A non mini technical - I know we all like a challagen; that’s why we own mini right? See if you can help.
I bought a BMW 3 series touring a couple fo months ago. I was going to inspect the rear discs, as it turns out the previous owner hasn’t seen fit to include the locking wheel nut key.
I have tried knocking a socket over, and have even managed to spilt a couple. The problem is the heads of the bolts are almost round and have a couple of notches for the original key to grip onto.
I have bought a “locking wheel bolt remover kit” which is absolutely gash and it cost 35 quid. Basically a socket set with a reverse threaded inner, which cuts its own thread. Managed to remove one bolt with this kit and not the bolt is well and truly stuck in the tool. tried to get it out on a vice an breaker bar but the bolt ended up snapping. it was well and truly in-there.
I know you can weld a nut onto the end, i cant weld, I don’t have much aspiration to pay someone else.
Some times you can wack a multi-spline socket on to the locking nut then remove with a breaker bar. Those locking wheel nut remover sockets are very good, I’ve not seen one that cuts a thread though. Only has off set splines that dig into the nut head.
Give the multi spline socket a go. Remember the nuts are very soft alloy so they could break. But that’s not a problem if the head snaps off. Then you can remove the wheel & then use a punch to remove the rest of the bolt.
Are they nuts or studs? If they are studs you can drill a hole in they buy a left hand thread bolt (any decent fasteners place will have them in m6 and m8 at least) and wind it in, it will go so far then then stud will begin to come out. For an m8 you need a 7.6 or 7.8mm drill bit. I had this problem on a 944 and is was a major ball ache until I tried the above, then I had them all out in half an hour.
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Are they nuts or studs? If they are studs you can drill a hole in they buy a left hand thread bolt (any decent fasteners place will have them in m6 and m8 at least) and wind it in, it will go so far then then stud will begin to come out. For an m8 you need a 7.6 or 7.8mm drill bit. I had this problem on a 944 and is was a major ball ache until I tried the above, then I had them all out in half an hour.
Had thought of that, but with an easyout, i though there would too much torque going through it though and it might spin or snap.
Lets just say the communication channels are exhausted with the previous owner after we found out he sold us the car with the wrong miles on the clock.
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Are they nuts or studs? If they are studs you can drill a hole in they buy a left hand thread bolt (any decent fasteners place will have them in m6 and m8 at least) and wind it in, it will go so far then then stud will begin to come out. For an m8 you need a 7.6 or 7.8mm drill bit. I had this problem on a 944 and is was a major ball ache until I tried the above, then I had them all out in half an hour.
Had thought of that, but with an easyout, i though there would too much torque going through it though and it might spin or snap.
Lets just say the communication channels are exhausted with the previous owner after we found out he sold us the car with the wrong miles on the clock.
Easyouts are very brittle and very hard. If you do snap one you will be up the creek. They’re also a lot more expensive. Another option is to use a Dremel to make a slot then use an impact driver. Good luck!
They are for sure non original lock studs. The socket i have used is similar to the irwin, it worked reasonably well trouble is the old stud is now total jammed in the socket. Having searched on google, seems that it is the norm. It hasnt helped that the studs must of been tightened by Hulk Hogan the last time.
I have a big punch, (old drive shaft) and give the offending nut a reet good beating.
A good chisel then takes no effort to spin the old nut off
If after that its still on i’ve taken to loosening the other wheel nuts, and driving until i feel a vibration.
Took the car to a backstreet garage in the roughest area of town. The guy literally had them both of in under a minute. Ten quid later and i am a happy man.
Also too worthless tool back to the store for a full refund, happy days!
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Following on from what i posted earlier (in case this comes up in a search) these are what I use.
Hammer them on wind them off and the job is done. Don’t need a impact gun, you can do it with a breaker bar but a impact gun is quicker.
Glad you got them sorted.
Yeah that looks easier. i used these …
A bit awkward to get started. and absolutely impossible to get the stud out afterwards.
The “professional” used a standard socket hammered over the stud like a maniac, Then a impact gun. He did say they were on mighty tight. Which i can confirm, having spent the afternoon, loosening the rest of the studs, and torquing them back up to a reasonable figure.
I tried a a couple of sockets but they all split (cheap).
i had the same with my 3 series bmw spline nuts.. windy chisel did it for me in 20 seconds ( i lost my key for alloys when on a midnight drive and got stuck in a ditch…Thats another Story) hehe
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Following on from what i posted earlier (in case this comes up in a search) these are what I use.
Hammer them on wind them off and the job is done. Don’t need a impact gun, you can do it with a breaker bar but a impact gun is quicker.
Glad you got them sorted.
Yeah that looks easier. i used these …
i was originaly sold one of these by a local motor factors and they told me they would get my nuts off no problem and if I had any troubles to take them back in.
Sure enough they didn’t get my locking nuts off after a day of messing around with them, total waste of time.
I was a little concerned about buying the sockets pictured, mainly because I thought £25 for a tool I’ll use once is a bit steep, but I have them out of the tool box at least once a week.
The technique you used of tightening the other nuts up very tight does usually do the trick.
Years ago I used to take the other nuts out (leaving just the locking nut in) and drive up and down my driveway. Helped free them up if they was super tight, not always the best idea though
Might be a bit late, but the locking wheel nut is not in the boot lid tray or in with the spare. It could well be behind a panel on the right hand side of the boot behind the rear light.
