Wheel bolts are stuck

[Bald-Pogle]

Hi!

I have some wheel bolts which are resisting even a pneumatic hammer.

anyone got any suggestions as to how to deal with the problem?

Thanks,

Bald-pogle

 

[c13tay]

try an extendable wheel bolt wrench - got mine from halfords I think - not been beaten by a wheel bolt yet !!!

 

[anyweb]

or a simple solution is a long steel hollow pole (like you'd find on a garden fence or so) which you can slide over your bolt removal tool, and using simple physics and very little effort you can turn the bolts.

If the edges of the bolts loose their shape due to hammering etc, then (in bad cases) we have welded on additional metal to the bolt in order to get a grip enough to remove.

cheers
anyweb

 

[Mid_lfe_Crisis]

I broke one off on the mrs 420 se using a pole :cry: :-( :Oops: Grrrrr the autofit places just whack them up tooooooo tight I allways hand torque mine on the 420 sl so i know that they will come of on the road side if needed and give the bloke a fiver tip not to ding the rims on there machine

 

[Craneboy]

Wheel Nuts

I would advise you to go easy, i have a 300 SL 107 and recently had to have a wheel cut off because of the tyre shop gunning the nuts on tooooo tight and being unable to release them, mine are torqued to 110 nm. I would say use a good fitting brace, which probably is 17mm. Good Luck.

PS Remember to use some copperslip when you refit them --- Tony

 

[paulcallender]

Its the way you do it.

Use a breaker bar, say 600mm. It doesn't have to be a pole vault pole. Then arrange it so you're lifting up, not pushing down on the bar. Then just apply force and keep it applied, nice and gently, and it will go "jjjjgrr" and undo.

 

[Bolide]

Wheel bolts

It is exactly the way you do it!

I've been using proper workshop kit recently and the difference between hand tools and air tools is huge

It's not just effectiveness: air tools use shock to loosen nuts, not torque. Applying torque (long lever, gradual application of force) will shear bolts - if they're going to shear - if the torque supplied is sufficient. Air tools use another way - they use multiple repeated shocks to free the bolt

These two approaches have different merits & applications that I'm not qualified to describe but I've learnt that an expert chooses the right tool. So go to an expert


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[MW]

In the past I have used a good socket and a long breaker bar lifted up by a hydraulic jack which can deliver terrific pressure (it can lift the car!) at the 3 o/clock angle, and has worked well. The problem as stated, is it might snap.
It might be worth a £5 tip at Quick fit to one of the lads who must have done dozens of these. They once did an oil sump nut for me. It run of the mill to them, plus they have industrial gear.