Rounded wheel bolts - I need help!

[TroubledSoul]

Some helpful person has, at some point, gunned the bolts on my A4 so tight the two I'm having trouble with were already slightly rounded when I got to them. Now have a flat tyre I can't replace as I can't get the wheel off. So far I have tried:

A 16.5mm socket
Hammering on a 16mm, albeit 6 sided
Welding a nut to them but they just come off when pressure is applied
Damaged bolt extractor sockets

The recess around the bolt is too deep to chisel. Other than writing the wheel off and taking a grinder to it, I'm out if ideas. I thought I'd see if the PH collective has any ingenious suggestions before I give up...

[Golfgtimk28v]

Impact gun and nut extractor always worked for me.

[elanfan]

Are you an AA RAC or Green Flag member. Call them out it’s a breakdown and they’ll have the kit to get it off. Suggest you obtain some new nuts in the meantime.

[TroubledSoul]

Golfgtimk28v said:

Impact gun and nut extractor always worked for me.

The impact gun ended up shredding the teeth of the extractor socket so that's already failed...

[gazza285]

Hardened extractors don’t take kindly to impacts, as they are too brittle. Use them with a breaker bar next time.

[InitialDave]

What kind of extractor socket were you using?

Instead of one with teeth, try the kind meant for removing security wheel bolts, where they have a left handed thread inside them and they cut into the head of the bolt.

[TroubledSoul]

I actually tried two. One with a sort of curved toothed pattern inside, the other was more like actual thread which sounds like what you describe. Unfortunately one bolt was so damaged already, the threaded socket was completely loose on it. The other bolt it got a bit if a grip but slipped off. It's honestly impossible, I really expected to be able to weld a nut on it and use that to get it off. Seems to work for everyone else!

Not sure if the type of nuts I found in my collection are the wrong steel or something daft and didn't take to being welded very well...

[Skyrocket21]

If you can inflate the tyre enough to take to a tyre place would be the best solution, even use some quick fix repair foam stuff, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Holts-LOYHT4YA-Tyreweld-5...

Sealey Lock On sockets have never failed me on rounded bolts, I'm not sure what's left of yours, they're not cheap, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-AK5616M-Impact-Soc... You may be able to find some individual ones in 17mm or 16mm the individual 17mm is Sealey Ak5616m.08 https://www.amp-starters.co.uk/Sealey-Ak5616m.08--... If the face is completely rounded then it probably won't work, they have serrations inside the socket to grip the faces and edges and the bolt usually gets stuck in the socket.

[bongtom]

^ A tyre place are probably the ones who fked them up!

[TroubledSoul]

Skyrocket21 said:

If you can inflate the tyre enough to take to a tyre place would be the best solution, even use some quick fix repair foam stuff, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Holts-LOYHT4YA-Tyreweld-5...

Sealey Lock On sockets have never failed me on rounded bolts, I'm not sure what's left of yours, they're not cheap, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-AK5616M-Impact-Soc... You may be able to find some individual ones in 17mm or 16mm the individual 17mm is Sealey Ak5616m.08 https://www.amp-starters.co.uk/Sealey-Ak5616m.08--... If the face is completely rounded then it probably won't work, they have serrations inside the socket to grip the faces and edges and the bolt usually gets stuck in the socket.

I've never seen these! I may just try them. Looks like they do an impact set too, which I'd imagine will take more welly. I'm not massively convinced anything will work at the moment but I'll try just about anything at this point.

[barker22]

I've had success in the past with drilling.
Right down the centre of the bolt. You need to keep stepping up the drill bit size of it doesn't loose until the bolt threads give way and collapse in towards the hole you drilled.

[TroubledSoul]

I think I'm going to try drilling in the morning. I got one off, the other is so rounded that a 15mm 12pt socket wouldn't even grip it.

The good thing is, these are Audi bolts with a hole in the centre of the nut part at the top, so hopefully that won't be too difficult to drill off. Then it's just getting through the collar part...

[E-bmw]

This may sound stupid, but make sure the drill is either a Cobalt drill or a good quality sharp HSS & drill slowly.

[TroubledSoul]

E-bmw said:

This may sound stupid, but make sure the drill is either a Cobalt drill or a good quality sharp HSS & drill slowly.

Just came here to ask whether to stick with cobalt or carbide. Made a start this morning but my god its slow progress. Its a hand held 18v drill. It's going to take me a full day I think...

Is there any point starting on the main shaft of the bolt with a thin 6mm and then going bigger? Or just use the bigger ones from the off?

[hellorent]

Start small and work you way up in size.

[TroubledSoul]

She's out!

[Pando99]

Top Man !
Congrats

[SlimJim16v]

[Golfgtimk28v]

how?

[thebraketester]

Left hand drill bit?