Is there a trick for...

[KirkerBezerker]

Are all four bolts the same length?

THATS EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS!!!!

Thanks bro! Upon another look 3 of my bolts were the worn looking stock ones and the 4th was a shiny new one, hhmmm. The PO fixed this problem by putting a slightly longer bolt in the last time he was swapping out the tires.

thanks fusion and everybody else who replied:pimp:

[Fusion]

The threads are a little rusty but look like they could still hold.

Im running stock bottlecaps.

The bolt sits flush with the wheel when i stick it in. It will turn and seems to tighten for a sec then breaks free and spins.

There does seem to be good thread a bit deeper though.

Are all four bolts the same length?

[KirkerBezerker]

This is pretty accurate. I rolled around in my pos flat white 325es for almost 2 years with 3 lugs on the same wheel as yours.

Follow closely 3.32 + 42/32(2x23)

let me see here,

232, 3243 forty two slash hoggen das, yeah george is pretty dead on.

Good call gg.

Yea i redid a lot of his calculations and they seemed to add up but ima go with a modest estimation of 1.0624 years. Thanks for the look guys!

[HarryPotter]

Hang on. Let me do some math.

3 lugs / 4 lugs. Carry the 7, times pi....er...integrate with respect to darwin...dd/dt from 1 to knucklehead.

Ah yes! The answer is 1.32 years.

This is pretty accurate. I rolled around in my pos flat white 325es for almost 2 years with 3 lugs on the same wheel as yours.

Follow closely 3.32 + 42/32(2x23)

let me see here,

232, 3243 forty two slash hoggen das, yeah george is pretty dead on.

Good call gg.

[KirkerBezerker]

Damn i really did not set out to make a retarded thread but I guess it happens...

Ok the story is i got a screw in my tire that turned into a flat in my driveway. I just got a new set of tires that i had not yet mounted so i jacked my car up and took off the wheel. I took the wheel and my new tire and had them mounted. I got the wheel back on without the alignment tool. Mounted 3 lugs that tightend down fine, fourth one wont. This is where Im at

[KirkerBezerker]

Okay waitaminutehere, look at the threads in the hub, are they stripped/damaged?

Are you running wheel spacers or aftermarket wheels that would make the lug bolts too short?

How many threads of the bolt stick out the far side of the wheel when you hold the bolt in there to measure?

The threads are a little rusty but look like they could still hold.

Im running stock bottlecaps.

The bolt sits flush with the wheel when i stick it in. It will turn and seems to tighten for a sec then breaks free and spins.

There does seem to be good thread a bit deeper though.

[george graves]

I like my answer better.

[Fusion]

Wtf. Could you clearly explain what you're doing?
If you put bolts in there that are too long you'll shred the e-brake.
And you said you're putting the wheels back on the car so everything was fine before you touched it?

Edit: rereading for the fifth time I think I know what's going on.
You took the wheel(s) off for some reason and when you put it back on you turned the wheel, which turned the rotor but not the hub so the bolt holes are not aligned wheel-rotor-hub. All because the little alignment screw I was talking about is missing.

[Adrian_Visser]

Okay waitaminutehere, look at the threads in the hub, are they stripped/damaged?

Are you running wheel spacers or aftermarket wheels that would make the lug bolts too short?

How many threads of the bolt stick out the far side of the wheel when you hold the bolt in there to measure?

[KirkerBezerker]

Also to clarify I was able to screw in the bolt with the wheel of but when the wheel is on the bolt wont grab. Would a longer bolt be as bad of idea as the loctite?

[Fusion]

I thought you meant the small bolt that holds the rotor to the hub.
Nevermind what I said.

[KirkerBezerker]

Haha well i didnt think i could actually continue to DD on it just wanted to know if i could limp it over to the shop?

[accident]

also if you glue the bolt in place it will essentially be there for looks. since the threads are stripped it will have no torque.

[Adrian_Visser]

I like the loc tite technique for sure! It is my rear drivers wheel.

Ever replaced a rear wheel bearing before? You need a special press tool to do it.

How long do you guys think i will be able to roll on just three lugs with the 4th loctit'd on?

Just long enough for your wheel to fall off, no more no less.

Do you really think loc-tite has any tensile strength at all? It's fucking glue!

[george graves]

Hang on. Let me do some math.

3 lugs / 4 lugs. Carry the 7, times pi....er...integrate with respect to darwin...dd/dt from 1 to knucklehead.

Ah yes! The answer is 1.32 years.