Wheel bolts instead of lug nuts...why?

Recently bought a 330i and learned, much to my surprise and disgust,
that BMW used bolts instead of lug nuts to attach wheels to the car.

This makes mounting wheels much more difficult than with lug nuts (and
wheel studs). You need three hands instead of two. (Most folks only have
two.

What is the reason that BMW did this? It seems to be incredibly illogical.

- GRL

"GRL" > wrote in message
...
> Recently bought a 330i and learned, much to my surprise and disgust, that
> BMW used bolts instead of lug nuts to attach wheels to the car.
>
> This makes mounting wheels much more difficult than with lug nuts (and
> wheel studs). You need three hands instead of two. (Most folks only have
> two.
>
> What is the reason that BMW did this? It seems to be incredibly illogical.
>
According to Steve D'Gerolamo at ultimate garage, lug bolts are used because
"using lug bolts avoids stud and wheel damage when mounting the wheels onto
the car."

If you think mounting a wheel is difficult, Steve does offer a tool to make
mounting alot easier. Check out Steve D'Gerolamo's wheel hanger tool:

http://www.ultimategarage.com/wheelhgr.html

"GRL" > wrote
> Recently bought a 330i and learned, much to my surprise and disgust, that
> BMW used bolts instead of lug nuts to attach wheels to the car.
>
> This makes mounting wheels much more difficult than with lug nuts (and
> wheel studs). You need three hands instead of two. (Most folks only have
> two.
>
> What is the reason that BMW did this? It seems to be incredibly illogical.

There was a recent (3 month?) thread about this very topic. Google is your
friend.

Floyd

Found it. There was some speculation there, much of it making little sense
and the rest none as to why BMW does this silly thing that is sure to drive
anyone mounting a wheel speculate on the ancestry of BMW engineers.

It is just such a dumb idea when studs and lug nuts work fine to keep the
wheels on and at least facilitate mounting wheels by two handed creatures.

Having said all that, what is the nest way for one person to put a BMW wheel
on given that you are stuck using the bolts they provide? I keep seeing
myself lifting the heavy/bulky wheel/tire up with two hands and then wishing
I had a third to stick a bolt through a hole. Just thinking about it raises
the blood pressure.

Another example of how a German engineer will never design anything to work
in a simple, logical manner if a difficult manner can be found?

Sigh.

- GRL


"fbloogyudsr" > wrote in message
...
> "GRL" > wrote
> > Recently bought a 330i and learned, much to my surprise and disgust,
that
> > BMW used bolts instead of lug nuts to attach wheels to the car.
> >
> > This makes mounting wheels much more difficult than with lug nuts (and
> > wheel studs). You need three hands instead of two. (Most folks only have
> > two.
> >
> > What is the reason that BMW did this? It seems to be incredibly
illogical.
>
> There was a recent (3 month?) thread about this very topic. Google is
your
> friend.
>
> Floyd
>

I don't buy there being any significant damage to wheels and any damage at
all to wheel studs with the traditional stud and lug nut design. Wheels are,
at most, changed twice a year, on average, if a person has snow tires and
less if he does not. With five holes/lugs to spread the "wear" among, there
just is nothing to worry about.

That tool does lead one to realize, however, that for a few bucks, spent at
a hardware store, one can buy a suitable long stove bolt to accomplish the
same task (after lopping its head off). $25 is a bit much for such a simple
device, me-thinks. (It seems that nearly everything for BMW's is
over-priced.)

Anyway, thanks for the tip.

