SkankZ

So long story short.. shop/people over torque my lug bolts and some of my wheel hub hole threads are stripped. One lug bolt kept spinning but didn't want to come out. I tried to use my stock bolts to put on new wheels and were too long. When i took the bolts off some of the thread on the bolts were a little stripped and when i tried to put the stock wheels back on the bolts didn't want to go in nicely by hand. I could impact gun the bolts back but i'm sure it would mess up the wheel hub thread.

Has anyone used helicoil? I've researched it and some say it sucked and am i better off replacing the whole wheel hub? Does anyone know the cost of that?

Thanks

zerocover

First thing you should do is run a tap through the hub to clear out any debris. If the thread is stripped the bolts should do in and out very easily. Give that a try if it doesnt work do a helicoil, make sure its a real helicoil not some no name brand that they have at pepboys.

Helicoils work fantastic. They will leave you with a thread stronger then the factory one.
You do need to install them properly, which means breaking the little tab on the back. If you forget that your SOL.

SkankZ

I see! Thanks

So the wheel hub hole isn't stripped because my bolt cannot go in and out freely? It's just my lug bolts that are somewhat stripped that causes it to be hard putting the bolt in by hand.

Right now I'm going to try to use Permatext Threadlocker for the bolt to see if it rethread the bolts

zerocover

All we know if that your internal threads are chewed up in some way shape or form. You need to use a tap to make sure everything is on the up and up (before cross threading something). Then if you can torque the screw down to spec you might just be fine. If not you'll need to explore other options.

No offense but threadlocker doesn't magically repair threads. It only locks existing threads into place, think glue (not really but close enough). If you have no threads nothing will lock. Remember you will one day want to take your wheel off again, possibly several times. The best option is to have the screw working properly.

capt_paul

Thats why you are supposed to hand tighten the bolts and use a torque wrench for the final torque. I would have the shop that you used put a new hub on the car, since it is their fault.

jerrellthomas

Can helicoils be installed in a 430S hub without remving the hub from the car?

zerocover

Yes. Not a problem. The way it works is you drill the hole a size larger then thread that. The helicoil works into that thread and gives you the inside for your bolt.

*posted for posterity.

Holmes5518

Sounds like you should have a professional assess this issue..Using thread locker to hold a bolt in? Don't put your life in danger man.

wvadam

The problem with helicoil inserts is that you are mostly tapping by hand and of course from the side, not from the top like if you had it removed and in a vice. If a novice doesn't get it straight enough then the lugs will not seat properly and another problem is created.

The issue of cost is that the tapping tool for that size in metric costs money too. I would get a new hub and install it yourself. If you do want to go down the helicoil route I would find a shop willing to do the work at a reasonable price. If you can't find a professional mechanic willing to use a helicoil on the hub that must tell you something right there.

If the shop stripped more than one hub then they need to pay or at least offer you the work at cost or something. If it is a big chain I don't know how they could get away with botching the job this bad and not offering to repair the faulty work.