Reinforcement Plate Bolts Question

[bigjae46]

I did this and hit one of the bolts with too much torque. Sheared the top of the bolt off. Had to drill and use a bolt extractor to remove the bolt shaft. Won't be using an impact gun again.

I have a smaller impact that can get lug nuts on at about 80 ft/lbs. I have a BFI which could rip the bolt head off. Choose wisely.

[TexaZ3]

I always re-use. Not that I'm cheap to buy a new set of bolts, its just I always forget about these, and then they are never in stock locally and need to wait a week to get them from somewhere. Impact those suckers and its fine. There are like 20 of them, so even if one or two are weak/busted its not the end of the world.

[bimmerfan08]

A couple of ugga duggas on the impact.

I did this and hit one of the bolts with too much torque. Sheared the top of the bolt off. Had to drill and use a bolt extractor to remove the bolt shaft. Won't be using an impact gun again.

[0-60motorsports]

Been reusing mine plus others for 20 plus years LOL.

[bigjae46]

A couple of ugga duggas on the impact.

[M3fanatic580]

My 330ci was missing a couple bolts. I grabbed a couple at the local scrap yard from another e46 but they wouldn't bolt in. I believe they were stretched. I picked up a couple new ones and they fit fine. I guess it all depends on how much torque is used will determine if they get overstretched.

[Maxhouse97]

My Bolt did stretch, I’m gonna buy new ones from FCP.

[bmwfnatic]

I just run these in with the impact, never broke one or had any issues. Some of you are seriously overthinking this.

I think only once I did the proper procedure with a SO digital torquewrench, it came out to a final torque of around 100 Nm (might be wrong it's been a few years).

Which to me seems way too low to reach the yield point of a bolt sized like these, so I would deem them totally fine to re-use.

[R1pilot]

Given the application, I’m comfortable with how I’ve installed it.

You go to Penn State for Engineering?

[R1pilot]

I rotate in 2 or 3 new ones each time.

Probably a good idea. I just checked and they are $40 from FCP Euro. Last time I removed them was about two years ago, I will just wait another week to check the car and order them.

I wonder if they are stretch to yield bolts.

[oceansize]

I rotate in 2 or 3 new ones each time.

[Icecream]

Yep, properly torqued with SnapOn torque wrench that has angle as well.

I knew there was a reason I replaced them, I guess I read them in the BMW instructions I had for the bearings. '

Will try and reuse them. The FCP euro is a great idea!, as a matter of fact I need to check as I might have bought them there.

I snapped one before, also reused them before. Since it is a reinforcement plate, I would do the proper torque angle on it, it is considerable amount of additional torque and with how anal we all are with rigidity/handling and such, I wouldn't skimp on a reinforcement plate. Ymmv.

[PSUEng]

I mean, if you did not do the angle part you are extremely undertorqued ... might as well tighten them without a torque wrench, no?

Given the application, I’m comfortable with how I’ve installed it.

[R1pilot]

I recently re-used mine. Torqued to spec, sans the angle. So far so good. I do have a fresh set for use after I do some exhaust and front end work, as I won't (shouldn't) be back in there again for a while.

I mean, if you did not do the angle part you are extremely undertorqued ... might as well tighten them without a torque wrench, no?

[R1pilot]

You won't snap them if you reuse them and they were torqued correctly previously (and a lot of people do). However, BMW does specify to replace them after every use.

Yep, properly torqued with SnapOn torque wrench that has angle as well.

I knew there was a reason I replaced them, I guess I read them in the BMW instructions I had for the bearings. '

Will try and reuse them. The FCP euro is a great idea!, as a matter of fact I need to check as I might have bought them there.