Stuck wheel bolts :(

[gerhard]

This is the tool for the job. I take mine when I go bush in the Jackaroo. It easily removes diff pinion nuts, and wheel nuts are just a walk in the park. Essential tool for any home workshop IMO. Only get the Shentai - there are Chinese imitations of this Chinese tool that are rubbish





"Shentai 12V Impact Wrench
12V auto impact wrench perfect for undoing wheel nuts. This unit comes in a handy carry case and is light enough for anyone to use.

The innovative design of this wrench means it is capable of producing 250ft/lbs (340Nm) of torque, allowing you to undo even stubborn wheel nuts with relative ease.

The use of the Shentai Impact Wrench is simple. Simply plug it in to your cigarette lighter, or alternatively attach it to your battery with supplied alligator clips. Find and attach the correct size socket for your wheel nuts to the wrench, place the socket over a wheel nut, and hold the switch down until the hammer action occurs, then keep holding until the nut spins off. Reverse for fitting wheel nuts, but do not overtighten.

Specifications:


100 Watts / 8.3 Amps
Torque: 250ft/lbs - 340Nm
Weight: 3kg "

[Mischa]

with a 1m breaker bar and a 85kg person standing on it, thats about 800nm of torque, a lot more than 340

[gerhard]

with a 1m breaker bar and a 85kg person standing on it, thats about 800nm of torque, a lot more than 340

True, but can you deliver your 800nm like a hammer blow - no, you can't, or you'd break your legs. Plus, you somehow have to apply your leverage in such a way that it doesn't twist the tools or round off the nut/bolt. Then you have to dodge the flying levers or whatever when you slip.

The Shentai delivers its 340nm with a hammer-like whack very precisely with no danger of rounding off the nut, since you can hold it perfectly aligned to the task. It's like a very slow rattle gun, it winds up and then belts.

Sorry, bloke, the Shentai FTW

[Mischa]

True, but can you deliver your 800nm like a hammer blow - no, you can't, or you'd break your legs. Plus, you somehow have to apply your leverage in such a way that it doesn't twist the tools or round off the nut/bolt. Then you have to dodge the flying levers or whatever when you slip.

The Shentai delivers its 340nm with a hammer-like whack very precisely with no danger of rounding off the nut, since you can hold it perfectly aligned to the task. It's like a very slow rattle gun, it winds up and then belts.

Sorry, bloke, the Shentai FTW

lol i jump up and down on my breaker bar when dealing with hub nuts

[rayray086]

Glad it worked out Branko. VR6 lugs are M14x1.5 if you're going out to a shop to buy new lugs. Better yet, replace those rounded nuts with locking nuts

i'm reminded of undoing the front axel nuts on my good buddy pete's MK2 GTI. in then end, we used a kingchrome 30mm socket with 3" extension, into kingchrome solid breaker bar, into 6 foot long steel square tube. all of my weight on it was not enough, and so had to get my shoulder underneath the bar and lift from the other side.

after a satisfying and very loud CRACK, and then 3-4 more, the nut came loose. but not without bending the breaker bar about 15 degrees, and putting a permanent 10-20 degree twist in the extension.

I had a similar experience. It was the front hub nut (30mm) on the Mk3 - stood on it, and got not nothing out of it. Kept pushing and pushing and I would be able to move the car a little even with the handbrake on. Decided to extend the handle and slowly put some leverage... bad idea. Breaker bar broke at the socket attachment! Didn't help when the breaker bar had a 180 degree swivel head... Ended up using a fairly thick T-bar with a handle extension and that finally did the trick. Nut was hot to touch!

[Golf Houso]

Glad it worked out Branko. VR6 lugs are M14x1.5 if you're going out to a shop to buy new lugs. Better yet, replace those rounded nuts with locking nuts

I'll definately look into getting some replacement bolts soon.
Whats this chalky yellow stuff? Had the bolt seized or something?



And this is why you should use a breaker bar

[Soundofav6]

I replaced one of mine lugs from Denlo parra for $7.

[rayray086]

Could be thread-locker, which might explain why it was so hard to loosen the wheel lugs.

[jayjay]

yer. it's loctite

[peedman]

its not loctite its just a build up of material/crud. if u think about it not all of the wheel bolt is wound into the hub, only the last 10-15mm and the rest is just sitting in the wheel hole where blieve it or not stuff collects. nobody in their right mind would put loctite on wheel bolts its stupid! someone has just overtorqued the wheel bolts, glad u got em off tho.

ps: ebay the wheel bolts if ur not in a hurry!

[Golf Houso]

its not loctite its just a build up of material/crud. if u think about it not all of the wheel bolt is wound into the hub, only the last 10-15mm and the rest is just sitting in the wheel hole where blieve it or not stuff collects. nobody in their right mind would put loctite on wheel bolts its stupid! someone has just overtorqued the wheel bolts, glad u got em off tho.

ps: ebay the wheel bolts if ur not in a hurry!

Oh I just got 2 from the stealer for $12 ... I almost couldn't take those two off they were that rounded, short term solution. I now have 2 new rims and front tires, 15x6 steelies from a MKIV, I'm still looking around for another 2 for the rear and some new *cough*nankangs*cough* as the front tires.

Since the head of the bolt stick out on the steelies I'm definately going to look for some nice new bolts on ebay...

[rayray086]

its not loctite its just a build up of material/crud. if u think about it not all of the wheel bolt is wound into the hub, only the last 10-15mm and the rest is just sitting in the wheel hole where blieve it or not stuff collects. nobody in their right mind would put loctite on wheel bolts its stupid! someone has just overtorqued the wheel bolts, glad u got em off tho.

ps: ebay the wheel bolts if ur not in a hurry!

Good point!

[The_Hawk]

Oh I just got 2 from the stealer for $12 ...

Geeze, you could get some nice dress bolts instead for that sort of money

[Golf Houso]

Geeze, you could get some nice dress bolts instead for that sort of money

Been there done that, those bolts look good for a while the start the rust in the centres not fun
Plus my VR is pretty ugly atm, like fancy bolts are going to make much of a difference in the short term, although I would like some nice black lugs once I get all 4 steelies on