wheel bolts wouldn't go back in!

[john.med]

After 14 miles drive home I took off my O/S wheels to spray them (having sprayed the N/S last time the weather was good), 1hr or so later I put the wheels back on and the bolts wouldn't screw in. They were wanting to cross thread.

So I buggered around a bit, scratched my head and then put a tiny smear of grease on them and got them in ok. A few of them screetched like fook when tightening fully.

What's going on?

I've had bolts snap before and was/am dreading it happening again.

 

[326R27]

you didnt get any paint on the hub or wheel nuts did u? you might have threaded the nuts if they are squeking loudly like that or they just could be a snug fit. allways lightly screw them in and allways use a torque wrench when tightning any type of bolt on a car. sometimes over tightning can be bad as under tightning.

 

[john.med]

No, no paint anywhere other than the rims. And yeah, we used to have a torque wrench.

 

[BRUN]

any dirt/grit on the bolts ?...or possibly in the threads in the hubs

 

[john.med]

No,.. was a lovely day yesterday and was no dust or dirt around. It's a strange one!

 

[sand6000]

No,.. was a lovely day yesterday and was no dust or dirt around. It's a strange one!

Best fix is to have proper studs pressed in and use normal nuts. That's the fix for all race cars and not too expensive.

 

[R1XPH]

Undoing them could have scratched some of the inside of the thread off and the small stards would have made it harder.

Could always run a tap down them to clear them of anything.

 

[caister]

You should always grease them before they go back in anyway so it may have been rust on the bolt or on the thread.

 

[john.med]

cheers for the comments chaps. I thought you weren't really supposed to grease wheel bolts. Maybe a dab of copper slip, just so they won't seize.

 

[caister]

Copper grease is best.

Some people say your not supposed to grease them but most people do and its not going to do them any harm providing they are tightened to the correct torque they are never going to come out or get loose.

If you dont grease them you risk the bolts seazing inside the hub then snapping the head off of it trying to get it back out.

 

[TomTom]

IMO a drop of engine oils best on each wheel bolt (alloys in particular), you 'shouldn't' use copper grease on alloy wheel bolts as sometimes they don't torque up, they just keep going round and round but the wrench doesn't click.