SL/R129: 1997 SL320 - Sheared Off Lug Nut / Bolt
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Joined: May 2009
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1988 300E - Diamond Blue, 1997 SL320 - Black Opal
1997 SL320 - Sheared Off Lug Nut / Bolt
Have posted this on other MB forums so if you have seen it there you can ignore it here. But wanted to get as much information as I could from a wide variety of sources. Here goes:
After making the decision on new tires (Falken FK452) I got them installed today on to the OEM wheels. Or should I say I got 3 of the 4 installed. While attempting to remove the lug nuts / bolts on one of the wheels, one of the nuts was seized very tight and ultimately could not be removed.
Shop was great and told me about the situation before trying it any further. They believed that whoever previously installed the wheel had cross threaded one nut. I gave them the go ahead to try and get it out.
Unfortunately the head of the bolt sheared off, and of course it left behind the remainder of the bolt including the cup that mates with the rim. So, needless to say that particular wheel would not come off.
We debated about drilling out the bolt but we were all concerned about damaging the wheel due to the tight fit and working space. It was agreed that perhaps the Mercedes dealer would have better experience or special tools so as to not damage the wheel. For those that have ever removed the lug nut / bolt you'll appreciate the lack of clearance and the unique shape the Mercedes uses.
My question is whether anyone else has had a similar scenario and whether they were able to get the remnant of the bolt removed without destroying the wheel. Is there any benefit in getting the dealer to try and remove the remnant, or should I simply stick with the tire shops or other mechanics?
Look forward to hearing from you on this. Its a real pain too cause I still can't get out and fully test the car to its limit as I now have 3 wonderful new tires and one tire with about 1/32 of tread. GRRRR
Thanks in advance.
jb
After making the decision on new tires (Falken FK452) I got them installed today on to the OEM wheels. Or should I say I got 3 of the 4 installed. While attempting to remove the lug nuts / bolts on one of the wheels, one of the nuts was seized very tight and ultimately could not be removed.
Shop was great and told me about the situation before trying it any further. They believed that whoever previously installed the wheel had cross threaded one nut. I gave them the go ahead to try and get it out.
Unfortunately the head of the bolt sheared off, and of course it left behind the remainder of the bolt including the cup that mates with the rim. So, needless to say that particular wheel would not come off.
We debated about drilling out the bolt but we were all concerned about damaging the wheel due to the tight fit and working space. It was agreed that perhaps the Mercedes dealer would have better experience or special tools so as to not damage the wheel. For those that have ever removed the lug nut / bolt you'll appreciate the lack of clearance and the unique shape the Mercedes uses.
My question is whether anyone else has had a similar scenario and whether they were able to get the remnant of the bolt removed without destroying the wheel. Is there any benefit in getting the dealer to try and remove the remnant, or should I simply stick with the tire shops or other mechanics?
Look forward to hearing from you on this. Its a real pain too cause I still can't get out and fully test the car to its limit as I now have 3 wonderful new tires and one tire with about 1/32 of tread. GRRRR
Thanks in advance.
jb
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
1988 300E - Diamond Blue, 1997 SL320 - Black Opal
Following is a bit more information as I find that pictures are sometimes way better at conveying the problem.
On my wheels, the head of the lug bolt / nut is recessed about 7 mm (1/4 inch ish) below the face of the wheel. On the problem bolt it has sheered off approximately 25 mm (1 inch) below the face of the rim. There is about 20 mm (3/4 inch) of bolt left prior to the collar that mates to the rim. Very tricky working area as the diameter of the pocket that the bolt goes in to is only about 28 mm (1 1/8 inch) in diameter.
Going to be fun to get anything in there to grasp the remainder of the lug bolt.
On my wheels, the head of the lug bolt / nut is recessed about 7 mm (1/4 inch ish) below the face of the wheel. On the problem bolt it has sheered off approximately 25 mm (1 inch) below the face of the rim. There is about 20 mm (3/4 inch) of bolt left prior to the collar that mates to the rim. Very tricky working area as the diameter of the pocket that the bolt goes in to is only about 28 mm (1 1/8 inch) in diameter.
Going to be fun to get anything in there to grasp the remainder of the lug bolt.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
1988 300E - Diamond Blue, 1997 SL320 - Black Opal
Well today was an extremely gratifying day for yours truly. Consumed an extreme amount of patience this morning and then tackled the sheared lug bolt. It is now off of the car.
