Why you need a torque wrench

[e30onBBSs]

So I painted my rear wheels, and now it's time for the front. Popped the cap off the driver side front, and I went to undo 4 lugs, and there was only 3. Extremely sketchy by the PO. Wow. Shocking because it's not like there wasn't a cap, the dude knew it broke and just left it like this

Glad I found this while it doesn't start in my driveway!!

[rturbo 930]

I'm thinking now would be a good time to do the front wheel bearings. Looking at your other thread, I'm wondering if you're the first person to actually attempt to do maintenance on your car.

[e30onBBSs]

I'm thinking now would be a good time to do the front wheel bearings. Looking at your other thread, I'm wondering if you're the first person to actually attempt to do maintenance on your car.

Just watched a video, seems like a fun project! how can you tell they are bad?

I think I'm the first owner to care about it in a long while haha

[rturbo 930]

I have no idea if your wheel bearing is actually bad, but when you do the front wheel bearing, you just replace the entire hub. That bolt is probably rusted in there, and it might actually be easier to just replace the whole damn hub rather than deal with drilling out the broken lug. More expensive though, and I get the idea you have a tight budget.

[e30onBBSs]

If I pull the rotor, I will have a better chance at grabbing it right?

[GDA]

Yes. Then you can notch it/flat side it to either get an old socket or weld some bar stock to it so you can turn it out if its stuck/rusted in there.

All based on the premise that vise grips are not going to budge it.

[Northern]

once the rotor is off it should be easy to weld a nut to it to remove it, or you can try to grab it with something if you don't have a welder.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Probably cross threaded and someone just hammered it in anyway.

[e30onBBSs]

I pulled the caliper and just that showed how untouched this car is. Broke the 2 13mm bolts, had to stand on the breaker bar, and that didnt even break them loose it just broke them. The allen bolt is surely going to be a massive bitch and if I can't get it I'm probably going to be in the market for new front struts and break rotors/ assembly.

What happens if I break the allen bolt or something? Will the whole assembly be done or can I just drill it out and throw on new rotors? I need new rotors anyways so if I could just get the allen bolt out it would be great.

[jhaurimn]

Are you soaking everything in pb blaster before you try taking them out? If not, you definitely should or you will break every bolt on the car from the looks of it :P

[rturbo 930]

I pulled the caliper and just that showed how untouched this car is. Broke the 2 13mm bolts, had to stand on the breaker bar, and that didnt even break them loose it just broke them. The allen bolt is surely going to be a massive bitch and if I can't get it I'm probably going to be in the market for new front struts and break rotors/ assembly.

What happens if I break the allen bolt or something? Will the whole assembly be done or can I just drill it out and throw on new rotors? I need new rotors anyways so if I could just get the allen bolt out it would be great.

You don't need a new strut assembly, worst case scenario, you'll just be doing wheel bearings, as I said earlier, when you change out your wheel bearings, you replace the hub too. $120/ea for new FAG front wheel bearings.You can get to the dust cap without taking off the rotor, and then you can take off the wheel bearing/hub assembly, which shouldn't be rusted since it should be covered in grease. If you can't get the wheel bearing/hub off... then you're in trouble.


And yes, use PB blaster. Soak the shit in it.

[e30onBBSs]

Thanks guys! I just got some of this while on break at walmart, is this like PB blaster?! And why are the wheel bearings important turbo? $240 is a lot!

[JasonC]

I'm going to say it didn't break cause of a torque wrench wasn't used...

[e30onBBSs]

I'm going to say it didn't break cause of a torque wrench wasn't used...

Why do you think it broke? I bet it was fine then they drove it and clunk sometime later the uneven stress ripped that one off. What's your theory?

[rturbo 930]

And why are the wheel bearings important turbo? $240 is a lot!

Alright, follow me here. You said:

The allen bolt is surely going to be a massive bitch and if I can't get it I'm probably going to be in the market for new front struts and break rotors/ assembly.

What happens if I break the allen bolt or something? Will the whole assembly be done or can I just drill it out and throw on new rotors?

Unless I'm misunderstanding, you're saying here that if you can't get the rusted bolt out, that you're going to be in the market for the entire strut assembly. What I'm saying, is that if you can't get the allen bolt out (and the broken lug, let's not forget about that), that you don't need an entire strut assembly. You will only need a new hub assembly, which is also your wheel bearing. And as I said earlier, quite honestly, it's going to be easier (but more expensive) to buy a new wheel bearing and hub assembly than to deal with drilling out two bolts in your hub, which are probably rusted in solid.

Make sense?