[prakash24979]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

12th March 2024:

I got my suspension work done on Sunday (10th March) and I couldn’t get the alignment done as shops were closed that day. Meanwhile, I avoided driving my car and straight away took her home gingerly. Today, I planned to get my alignment-balancing sorted, looked for a reputed shop on google and it took me to Kariwal Tyres, Pachpedi Naka Raipur. From the reviews, I saw some beemers and Porsches, so I thought, it must be a good shop (first mistake- I should have stuck with my regular balancing guy)

Once the work started, they asked me to sit inside and I insisted on being there, so, they removed the front left wheel and then tried removing front right wheel. So apparently, one of the lug bolt was jammed, what these guy did-[list][*]They removed 4/5 lug nuts of the Front Right wheel[*]

Now, I need help and suggestions from the experts here as to how to get it sorted, should I change the hub itself or should I try the lathe method because the stuck bolt is just not moving?

And

Does removing brake calliper needs brake bleeding? (Pads were not opened though)

P.S. My front right tyre is running only on 4 bolts currently as opposed to 5[/quote]

Just go to your FNG and ask them to MIG weld a larger nut on top of the broken bolt. Then unscrew that nut with sufficient leverage, it will come off easily.

[Ashtoncastelino]

Nothing much to worry, the hub needs to be removed and taken to lathe where they can weld a nut or use a bolt extractor and unscrew it. No the brake fluid does not need to be bled. You should make the tyre guys foot the bill for all this since they caused this damage rather than giving it up in one shot and making matters worse.

Do keep us posted.

Regards
Ashton Castelino

[vishwaschettri]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

should I change the hub itself or should I try the lathe method because the stuck bolt is just not moving?

Does removing brake calliper needs brake bleeding? (Pads were not opened though)

P.S. My front right tyre is running only on 4 bolts currently as opposed to 5

Relax. It is a very normal job and you got it easy since the bolt sheared off and there is enough part of it protruding out. Had it been free with wheel installed or sheared off flush, this would have been a much more difficult job. I will try and guide you on the process below. It is a 1 hour job and labour cost should be anywhere between 500-1000 in a FNG.

1. Buy a new original bolt from Skoda and spray penetrating oil on the broken stud daily for a couple of days - WD40
2. Take the car to any weldor near to a car mechanic, get the wheel removed and secure the car firmly on jack stands.
3. Get the hub heated with a propane torch / gas weldor
4. Electric weld a spare nut of similar size over the existing stud protruding out.
5. Use a long wrench with cheater bar to remove the balance stud. Some more heat and some blows may be required.
6. Once stud is removed check the threads on hub for damages, if possible get the lathe guy to run the tap to clean the threads.
7. Screw in the new bolt, you should be able to screw it in with hands and off you go. If it is now screwing in easily please remove the hub and take it to lathe for rethreading. Same would be required if broken stud piece become free and does not comes out.
8. No need to bleed the lines and you are safe drving on 4 bolts for now. Just take it easy and dont set out for new land speed record

Cheers

[prakash24979]

Visit your FNG or any experienced welder and ask to weld a strong and heavy nut on top of the broken bolt. Now provide sufficient leverage through an extended wrench and the bolt should budge.

[sachin_cs]

Originally Posted by man_of_steel

A good lathe guy can extract it. Thankfully, there is a bit of the broken stud protruding out. They might use several methods like drilling it out / using an opposite thread extractor or worst case weld a nut to it and taking it out. As mentioned, a good lathe guy can extract it out without any damage to the hub.

If you are not removing the brake lines, bleeding is not necessary.

Thank you for the reply, it helps a lot. And the assurance that brake bleeding is not necessary has given me some peace now.

Originally Posted by Ashtoncastelino

Nothing much to worry, the hub needs to be removed and taken to lathe where they can weld a nut or use a bolt extractor and unscrew it. No the brake fluid does not need to be bled. You should make the tyre guys foot the bill for all this since they caused this damage rather than giving it up in one shot and making matters worse.

Do keep us posted.

Regards
Ashton Castelino

Thank you so much Ashton for the reply, I’m in touch with a lathe guy here and I will get it done asap because I’m not using my car right now.

Originally Posted by vishwaschettri

Relax. It is a very normal job and you got it easy since the bolt sheared off and there is enough part of it protruding out. Had it been free with wheel installed or sheared off flush, this would have been a much more difficult job. I will try and guide you on the process below. It is a 1 hour job and labour cost should be anywhere between 500-1000 in a FNG.

1. Buy a new original bolt from Skoda and spray penetrating oil on the broken stud daily for a couple of days - WD40
2. Take the car to any weldor near to a car mechanic, get the wheel removed and secure the car firmly on jack stands.
3. Get the hub heated with a propane torch / gas weldor
4. Electric weld a spare nut of similar size over the existing stud protruding out.
5. Use a long wrench with cheater bar to remove the balance stud. Some more heat and some blows may be required.
6. Once stud is removed check the threads on hub for damages, if possible get the lathe guy to run the tap to clean the threads.
7. Screw in the new bolt, you should be able to screw it in with hands and off you go. If it is now screwing in easily please remove the hub and take it to lathe for rethreading. Same would be required if broken stud piece become free and does not comes out.
8. No need to bleed the lines and you are safe drving on 4 bolts for now. Just take it easy and dont set out for new land speed record

Cheers

Thank you for taking out your time and explaining the process in detail, means a lot. I’m in touch with a old reputable workshop and he has assured me he can get the work done. Will keep you updated.

