Wheel theft or worse
06-19-2007, 12:39 AM
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Wheel theft or worse
Before reading any further. If you have loved ones in your car (most of us do) check all your wheel lugs and make sure they are tight. If I didn't tonight, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this right now. Use a torque wrench that is set to the proper torque foot pounds. DON'T USE AN IMPACT GUN TO TORQUE YOUR NUTS!!
I figured I would post this tonight and maybe save some guys life that I don't know. Last night I drove over a 1000 miles to get my girlfriend home after a family member of hers died. We arrived here late. The Cobalt seemed to be working alright except for a shutter that started about 800 miles into the trip. The wheel shutter I figured was pulsating from the ABS but it still didn't feel right on the wheel. I suspected it the rotars might have warped and it might be time to replace them. So I took a trip to the dealer this morning to buy new rotars. When I pulled the front passenger wheel off of the car it was a much different story. One of the lugs practically fell off my hand. When I pulled the rim off here is what I found:
BROKEN WHEEL BOLT: By the looks of the bolt and where it broke. I suspect someone might have broke the bolt trying to get it off of the car maybe trying to steal my rims. Maybe someone broke it on purpose. I don't think the bolt would break from having a loose lug on it. I don't know if this was a freak or if this is going to happen to everyone. The car is a very late model 2006 LS.
This is what I was faced with looking at me. Have to be back for work tomorrow and no time to **** around:
First we take the wheel housing apart. Then a 1 3/16 socket what a bastard sized socket to find, it seemed a little sloppy but pretty tight to get the wheel bearing housing off:
Using a punch and hammer I pounded out the broken wheel bolt:
From there I hunted down an old wheel bearing from my Sunfire salvage and pounded out a wheel bolt and put it in the cobalt assembly and put the whole thing back together. The bolt is not as long as the Cobalt but it fits and has the same amount as bolt thread.
I figured I would post this tonight and maybe save some guys life that I don't know. Last night I drove over a 1000 miles to get my girlfriend home after a family member of hers died. We arrived here late. The Cobalt seemed to be working alright except for a shutter that started about 800 miles into the trip. The wheel shutter I figured was pulsating from the ABS but it still didn't feel right on the wheel. I suspected it the rotars might have warped and it might be time to replace them. So I took a trip to the dealer this morning to buy new rotars. When I pulled the front passenger wheel off of the car it was a much different story. One of the lugs practically fell off my hand. When I pulled the rim off here is what I found:
BROKEN WHEEL BOLT: By the looks of the bolt and where it broke. I suspect someone might have broke the bolt trying to get it off of the car maybe trying to steal my rims. Maybe someone broke it on purpose. I don't think the bolt would break from having a loose lug on it. I don't know if this was a freak or if this is going to happen to everyone. The car is a very late model 2006 LS.
This is what I was faced with looking at me. Have to be back for work tomorrow and no time to **** around:
First we take the wheel housing apart. Then a 1 3/16 socket what a bastard sized socket to find, it seemed a little sloppy but pretty tight to get the wheel bearing housing off:
Using a punch and hammer I pounded out the broken wheel bolt:
From there I hunted down an old wheel bearing from my Sunfire salvage and pounded out a wheel bolt and put it in the cobalt assembly and put the whole thing back together. The bolt is not as long as the Cobalt but it fits and has the same amount as bolt thread.
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