Stuck Torx Fasteners for Rock Warrior Wheels

Of course, the VERY LAST torx fastener for a set of rock warrior wheels I just purchased is nice and stuck and the last resort is to drill it out. I’ve let aerokroil sit on it for three days and heated it up with a heat gun carefully and used four sets of port cable and dewalt impact T30 torx bits that have sheared using my gun including one T30 socket using a 3/8 ratchet. I was wondering if anyone has an extra torx screw laying around that they wouldn’t mind parting with before I drill this one out?? Any advice wouldn’t hurt either. Thank you!!

 

T30 metric pulls up only a M6 on mcmaster, if it's that size: https://www.mcmaster.com/90991A132/

I'd weld a nut on it as a last resort, also a heat gun probably wont do much if anything, usually you need to use a torch (like a little propane one). Welding it will heat the shit out of it obviously and might help break it free plus give you a larger socket to hook up. If you don't have a welder, buy a little propane torch and try to heat cycle it (sometimes heating everything and then squirting water on just the bolt to rapidly cool it and not the surrounding metal can work too). I'd also hit it with a punch, and trying to tighten it a hair can help break the threads loose sometimes too.

 

Good advice. I’ve tried tightening it as well with the impact to shake things up. I’m afraid with the propane that it would scorch the stainless steel and degrade the aluminum behind it in the wheels. I plan on powdercoating the rings so the discoloring of the ring wouldn’t be a problem. I guess next would be to weld a nut on the bolt or drill it out.

 

Ended up drilling it out. Will be on the hunt for a replacement. Does anyone know where I can find the center caps? Looks like they’ve been discontinued. Mine are in really bad shape. Part No: PTR45-34071 are no where to be found!

 

PTR18-34071 is the updated part number. I have one in my RW wheels and it’s it perfect fit. You can find them on eBay.

Also, next time you have a stuck torx bolt, find a square bit that is just too big to fit in and hammer it in. Square bits won’t break as easy and the hammering helps loosen things up.

 

Thanks a lot! I ended up ordering from a toyota parts store online and got an email requiring me to send in a VIN for a rock warrior vehicle. Hopefully sending in a VIN that was from one that was for sale works. We’ll see.

 

How did you go about drilling them out? Did you use a drill press? I have a couple that are stuck and a couple more with stripped heads. I called 4 machine shops around me but they all said they can’t do it.

 

I drilled them out and popped the head off hoping there was enough shank left to bite them with my knipex pliers and I did thankfully. Was lucky to find someone to send me some spare bolts that they had laying around.

 

Any idea if the threads on the rw wheel rings are m8x1.25 or 5/16 fine thread???
Or even m8x 1.75

 

From what I’ve found they are m8 x 1.0

 

Any chance you recall how many different steps in drill bit diameters you used? I'm in the same boat and hoping to avoid the guess work stepping up larger and larger each time. Torx heads are a disaster...especially the smaller heads, give me a hex bolt all day long aesthetics aside. I've got 20+ that are still frozen on Was able to beat a few loose with the air hammer followed by impact, but lost a few bits and multiple T30 sockets. Thanks @rjsimz !