bheng

Hello fellow tribe members. I hope you guys are doing well

I was driving the other day and I heard a rotational clunk. So i figured I might have run over the a nail or some sort. Tire pressure remained even throughout the day. But i took the wheels out anyways. So A) There is a nail in my wheel and i figure thats my problem. As I am putting the wheel back on the car, I noticed something else that was odd...


turns out 1 of my bolts is shorter than the rest. I looked in with a flashlight and there is was stuck in the hub. My question is what can i do from here.

Is it safe to drive, i have 4 lugs secured on the wheel?

Where do i go to get this problem fixed? indy? stealership?

If i needed to travel a distance, would it be safe to drive or should i pick up a rental cal?

my mind is kind of all over the place thinking of options. however, a mechanic friend told me 4 bolts should be okay but i need to get it fixed asap after the new year.

what do you guys think about that...

feeling like a noob =/

Yidney

I wouldn't drive longer than necessary, but I wouldn't be afraid to. At least around town. As for getting it out, no reason to go to a dealer for that. If you are ambititous, you can try it yourself - drill a hole into the bolt and buy a set of what are called EZ Outs - made just for the purpose of removing snapped off bolts.

bheng

nice. I will try to to DIY. sad thing is that I will be waiting for new bolts until then =/

Yidney

Before buying EZ Outs, try drilling the broken off bolt with a sharp new bit. They may be pretty hard steel and it may take longer than its worth. I've drilled a number fo different bolts, but never a wheel bolt.

lowpost

Similar happened to me long time ago on a Toyota stud. Nut was stripped. So my buddy drilled out the stud, got the nut out, and then replaced the stud which required removal of the rotor. But he's a mechanic. If you have a drill id go to a hardware store and ask them about bits. be careful and Good luck!