Removing a broken lug nut

ikenjoku7 · 07-29-2016, 04:59 PM

Was driving earlier today and started to notice that my left rear wheel was causing my car to shake so I took a look at it and saw that two of my bolts fell out and another one was really loose. Not really sure how this happened since I always torque my bolts to spec. I was actually planning on replacing all the lug nuts anyway and had already bought some so I got a tow home and was preparing to take off the lug nuts starting with the rear left wheel. When I attempted to take the bolt that was already loose off, the head came right off and the other two that were left were extremely tight for some reason

So how can I safely remove the other lug nuts and how can I remove the other one that is stuck in my wheel?

ikenjoku7 · 07-29-2016, 05:11 PM

Here's a picture this is the best one I could get

BKV122 · 07-29-2016, 05:11 PM

The one that is broken you can either drill it and Easy Out it out. Or if you get the other 2 ones off that are tight, remove the wheel and grab the broken lug nut with a pair of pliers or vise grips.

ikenjoku7 · 07-29-2016, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BKV122

The one that is broken you can either drill it and Easy Out it out. Or if you get the other 2 ones off that are tight, remove the wheel and grab the broken lug nut with a pair of pliers or vise grips.

Alright. I'll try the pliers method first and report back. Thanks

feuer · 07-29-2016, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ikenjoku7

Alright. I'll try the pliers method first and report back. Thanks

if that does not work weld a nut on the broken bolt.

Efthreeoh · 07-30-2016, 05:19 AM

You must have not torqued the bolts the last time you installed the wheel; there is no other explanation if you were the last one to install the wheel (i.e. not a shop). In 28 years of BMW ownership and doing most all of my own wheel work (and double checking wheel bolt torque after tire changes) I've never had a wheel, let alone wheel bolt, come loose. For the bolt head to snap off that easily means the wheel was loose for some time and it over stressed the bolt. My concern is wheel damage. You should have a tire shop inspect the wheel at the hub for stress cracks and damage to the bolt hole chamfer and roundness.

The only other possible explanation is somehow the bolts got way over-torqued which would have to be by an impact wrench, since I doubt you are humanly able to apply that much torque to a wheel bolt with a torque wrench (it'd break or you would) to the point that you stretched the bolts beyond it's yield point. If that is the case, then again I'd have the wheel looked at by a professional to make sure the bolt holes are not compromised.

If the bolt is broken off at the rotor hat surface, you can remove the rotor and have enough of the bolt stem to grab with some vice grips.

ikenjoku7 · 07-30-2016, 11:15 AM

So I managed to remove the wheel to wrench out that lug nut and it turns out that it cracked inside the hub. What can I do about this?

tlow98 · 07-30-2016, 11:19 AM

Apply easy out method or remove rotor and turn out from the rear via vice grips.

Efthreeoh · 07-30-2016, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlow98

Apply easy out method or remove rotor and turn out from the rear via vice grips.

Yup. Get it from the rear. I doubt you'd be able to drill it.

07-29-2016, 04:59 PM	#1
ikenjoku7 Second Lieutenant 56 Rep 283 Posts Drives: 08 e92 335i Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Atlanta, Ga iTrader: (0) Garage List 2014 f13 M6 [0.00]	Removing a broken lug nut Was driving earlier today and started to notice that my left rear wheel was causing my car to shake so I took a look at it and saw that two of my bolts fell out and another one was really loose. Not really sure how this happened since I always torque my bolts to spec. I was actually planning on replacing all the lug nuts anyway and had already bought some so I got a tow home and was preparing to take off the lug nuts starting with the rear left wheel. When I attempted to take the bolt that was already loose off, the head came right off and the other two that were left were extremely tight for some reason So how can I safely remove the other lug nuts and how can I remove the other one that is stuck in my wheel?
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07-29-2016, 05:11 PM	#2
ikenjoku7 Second Lieutenant 56 Rep 283 Posts Drives: 08 e92 335i Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Atlanta, Ga iTrader: (0) Garage List 2014 f13 M6 [0.00]	Here's a picture this is the best one I could get Attached Images
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07-29-2016, 05:11 PM	#3
BKV122 Major 55 Rep 1,160 Posts Drives: E90 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NY iTrader: (1) Garage List 2006 330xi [9.50]	The one that is broken you can either drill it and Easy Out it out. Or if you get the other 2 ones off that are tight, remove the wheel and grab the broken lug nut with a pair of pliers or vise grips. __________________ Monaco Blue 330xi - Terra Interior/6-MT/Sport/Premium/Cold/CSL's/M3 Spoiler Lip/Black Kidney's
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07-30-2016, 05:19 AM	#6
Efthreeoh General 22095 Rep 21,213 Posts Drives: Z4 Coupe & Z3 Roadster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Summum Choragium iTrader: (0)	You must have not torqued the bolts the last time you installed the wheel; there is no other explanation if you were the last one to install the wheel (i.e. not a shop). In 28 years of BMW ownership and doing most all of my own wheel work (and double checking wheel bolt torque after tire changes) I've never had a wheel, let alone wheel bolt, come loose. For the bolt head to snap off that easily means the wheel was loose for some time and it over stressed the bolt. My concern is wheel damage. You should have a tire shop inspect the wheel at the hub for stress cracks and damage to the bolt hole chamfer and roundness. The only other possible explanation is somehow the bolts got way over-torqued which would have to be by an impact wrench, since I doubt you are humanly able to apply that much torque to a wheel bolt with a torque wrench (it'd break or you would) to the point that you stretched the bolts beyond it's yield point. If that is the case, then again I'd have the wheel looked at by a professional to make sure the bolt holes are not compromised. If the bolt is broken off at the rotor hat surface, you can remove the rotor and have enough of the bolt stem to grab with some vice grips. __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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07-30-2016, 11:15 AM	#7
ikenjoku7 Second Lieutenant 56 Rep 283 Posts Drives: 08 e92 335i Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Atlanta, Ga iTrader: (0) Garage List 2014 f13 M6 [0.00]	So I managed to remove the wheel to wrench out that lug nut and it turns out that it cracked inside the hub. What can I do about this? Attached Images
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07-30-2016, 11:19 AM	#8
tlow98 Major General 3152 Rep 6,032 Posts Drives: 2009 E91, 2014 F15 x35i Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (2)	Apply easy out method or remove rotor and turn out from the rear via vice grips.
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