Originally Posted by prakash24979

Visit your FNG or any experienced welder and ask to weld a strong and heavy nut on top of the broken bolt. Now provide sufficient leverage through an extended wrench and the bolt should budge.

Thank you Prakash for the suggestion, I will get the HUB removed and take it to welder/lathe guy personally, will keep you posted. Happy to see fellow BHPian from CG.

[ashivas89]

I don't see the caliper in the image. Where was it hung?

Please tell me they did not hang it from the line itself, that is a big no no. Why did they remove the caliper from the knuckle mounting?

The brake disc would have come off anyway.

Push the pads back, remove the disc. Simple. Worst case they could have unfastened one of the caliper pin bolts and let it hang on one pin from the bracket like they do during brake servicing and then removed the disc. `

[sachin_cs]

Originally Posted by ashivas89

I don't see the caliper in the image. Where was it hung?

Please tell me they did not hang it from the line itself, that is a big no no. Why did they remove the caliper from the knuckle mounting?

The brake disc would have come off anyway.

Push the pads back, remove the disc. Simple. Worst case they could have unfastened one of the caliper pin bolts and let it hang on one pin from the bracket like they do during brake servicing and then removed the disc. `

Thankfully he did not hang it from the line, he used a S-shaped tool to hang it, but I felt helpless watching these shenanigans trying their hit and trial method on my car. I asked them to put everything back and decided to get it done on my own. I was supposed to go to Skoda to get the HUB removed but didn’t get an appointment. Now I don’t even want to visit FNG also because I got my suspension modified to Sachs from FNG (I researched for a month & then decided on one) but the work done by the guy was not very clean, he broke my wiper cowl and gifted few scratches. I would stick to Skoda A.S.S. only, no matter how slow they are, atleast I can held them accountable for any untoward damage.

[pranavt]

Do not discount the fact that the threads on the hub may be messed up due to the counter-threading of the bolt. Get the threads checked before you put another bolt in. If the threads are messed up, you might have go the helicoil way or simply replace the hub for peace of mind. The garage being discussed is most probably innocent since they aren't the ones who cross-threaded the bolt. With the way so many mechanics use pneumatic wrenches these days to start threading bolts, I'm surprised more cases aren't cropping up.

[sachin_cs]

15th March 2024:

I went to Skoda to get the HUB removed but they suggested I go to transport Nagar Raipur and try a lathe/weld shop. Went to a workshop called Padum Motor Works and he initially tried removing the snapped bolt by welding a joint to it, it failed thrice. After their lunch break, he removed the rotor and calliper and drilled onto the broken bolt. As expected, the threads got damaged and he did a re-threading and I was out by 5pm. It costed me Rs 750/-.

Straightaway, I went to Skoda to get it inspected and install a new bolt. They gave a go ahead and got the new Bolt for Rs 245/-. However, the threads are not 100% perfect, there are some missing threads too, however bolt goes in-out smoothly. This time around, I asked them to use grease on bolts (suggested by Skoda guy) and also use torque wrench to tighten the bolts.

After that I went to Akash tyres for alignment job as my car was pulling to left, and finally the snapped bolt saga was put to rest.

My thoughts on the experience-

• It was a painstaking job because finding right guy to do the job was a challenge
• Had service centre guys been more prompt, I would have replaced the HUB as it costs only 1600, I have spent more on my fuel running here & there and lathe workshop charges
• It was a such a painful sight to see weld and grinding sparks flying all around my car and also some hammering around the hub to get that bolt out
• I definitely got to learn a lot from the experience, I got to know the local markets, I got to know the components of the car and their function from depth
• Also, when any welding work is being carried in your car, disconnect the negative terminal of the battery

Few pictures from the day-

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

Would not recommend grease on the bolts, a thorough clean would suffice of both the mating surfaces of threads. Above that, anti seize/copper paste can be used though even that is not widely recommended for something as critical as a wheel bolt. The grease will melt with the heat generated and attract more dust and grit.

Additionally, the torque specs provided are always for 100% dry bolts, lubing them with grease will end up them being over tightened again.

Someone at Skoda suggested me to use grease so that rust doesn’t develops, I will get it cleaned and refitted then if it’s not recommended.

[DRIV3R]

Would not recommend grease on the bolts, a thorough clean would suffice of both the mating surfaces of threads. Above that, anti seize/copper paste can be used though even that is not widely recommended for something as critical as a wheel bolt. The grease will melt with the heat generated and attract more dust and grit.

Additionally, the torque specs provided are always for 100% dry bolts, lubing them with grease will end up them being over tightened again.

