Project #10 From Jason: Stripped Lug Bolt.

So here is a little project that called my attention. When the owner was attempting to change brakes, a lug bolt stripped out and would not budge. I tried everything that I could to get this out and finally came up with a simple solution. Time spent was a couple hours of fighting.

First new rotor/hub
Http://www.projekt6.com/jackal/StrippedLug/100_2030.jpg

So the start of this was put a lug extractor on it... Should get it out... NOPE.. I was putting all my strength into it when I heard SNAP.. Thinking sweet I got it to break out of there.... NOPE.... Split my new lug extractor down the side... Craftsmen so it got replaced. Problem is I broke one and didn't get it to budge so I didn't want to snap yet another..
I decided I would try a chisel to break the head and No go as I assumed. Then I proceeded to drill it out with the expectation it would fail and sure enough I had enough after not long.. That left it here
Http://www.projekt6.com/jackal/StrippedLug/100_2033.jpg

I decided since I did not have access to an oxy-ace at this time, I would simply pull the hub and caliper and wheel and everything else at once and then finish the brakes. After I would get the wheel free..
Http://www.projekt6.com/jackal/StrippedLug/100_2029.jpg
Brakes done
Http://www.projekt6.com/jackal/StrippedLug/100_2037.jpg

My plan of attack now it drill through the old hub and relieve the lug bolt.
Http://www.projekt6.com/jackal/StrippedLug/100_2028.jpg

I drilled just until I hit the wheel..
Http://www.projekt6.com/jackal/StrippedLug/100_2032.jpg

and off..
Http://www.projekt6.com/jackal/StrippedLug/100_2034.jpg
Http://www.projekt6.com/jackal/StrippedLug/100_2035.jpg
Http://www.projekt6.com/jackal/StrippedLug/100_2039.jpg

Next time, I will just pull the wheel off all together and go at it this way again if the extractor breaks. A brand new lug bolt was used in place of destroyed one. Tools were drill, drill bit, hammer, extractor, sockets, ratchet and chisel...

If it happened to me, I probably would have tried welding something on to it that I might be able to get a big wrench on. (Without letting the welding current get transferred across the wheel bearing, of course ;) )

So that's a rear disc brake setup? The threaded hub in integrated (and replaced along with) the rear disc? If so, I guess the only lasting damage really was the only very minor drilling to the inside of the wheel mounting face.

I'm sure you were grumbling about whatever careless previous mechanic overtorqued those bolts. A light coating of Anti-seize on threads can be a lug bolt's best friend. And of course, hand-tightened with a torque wrench, not air impact tightened.

Many of the 6cyl or turbo vw's came front and rear disk. On this generation of this car they did integrate the hub and rotor as they did on my Jetta. Later in the years they went to a seperate hub/rotor combo. I replaced the wheel bearings with new ones when I put on the new hub/rotor and did both sides so cooking the old ones a little would have been ok but I was not at the normal shop where the welder was. This was actually at his house so rather than it came to me, I went to it :) You are right that the only damage to remain was the 2 spots it hit the wheel. Those spots are maybe a dimple if that. I pretty much hit surface and quit. It was crazy how well those 2 wholes worked. After drilling the wholes, I was able to unthread the bolt with a socket hardly grabbing it. I always thread lug bolt in by hand with a socket only and then I pull out the torque wrench to finish them off. I am not sure that this was just over torques but think that maybe they cross-threaded it. Like I said, I could not budge it with a 3 foot fence poll on my breaker bar. I can get the front axle nuts off with just a breaker bar and they are at 195ft/lbs.

I had two stuck lug nuts recently on one of my old vehicles that was sitting for a decade.. What I did seeing as my lug nuts had a chrome cover/cap over a steel nut is pop that off with a chisel first. Or at least expose the end of the stud. I borrowed my dad's Milwaukee 500 rpm HD ( like really HD!!) drill and sharpened me up three drill bits starting with maybe 3/16, and another like 3/8" and ending with one that was the same diameter as the outside of the stud's threads. I drilled in maybe an inch and switched bits all the way to the largest. Then another inch again starting with the smallest and on up to largest until you have drilled through the whole of the lug nut which will just fall off then! No damage to the rim that way either! The reason I drilled in an inch at a time was so the drill wasn't sticking very far into the stud and less chance of it snapping off because less chance of a chip binding in the hole. I also had my dad sitting six feet or so away lining up my horizontalness while I lined up the vertical to make sure I was drilling straight in. Also another reason to step it is so the drill bits can cool off and I can spray the hole with some lube :)

stuck bolts can be the worst. i reccommend if you deal with bolts alot, go and get a good set of easy-outs. i dont know how many times ive used them, but im sure glad i have them around.

Looks like you figured out the best way, just took a couple tries.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jerky

stuck bolts can be the worst. i reccommend if you deal with bolts alot, go and get a good set of easy-outs. i dont know how many times ive used them, but im sure glad i have them around.

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Fixed! You really gotta emphasize the important parts. :D I've broken my share of midrange quality easy-outs over the years.

lol, ya i guess i should have stressed the "good" part, sometimes you gotta spend the money and get good quality tools for the job.

man i missed out on my own thread.. I personally do not like easy outs for the simple fact that they can expand the stuck bolt or stud and they tend to break making even more of a problem. Now a bolt extractor that fits around the outside of the head is another story. I have a couple sets of them and they have saved me more than a few times. With this lug bolt, I tried a lug extractor and actually cracked it clear down the side. I would like to assume that this was crossthreaded as I didnt see much rust.

I hope you used never sez when you reinstalled the wheel to keep from dealing with this again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 67cudafb

I hope you used never sez when you reinstalled the wheel to keep from dealing with this again.

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My neighbor was a tire guy for years. He told me not to put lube on the wheel studs. (at least not on his) He said it affected the tightening torque. He is correct. Every car I worked on that I had a wheel off I would take a swipe of grease on my finger and smear a touch on the wheel stud. Every time he took his wheels off he would break a stud or 2. Finally he broke down and told my to put grease on them. Never had a problem again. The salt and moisture around here are killers of cars!!!