Driving with missing wheel bolts

[StottyZr]

Its stupid question time. If I were to drive with 1 or 2 wheel bolts missing (from a 4bolt hub) would the wheel hold?

[mrtwisty]

There's only one way to find out for sure........

[redstu]

How fast do you want to go and for how long?

[davel*]

Not sure I'd want to find out!

Just go buy some more wheel bolts.

[StottyZr]

30mph for 8miles.

[s p a c e m a n]

3 points on your license if caught

[StoatInACoat]

Might do. Consequences not worth experimenting though I'd have said.

[Bigcarper]

You can't by law drive a unroadworthy car on the road just buy a set on ebay for peanuts

[ikarl]

I would if 1 one was missing, I wouldn't if 2 were missing

[StottyZr]

davel* said:

Not sure I'd want to find out!

Just go buy some more wheel bolts.

Thread is stripped from the hub!

[Crusoe]

better on the rear than on the front, dangerous but probably get away with it if you were gentle with your inputs.

[redstu]

With one missing I might risk it , with 2 missing I wouldn't.

You would be rather stuffed if you had an accident though.

[The Nur]

It won't be a problem. It is illegal (even though I have literally just found this out) but my Golf Cabrio survived for a surprisingly long amount of time with 3 wheel bolts on the back right. Passed a number of M.O.T's too

Don't spend any time worrying about it, but do get it sorted as soon as you can.

ETA: I never lost a wheel as a result of it and never even had any negative symptoms as the head was sheared off the bolt. Had to replace the hub. I did lose a wheel later, once the missing wheel bolt was rectified but that was on the front end and unrelated.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

With one missing out of four you'd probably be OK, I woulden't risk it with two missing though, unless you drive very slowly and accept that you might damage the wheel or snap it off completely.

[R11ysf]

• **DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE******

But, I think you would be fine. Two of my friends bought a second hand car to drive across America in and on about day 2 or 3 the car developed a bit of a rattle / shake. Being non mechanically minded they just carried on. About 2 days and 500ish miles later the shake was too bad for even them to continue so they pulled in to a garage.

As the car was lifted up the two front wheel literally fell off!! The guy reckons the bolts must have been coming out for a while given the state of the hubs and threads but they probably did 100 miles on no bolts at all.

30mph for 8 miles with 2 bolts done up tight, I wouldn't even think twice.

[pthelazyjourno]

I would drive it with one missing. Wouldn't fancy it with two.

[MH82]

Are the bolts opposite each other on the hub. The wheel should locate on the hub flange, the bolts are to ensure the wheel doesn't come off the flange (Although they help with some of the weight)

I wouldn't risk it though

[Riknos]

I drove for a few miles once in a car where ALL the bolts were only done up hand tight. No wheels fell off, just a lot of shaking.

I'd say take it easy for the journey and it would be okay.

[StottyZr]

One is completely missing, the other has damaged thread so can't torque up properly. Two torque up fine though!

Righto, I'm going to take it steady, if any vibration begins I'll park up and get the car recovered. I'd expect some pre-warning to a wheel coming off? (such as vibration)

[300bhp/ton]

Personally I wouldn't, not for that distance on the public road. It's just not worth the risk. And I'm not talking about the risk of just the wheel falling off. But all you need is for someone to drive into you or some other kind of RTA/RTI and you could end up in a world of grief.


However if you plan too, do you know if the wheel is hubcentric or not? If it is, then the bolts aren't locating the wheel, they are just holding it against the hub flange. 2 bolts in reality would probably hold this fine if you are careful for a short distance.

However if the wheel is bolt centric, as in it uses the bolts to locate the wheel and support the vehicle weight, then the bolts are doing far more than holding the wheel against the flange. This would be far more risky.