Snapped a wheel bolt

[KSagal]

Originally Posted by terryp

I was thinking maybe the broken bolt could be drilled out, and a nut welded to the back of the plate, over the old head, but there's not enough space.

What if I drilled and tapped a couple 12-24 holes in the plate, one on either side of the broken bolt, then drilled holes in the wheel for bolts? The plastic would have to be cut away around the new holes so the heads could rest against the metal insert in the wheel. I'd also use lockwashers and thread-locker.

Do you mechanical types think that would work?

The wheel plate and those bolts are pretty well balanced. Replacing the broken bolt with a similar piece (like at a welding shop) or an option similar to that may work for you.

Drilling new bolt locations, and modifying the wheel to match are less likely options to be successful with. At this point, you accidentally broke a bolt, which has resulted in a wheel flange with 2 1/2 bolts instead of 3. It may eventually require you to replace a transmission because of it.

At some point, drilling and tapping, and modifying a wheel seems like a project that may be more likely to make things worse than better. Getting the exact placement will be difficult. I suppose you could mount the wheel with the other two bolts, then thru drill the wheel and flange at the same time, but the flange is hardened steel, and the plastic wheel will not give the same or even similar resistance.

Also, there are stiffeners inside the plastic wheel, and their exact placement may be difficult to deal with when mounting bolts in other places than factory expected...

As a 'mechanical type' I would offer that there are better solutions to try before this route.

Of course, it is your machine, and you can and should do whatever you want. You and only you can judge what you can do, and what you cannot do.

Good luck on whatever you try, and keep us posted.