Chris in Canada
True Classic
are these safe?? Input please!!!!
Wobble bolts????
- Thread starter Chris in Canada
- Start date
Pete Whitstone
True Classic
I've run wobble bolts or wobble nuts for years on several different cars, I've never had an issue. Way cheaper than having adapters made, although if you need to modify offset (move the wheels more outboard), I'd recommend adapter plates, because the spacer + wobble nut arrangement will probably end up costing very near what the adapter plates will cost.
Pete
Pete
stingray250
True Classic
Works for me. Just make sure if you use em that you get a quality aluminum centering ring.
kmead
Old enough to know better
Keep in mind the type of rim you will be looking for.
A 4 x 100 PCD bolt circle is about all you can do, which then brings us to offset. For a 6” wide rim you will want to look for an offset of +15 to 35mm offset with @25 being preferred. Try to avoid a front wheel drive offset of @+40 as it will drive the back of the rim into your suspension upright. Rims intended for a BMW 2002 and 320i can work well from the 70s and early 80s. There are a fair number o 15” rims which can work with a 185/50 15 or 195/45 15 tire on an X. Anything larger is problematic.
To see where you are with a particular rim I use this site:
http://www.rimsntires.com/specspro.jsp
The OE rims for an X are 5 x 13 with a 25 or 27mm offset use this with a either 165/70 tire or a 185/60 tire as the basis for your comparison. The ‘Iron Cross’ rim was used on some X’s and was a 5.5 x 13 rim with 27mm offset as an FYI.
This can be a good tool to understand if things will work with an X.
Things to watch out for are wide rims with large positive offset (ie +40mm like a front wheel drive car) which will likely contact the strut or spring and offsets that approach 0 with a very wide rim as these will stick out too far and when you turn the tire will contact the front and back edges of the wheel opening or foul on the top of the wheel opening when you go over a bump.
A 4 x 100 PCD bolt circle is about all you can do, which then brings us to offset. For a 6” wide rim you will want to look for an offset of +15 to 35mm offset with @25 being preferred. Try to avoid a front wheel drive offset of @+40 as it will drive the back of the rim into your suspension upright. Rims intended for a BMW 2002 and 320i can work well from the 70s and early 80s. There are a fair number o 15” rims which can work with a 185/50 15 or 195/45 15 tire on an X. Anything larger is problematic.
To see where you are with a particular rim I use this site:
http://www.rimsntires.com/specspro.jsp
The OE rims for an X are 5 x 13 with a 25 or 27mm offset use this with a either 165/70 tire or a 185/60 tire as the basis for your comparison. The ‘Iron Cross’ rim was used on some X’s and was a 5.5 x 13 rim with 27mm offset as an FYI.
This can be a good tool to understand if things will work with an X.
Things to watch out for are wide rims with large positive offset (ie +40mm like a front wheel drive car) which will likely contact the strut or spring and offsets that approach 0 with a very wide rim as these will stick out too far and when you turn the tire will contact the front and back edges of the wheel opening or foul on the top of the wheel opening when you go over a bump.
Chris in Canada
True Classic
Are wobble bolts DOT or MOT approved?
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
Good question. Guess it depends on the specific laws where you live. But I doubt they are in most areas that still require a visual safety inspection (other than a smog check). My thinking is, if they require older cars like these to be safety inspected, then they are likely to be strict about the requirements. On the other hand, is that something that is even looked at? I've never lived where any type of inspection is required (other that for smog), so don't know how it works.
Janis
True Classic
Here they first of all do test smog, then lights, brakes, stuff in interior, then lift it on a stand and shake suspension in all directions to check all ball joints, all pther joints, tyres, bolts(aren’t any missing), leaks...
Once in a year.
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DanielForest
True Classic
IMHO, wobble bolts are a really good ideas for people who are removing their wheels only once or twice a year. For people like myself, who could swap wheels a few times a day at a race track or a solo, I would muche prefer keeping Fiat wheels or using quality adapters. But then, the sky is the limit. You are not limited to 4x100. Even 5 bolts wheels could be used if you find the right adapters set.