As mentioned by others, once the binding point (rim) was removed I was able to spin out the lug nut remnant with my fingers.
Although this was an exasperating experience for me, with lots of patience this is actually a very simple chore. All that was required was a cordless drill, various drill bits suitable for drilling steel (not metal or aluminum, but steel) and a 1/4 inch drive socket for removing spark plugs. The bits I used were from Task and are stated to be Titanium coated. One step up from regular HSS bits, but not as high up as cobalt bits.
I wrapped the socket in duct tape and inserted it in over the lug nut remnant. The socket I used had an outside diameter almost the exact size as the inside diameter of the wheel hole. Worked excellent as a guide for the pilot hole I drilled using a 1/4 inch bit. Took the pilot hole about 2 mm past the end of the collar.
Then I enlarged the hole with a 5/16 bit. Then enlarged it with a 3/8 inch bit and enlarged it once more with a 7/16 bit. Final bit used was a 15/32 as it has a diameter of 11.9 mm and our lug bolts have a diameter of roughly 12.1 mm.
After getting the 15/32 hole done the bolt still wouldn't move, so I removed the other 4 lug bolts and simply pulled hard on the tire. The remnant of the collar broke off and I had a wheel in my hand. Let me tell you that I think that feeling was better than any feeling courteousy of any combination of beer and S.E.X!!
The bolt remnant I then spun out by hand.
Various pieces of advice from this board as well as an internet video on drilling through sheet steel got me through this. The video showed adding a light coating of oil to the surface of the steel to be drilled and drilling slowly. I dulled one 15/32 bit by trying to go really fast. Once I gained some patience and followed the video advice the job took less than 15 minutes of drilling.
Attached is a photo of what was once a lug bolt.
Only damage to the rim was some scrathches (not patient enought) and possibly enlarged the bolt hole by 1/10 or 2/10 of a mm, which in the grand scheme of things is insignificant.
Thanks for all your advice on this. Limping around on 4 bolts on the one wheel until I get to the dealer in a couple of weeks. Not a big deal as I now get to play more with my new toy - a 1968 Triumph GT6 which as a couple of electrical gremlins to sort out.
jb
As mentioned by others, once the binding point (rim) was removed I was able to spin out the lug nut remnant with my fingers.
Although this was an exasperating experience for me, with lots of patience this is actually a very simple chore. All that was required was a cordless drill, various drill bits suitable for drilling steel (not metal or aluminum, but steel) and a 1/4 inch drive socket for removing spark plugs. The bits I used were from Task and are stated to be Titanium coated. One step up from regular HSS bits, but not as high up as cobalt bits.
I wrapped the socket in duct tape and inserted it in over the lug nut remnant. The socket I used had an outside diameter almost the exact size as the inside diameter of the wheel hole. Worked excellent as a guide for the pilot hole I drilled using a 1/4 inch bit. Took the pilot hole about 2 mm past the end of the collar.
Then I enlarged the hole with a 5/16 bit. Then enlarged it with a 3/8 inch bit and enlarged it once more with a 7/16 bit. Final bit used was a 15/32 as it has a diameter of 11.9 mm and our lug bolts have a diameter of roughly 12.1 mm.
After getting the 15/32 hole done the bolt still wouldn't move, so I removed the other 4 lug bolts and simply pulled hard on the tire. The remnant of the collar broke off and I had a wheel in my hand. Let me tell you that I think that feeling was better than any feeling courteousy of any combination of beer and S.E.X!!
The bolt remnant I then spun out by hand.
Various pieces of advice from this board as well as an internet video on drilling through sheet steel got me through this. The video showed adding a light coating of oil to the surface of the steel to be drilled and drilling slowly. I dulled one 15/32 bit by trying to go really fast. Once I gained some patience and followed the video advice the job took less than 15 minutes of drilling.
Attached is a photo of what was once a lug bolt.
Only damage to the rim was some scrathches (not patient enought) and possibly enlarged the bolt hole by 1/10 or 2/10 of a mm, which in the grand scheme of things is insignificant.
Thanks for all your advice on this. Limping around on 4 bolts on the one wheel until I get to the dealer in a couple of weeks. Not a big deal as I now get to play more with my new toy - a 1968 Triumph GT6 which as a couple of electrical gremlins to sort out.
jb
