C5 X7 3.0hdi front hub / broken wheel bolt

[Jay-Bruce]

Disaster struck last night, must have nudged the rattle gun to tighten when taking the wheel off and broke a wheel bolt in the hub.

So... I'm wondering how difficult this is going to be to remedy it? I've had a google and a search of the forum and found the following diagram posted by Marc in another thread:


I'm thinking on replacing the drive flange / wheel hub, item #3 above. What I'm wondering is how much of a challenge it's going to be to remove the drive flange from the bearing. Am I likely to be able to pull that out of the hub with the hub still on the car? Or am I going to have to remove the hub carrier, item A in the diagram, and essentially do a wheel bearing job?

If I'm going to have to remove the hub carrier from the vehicle, what is the least troublesome way of doing it?

I was thinking on splitting it at the bottom pivot bolt #20 in the diagram, and top pivot bolt #19 in the diagram, and removing the trackrod end from the hub carrier as well as the drop link which is also the locating bolt for the bottom of the front shock absorber IIRC. Is that the best way?

[KennyW]

Jay

You will need to replace the wheel bearing as the hub will come out breaking the bearing in half.

To remove hub (A), remove wheel nut, top ball joint nut,track rod end nut and break from hub, three bolts securing Duck foot ball joint from suspension arm and lower axle bush bolt from suspension arm.

The more you leave on the heavier the hub is.

Done both this year no real problems, but a bearing press makes life at lot easier. Obviously be careful refitting bearing in press making sure it is as close to horizontal as possible.

Kenny

[furriegurrie]

If the head of the wheelbolt snapped of and you can remove the wheel I think you will find that the remainder of the bolt will not be very thight to remove. You might be able to use a Dremel to cut a small slot into the stub and remove with a flat screwdriver.

[RichardW]

Provided the bolt is not seized in the hub you ought to be able to get it out - there will be no load on it, so it might just unscrew by hand once the wheel is off. Otherwise welding a nut to it should allow you to wind it out.