RM European Auto Parts
Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Broken Stud under the car

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    3
    My Cars
    2006 BMW Z4 3.0i

    Broken Stud under the car

    I am new to this forum and just recently purchased a very nice 2006 Z4. Unfortunately, when my spouse was backing the car up in our driveway, she dislodged a paver and ripped a cover off underneath the driver side of the car. The cover appears to be an access panel for lines and hoses front to back. There are 7 1/2" long studs protruding from the bottom of the car. The cover slips over these studs and then is fastened on by plastic nuts.

    The good news is that I was able to replace the panel, but the front stud snapped off as it is where the brick paver struck the car. In speaking with a couple of dealer's parts shops, this stud is not available separately and they believe it is part of the floor plan. Since the broken stud is in front, it seems to me that the wind would put pressure on the cover, if it is not fastened down and likely cause it to fail, in addition to potentially dragging under the car.

    While I don't like to "rig" things together, I really don't want to replace the floor pan, and am trying to figure out a way to fasten it down. The floor plan feels like aluminum and welding it would likely require removing the carpeting and padding which seems like a low return solution. I considered drilling 2 small holes and using wire ties to hold this one area down, and then applying silicone to keep water out.

    Do any of you more creative folks have a better idea? its just a lightweight plastic cover and seems to have no purpose other than as a possible wind related ground effect and designed to keep road debris out of this channel while providing access.

    I am pretty handy with tools so please let me know if anyone has an idea for a solid, reasonably easy fix for this issue. I have photos of the cover, an unbroken stud and the broken stud but this site will not allow me to post them.

    Any helpful feedback is much appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    St. Joseph, Mo.
    Posts
    3,000
    My Cars
    95 m3+, 03 ZHP, Mk4 Tdi
    there is a delay before new accounts can attach pictures (i believe its 7 days).
    however, the preferred method is to just link the photos to your post.

    so, put the photos up on a hosting site (google photos, amazon photos, etc.) and then simply link the photos in your post. you'll do this with an [img] tag.

    - - - Updated - - -

    regarding photos:
    great howto below - however, please note that imgur now blocks BFc.
    a quick search turned up this post:
    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...4#post26556744
    Last edited by shadowpuck; 07-24-2017 at 02:34 PM.
    '95 325iS - auto to manual swap done!

  3. #3
    MauiM3Mania's Avatar
    MauiM3Mania is offline Observer/Master Skeptic Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Central Pacific
    Posts
    10,809
    My Cars
    88M3 99M3 04M3 ITBx16
    re: posting images. What Shadow suggested with the following caveats. ImgUr.com now blocks linking images to Bimmerforums, so use a different hosting company. Photobucket has gone the subscription route, so avoid that place. I've heard good things about Imageshack and Amazon (if you have Prime).

    Or you could wait until your post count gets past 15 and you have been a member for 7 days and post images to the forum, not an outside site.
    04M3 TiAg 69k slick-top 3 pedal
    99M3 Cosmos 61k S50B32 euro 6Spd

    88M3 AW 43k miles Project FS


    WTB: 3.5" Eurosport/Conforti CAI

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    St. Joseph, Mo.
    Posts
    3,000
    My Cars
    95 m3+, 03 ZHP, Mk4 Tdi
    ooh - good catch - forgot about imgur's change. i've updated my post above.
    '95 325iS - auto to manual swap done!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Metairie, LA
    Posts
    596
    My Cars
    2001 325i; 2006 325i
    How big in diameter is this stud? Judging by the others, does it look to be a sturdy part intended to bear a load, or just a light duty part intended to just keep something from moving? If it is the former, it might take some though, but if it is the latter, I can see using a small piece of plate aluminum, an appropriate replacement for the broken stud and some good epoxy.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Aberdeen, NC (yes, again)
    Posts
    23,673
    My Cars
    E39M5, E500 4WD
    When it comes to the plastic underbody panels, allow me to say that I've used every single hack in the book. Except drilling the floorpan of the car. Don't drill that. It is steel, by the way.

    The fact that a stud broke off doesn't surprise me, either. They're very light duty....as evidenced by the fact that it uses a plastic nut....max. torque nil.

