How To Remove Broken Lug Bolt

By Matt Weber

A auto or truck'south lug nuts and studs are the crucial components that hold the wheels onto the vehicle. If they fail while driving, and so 1 would expect bad things to happen, ranging from sudden immobilization to a complete loss of control that results in a raging inferno of twisted metal.

Although it's highly unlikely that all of a bike's lugs will fail at in one case, it'south always a good idea to continue your wheels mounted securely to the vehicle with all advisable fasteners, and broken lug studs are a common problem. If left unrepaired, the improper connection of the bicycle can consequence in unwanted vibration while driving that could touch on steering and lead to premature wear in other vehicle components.

The EHT staff recently broke a lug bolt during a routine tire-rotation task. We doubtable the nut and bolt had been cross-threaded by a careless mechanic, because the bolt easily twisted in half when using a lug wrench without exerting whatsoever extra torque. Hither's a step-by-step account of how to supervene upon a broken lug nut stud (as well chosen a lug bolt or bike stud).

Remove and Replace Lug Bolts / Bike Studs

Use a wrench to loosen the bicycle's lug bolts while the vehicle remains on the ground. Then jack up the vehicle and back up it with jack stands. Remove the lug basics and pull off the tire.

Next, use a socket wrench to remove the brake caliper. Annotation, the driver bits required to remove the caliper pins vary among manufacturers—some crave hex bits, some require star-drive bits, etc. With the caliper off the auto, employ a wire to hang the caliper from the vehicle to go along the weight off the brake line. And then, remove the caliper's mounting subclass. (If working on a pulsate-style restriction organisation, remove the brake drum.)

Remove the rotor and gear up aside in a place where it volition non be scratched or exposed to dirt or oil. Utilize a metal hammer to knock the broken lug commodities out the back of the wheel. Aim carefully and be certain not to damage the threads of the adjacent lug bolts. Use your fingers to pull the broken bolt from the rear of the hub flange.

Install New Lug Bolt

The replacement bolt was a stock part from a local auto parts supplier. To install the new commodities into the bolt hole, the wheel must be turned to marshal the hole with a slot on the rear of the hub flange, which provides the clearance to thread information technology through. If the hub flange must be turned for alignment, you may accept to jack up the contrary bike so the axle can freely spin to match the hole with the slot.

1 unexpected problem with this job was the full, round caput of the replacement commodities. You'll see the in the photos that the head of the original commodities was apartment on one side considering it is positioned then close to the axle housing. The full head of the replacement obstructed the bolt'due south insertion into the lug hole, so I had to clamp the bolt in a vise and flatten one side of the head with a iv-in. electric grinder.

For easier installation, store the replacement commodities in a freezer for a few hours. The tolerance of the lug bolt and the hole will exist very tight, and whatsoever pocket-sized amount of contraction the common cold temperature may cause in the metal blend will make it easier to install the new commodities. This will aid profoundly with your bicycle stud replacement.

Use a metal-bristle brush to knock away any rust from the wheel and lubricate both the commodities and the bolt hole with a spray-on solvent. Insert the commodities directly into the hole as far as it will go (the bolt will stop at its shoulder at this betoken).

Thread a very large nut over the end of the new bolt (a stack of large washers will as well work). The large nut is non intended to thread onto the commodities. At that place should be no positive connection between the bolt and large nut; it should slide loosely over the commodities like a washer to function as a spacer.

Next, thread the new lug nut over the end of the new bolt, sandwiching the big nut betwixt it and the hub flange. Employ a lug wrench to tighten the nut, which will describe the bolt into the hub until the bolt head is flush with the back of the flange and snugly installed. Remove the large nut, tighten the lug nut, and the job is done. Clean the rotor with brake dust remover. Contrary the process to replace the brake, wheel and tire, tightening the lug basics to the manufacturer'southward specifications.