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[330ionMaui]

Ok...I was installing my new 20" wheels. When on the final bolt (OEM bolts) of the last wheel, I broke a lug bolt while torquing. The head of the bolt popped completely off. My torque wrench was set at 88 ft. lb. Has this happened to anyone else? I took a chance and called roadside assistance thinking that they might be able to send a tow truck driver that was knowledgable enough to be able to remove a broken bolt - no such luck. Roadside assistance advised me that all they could do would be to flatbed the car to the dealer. Well the dealer is of course closed until Tuesday, so that is not an option. Should I just wait until Tuesday and have the dealer take care of it or can somebody provide an easy do it yourself solution to remove the broken bolt? Would the car be safe to drive with only four lug bolts or should I have BMW tow the car? Will the dealer blame the break on me and have me pay for labor? :mad:

The good news is that the wheels look great!

TIA!

[govtec]

wow, first i've heard of a broken bolt. if u did torque it correctly i would have to say it was a bad bolt. how far is dealer from ur house? i wouldn't drive it if i were u. just call them first thing in the morning ask what u should do.

[voltron1011]

Your car is fine with only 4 bolts. You can actually fix it your self very easily. Just take the other 4 bolts off and slide the rim off with the broken stud still in place. Once you have the rim removed, you can use somekind of Vicegrip type wrench to grab onto the broken stud and loosen it. If it is broken too far into the hub you may want to take it to a professional. Call your local Discount Tire and ask them where they send cars when they break bolts (I've had it happen to me plenty of times).
Situations like this are the exact reason cars use lug-bolts instead of lug-nuts.

[impulsebrklyn]

Originally Posted by voltron1011

Your car is fine with only 4 bolts. You can actually fix it your self very easily. Just take the other 4 bolts off and slide the rim off with the broken stud still in place. Once you have the rim removed, you can use somekind of Vicegrip type wrench to grab onto the broken stud and loosen it. If it is broken too far into the hub you may want to take it to a professional. Call your local Discount Tire and ask them where they send cars when they break bolts (I've had it happen to me plenty of times).
Situations like this are the exact reason cars use lug-bolts instead of lug-nuts.

what he said no need to go to the dealer!!

[330ionMaui]

I took a peek to see how much of the stud is left sticking out of the hub. One, maybe two threads. Hopefully it'll be enough for a vice grip to grab on to. I always spray WD-40 before replacing lug bolts so hopefully that'll help the broken stud turn. My vice grip seems to have walked off by itself. Here comes another trip to the Home Depot. I'll let you know if it works! Thanks voltron1011.

Originally Posted by voltron1011

Your car is fine with only 4 bolts. You can actually fix it your self very easily. Just take the other 4 bolts off and slide the rim off with the broken stud still in place. Once you have the rim removed, you can use somekind of Vicegrip type wrench to grab onto the broken stud and loosen it. If it is broken too far into the hub you may want to take it to a professional. Call your local Discount Tire and ask them where they send cars when they break bolts (I've had it happen to me plenty of times).
Situations like this are the exact reason cars use lug-bolts instead of lug-nuts.

[foofighter]

worse comes to worse you take a dremel and cut a line ontop of the head and use a hefty flat headed screwdriver and turn it out.

And why may I ask are you using OEM lugs for aftermarket wheels? Arent OEM bolts typically ball seat and aftermarket are cone seats?

[Got-BMW?]

Isn't 88ft.lbs a little much!?!?!

[canucklion]

330ionMaui , just curious, do you turn green and big when you get angry?

[foofighter]

no 85-90 lbs is on par with torque specs for lugs

[330ionMaui]

Originally Posted by canucklion

330ionMaui , just curious, do you turn green and big when you get angry?

I turn green, purple, blue...you name it until I explode!

Originally Posted by foofighter

worse comes to worse you take a dremel and cut a line ontop of the head and use a hefty flat headed screwdriver and turn it out.

And why may I ask are you using OEM lugs for aftermarket wheels? Arent OEM bolts typically ball seat and aftermarket are cone seats?

Wow...that's news to me if OEM bolts are not to be used with aftermarket wheels. The place I purchased the wheels from told me that OEM bolts were fine. Is this not the case?

Originally Posted by voltron1011

Your car is fine with only 4 bolts. You can actually fix it your self very easily. Just take the other 4 bolts off and slide the rim off with the broken stud still in place. Once you have the rim removed, you can use somekind of Vicegrip type wrench to grab onto the broken stud and loosen it.

Got back from the Home Depot, took the wheel off only to find out that the one or two threads showing are countersunk so the vise grip wouldn't fit. I got impatient and using a thin drill bit, bore a hole into the broken stud about half way and jammed the bit into the stud. I then slowly reversed the drill and voila...the broken stud screwed out!

