I've tried to search for terms like "Center Cap Stud" not really sure what these are called, but I need help. These are Aluminum rims, but the tiny little studs that are broke off I'm guessing are not. I tried to center drill two of them with a very tiny drill bit, moving up to a slightly larger bit. Both got a little to close to the threads for my taste so I stopped and went to a local machine shop. I've used this shop before and really liked them, but they wanted $65 a stud for removal $65X9=$A Lot o'Money. So, ideas on how to fix this? Can I drill each hole one size larger, tap them then drill out my caps to fit? Can use something like a helicoil on rims?
I'd take a die grinder and flatten the top of the broken screw, then center punch the screw really well. Clamp the wheel on your drill press and gently drill the center of the screw. Work you way up very slowly. You will probably need to go to the next size up screws. Or, find a friend who has a drill press or mill that will run in reverse. Use backwards bits and you may pull the screw out with them. But your luck would have to be very good.
If you have the center cap you can transfer the bolt circle to some metal or aluminum, mount it to the wheel using the holes with nothing in them and then use the guide you made to drill out the broken screws/studs. Or you could drill it large and use larger screws if you wanted to. As alchemy mentioned grinding down the broken screw flush to the wheel will be helpful which ever way you decide to go.
I think I would weld a nut to the screw. Then heat the area around the screw let it cool and they should back right out. When two dissimilar metals are put together like this they tend to corrode together and it acts just like glue.
Would be welding as suggested, ( suggest big weld to control the heat) the heat from the welding should also help brake the stud loose
The tops of these studs sticking out is barely 1/32". I like the idea of grinding them flat then transfer the pattern to some thick plate steel then over to the drill press. Would anti-seeze help eliminate this problem in the future? Sent from my SCH-I535 using H.A.M.B. mobile app
Post a pic of the center caps. I like most of these removal ideas, or go larger until you are re-tapping next size up. But at machine shop price, if I couldn't get enough of them out, maybe a different center cap could work? New hole design, or 3 outa 5 screws?
Do you have enough room to clock the cap a little and drill new holes next to the old ones? That way you wouldn't have to mess with the stuck screws.
Most of those little screws I have seen are stainless. What about the drill press from the backside. Im guessing the screw goes all the way thru. If not as suggested before face them down and center punch. You'll have to use a drill press to get a tiny drill started. Don't hurry!!!
I think I would use the cap as a pattern to drill four holes in 1/4" steel, three the screw size and one under. Mount that to the wheel with tree screws and use the fourth hole for a guide.
I've had good luck with the welding technique. TIG weld a 10/32 nut over the broken screw, the heating & cooling helps loosen the threads & they will usually unscrew. Sometimes I've had ones that were stuborn & the nut would twist off. In that case just do over again, they almost always come out.
put a washer over the screw weld it to the screw beacuse its easyer to weld the washer to the screw thats broken of almost flush with the wheel weld a nut to the washer as mentioned earlier (Tig weld) works every time for me the last 25 years the heat from the weld first enlarge the screw and the shrinks the screw and frees it from the alu
I weld a washer with the center same size as the screw, while its cooling, take pliers and pinch washer making it a wingnut and tap anyplace on the wheel that won't show, as I back screw out Never seeze when anew-ing.
I would try the "weld a washer, then nut", if that doesn't work then you can try drilling. If the holes get wallowed out you can buy small heli-coils and restore your screws back to original size. Use stainless heli-coils, then use stainless screws, you won't have dissimilar metal/corrosion problems ever again
I have welded a nut to them a billion times to remove them. Take a slightly bigger nut, place it over it, mig weld it though the nut hole, count to about 20, remove. works every time.
Bring them to me. I'll take them out for a Buck a piece. You can stand and watch. The only part of any prior advice close to what I'd do is the Tig Weld part. The Wizzard
The machine shop price is the "We really don't want this job" price. Time comsuming and fiddly***** job. If you were around here I'd clamp it down on the Bridgeport table and use a little carbide end mill to remove ,Heli-coil if needed. Those screws may have been self tapping if so a drill bit won't touch them. And NEVER put stainless to stainless without anti-seze of some sort.
This is the best way to do what you need,,,after all your just wanting to hold the damn cap on not reinvent the wheel
Hey guys, sorry I never got around to thanking everyone for their input. I don't want you think I was just another punk asking questions Work got crazy busy and so did all the yard work, I hope to try a few of these suggestions very soon, but I might go with the rotate cap a little and drill new holes Not sure yet, but I will update and post pictures. Thanks again
I am going to try and fix them right (i.e. get the old studs out), but if that doesn't work I may just have to go that route.
I would certainly try the weld a small nut idea like Pete Eastwood said. I would Not drill more holes in the wheel, just to keep the wheel more original. And I doubt they were studs, they were most likely self tapping screws and many of those were just zinc plated steel not stainless.
...you could put dummy short screws in the 3 other holes, no one would know the difference, cept you, but I know you wanna do it right.
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