ Nm of torque.

06-03-2012, 08:19 PM	#9
Stuart@BMRAutowerkes Brigadier General Drives: a black car Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Sydney Posts: 4,460 iTrader: (3)	Wheel bolts are a tricky one undertorquing and they'll come looose overtorquing and they'll break (done this once before) Definitely best to check before and after every track session, or if a 'regular daily driver' around 3 years max. They aren't expensive.