How to Remove Round Wheel Bolts

There are many kinds of bolts on a vehicle. The wheels themselves use wheel stud bolts, traditional hex bolts and round wheel bolts. The round wheel bolts are actually an inverted type of hex bolt. These are usually used as wheel-bearing locks or as pin bolts or adjusters on the wheel calipers. They cannot be removed with traditional sockets, so you'll need to know how to remove these special bolt types.

Things You'll Need

• Allen wrench set
• Breaker bar

Instructions

1. Fit the bolt head with the appropriate-sized Allen wrench. An Allen wrench has a hexagonal shape. The bolt head is recessed and will accept this wrench.

2. Place a small breaker bar over the end of the Allen wrench. Most Allen wrenches do not give you a good grip, so you will almost certainly need a small diameter breaker bar. A breaker bar is a hollow metal tube made of steel. The bar will typically not bend or break, even with tremendous force. This is good because the bar's job is to provide leverage on the wrench and bolt so that you can remove it.

3. Turn the wrench counterclockwise to remove it. Push or pull the breaker bar counterclockwise to remove the bolt.

References

• Automotive Tools Manual: Guide to Buying and Using Automotive Tools; Thomson Delmar Learning; 1999