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      10-18-2018, 03:39 PM   #1
Cesarek94
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Broken wheel bolt

I broke the bolts head so the rest of the body it’s stuck in there I drrilled a hole and used an extractor tool but it’s so tight the extractor tool broke. I should have torched it first. I tried drilling a whole over the extractor tool but it’s not drilling. Anything I can do to remove this? Somehow I can’t upload a picture hopefully you guys can picture it
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      10-18-2018, 04:45 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cesarek94 View Post
I broke the bolts head so the rest of the body it's stuck in there I drrilled a hole and used an extractor tool but it's so tight the extractor tool broke. I should have torched it first. I tried drilling a whole over the extractor tool but it's not drilling. Anything I can do to remove this? Somehow I can't upload a picture hopefully you guys can picture it
I don't know if I'd personally risk torching it as you'd risk damage to your wheel as well, but maybe trying to get a new extractor or driving it to a shop that could pop it off for you and replace the lugnuts, that would be my best advice :
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      10-18-2018, 05:02 PM   #3
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I'm assuming enough of the head is still there that you can't get the wheel off? If you can ... take the wheel off and hopefully you can access enough of the bolt to get a set of vise-grips or something on it.

Now that there's an extractor tool in there (VERY hard steel), you're probably SOL without professional help. Call around locally and drive there slowly on 4 lug bolts, I suppose.

Let us know how it goes.
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      10-18-2018, 08:43 PM   #4
Cesarek94
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CameroN7887 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cesarek94 View Post
I broke the bolts head so the rest of the body it's stuck in there I drrilled a hole and used an extractor tool but it's so tight the extractor tool broke. I should have torched it first. I tried drilling a whole over the extractor tool but it's not drilling. Anything I can do to remove this? Somehow I can't upload a picture hopefully you guys can picture it
I don't know if I'd personally risk torching it as you'd risk damage to your wheel as well, but maybe trying to get a new extractor or driving it to a shop that could pop it off for you and replace the lugnuts, that would be my best advice :
Quote:
Originally Posted by CameroN7887 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cesarek94 View Post
I broke the bolts head so the rest of the body it's stuck in there I drrilled a hole and used an extractor tool but it's so tight the extractor tool broke. I should have torched it first. I tried drilling a whole over the extractor tool but it's not drilling. Anything I can do to remove this? Somehow I can't upload a picture hopefully you guys can picture it
I don't know if I'd personally risk torching it as you'd risk damage to your wheel as well, but maybe trying to get a new extractor or driving it to a shop that could pop it off for you and replace the lugnuts, that would be my best advice :
Here's how it is right now
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      10-18-2018, 08:44 PM   #5
Cesarek94
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwalker87 View Post
I'm assuming enough of the head is still there that you can't get the wheel off? If you can ... take the wheel off and hopefully you can access enough of the bolt to get a set of vise-grips or something on it.

Now that there's an extractor tool in there (VERY hard steel), you're probably SOL without professional help. Call around locally and drive there slowly on 4 lug bolts, I suppose.

Let us know how it goes.
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Originally Posted by CameroN7887 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cesarek94 View Post
I broke the bolts head so the rest of the body it's stuck in there I drrilled a hole and used an extractor tool but it's so tight the extractor tool broke. I should have torched it first. I tried drilling a whole over the extractor tool but it's not drilling. Anything I can do to remove this? Somehow I can't upload a picture hopefully you guys can picture it
I don't know if I'd personally risk torching it as you'd risk damage to your wheel as well, but maybe trying to get a new extractor or driving it to a shop that could pop it off for you and replace the lugnuts, that would be my best advice :
Here's how it is right now it has the extractor tool stuck in the middle broken. Should I torch it till I'm able to break it off or melts? ):
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      10-18-2018, 08:54 PM   #6
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your probably looking at getting another used spindle. if the head broke off in the first place that means some dumbass tighten that bolt with an impact to god knows how much ft lbs + rust and corrosion. yes heat to cherry red will loosen it up then you can use another extractor to drill into that one. its gonna take alot of time alot of elbow grease to get it out. but if you can get another spindle at a junkyard for $50 or so id go that route if i was in that position.
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      10-18-2018, 09:05 PM   #7
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Fronts or rears? I had this happen to me on the front. Was missing one when I bought the car. Shop even tried and couldn't extract it. Ended up having to replace the front hub/wheel bearing assembly. Next wheel change another broke, so the other side got replaced too. RWD, not sure if the are similar to the x drive models.
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      10-19-2018, 02:21 PM   #8
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I always put a small dab of anti seize on the threads, try a better extractor first.
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      10-19-2018, 08:17 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gT-BMW View Post
your probably looking at getting another used spindle. if the head broke off in the first place that means some dumbass tighten that bolt with an impact to god knows how much ft lbs + rust and corrosion. yes heat to cherry red will loosen it up then you can use another extractor to drill into that one. its gonna take alot of time alot of elbow grease to get it out. but if you can get another spindle at a junkyard for $50 or so id go that route if i was in that position.
or they sent it with the impact and it's cross threaded to hell.