    The epoxied plate would be much more than I would ever do.... I'll generally drill the plastic panel as necessary and use a cable tie, or replicate the factory attachment, an inch away.

    With a missing stud, you'll just have to estimate load and necessity. Almost every BMW I see which is more than a few years old is missing several attachment....points which can't easily be reproduced......and the customer never wants to buy a three hundred dollar plastic cover or two .

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Metairie, LA
    Posts
    596
    My Cars
    2001 325i; 2006 325i
    Pfft, much more simple than I anticipated.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    3
    My Cars
    2006 BMW Z4 3.0i
    Quote Originally Posted by TonyAngel View Post
    Pfft, much more simple than I anticipated.
    Thanks for the feedback guys but I am still confused on how to fix this. Of course the broken stud, probably 1/8" or 3/16" max, inserts through a hole in the cover and then the aforementioned plastic nut holds it down. pretty hokey set up. The problem is the broken stud is the first fastener towards the front, meaning it it is the first place that gets hit by wind. I replaced the broken cover but believe that the wind will force the front down towards the road, causing it to either strike the road or fatigue from bouncing in the wind, causing it to fail.

    I am wondering if I could epoxy a replacement stud with a flat bottom to the existing spot. The only way I can see to add in a wire tie is to drill 2 holes in the pan which is less that ideal. I cant even get a replacement part number from BMW. Crappy design for a german car.

    - - - Updated - - -

    I could also weld a stud on if it is steel as I have a light duty mig welder but likely have to remove the carpeting above so as not to burn it or catch it on fire.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    St. Joseph, Mo.
    Posts
    3,000
    My Cars
    95 m3+, 03 ZHP, Mk4 Tdi
    why can't you use a zip tie? post up some pics...
    '95 325iS - auto to manual swap done!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    3
    My Cars
    2006 BMW Z4 3.0i
    There is nothing to tie to. It is a flat surface and the stud broke off flush to the surface. I can't post pictures until I have been a member for 7 days...

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    St. Joseph, Mo.
    Posts
    3,000
    My Cars
    95 m3+, 03 ZHP, Mk4 Tdi
    you can post pictures to a hosting site (as mentioned above) and then link them....that works just fine.
    '95 325iS - auto to manual swap done!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Metairie, LA
    Posts
    596
    My Cars
    2001 325i; 2006 325i
    From what Chris describes, this is a pretty common problem and all that is required is some method of securing the point at the front. I wouldn't go welding on the floor pan. Welding at that point is much more involved that simply tacking something to the pan. I mean, you have to take precautions to make sure that you don't catch the interior on fire. It also occurs to me that the stud breaks easily by design, so that if/when it does happen, nothing else gets messed up. If you weld a heavier duty stud to the floor pan and it happens again, you might mess something else up.

    I like to use epoxy because if the repair fails again, you can just sand and do it again.

    Maybe the simplest solution is to take a washer, sand a flat on it, epoxy this to the floor pan and use it as an anchor point for a zip tie. It doesn't need to bear a load. Just needs to stop the panel from flapping down.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Aberdeen, NC (yes, again)
    Posts
    23,673
    My Cars
    E39M5, E500 4WD
    Send me a Private Message, with your email address. I'll send you MY email address, and you can send me a picture, and I'll post it here.....

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

Similar Threads

  1. rattle rattle rattle from under the car
    By Dinan330ic in forum 1991 - 1999 (E36)
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 01-18-2005, 04:59 PM
  2. the coating under the car...
    By v.b. in forum 1991 - 1999 (E36)
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 01-19-2004, 03:03 AM
  3. when are lights under the car not rice?
    By Ridgeway in forum Off-Topic
    Replies: 34
    Last Post: 06-17-2003, 09:56 AM
  4. Noises from under the car HELP!!
    By nicegsxr in forum General BMW Mechanical Help sponsored by RM European Auto Parts
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 04-19-2002, 01:39 PM
  5. Under the car this weekend......
    By jayhudson in forum 1992 - 1999 M3 (E36)
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 07-30-2001, 04:00 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •