Sheared Locking wheel nut...oh f**k

[Philpatton]

So, today I went to replace the brake pads on my 5 series and whilst removing the locking wheel bolt, I managed to shear the locking wheel nut at the position where the special shape inserts into the wheel bolt. After a few minutes of disbelief and simply starring at the wheel nut wondering "what the f**k do I do now," I called the 'wheelnutman' in Barnsley. He promised to remove the wheel nuts and replace them with a better locking wheel nut that wouldn't shear like the BMW OEM bolts. He's on Facebook, and plenty of people have left excellent reviews.
His number is 07702 043170 and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him. £70 to remove 4No seized locking wheel nuts and to replace them is a bargain. The work took about 30 mins, but he is such a knowledgable guy, I probably held him up just chatting about stuff.
If you get stuck like I did, then give him a call.
I have no affiliation to him, I just got good service and as such I'm happy to recommend.
P

 

[Chrisr1949]

Well, I did the same and just ordered a new key from the local sealers using the number on the head of the key for about £12. I think there are 40 key numbers and I think all are still available as they were used on much later cars.

 

[Chrisr1949]

Sealers??? Stealers!

 

[t-tony]

All very well, but the lesson here is that they were obviously over tightened in the first place. Phil will vouch for the fact that ALL wheel nuts at the Shed are "torqued" to the correct figure after wheels have been off. If wheel nuts/bolts are correctly tightened they will not shear off. Some manufacturers give a slightly lower torque figure for the security bolt (correct name for these) than the standard nuts/bolts for this reason.
If you watch tyre fitters replacing wheels at a tyre house and they (should) use a torque wrench, please make sure that the wrench moves BEFORE it "clicks" signalling tightness is achieved, otherwise it is ALREADY over tightened.

Tony.

 

[Philpatton]

The wheel bolts were soo over tightened, I believe another wheel nut would have sheared as well.
The 5 is only 2 1/2 yrs old, so no metal fatigue to blame either!
Anyway, just a recommendation.

 

[t-tony]

The wheel bolts were soo over tightened, I believe another wheel nut would have sheared as well.
The 5 is only 2 1/2 yrs old, so no metal fatigue to blame either!
Anyway, just a recommendation.

And a very good recommendation Phil too.

Tony.

 

[Chrisr1949]

Yeah it's all down to the tyre fitters.

 

[Redline]

All very well, but the lesson here is that they were obviously over tightened in the first place. Phil will vouch for the fact that ALL wheel nuts at the Shed are "torqued" to the correct figure after wheels have been off. If wheel nuts/bolts are correctly tightened they will not shear off. Some manufacturers give a slightly lower torque figure for the security bolt (correct name for these) than the standard nuts/bolts for this reason.
If you watch tyre fitters replacing wheels at a tyre house and they (should) use a torque wrench, please make sure that the wrench moves BEFORE it "clicks" signalling tightness is achieved, otherwise it is ALREADY over tightened.

Tony.

Didn’t know that Tony. Any idea what the lower torque figure is?

 

[Slam]

Had this very same problem on my X5 a couple of months ago 3 out of 4 nuts wouldn’t budge and broke 3 keys. Common problem with bmw locking nuts the type you describe with the raised squiggly shape on the key. Cost me £150 to get removed with a call out company and he had them off in 5 minutes with dynomec kit. This kit on eBay is about £280 and he was doing 4 jobs that day very good business I think.

 

[Slam]

Also I changed mine for standard wheels nuts wheels don’t get stolen like they used to.

 

[t-tony]

Didn’t know that Tony. Any idea what the lower torque figure is?

BMW don't quote a lower figure for the looking nuts/bolts Ian although some manufacturers do.

Tony.

 

[Redline]

BMW don't quote a lower figure for the looking nuts/bolts Ian although some manufacturers do.

Tony.

OK. Thanks. I've always done them all to the same, but, I can see that the edges taking all the force could create some parts that take more than others.

 

[g8jka]

I sheared one a couple of weeks ago on my Fiances Citroen DS3, which I'd overtightened in the past. Tried alsorts to get it off and in the end just bought a set of broken wheel nut removers from eBay for around £17. Did have to chisel off the outer part which I'd hammered back on trying to get it back off. Once that was off it took about 3 minutes to put the remover on and get the broken bolt out. A great bit of kit and I'm sure it will come in useful in the future as I have a tendancy to overtighten and shear bolts and strip threads.

 

[abh29]

Also I changed mine for standard wheels nuts wheels don’t get stolen like they used to.

recent case over on bmwland.org someone got up one morning to find the wheels gone off the M3---- replacement cost £6k

 

[FRANKIE]

So, today I went to replace the brake pads on my 5 series and whilst removing the locking wheel bolt, I managed to shear the locking wheel nut at the position where the special shape inserts into the wheel bolt. After a few minutes of disbelief and simply starring at the wheel nut wondering "what the f**k do I do now," I called the 'wheelnutman' in Barnsley. He promised to remove the wheel nuts and replace them with a better locking wheel nut that wouldn't shear like the BMW OEM bolts. He's on Facebook, and plenty of people have left excellent reviews.
His number is 07702 043170 and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him. £70 to remove 4No seized locking wheel nuts and to replace them is a bargain. The work took about 30 mins, but he is such a knowledgable guy, I probably held him up just chatting about stuff.
If you get stuck like I did, then give him a call.
I have no affiliation to him, I just got good service and as such I'm happy to recommend.
P

I would think that if you had been filming a tutorial for the benefit of other forum members on how to do what you were doing, you would have had to edit out the 20 seconds of film after shearing the bolt.......................Frankie

 

[Philpatton]

It would have been 2 minute of silence as I stared at the car in disbelief!
Then a barrage of cursing and swearing!
All sorted now.
P

 

[Bumpa]

When I bought mine a couple of years ago the wheel bolts were impossibly tight and I went through three "keys" before I managed to get all four locking bolts removed. All the bolts needed a 2 foot long breaker bar with my full weight on it to shift them. My local tyre guy always tightens the bolts on any car he's worked on with a hand torque wrench. That's one reason I go back there over and over again.

 

[gookah]

I sheared one a couple of weeks ago on my Fiances Citroen DS3, which I'd overtightened in the past. Tried alsorts to get it off and in the end just bought a set of broken wheel nut removers from eBay for around £17. Did have to chisel off the outer part which I'd hammered back on trying to get it back off. Once that was off it took about 3 minutes to put the remover on and get the broken bolt out. A great bit of kit and I'm sure it will come in useful in the future as I have a tendancy to overtighten and shear bolts and strip threads.

have you finally thrown your torque-wrench-that-doesn't-click away now, muppet? I nearly burst a blood vessel trying to undo it.