Extreme distress calls for extreme measures

[n10n]

When you don’t have that 9mm allen and no another car to get one… today 3/8” ended up grinded down and cut for a makeshift tool

 

[n10n]

… and I could not just pop the wheel back and drive to the shop. Here’s the ”slightly” dangerous part - I’ve had some noise from front for couple of weeks while on road trip. Sounded like a bad bearing to me. Luckily I have some bearings and tools from T5 times + ordered new Brembo discs and pads to get all corners fixed for sure, about time to change them all anyway.

Lifting the front up turns out my entire wheel clunks like the bolts would be sligtly loose. But the bolts were tight… opening them all up 3 (yes, three) were snapped. They are OEM bolts from VW - I renewed all 2 years ago and I always use torque wrench to tighten them up.

So… probably nothing wrong with the bearing but now I have to change the hub anyway as the threads are very likely a mess. Fortunately I have some old spare bolts around.

 

[n10n]

Dang having some trouble pulling the driveshaft away from the hub. I detached the support arm ball joint to get the hub move further to give some more room but it’s not enough.

I think I need to also loosen the strut top to allow the whole thing tilt outward even more.






EDIT: got the shaft out without loosening the strut top. The secret, as per usual, was the use of force.

 

[n10n]

The bearing puller tool I have (Boxo) has a smart flat part to clear the ABS sensor.





However, I still need to get old hub holes open for the puller tool rods to push through. In this photo left hole is clear but the right one has part of the bolt stuck. Drilling?

 

[n10n]

Drilling seems to take ages with the tools available. Hmm… probably have to call it quits for the day and continue tomorrow with fresh(er) mind.

I need something like this, only 38s to change a bearing

 

[roadtripper]

This looks like the kind of day where a sequence of on their own sensible decisions leads to a place where you need to have a beer and a rethink?

 

[n10n]

This looks like the kind of day where a sequence of on their own sensible decisions leads to a place where you need to have a beer and a rethink?

Exactly

Not sure if my torque wrench is too crappy (it is) or if I got a bad patch of bolts from the dealer. Either way, from now on I’m going to use copper slip on the last half cm or so of the hub thread. I know it’s not recommended but seeing all of them rusted and snapped from the tip I think it makes sense. Might even get a good torque wrench, or at least another one.

 

[n10n]

The collars on all bolts, even the ones that hadn’t snapped, were pretty torn up like this. I could easily pull the collar off from the bolts. Root cause or a consequence?

 

[n10n]

Some Sunday morning drilling

 

[n10n]

And one piece of extracted hub, finally

I don’t do that much car mechanics so everything is always taking much time… no routines

 

[n10n]

The new hub went in and got seated easily. No ABS sensors were harmed in the process.

Little too early to celebrate but kind of starts to look like I might actually get the job done

 

[Robert]

This is my DIY approach on the rear axle.

 

[n10n]

This is my DIY approach on the rear axle.

Beautiful!

Well, not really, but got to love self-made tools that get the job done, nevermind the looks. That’s what I call applied engineering.

 

[n10n]

Just to conclude this I’m rolling again since yesterday evening. Left the rears to be done another day but fronts are now good with no more noise and all new discs and pads.

I’m still not quite sure what caused the issue to start with:

• Overtightening of the bolts on last tyre change leading to snapped bolts (bad torque wrench)
• Undertightening of the bolts due to rust preventing them being wound all the way in properly
• Bad patch of bolts, either weak body or weak collars
• Dirt in between of wheel and hub, later ground down
• Something else

I’m pretty sure the clunking of the wheel was due to the failed bolt collars since the bolts themselves still felt tight when opening. I think the bolts did not snap at the time of opening them although I can’t really be sure - I just used a long breaker bar and they felt normal. But anything feels normal with a long enough bar.

I kind of dislike the bolt material they use these days, mildly rusty bolts can feel really tight even when they’re not all the way in yet.

Anyway, just glad to get it sorted but would love to avoid similar incidents in the future.