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Long story short- I've managed to bork the security bolt/ stud on the nearside front wheel of my 14 plate Berlingo.
Removing the wheel to replace brake pads I noticed that the security stud was very loose. The stud, once removed from the wheel then fell apart in my hands. I tried to reassemble it and when I replaced the wheel all went well until I torqued it up. Then I could feel it slipping on the splines and it will no longer tighten or loosen, it just spins.
Main dealer time?
I think they will just drill it out. Do you know anyone else you would trust with such a job?
Could you hammer a ‘too tight’ socket on? Hard to offer a specific solution without seeing the offending wheel nut really. Whatever the answer is though, it’s going to involve mechanical abuse, and maybe heat. I’ve seen nuts welded to knackered or lost key security nuts to get them off.
Problem is that the section that socket would engage upon is the bit that is the section of the stud assembly that is rotating upon the main (load bearing) fixing. I would trust my local garage to drill it out.
New problem now- where to find a replacement?
Just replace with a normal wheel nut? Really, who’s going to be checking out your berlingo to pinch a single wheel? Unless you’ve got some ‘mad rims bro’? I’m fairly sure alloys pinched to order has gone the way of pinching Mercedes grill badges to wear around your neck like a medallion...
My thoughts exactly. Off to the scrappy I will go.
I had the same recently. I have £20 to a guy recommended by a local tyre place and he removed it with a lump hammer and some pick/chisel things. I got replacements from eurocarparts.
Same thing happened on my berlingo a couple if months ago.
Local garage removed it by welding a bit on. £25 labour plus £25 for a generic set of locking wheel nuts. I'm not an expert but I don't think there's a big market for stolen Berlingo alloys.
The wee box with my locking wheel nut "key" in, also has 4 normal wheelnuts in it, presumably removed from the wheels to put the locking ones on.
My locking wheel bolt has also just exploded. The shitty pastry cutter star design allows the special tool to twist as its a really shallow profile. So its snapped offf the collar on the outside rim, with my cave man help using tools. The pastry cutter internal profile is still intact, but without the raised lip thhe tool just rotates off the teeny teeth on the inside.
I have 4 new bolts here already, and a set of reverse thread bolts, none of which match the diameter of the remaining smooth sided, circular bolt. So its goingt to be either alot of drilling, or weld on a deep nut and wind that off with a windy gun
When I saw a bolt drilled out, one tech gripped it with mole grips and the other drilled a small pilot hole, medium and then large holes. They then crushed the remaining bolt and pulled it out, finally cleaning the bolt hole with an air line. I was at a distance when I saw this, so I could have missed a step, it was also 15-20 years ago.
Thinking about it, drilling might only work if there is enough bolt exposed to grip. If the bolt is completely recessed it will most likely spin and you also have no protection against wheel damage if the bit slides off the bolt. Welding may well be the best option.