- GRL


"bfd" > wrote in message
...
>
> "GRL" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Recently bought a 330i and learned, much to my surprise and disgust,
that
> > BMW used bolts instead of lug nuts to attach wheels to the car.
> >
> > This makes mounting wheels much more difficult than with lug nuts (and
> > wheel studs). You need three hands instead of two. (Most folks only have
> > two.
> >
> > What is the reason that BMW did this? It seems to be incredibly
illogical.
> >
> According to Steve D'Gerolamo at ultimate garage, lug bolts are used
because
> "using lug bolts avoids stud and wheel damage when mounting the wheels
onto
> the car."
>
> If you think mounting a wheel is difficult, Steve does offer a tool to
make
> mounting alot easier. Check out Steve D'Gerolamo's wheel hanger tool:
>
> http://www.ultimategarage.com/wheelhgr.html
>
>

"GRL" > wrote
> Having said all that, what is the nest way for one person to put a BMW
> wheel
> on given that you are stuck using the bolts they provide? I keep seeing
> myself lifting the heavy/bulky wheel/tire up with two hands and then
> wishing
> I had a third to stick a bolt through a hole. Just thinking about it
> raises
> the blood pressure.

The hub actually holds the wheel in place once you get it there; only one
hand is needed to keep it on the hub.

Floyd

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 23:33:34 -0500, GRL wrote:

> Found it. There was some speculation there, much of it making little sense
> and the rest none as to why BMW does this silly thing that is sure to
> drive anyone mounting a wheel speculate on the ancestry of BMW engineers.
>
> It is just such a dumb idea when studs and lug nuts work fine to keep the
> wheels on and at least facilitate mounting wheels by two handed creatures.
>
> Having said all that, what is the nest way for one person to put a BMW
> wheel on given that you are stuck using the bolts they provide? I keep
> seeing myself lifting the heavy/bulky wheel/tire up with two hands and
> then wishing I had a third to stick a bolt through a hole. Just thinking
> about it raises the blood pressure.
>
I've never had a problem with OEM wheels. The fit of the wheel to the
centering hub is close enough that I just put the wheel in place, push it
home, and hold the top with one hand while I start a lug bolt. One one has
been run in the wheel is pretty well locked into place.

After market wheels can be a whole different story. I once had 735 with
aftermarket wheels that were such a sloppy fit on the centering hubs that
it almost took three hands. But those wheels had other problems. The only
way they could be balanced was if the tires were trued and balanced on the
car. Pull a wheel to replace pads, even if it was replaced in the same
position relative to the hub, and a trip to the tire place was an
immediate requirement. As soon as I found a set of OEM wheels they got
replaced... End of problems.

--
The instructions said to use Windows 98 or better, so I installed RedHat.

In article >,
GRL > wrote:
> That tool does lead one to realize, however, that for a few bucks, spent
> at a hardware store, one can buy a suitable long stove bolt to
> accomplish the same task (after lopping its head off). $25 is a bit much
> for such a simple device, me-thinks. (It seems that nearly everything
> for BMW's is over-priced.)

Err, there's such a device in the tool kit. Haven't you read your driver's
handbook?

--
*If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"GRL" > wrote in message
...
> Recently bought a 330i and learned, much to my surprise and disgust, that
> BMW used bolts instead of lug nuts to attach wheels to the car.
>

Disgust?


> This makes mounting wheels much more difficult than with lug nuts (and
> wheel studs). You need three hands instead of two. (Most folks only have
> two.
>

No you don't. Pick up a lug bolt and hold it. Lift the tire and place it on
the lip in the center of the hub. Use your foot if needed to stabalize the
wheel in place, and use the hand containing the lug bolt to start it into
the hole nearest the top.


> What is the reason that BMW did this? It seems to be incredibly illogical.
>

I don't know the answer, much less care what the motivation was.

"GRL" > wrote in message
...
> Recently bought a 330i and learned, much to my surprise and disgust, that
> BMW used bolts instead of lug nuts to attach wheels to the car.
>
> This makes mounting wheels much more difficult than with lug nuts (and
> wheel studs). You need three hands instead of two. (Most folks only have
> two.
>

I forgot to mention, there is a tool in the tool kit mounted to the inside
of the trunk lid that makes this job easy.




> What is the reason that BMW did this? It seems to be incredibly illogical.
>
> - GRL