[sachin_cs]

For those who have followed my initial ownership thread would be aware that I shifted to michelins xm2+ in November 2021. I have been happy with the performance of the tyres but lately I have been observing cracks developing on my tyres. This is kind of scary because other members have also experienced something similar here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...e-failure.html (Michelin XM1+ Tyres: Age-related damage or failure?)

I drive mostly on highways and I take good care of the car & tyres (balancing-alignment every 7k kms). I have done 40000 kms on them and they have a lot of life left on them based on the visual inspection by Michelin dealer. I know 40k kms is a decent usage but I’m not sure if it’s okay for tyres to develop crack in such stages.

Michelin offers 5 year warranty on tyres (manufacturing, material, craftsmanship) and I took my car to the dealer and he says it’s absolutely normal, with just a glance over the tyres. Sent a mail to Michelin and they say as their dealer says it’s okay means okay. I was expecting some technical explanation but the Michelin representative says that the dealer is an old one so we will go ahead with his words. He suggested that I should wait if I get any other major issues like tyre cut or blisters then contact them .

I bought the most expensive tyre available out there and I expected better from tyres & the company. The dealer I spoke to is suggesting that the tyre is good for another 40k kms but I’m not getting the confidence to use them further. I have used Bridgestone, Yokohama, MRF , Goodyears in the past but never have I ever seen such cracks on those tyres. I have decided to go ahead with Continental UC6 this time or MRF ZLX, at least they will have some sort of service available and not leave on a mercy of a single dealer. I have decide to visit another dealer to understand what he has to say.

Please find the photos attached and share your opinions if this is normal or I’m worrying unnecessarily.



















P.S. This is observed on all the 4 tyres, there are minor cracks developing all around. I do a lot of highway drives and I don’t want to take any risk with tyres, if it’s not acceptable to use further, I will happily change them.

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

Your views would be much appreciated sir

[PrasadS]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

I bought the most expensive tyre available out there and I expected better from tyres & the company. The dealer I spoke to is suggesting that the tyre is good for another 40k kms but I’m not getting the confidence to use them further. I have used Bridgestone, Yokohama, MRF , Goodyears in the past but never have I ever seen such cracks on those tyres. I have decided to go ahead with Continental UC6 this time or MRF ZLX, at least they will have some sort of service available and not leave on a mercy of a single dealer. I have decide to visit another dealer to understand what he has to say.

I can understand your plight, especially when we go for the best product backed by terrible service.
I had a horrible experience with Yoko Earth1 with abnormal chipping and patches of rubber coming off, and no help from Yoko, not even some discount for new tyres.

I switched to Vredestein tyres and they have been fabulous so far. A couple of other BHPians who used them on Rapid are also praising it. I'll suggest you consider them incase you are switching tyres.

[sachin_cs]

Originally Posted by PrasadS

I can understand your plight, especially when we go for the best product backed by terrible service.
I had a horrible experience with Yoko Earth1 with abnormal chipping and patches of rubber coming off, and no help from Yoko, not even some discount for new tyres.

I switched to Vredestein tyres and they have been fabulous so far. A couple of other BHPians who used them on Rapid are also praising it. I'll suggest you consider them incase you are switching tyres.

Thank you so much Prasad for the valuable input, I’m planning to get rid of these delicate Michelin if there’s no help from michelin India, thanks for your suggestion, I will definitely keep the Vredestein in mind before the tyre change.

[sachin_cs]

I ultimately went to the olny other Michelin dealer of Chhattisgarh, even he had a glance and said its absolutely fine. I don't have to worry about them, these are just minor cracks and nothing serious. Well when these guys are not ready to further inspect my tyres and Michelin India is taking the words of the only 2 dealers as words written on stone, then I can't really do anything. Sometime this year I will probably upgrade to Vredestein or Continentals.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

For those who have followed my initial ownership thread would be aware that I shifted to michelins xm2+ in November 2021. I have been happy with the performance of the tyres but lately I have been observing cracks developing on my tyres. This is kind of scary because other members have also experienced something similar here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...e-failure.html (Michelin XM1+ Tyres: Age-related damage or failure?)

That's my thread in quote
I was at the receiving end of Michelin's abysmal customer and dealer support back then and decided for myself that I wouldn't buy a Michelin ever in future. Post that I have used Pirelli, Good Years (on 2 cars simultaneously), Bridgestone (for a few thousand kms as it was a spare wheel) and Yokos (still new) but never faced such an issue that I faced with Michelin with similar or even less running pattern and more years of use. I even wrote somewhere on the forum about another known person having an identical failure on his 4 year,35K kms done XM1+.

Coming to your case, though not a good sign but currently the cracks look superficial to me. In my honest opinion, they don't need immediate replacement but do keep an eye on further wear n tear. You can consider Yoko BluEarth-GT as I am finding these to be a great set of tires as of now (very initial ownership report though). Heard good things about Continental as well from others and my own experience with Continental only dates back when they were 'Modi Continental' and were shod on my father's Fiat 100 Delight