I was attempting to change my wheels yesterday and snapped the head off of one of my drivers side front lug bolts. I let it soak overnight with PB blaster and attempted removal with a bolt remover this afternoon. Nice Craftsman matched set of drills and removers. I cracked the head off of the bolt remover in the lug bolt. I think I can remove the broken bolt remover but it's looking like a lost cause, any suggestions?


'87 300SDL 263,000
'94 SL 500 49,000

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jcciem
'94 SL5000 60,000
'91 350SDL 545,000
'91 350SD 197,000
'00 E55 AMG 77,000

sounds you are gonna have to drill it out then tap the hole

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

On that vehicle, it's a very bad situation because you need to get down about 2" to the point where the ball seat contacts the wheel. To attempt to drill this far without any guide would be futile.

You're stuck with attempting to drill a hole in the end of the remaining bolt and try to use an extractor. You might attempt to heat the bolt ..........in the hope that you can lengthen it a bit at the point where it contacts the wheel. However, the wheel is painted aluminum and heating that tiny area to make some difference is next to impossible due to the length of the bolt.

However, if some moron put the wheel on with an impact wrench with 150 lb.-ft..........you're in a world of hurt and you will likely lose the wheel in the process.

The point to note is to NEVER let anyone else install the wheels.

Napa put mine on and I mentioned 80 ftlbs to him .
He uses the torque limiting impact sockets.

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1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

2004 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed 300k -still driven daily

If you need a replacement lugnut, I could send you one from a parts car.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

no such thing. torque sticks are put on a impact gun. You can drill and tap the hole just be careful on how far you drill. I usually when faced with this, ill drill enough to get an extractor in and see if itll come it. if the excrator dont work ill driill it carefully and tap the hole. You can trust people to install wheels just not anyone, ie idiots who work at firestone, midas etc

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

Try finding a piece of tubing that will act as a drill bushing/guide.

Heat probably won't work, the thermal coefficient of expansion of the aluminum-alloy wheel is greater than that of the steel alloy bolt, will probably make it tighter. Not sure how much the ball-seat will factor into that.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Actually when you have a hole drilled in metal; heating the metal expands the hole Aluminum or Steel.
Heat (and something like PB Blaster) is extremely helpful in removing broken off bolts when using an Ezee-Out.

He could have the Auto Club Tow his car to a shop and have them EDM (electrically burned out), The burn it out while coolant rungs through the Electrode and keeps heat the heat under control.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I do believe that this is the wisest approach if they can do it. However, usually the EDM required a straight shot from one side all the way through............Don't believe he's going to be able to get that with the spindle and the heat shield in the way.

I saw the box of different color coded sockets in the shop.

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1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

2004 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed 300k -still driven daily

They do exist and they are used with an impact gun to limit the torque. In your original post, I believe the confusion was due to the thought that the mechanic would use them with a ratchet wrench and not an impact gun.

I did find a set and it seems that mechanics that use them arent very good since that they cant take the extra few minutes after using a torque stick to use a torque wrench to see if they are in spec. Any skilled mechanic ive been around or worked with never used them since they didnt have to.

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

This might be a cheap and easy way to get it out.I used this tool on 3 broken wheel studs on my 86 SDL .If it doesn't get it to come out completely it will at least break off most of the remaining stud so that you won't have to drill much to get it out.


http://www.napaautoparts.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=SER&PartNumber=41764&Description=Stud+Extractor

Sorry I have not checked up on this thread for awhile. Also I have not seen what the parts on the OP's car look like before.
However, the Electrodes they use are thin and hollow (so the coolant runs through them) and the Electrodes can be bent at angles or they have a selection of pre-bent electrodes.

Also I am going from my knowlege of vintage 1975-80 EDM machines I would think they even have better ones now or even a different type of machine nowadays.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

If you used a small pilot bit to make a starter hole, then found one of these in the right size....you could put the tip in the starter hole to guide the bit and slowly grind the bolt head down to nothing, then just pop the wheel off and unscrew the rest of the lug. Done correctly I bet it would work quite well....

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)