Have you ever had a wheel bolt snap?

[PhatVR6 0]

Simple survey. Has this ever happened to you, if so, post up why. Cheers

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

nope...even with a windy gun and been in the trade for over 14 years...

[veedub 0]

Nope! not even with a really long breaker bar!

[Taggart 0]

Not even when I drove back from my mates when I forgot to re-tighten - and for 1/2 mile the car was wobbling.

[ben16v 0]

a lad\who works next business to me has a lexus sport thing has a snapped bolt at the moment, when i talked to him he said its the second one he`s done

[Supercharged 2]

I had one go on the G60, the head just came off while taking it out but i was lucky to get the rest out easily... It was a genuine one too so I bought 12 brand new ones from the dealer - 10 year old metal etc...

[vwdeviant 0]

Nope never not even with 30yr old + VAG items....

 

Had a rear drum strip its threds though... resulting in the wheel falling off at 60 and a very bent bug rear arch..... Mind you that was probably down to the Quality Brazillian Metal.....

[Toad 0]

I've seen them snap on a nearly new mitsubishi l200.

[H8RRA 0]

nope -

 

but on the topic of snaps, worst one was recently the wishbone bolt that took some getting out as they are hardened. lost interest since that episode as spent every night for a week chiselling, cutting and grinding trying to get the fecker out

[trevor 0]

any one know what the tread size is on a vw wheel bolt . are they m12?

[Supercharged 2]

4's are M12, 5's are M14

[trevor 0]

thanks . are they m14 by 1.5 mm thread

[SteveVPK 0]

nope,

 

although college snaped one on his A4 about 3 months ago

[TomB 0]

Nope, but have had a stub axle go on the rear.

[g60bv 0]

yep i have. two in fact. a std vw m12 one and a long 60mm m12 one. but i think i had a cross threaded hub.

[cata 0]

Damn chavaliers, I've lost count of how many I've snapped in mine by now.

None in the Corrado so far though, I doubt I'll have to worry about them snapping.

[sankysvr6 0]

Sorry for bringing this back up, but this happened to me on Saturday and I'm just puzzled why.

 

If Supercharged's theroy is correct, that is probably old metal then that's fine. But I'm just not sure if I should torque the rest of the old wheel bolts.

 

I usually replace all bolts with new ones when working in the engine bay or the brakes. But I've never replaced the wheel bolts.

[vw rule 19]

Yeah I always torque my wheel bolts up when I'm refitting them,

plus you can use a little oil or grease on the wheel bolt threads,

this helps the threads to mesh together and makes it a lot easier to do up / undo,

plus there's less chance of cross threading them, and less heat being generated especially when air guns are being used.

 

Most garages use air guns and tend to wiz the bolts right up, then they check them with a breaker bar or torque wrench, but some don't.

When I had two new tyres fitted to my Polo they wized the wheel bolts right up with an air gun,

when I got home I checked them my self and was only just able to undo them with a long breaker bar,

I would have had no chance of undoing them by using the standard spare wheel bar / wheel brace.

 

Wheel bolts I think can snap if they've been over tightened which can lead to the threads rounding off,

which then makes the thread slightly cross threaded or in some cases totally cross threaded and the bolt jams solid,

hence the bolt snapping possily, or the steal can be of poor quality due to the age or by the manufacturer just using cheap steal,

which has already been mentioned.

 

If in doubt just purchase some new bolts they don't cost much.

 

Si

[Gwr vr6 10]

I've broken loads on track days , depends how ****es off I am

With lap times lol ,

[sankysvr6 0]

I've just ordered some new wheel bolts, as piece of mind for myself and not to loose confidence in the car. That a wheel might fall of any moment due to weak wheel bolts.

[VAG-hag 0]

no.... but really thought I was going to yesterday!