Need help to remove a car wheel nut that has shattered

Lord Snooty · Jan 20, 2009

This is not bike related but is about a problem on my Volvo V40.

When attempting to remove the locking wheel nut I broke a small piece of the face off. So off I toddled to my local Volvo dealer to get a new nut and while there I asked them to remove the nut. Well basically when they applied the power tool the nut has broken in two and has left a chunk of it still on the stud where it is holding the wheel fast. :blast

I have taken a pic which is not great but if you peer into the recess you might just see what remains of the nut.

So can anybody help please? WTF am I going to do to get this thing off? :nenau

And yes I know the wheel is in a disgusting state cos I was taking it off to give it a good clean on the bench. :mmmm

Loiq · Jan 20, 2009

Small sharp cold chisel big hammer lots of swearing (gloves and googles)

then thread restore the stud

Shep · Jan 20, 2009

If the bit we are looking at is the nut and not the free spinning security bit, you can buy a tube style stud extractor, this is a tube with 3 or 4 rollers on cams on the inside when placed over the stud or nut in your case, it can give enough purchase to remove it. The outer diameter of the tool may be an issue though.

After that its brute force, as above, a chizel or maybe bash a socket of a smaller size over the remains of the old nut.

Good luck!

Shep

ovenpaa · Jan 20, 2009

Lo-IQ said:
Small sharp cold chisel big hammer lots of swearing (gloves and googles)

then thread restore the stud

Drill a couple of holes down the side first to help. I had to do this with mine a few weeks ago.

Fluffy Bridges · Jan 20, 2009

In the poo........

Ooooh, Mikey

Now yr in the sh1t

.

If all else fails, nip round to the nearest welders emporium with an oversize ring spanner (pref not one of Alena's, or mine :augie

) and get then to tack weld it on over the top. Then Grunt copiously. Grind off the tack welds and proceed as required.

Love

F
X

Rushy · Jan 20, 2009

Replace the other 3 wheels with one's that you don't mind losing then park the car in Liverpool :augie

Big Jets · Jan 20, 2009

Easy one a old socket (not hex ),slighly smaller than the offending stud and hammer it over the stud ,this works two ways as the hammering gives it a wee bit of a jolt,then just loosen it with a ratchet .I owned a scrapyard and done this many times .

Neil W · Jan 20, 2009

Sealey and others sell locking wheel nut removal tools, they have an anti clockwise spiral thread inside which bites into the nut and removes it, there may be a one of a suitable inside diameter. Most tyre fitters keep a set just in case.
They are also very popular with less honest people who like alloy wheels and don't want to pay for them.

mike wright · Jan 20, 2009

Lo-IQ said:
Small sharp cold chisel big hammer lots of swearing (gloves and googles)

then thread restore the stud

We used to snap wheel nuts when I used to drive at Pro Rally and this was the easiest and quickest way.

.However its still got the head so as before a socket may remove it or a female torx socket driven on

Lord Snooty · Jan 20, 2009

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I think I will try the scientific approach first so tomorrow I am off to see if I can buy a removal tool. If that fails then my brother who works on a farm and has access to welding and workshop gear will try and weld a nut to the bit that is in there. If that fails then the last resort is brute strength and ignorance - lump hammer and chisel. Bring it on!

ricardo · Jan 20, 2009

As Neil W said. I think mine was from Machine Mart. I've used them 3 or 4 times and they've worked 2 or 3 times. Either that or wallop on an old socket and hope for the best.

Lord Snooty · Jan 21, 2009

I don't know why I didn't think of this before but I contacted a local tyre replacement company - after all they must encounter this frequently in their line of business. I took it round and one technician said that sometimes they just take off the remaining three bolts and drive the car until the broken nut loosens up, when they feel the wheel wobbling they stop and fit the remaining three nuts.

Not sure if I fancy trying that in case I don't time it right!. :augie

Anyway he said bring it in early doors on Friday and he'll have a go with the tools.

Pukmeister · Jan 21, 2009

Lord Snooty said:
............one technician said that sometimes they just take off the remaining three bolts and drive the car until the broken nut loosens up, when the wheel falls off and the car bodywork hits the ground in a shower of sparks they recover the wheel from someones front garden and refit it with the other three bolts then drive it back.

Fixed it for you.

Lord Snooty · Jan 21, 2009

Pukmeister said:
Fixed it for you.

Cheers mate, that's exactly the scenario that flashed through my mind when he told me!

ELIMINATOR · Jan 24, 2009

Tis now the 24th, what happened, or are you in hospital after the wheel fell off?

Fanum · Jan 24, 2009

ELIMINATOR said:
Tis now the 24th, what happened, or are you in hospital after the wheel fell off?

Nope...he's sat squished under the car with a cold chisel in one hand and a big fekkoff hammer in the other, frozen

Hmm..

Only joking Mike.

Mike??

MIKE????

Lord Snooty · Jan 24, 2009

Well basically the broken nut is resolutely and stubbornly staying put :blast

There is so little of it in the recess that the tyre place couldn't get sufficient purchase on it with the tools. They resorted to hammer and chisel and a dot punch but nothing doing - they also did the loosen the 3 remaining nuts and take it for a 100mph blast around a local clover leaf trick, still to no avail. The next option might be to get a torch on it but they have warned that this might well damage the wheel so I am going to see if I can source a second hand wheel from a scrappy this week and tell them to do whatever has to be done. Anybody out there know where I can get a V40 alloy wheel from :nenau

Bloody anti-theft bloody wheel nuts, bloody bollicking mutter mutter mutter.......... :blagblah

Fanum · Jan 24, 2009

Mike- we already know that it seems to be quite brittle- how about spraying it with one of those plumber's pipe freeze things through a nozzle so you can direct it properly, then give it a right whack with a cold chisel and a heavy mallet ...it may well shatter off????

Worth a go :nenau

Old Man · Jan 25, 2009

Why not simply drill out the bit that's stuck in there.....drill holes either side that are big enough to make a hole right across. You'd need a small pilot hole first then get the big bit out. The only problem would be to make sure you don't damage the thread.

Roy · Jan 26, 2009

find a suitable sized nut such that the nut and socket will fit inside the recess. Drill the centre of the nut to fit over the stud and weld nut onto stud. The heat should also make it easier to remove.

good luck

Roy

Need help to remove a car wheel nut that has shattered

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