now that there's an extractor in it things get much harder. those things are teh debil.
All is not lost however, I've been in your shoes, and I've successfully removed the extractor, helicoiled my fubar hole and went on about my life. Prepare yourself for the massive amount of suck you are about to endure.
So here's what you do. You get a dremel/die grinder. You get a pointy abrasive bit, actually you buy several, and you get busy. I found that the best suited one was actually for the chain saw sharpener.
It should just about perfectly fit in that hole where your extractor is. Jam it in there at a medium speed and let it eat. When it stops going in you've eaten up the tip of it and you need a new one.
It's that simple. Abrasives is about the only way to deal with those things when they're broken off.

After you get that thing out, continue drilling out your broken bolt with progressively larger drill bit sizes. Eventually you'll start to reach the the tops of the threads in the hub. Stop. Once you're there you can pick the rest of the debris out of the threads. Run a thread chaser through there(make one out of a regular bolt if you don't own one this size, cut two slits 180 degrees apart on the correct sized bolts with your dremel and cut off disc) and then reinstall new wheel bolts.

then swear that for the rest of your life you'll never bother with broken bolt extractors again.
left hand drill bits are legit, bolt extractors are always a disaster. I've had more luck with a punch and a hammer than any bolt extractor I've ever tried.
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      10-20-2018, 05:56 AM   #10
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Got it out took off rotor and used some vice grips and was able to turn it
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      10-20-2018, 09:08 AM   #11
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OP, can you take a pick from farther away of what bolt you are talking about. I understand you've removed it now, but after reading all the responses and seeing the single pic you posted, I can't for the life of me figure out what bolt you are discussing.

Your title says "Broken Wheel Bolt". I think most of the Posters here thought you were speaking about a "lug bolt", which is a 12MM bolt with a 17MM hex-head that is used to attach the road wheel (the aluminum wheel with the tire on it) to the hub. When I read this Thread a few days ago when you posted it I didn't respond because it didn't make sense. It would be impossible for any human to break off the head of the lug bolt using any type of hand tool or air tool because lug bolts are 12MM (bolt shaft size) of very hard steel. And unless you had industrial drills (a drill bit) and a drill press, you'd not be able to drill into the lug bolt.

The pic shows a small diameter bolt shaft with a small extractor sticking out of it. And the surrounding material looks to be iron. You said you removed the rotor and then got vice grips on it to remove it. So I think the bolt you are talking about is the rotor retaining bolt, and the pic you posted is of the broken bolt with the rotor removed and the surrounding metal is the hub flange? But I'm questioning that since the bolt hole it threads into does not look like the hole in the hub flange the rotor retaining bolt threads into by look (it's not recessed) and location on the hub flange (it's closer to the inside of the hub).

If it is the case that it is the rotor retaining bolt, when reinstalling it, use some antiseize on the treads and torque it down to a few inch-pounds. It does not need to be gorilla-level tight; it just hold the rotor to the hub so the rotor doesn't come off when removing the wheels. Once the rotor rusts-in-place to the hub, it is not really even necessary.

Thanks.
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      10-20-2018, 11:10 AM   #12
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I've broken half inch wheel studs off with a breaker bar. I weigh 135 lbs.

it's definitely possible. especially if some garage monkey impacted them in cross threaded.
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