flat tyre, Wheel bolt broken....

metachi

metachi

metachi

Associate
Joined
2 Jan 2005
Posts
2,441
Location
West Midlands
my front drive-side tyre hit something last night and got punctured while i was driving. i drove 4 miles back home with a completely flat tyre.

i tried to change to a temporary wheel, i couldnt loosen the last two bolts and have ended up breaking it. also my security lock key is worn out while trying to take the bolt out.

what should i do? i've already purchased a used good condition security lock key from ebay, should arrive on wednesday or thursday.

can i drive another 1 and 1/2 miles on fiat tyre to nearest kwik-fit centre?


H5qhH22.jpg.png
 
Find a mobile tyre repair service that will come to you. Driving four miles on a flat tyre might already have knackered the rims though. Let them know you've broken a bolt so they can come prepared to deal with it.
 
If that's the broken off head in the pic then there is a good chance enough is left sticking out of the hub to get stillys or similar on it and wont need drilling.
 
Last edited:
dholdi said:
If that's the broken off head in the pic then there is a good chance enough is left sticking out of the hub to get stillys or similar on it and wont need drilling.
Click to expand...
I am petty sure that the bolt seared off flush to the hub. The reason is the width of the rim and the corrosion around on the threads.
 
If you have 3 or 4 other studs still in place, then a careful drive for a couple of miles will be no issue at all.
 
if i'm reading this right, you've got a (presumably nearly shredded) flat tyre on a wheel with 1 broken bolt and a locknut you can't remove?

the locknut'll be a pita, it's not going to be easy to drill out.

although as others have said you might get lucky and have enough thread sticking out to remove the stud.#

can't say i'd reccommend driving on a flat, although by the sounds of it if your alloy's going to be ruined then it'll have been toasted on the way home.
 
adolf hamster said:
although as others have said you might get lucky and have enough thread sticking out to remove the stud.#.
Click to expand...

In your dreams.

If the threaded section was seized enough to snap the bolt you will never be able to unscrew what is left even if you can grab it somehow.

That ship has sailed.

You are looking at drilling out and re-threading/helecoil or a new hub here.

Chances are that the last time the wheels were removed the bolt was cross threaded and just wound in with the rattle gun, that is why it was solid and snapped when you tried to remove it. As for the locking nut, yep royally FUBAR, there are "Special tools" for this sort of situation but they are not some sort of panacea. They do not always work. What is left is hardened steel and cannot be easily drilled.

To drill locking wheel nuts you need a drill that is harder steel than the hardened steel of the wheel nut. These drill bits are not only frighteningly expensive, they are also very brittle and snap just to look at them. Using something like this in a drill press where all the forces are under control is one thing, trying to drill out a wheel bolt with a hand drill is another thing altogether.

You may be lucky, but I suspect this is going to hurt....!

Oh, and PS (Edit to add)

People have had some success with placing a suitable nut over the damaged locking nut/broken stud and filling the center with MIG weld.

This both provides a new head for a socket to grip on and also the heat sometimes makes the remaining thread turn more easily

I have never managed it myself mind, but I know it is possible.

So this is another option if you can find somebody who is a good enough welder to be able to do this.
 
Last edited:
Had this happen to me once. Luckily I got the flat just as I was turning into my old mans drive. Anyway, called the AA dude to come out. He had some special nut removal type thing. It was a single use thing (although he did manage to get all 4 locking nuts off). He charged me a tenner and gave me the tool.

All done and dusted in 10 mins after he arrived. No bother.
 
metachi said:
tyre is intact, just flat, i've already tried pumping airs in but didnt work. i've drive to a local garage across the road tomorrow to get it sort it.
Click to expand...

Do the employees at the garage have legs? They might be willing to walk across the road. They might even move a drill.

Why were you wanting to go to Kwik fit if there's a garage across the road?

Did you install the two wheel bolts you had already removed before driving home 4 miles?
 
metachi said:
tyre is intact, just flat, i've already tried pumping airs in but didnt work. i've drive to a local garage across the road tomorrow to get it sort it.
Click to expand...

If the tyre is a run-flat, you'll be fine driving to the garage.

If it's a standard tyre, you would be absolutely daft to drive any further on it.
 
If a garage can get the wheel off then the snapped bolt could potentially have something welded onto it and unscrewed that way. I had that issue when a local Ford dealership used an air gun to tighten up my locking wheel nut, destroyed the key and typically then I hit a pothole and had a slowly deflating (thankfully) tyre. The locking wheel nut was welded and unscrewed that way, the guy only charged £10 to do it. The wheel nut keys are easy enough to get hold of on eBay, most you can just send a picture of the wheel nut and sometimes they want proof of ID.
 
Lethal` said:
Do the employees at the garage have legs? They might be willing to walk across the road. They might even move a drill.

Why were you wanting to go to Kwik fit if there's a garage across the road?

Did you install the two wheel bolts you had already removed before driving home 4 miles?
Click to expand...


before all this happened. this was my plan:

1. booked Kwik-fit for a tyre change.
2. swap to a temporary wheel at my drive way
3. goto Kwik-fit to change the tyre.


i dont have green-flag assist. so i though maybe i'll try a local garage across the road. i only ever used ATS or Kwik-fit to do any work thats why i dont use the local garage .

-------------------update---------------------

The local garage managed to remove the broken bolt with a drill and swapped to a temporary wheel for me. total cost was £60.
i did phone Kwik-fit but they say will charge me £100 to remove the bolt.


OmUZFsC.jpg.png


rkHzhpF.jpg.png


BvOt7Dc.jpg.png




they suggest for next time, spray some WD-40 on the bolt, let it sit for 10-15min before attempt removing the bolt.
 
Last edited:
getting away for £60 does not sound too bad

ci_newman said:
(it's probably their fault that the bolt was cross threaded and snapped)
Click to expand...
was there evidence it was cross-threaded then ?
with the alloy corrosion on the inner face, looks like it had just seized and from the threads too. (previous alkali cleaning liquids ?)
I usually put some copper greese on the thread and hub face ... and take off once a year
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom