Been doing brake jobs for over 45 years of my life, that's why I meticulously, clean the threads on the lug studs, and the lug nuts and check them twice, tighten them bare hand, completely down, then put a light coat anti-seize, re torq them down in a proper torquing sequence, 10 minutes will save you, (2 hours & $800 worth of frustration) Excellent Video!
Yeah, I used to do that too, back in the day. I suspect you don't reduce your tightening torque by the amount required for the lube you use, therefore potentially over torquing your bolts by up to 50% (Look up dry versus lubed torques)
You know, if you have something that is galvanized and you want to take the zinc coating off, hydrochloric acid will strip it. I'm sure a man of your standing would know someone who has some.
You shouldn't apply anti-seize if the manufacturer doesn't specify it. Their recommended torque will be based on clean dry threads. Lubricating threads will increase the clamping force for a given torque which can over-stress or stretch the bolts to the point they are damaged or weakened. Normal (aviation) practice is to reduce the applied torque by something like 30% (or more) if a normally dry thread is to be lubricated. Doing this restores the clamping force to the correct level.
I've heard that the torque should be reduced by 20%. Most wheel bolts would not cause such a problem if impact wrenches were not used so much by garages. Thanks for the comment
Yep, I agree about the use of impact guns and I normally ask them not to use them (and then watch them!). Torque reduction % will vary depending upon the type of lubricant used.
@Dick Fageroni agreed I have never seen a tyre shop use a torque wrench that is why I always fit my own wheels and torque them myself however I can't see how lubricating a thread changes the torque setting of a bolt I beg to differ on that one and I think it's a great idea using antiseize because the bolts when the get wet won't rust into the treaded holes.
Yusuf Maltese Lubricating the threads reducing their friction. The same amount of torque will allow the fasteners to climb further up the incline that threads are before that torque becomes equal to the result of the opposing clamping force and frictional force.
You've got it back to from brother ... Engineering and Automotive standards are: Unless the manufacturer SPICIFICALLY notes Dry Torque (with by the way is exceedingly rare, I've not seen any automotive torque specified as dry) then the toque value is to be done oil lubricated or equivalent, (Loctitie and Never-Seize are equivalents for example)
Anti sieze grease or oil should NEVER be used on wheel fixings. If the bolt or nut is squeaky rusty only then apply a tiny match head or smaller drop of oil. If wheel bolts where correctly torqued when fitting wheel this would rarely happen Forgot to mention that the correct torque cannot be applied when bolt is lubricated
You can smash a certain size star socket over most locking wheel nuts but like you said it doesn't work every time.Its definitely worth trying first as it does work most the time.
man your sending me broke with all the nice new tools , the artu drill bits seen good reviews seen bad reviews but you sold me on them, anti seize bet your mate will never forget that
For the average car/alloy wheels, locking nuts are more trouble than they're worth these days. Bought a 2nd hand Peugeot from the main dealer years ago. They didn't give me the wheel nut key so took it back. Wasn't until a few months later I noticed that they'd drilled the old nuts off. leaving marks on every wheel.
Going back to copper grease on wheel bolts: I once bought a car where all the wheel bolts were stiff to remove, even after cracking the bolts loose. I removed the wheel bolts and then found they all had hardened copper grease in the threads. I wirebrushed all the wheel bolt threads, and this made the wheel bolts much easier to tighten and remove.
.......am just now in the process of having to drill out two wheel studs (12 mm) on a 2012 Chrysler Grand Caravan...I must have had a mini stroke when I was at the tire shop last, because I did not stop them from using a pneumatic impact gun to tighten the lug nuts. Need I say more. Chrysler uses a steel lug nut wrapped in chrome plated sheet metal. If the nut is too tight on the wheel, and the socket slips and distorts the sheet metal, you are sunk. Even hammering the socket onto the damaged nut did not work. The nuts were so tight, the socket simply rounded the nuts beautifully. Fortunately the studs are drill-able with coated bits and I used about four sizes before using the 1/2 " final drill. Key to drilling out studs is to make sure the first hole you drill is perfectly centered. I made a centering tool out of a spent stud to accomplish this initial centering. I always clean the threads well, apply anti seize and torque by hand with a hand torque wrench. I also replace the OE lug nuts (the ones with the shitty sheet metal ) with aftermarket nuts machined out of a single chunk of steel. It works for me.
Thanks, my mate did say that I could cut the wheel off if necessary as he had a spare alloy. I guess even that is better than getting three points on your license and a fine! Thanks for the comment
Yeah, he was really struggling with this and the tyre was in dire need of being replaced. Today I'm attempting to remove a sheared bolt in a lawn mower for another mate ;-) Thanks for the comment
I've NEVER failed to get a locking lug nut off by bashing a slightly undersize socket on it and buzzing it off with a good impact wrench. Although, I don't live in the rust belt, so results may vary. (Also, lug bolts may be a different beast, but I'd at least try the small socket idea).
Some of them have these diabolical hardened steel spinning rings fixed to the outer portion of the locking nut so a hammered on socket only spins the ring, not the inner nut or bolt. Getting them off usually involves cracking the ring off first, and then using a hammered on socket, but this drilling method would be the way to go if you came across one in a deeply recessed wheel.
Great video, in my tyre fitting day's I would always stand next to the wheel with my back towards the car, hammer in hand & strike each head once bcos they're self locking, once done I found the bolt would undo easily. I appreciate you're dealing with a sunken bolt so access is limited. Just had to share it :) Thanks
The anti-theft wheel bolt in this video could not be drilled using a regular bit. I tried one of the cutters that came with the machine first, which took the edge of the bit as soon as it touched the bolt. Thanks for the comment
Wow. I believe that I have that exact situation on a 2007 Jeep Commander. Impact drill, W40, pipe extension, hammer will not release the lug. Tire shop broke a lug socket attempting to remove it. Woodside, QNs. NY area.
Locking wheel nuts are a pig for getting stuck. It's not as if standard alloy wheels get stolen these days like they did 25 years ago as most cars already have them fitted as standard, there s no demand for knicked wheels. Better off replacing the locking bolts with normal ones asap.
I'd be a little worried not having the locking wheel bolts on my car with wheels worth £2000+....although whole car more likely to be nicked than just the wheels.
Don't forget that tyres aren't cheap on many cars, so there's always some toe-rag that will knick a wheel just for the tyre. I had two taken from an old cheapo Renault 5 for that reason (thief got caught as he cut himself and left DNA - yah!).
Absolutely agree! first job on my car when I got it was replace the locking wheen nuts with regular ones. Not like someone is going to nick the bog standard alloys off a Megan.
You can dress a masonry bit (carbide tip) if you're a bit handy with the grinder and have a cbn or diamond wheel... but most probably won't. Works well for drilling stainless too though. I've found a pretty cheap source of carbide tipped drills for drilling hardened steel are ones sold as "locksmiths drills" - always have a few on hand.
Have you ever used an induction coil heater designed for stuck bolt removal, obviously only if there proud of the surface, but would like your honest opinion of one if you ever come across them
I read not to place Anti Seize on wheel lug nuts and bolts somewhere but don't know where to find the information... Anyways, i'd recommend you don't do it because more lubrication, the wheel torque will be i guess tighter than its specification required. I would only use antiseize on exhausts.
Anti seize should never be used on wheel bolts of a car, if you look on autodata at the torque for your wheel bolts (120nm for 17mm 5 lug vag cars) it will have a small info tab that says to never apply grease or antisieze to wheel bolts, if locking wheel nuts aren't removed using an air gun or overtightened then this is rarely a problem
Anti seize is no problem. People use it all over the snow belt. Never a prob. You just have to take it into account when re-tightening because it's easier to over tighten. If you're torquing to 90 and there's anti seize, you're probably closer to 110-115 without knowing.
Great video. You made that look easy. Anybody would think you did that sort of thing for a living. 😉 I suppose if you know what you're doing and have the right equipment, it is relatively straight forward. I suspect if I had had the problem I would have had to cut the wheel off.
Interesting that you say you would use the drill as a last resort. I would use the drill before trying to weld to the bolt. Welding in a hole with soft aluminium that damages so easily is a recipe for disaster I reckon. It's a tough job that I must admit.
Anit-seize or a lubricant on wheel bolts is not allowed by most car manufacturers. You shouldn't recommend that. The rest of the video is excellent - as always!
Thanks, I think the garage gave up due to the potential cost. Some garages can charge a lot per hour for labour, which could make a job like this seem expensive. Thanks for the comment
One my wheel locking wheel bolts has just broken… the head snapped off, just a frustrating situation! I think the garage out the bolts on way too tight, quite a while ago, which didn’t go too well with the aging locking bolts! Don’t suppose you’re too far away from Nottingham?
I’m miles away, sorry. (Darwen, Lancs) I’m afraid I no longer have the mag base drill either! Some garages tighten wheel nuts/bolts using impact drivers, which causes major problems. I’m sure there is a British standard for tightening wheel bolts, which means they should be using a torque wrench!
I just break them off then remove the bolt on the mill or drill press. If its a real mess i just replace the rotor. The labor to fix the problem is often less than the cost of the part. It is interesting seeing how you solved this problem though. :-)
Nice video Chez. I like the idea of clamping a piece of steel plate on and using a mag drill. Those bits are impressive. Haven't seen the tipped ones like that before. I see the "to anti seize or not" argument going on again. Done it for more than 40 years myself. No problem so far. As you say Chez you can reduce the torque by a bit. There is some argument that the proper anti seize stuff is apparently made to actually lubricate as little as possible. Never actually put it to the test though. I suppose it might make an interesting experiment. Most tyre places where I am in the UK torque the nuts now anyway, and don't just bang them up with the air gun like they used to. I binned the locking bolts on my Peugeot. I think a set of four normal bolts were less than £15 online. I reckon the risk of getting the wheels nicked is less than the risk of having to do the job here! Keep up the good work mate! 👍
Thanks Dave, the ARTU drill bits are good on really hard metals and are much better than solid carbide bits as they are not brittle. The anti-seize debate and lock nuts debate (which nut goes on the bottom and which nut goes on the top) can go on for ever! Luckily, I only drive a van with steel wheels, so nobody wants to steal mine ;-) Thanks for the comments
Excellent work on a truly horrible job. I'd be trying to do that with a rotary hammer drill, as I haven't seen the electromagnet mounting type. Thanks for the video.
I'd expect £50 per wheel or so but maybe more if they need to get a mag base drill/purchase the carbide drill bit required. It's not the sort of stuff a garage will normally have kicking around. They'll charge the minimum of 1 hour labour though and garage labour seems to hover around the £40-50/hr mark.
If you ever lose a locking wheel nut key, if you goto a main car dealership, they keep all the locking wheel bolt keys in stock and will remove the bolt for you (I did this once because I only found out 6 months after buying a car that there was no locking wheel bolt key)...
Help, I (many people also) don't have those special tools. How to remove a free spinning lug bolt with a nut still on it and they are recessed in deep of the wheel? Because if I can't remove the bolt, there no way to remove the wheel, caliber & rotor to replace the wheel hub. Using this drill tips, what type of drill bit I can drill? Used carbon drill bits did not good
Wheel bolts are much harden than a traditional bolt, so you need a specialist drill bit, such as the ARTU multi purpose bits. You could try any drill bit that is TCT, such as a masonry bit. A solid carbide bit will work, but they are incredibly brittle and snap easily. There is a specialist kit available now for removing anti-theft wheel bolts- but I've never tried it myself.
Excellent video. Thanks for uploading. I've got a Peugout with recessed antitheft bolts. I've drilled out two, but got through a fair few TCT bits. HSS just went blunt immediately. I tackling the remaining two next weekend. I've managed to drill most of the way through, and I intend using a stug extractor, but what drill bits would you recommend. I only have access to a hand drill or a mains sds with a chuck adapter.
Well told if I buy the cobalt drill set would I be able to drill through the stud with my electric drill bit confused because others are saying you can any help appreciate thanks
It depends how hard the stud is. On softer steels a cobalt drill bit will work fine 👍 Just make certain you use plenty of coolant/lubricant to prevent the drill bit from over heating.
@@ultimatehandyman There are inexpensive laser pointers that you can chuck in the drill to check aiming. Just get one that shoots the laser out the middle and not offset. Don't crush the laser, hand tight is all that is needed.
U.H.--Just a heads' up about the CC (Closed Captioning). I like your videos a lot, but whoever is doing the CC is doing you a disservice. I turn them on frequently when listening to them as your accent can be hard for me to decipher at times (I am a U.S. native). The captioner apparently has as much (if not more) difficulty with it and I suspect does not have much knowledge of automotive/mechanical terms. The word "break" came out "brick" the first time, which became "break" the next time you said it. However, the first use was not corrected, so I'm not sure if he or she is reviewing their work to catch errors like that. When you were describing how to drill out the locking lug nut, you talked about drilling slowly so as not to "blunt" (dull) the bit, but the captioner typed in "block", which made no sense. I'm not sure I got your full meaning, as what you were trying to tell us wasn't transcribed properly. Whoever's doing the CC is going by sound (which we all do), but is unable to correct for this in the context of your meaning. I suspect the CC is done here in the States, but you can let RU-vid know that there have been problems. Thanks.
Thanks, I have not had chance to edit the CC on this video yet. I do have someone that edits the CC, or sometimes I edit the CC myself (if I have time). The CC on this video is automatically generated by RU-vid and sometimes it really gets my words mixed up! Thanks for letting me know though, much appreciated 👍
Does anyone do this in Los Angeles area? My 2017 VW Jetta lock bolts got overtightened and then the the Lock bolt pattern got stripped in the process! Back two need to be drilled out...HELP!
A few years ago I had the same situation. Luckily I managed to take the bolt off with a wheel but/bolt extractor set I bought in Halfords. Why are you wearing such a floral cap?
Hey Chez, I just wanted to ask you a quick question which you've most likely already covered on another video but here goes. When drilling stainless steel with a cobalt bit and cutting compound should you go for a high or low speed drill setting? I'm thinking slow?
@@ultimatehandyman Thanks Chez as always. Just one more question if I may. On a recent video I saw you were using a cutting compound that was in a nice neat long container, looked really good for dipping drill bits into. I've been looking for something similar as the sprays and oils I've used in the past seem to cause excess mess. If you could recommend me a compound for drilling I'd very much appreciate it! Cheers!
Cobalt will work on most bolts and is better than Tungsten, as it's not as brittle. Tungsten carbide bits are very tough, but very brittle, so if the drill moves sideways slightly it will break the drill bit. The bit that I used in this demo has a Tungsten tip, but the drill bit is steel, so can flex without breaking. Thanks for the comment 👍
A good method to use that you didn’t mention is to get a 12 point socket slightly smaller diameter than the locking bolt/nut and hit it over the locking bolt/nut. Although this isn’t suited to every locking nut it works in a ‘pinch’ 😂 (I don’t condone stealing)
This just happened to me and I tried drilling and my drill bits keep breaking at the end and I can’t afford to go to a shop.. idk what to do this job is hell. Idk how I can take them off at this point.. I’m already messing up my rim because I’m just so frustrated but Idc about it And it’s three of them on one wheel 🙂
@@ultimatehandyman update i got the wheel off, i just kept drilling and used wd40 and got the studs weak enough and i drove the car down the street and the wheel popped right off. btw yes i left a loose lug nut when driving it so the wheel stayed in place
Just buy a locking wheel nout removal spanner. Costs about a tenner and a lot easier to get off rather than drilling. Alternatively, if you dont mind wasting one of your sockets, select the size that is a little too small. Hammer that onto the wheel nut and just remove by undoing as normal. Personally, Id never attempt to drill one off
The locking nuts are harder than regular lug nuts. I attacked it for a few hours today with a drill and and am getting close...I think. A Milwaukee 1400 ft. lbs impact and 2 keys couldn’t even budge it. Makes me wonder what happened.
@@ultimatehandyman it’s real tough. I’m using cobalt and got passed the stud length and am working the width of the stud now. Hopefully I’m doing it right and using a good set of bits. This is worse than rusty leaf spring shackles!
I do hope you got a proper wheel bolt with the collar that fits the wheel securely and didnt fit that normal bolt you applied anti sieze too. Good drilling tho
Good information on the video. I don't steal car or tires, especially VW stuff. Nothing to do with their cheating scandal, hope they pay through the nose for that those greedy people! I have just seen too many crapped out cars from there recently and I think they are over priced! Not just VW,. John, Australia.
I know you will say it didn't get hot, but you should never weld or heat around wheels, look on here for vids about it. I knew someone who died from using a torch to cut a wheel stud on a tractor and the wheel exploded, very dangerous. Nice mag drill tho.
It's years since I worked on my own car, I used to do it a lot when I was younger, but now I have my own business it is not economical for me to do it. I remember one time replacing my girlfriends brake pads in the back street when it was chucking it down with rain- I was like a drowned rat LOL. I don't miss jobs like that ;-) Thanks for the comment
Two reasons, firstly the heat generated by drilling can help to loosen the bolt (the ARTU drill bits are designed to be used with no coolant or lubrication, so they sort of burn the metal as they drill). Once the inside of the bolt is drilled out the bolt no longer has as much strength. Thanks for the comment
Copper grease should never be added to wheel bolt threads as this actually makes them more likely to get stuck as the copper blocks the threads (especially if you add more copper grease every time you put the bolts back on) .... the bolt threads should ideally be kept clean and dry (eg by wirebrushing)...Some car manufacturers (eg Audi) make a special "non metallic" grease for wheel bolts... Also copper grease should never be used on the back of brake pads as it encourages the caliper to corrode (textar-professional.com/textar-training-center/the-use-of-copper-grease-on-modern-brakes/)... you get special "non-metallic" high temperature grease for the back of brake pads... Copper grease should also not be used on the mating surface on the back of alloy wheels, as it encourages the alloy wheel to corrode.
It is a magnetic base drill, they are widely used in engineering/construction- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zlXsEpA1gfg.html They are expensive though, but you might be able to hire one (which will be a lot more economical) Thanks for the comment 👍
M42 Cobalt bits would drill that right out. People buy bits that say "cobalt" and then wonder why they don't work. If the bit doesn't say M42 Cobalt then dont buy it. There is a guy on ebay named drillhog, you can get them reasonably priced.
Thanks, I have just seen his drill bits- fave.co/2xm7yEQ I think the ones I tried were the cheap ones I bought from Banggood, I should have tried my Dewalt ones! Thanks for the comment
The bolt is an anti-theft wheel bolt and it cannot be undone. The garage tried to remove it with no success, so my mate brought it to me. Thanks for the comment
I got mine from ebay- fave.co/2QR5sor I always turn the peak to the back when using a visor or a welding mask, otherwise it won't fit ;-) Thanks for the comment
Be very careful about heat when working on wheels... Let the tyre pressure down. Preferably remove the schraeder valve. People have regretted not doing that before. I know it's an alloy, which isn't as bad as a steel wheel for heat transfer, but still, I'd be playing safe..
Considering some wheel brake discs can glow red hot under extreme braking conditions, I would not worry too much about the heat transfer from a bolt. Thanks for the comment
Ultimate Handyman RU-vid search 'tyre exploding welding' and you'll find a great number of videos demonstrating... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ydu9giV210E.html
Ultimate Handyman Also, my mate worked as a mechanic for Mercedes for many years. An HGV came in to be worked on, must've had hot brakes. Nothing like glowing hot. Tyre exploded. Made a massive mess of his face, lucky he wasn't permanently blinded in both eyes. I saw the photos, they were horrific. Heat on wheels with fully inflated tyres is no joke mate
You can attach a coolant bottle to the machine, so that it drips coolant onto the cutting bit (it only works with the supplied cutters as they have a hole through them). Thanks for the comment