Thanks for everyone's advice! I a happy camper now and have returned to normal size and color.

[HRC]

Originally Posted by 330ionMaui

...Wow...that's news to me if OEM bolts are not to be used with aftermarket wheels. The place I purchased the wheels from told me that OEM bolts were fine. Is this not the case?...

Most stock rims use a bowl type bolt and most aftermarket rims use a more angled bolt.

Danny

[330ionMaui]

Originally Posted by HRC

Most stock rims use a bowl type bolt and most aftermarket rims use a more angled bolt.

Danny

So, bottom line...we shouldn't use OEM lug bolts with aftermarket wheels? What kind of lug bolts are everyone using with their aftermarket wheels?

[foofighter]

well that's not always the case...wrong lug seat on some wheels means you wont always maintain proper torque specs. And add to that often times when you go different offset/widths you end up having to use longer lugs that's even more critical.

What kind of lug bolts are everyone using with their aftermarket wheels?

read what i said above...it's all dependent on offset/width/back pad etc. Your wheel shop SHOULD know all this.

Glad you got the busted lug out

[Scarabeo]

Interesting article on mounting aftermarket wheels: "As a side note, it is actually possible to break lugs if you go without the proper hub adapters. The hubs themselves are what are supposed to bear the weight of the car while the lugs keep the wheel secured. Without the adapters, it is now the lugs that are bearing the full weight of the vehicle and they may not be up to the task. Breaking lugs isn't an especially common occurrance but it's certainly not unheard of either."

http://www.wildweasel.ca/j-body/HowTo/wheelinstall.asp

[SnEeKy4LiFe]

good u got the lugs out. now post pic of your car with the rims

[Asiann]

Originally Posted by 330ionMaui

I took a peek to see how much of the stud is left sticking out of the hub. One, maybe two threads. Hopefully it'll be enough for a vice grip to grab on to. I always spray WD-40 before replacing lug bolts so hopefully that'll help the broken stud turn. My vice grip seems to have walked off by itself. Here comes another trip to the Home Depot. I'll let you know if it works! Thanks voltron1011.

If no one can help just drill it out yourself just make sure not to drill out the original lugnut hole. Happened to me and that is what I did.

[wokjoe]

Originally Posted by voltron1011

Situations like this are the exact reason cars use lug-bolts instead of lug-nuts.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I have a 2007 335xi and I recently got my wheels changed. I didn't install them myself I had a shop do it, today I went to tighten the wheel and noticed one of the lug nuts was GONE!!! so my searching go me here and from what I am hearing my car uses lug bolts and not lug nuts. When I look into where the lug bolt should be there doesn't seem to be anything in there. The car has been driving fine, no shaking or anything so maybe the lug bolt just fell out? I'm bringing the car back to the shop tomorrow morning, if nothing is stuck in my hub would I simply just need a new lug bolt?

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by wokjoe

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I have a 2007 335xi and I recently got my wheels changed. I didn't install them myself I had a shop do it, today I went to tighten the wheel and noticed one of the lug nuts was GONE!!! so my searching go me here and from what I am hearing my car uses lug bolts and not lug nuts. When I look into where the lug bolt should be there doesn't seem to be anything in there. The car has been driving fine, no shaking or anything so maybe the lug bolt just fell out? I'm bringing the car back to the shop tomorrow morning, if nothing is stuck in my hub would I simply just need a new lug bolt?

Before you drive the car again I would check and make sure all your lug bolts are tightened down to spec. I believe its 85 ft lbs of torque.

Either they didnt put 1 in or they forget to tighten them down enough and one came out.

Assuming it didnt snap inside you can just replace it with a new one.

[wokjoe]

Originally Posted by Jeff@topgearsolutions

Before you drive the car again I would check and make sure all your lug bolts are tightened down to spec. I believe its 85 ft lbs of torque.

Either they didnt put 1 in or they forget to tighten them down enough and one came out.

Assuming it didnt snap inside you can just replace it with a new one.

Thanks Jeff, I'm not really sure how I can check the torque myself, I'll make sure to ask the guys at the shop to check for me. Where can I get a new lug bolt?

[hurricane56]

Originally Posted by 330ionMaui

I took a peek to see how much of the stud is left sticking out of the hub. One, maybe two threads. Hopefully it'll be enough for a vice grip to grab on to. I always spray WD-40 before replacing lug bolts so hopefully that'll help the broken stud turn. My vice grip seems to have walked off by itself. Here comes another trip to the Home Depot. I'll let you know if it works! Thanks voltron1011.

Wouldn't spraying WD-40 on your lug bolts act similar to putting anti-seize on them? If I'm not mistaken the torque spec of 88 ft/lbs is for dry threads. Your lubed threads would give your a very inaccurate torque reading, allowing you to apply much more torque than was measured by your wrench.

[uberschnell]

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