stripped threads- what are my options?

[chinkostu]

a slightly overzealous fellow stripped a bolthole on the drivers hub (im assuming a tyre place where the P/O frequented ), and in my haste to replace the wheels before the rain set in the other day i managed to crossthread another 2, one on the passenger and a second on the drivers

now the bolts do tighten up but not snug so you can feel them ruining the threads. what are my options? i think i can chase the original stripped hole as theres thread deeper inside the hole, however from what i can feel the other two are completely crossthreaded.

[RichardW]

If they're not too bad, you might get away with re-tapping them, but wheel bolts are a bit critical, so this might not be the best plan! Only other repair is to helicoil them (again, might not be preferable for a wheel nut), or replace the hubs (and therefore wheel bearings....).

[xantia_v6]

I would find and fit a pair of complete hub assemblies.

[darbuck]

you could drill them out and retap them with a larger m size

[Gibbo2286]

Throw them away and fit new or good second hand ones, the stresses on wheel fixings are such that you could lose a wheel at speed on the motorway and kill yourself and others for the sake of a few quid.

[rabenson]

Throw them away and fit new or good second hand ones, the stresses on wheel fixings are such that you could lose a wheel at speed on the motorway and kill yourself and others for the sake of a few quid.

couldn't agree more strongly - some things are too important to take chances with

[Stickyfinger]

Bin them....UNSAFE

[elma]

I'd replace the hub too.

[Hell Razor5543]

I agree with the last few comments; if the bolts had failed threads you would not be asking this question.

[Stickyfinger]

if the bolts had failed threads you would not be asking this question.

well that sums it up

[van ordinaire]

The stripped thread makes the driver's side hub toast, while a new pair might be ideal, nowt wrong with good s/h ones (that's what was on the car when you got it - I imagine) but it would be worth trying to recover the other X'd thread - IF it takes no more than, v. carefully, tapping it out.

As for safety, just to put it all in perspective, don't forget (& we're talking French cars here) many cars only have 3 (bolts/studs) to start with - & are no more prone to shedding wheels.

[Old-Guy]

In reply to the original question: "NONE! replace any hub with damaged threads." If you had an accident and the damaged threads were subsequently found, you would be open to prosecution for driving a vehicle in an un-roadworthy condition and, regardless of whether or not the threads were a contributory factor, your insurance would be invalidated and thus you could be prosecuted for driving without insurance. If you lost a wheel and seriously injured someone or worse, you would end up in jail and financially ruined for life.

The traditional British practise of studs and wheel nuts makes much more sense than wheel bolts.

[chinkostu]

Thanks guys! I was going to replace the inner hubs and bearings in the current hubs but was seeing if there was an easier way. Could always change the whole unit but finding the right ones is an issue as theres 2 types. Thr 406 ones seem to be right however i see some listed without the ABS sensor holes!


For the sake of £40 for a pair of hubs and £30 for the bearings too.

[van ordinaire]

If that's the cost Dunno that I'd even be considering alternatives BUT stripped/crossed threads usually have to be dealt with at the time, just so the vehicle can be put back together. For that reason I'd probably already have tapped out the X-threaded holes & made a mental note to replace the hub with the stripped hole the next service/brake job/whatever.

Don't forget must people don't even know how to remove a wheel so, quite innocently, could be driving around with a stripped wheel bolt hole.

I'm inclined to agree with studs being preferable to bolts for wheels because those threaded holes in hubs, flanges, etc are bound to fail in time whereas the worst that could happen with studs is that you could strip one, which, on balance is no big deal. That said, the only time I have actually lost a wheel was on a Wolseley (& they don't come much more British than that!) fortunately at no great speed - but it was embarrassing having to ask for it back from the couple whose gardening had been interrupted by it bursting through the hedge, bowling across their front lawn, mounting their doorstep to end up in their porch.

[chinkostu]

The other options can be useful as they can be do in situ, so saves stripping the car down. But heard very mixed reviews about helicoiling a hub, along with the fact that retapping it might not work or i'd have to go up a bolt size