Karl comment is also right. You may find a lot more choice with 4x100 but not many for rwd and a "deep dish" look.
Karl comment is also right. You may find a lot more choice with 4x100 but not many for rwd and a "deep dish" look.
Chad C.
True Classic
BMW Bottlecap alloys look pretty nice on 124s, here's two examples from my former cars:
Had to machine the hub space out on them to fit them but I liked the result. I used some very long & tapered lug bolts that came with a set of factory Roosevelt alloys that I had packed away. Can't say I'd recommend it, but I got thousands of trouble free miles that way.
I'm planning to use these same wheels on my Scorpion, but I'll likely use an adapter/spacer to make it happen & fill out the fenders.
Had to machine the hub space out on them to fit them but I liked the result. I used some very long & tapered lug bolts that came with a set of factory Roosevelt alloys that I had packed away. Can't say I'd recommend it, but I got thousands of trouble free miles that way.
I'm planning to use these same wheels on my Scorpion, but I'll likely use an adapter/spacer to make it happen & fill out the fenders.
kmead
Old enough to know better
As long as you ensure the rim is hubcentric either naturally or with a centering ring as Stingray suggests, I would have no qualms about running wobble nuts or wobble bolts.
If the wheel is held concentric with the hub when tightened down, the bolts are holding the wheel down only which is the way a wheel bolt is intended to work, wobble or not.
There are rims available for a Miata which will work nicely and the prices are not outrageous. They will be for 15” primarily but thats fine.
If the wheel is held concentric with the hub when tightened down, the bolts are holding the wheel down only which is the way a wheel bolt is intended to work, wobble or not.
There are rims available for a Miata which will work nicely and the prices are not outrageous. They will be for 15” primarily but thats fine.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
Copied this from an article on wheel fasteners (linked below):
Hubcentric vs. lugcentric
These two terms are common and proper labels that indicate how the wheel centers onto the hub. The wheel must be centered to the axle hub as precisely as possible to avoid runout.
If the wheel centers onto the hub via the fastener locations only, we refer to this as a “lugcentric” method. This means that the location of the wheel studs (or the hub’s bolt holes) must be accurately placed on the hub as well as on the wheel during manufacturing.
If the wheel is centered by means of its center opening fit to the hub’s raised center flange, this is a “hubcentric” design. This means that the centering approach relies on the center hole of the wheel to the center locating dowel flange of the hub.
https://www.autoserviceprofessional...g-the-nuts-and-bolts-of-wheel-clamping?Page=1
The X1/9 is hubcentric, so the wheel center bore will need to match that of the hub. Like Karl said, especially critical if using "wobble bolts". Adapter rings can accommodate this so long as the wheel's bore is larger than the hub's center diameter. One difficulty that might arise when fitting wheels from another vehicle is when the wheel has a smaller center bore than the hub. That requires the wheels to be machined accordingly, which needs to be done accurately to the same profile and diameter as the hub. The cost to have the wheels properly machined this way is a bit expensive (unless you have a connection).
As mentioned, there are some stock wheels (and aftermarket) from various rear wheel drive cars that can be made to fit the X. The benefit of choosing stock ones is the factory units are very high quality and usually found very inexpensively.
Hubcentric vs. lugcentric
These two terms are common and proper labels that indicate how the wheel centers onto the hub. The wheel must be centered to the axle hub as precisely as possible to avoid runout.
If the wheel centers onto the hub via the fastener locations only, we refer to this as a “lugcentric” method. This means that the location of the wheel studs (or the hub’s bolt holes) must be accurately placed on the hub as well as on the wheel during manufacturing.
If the wheel is centered by means of its center opening fit to the hub’s raised center flange, this is a “hubcentric” design. This means that the centering approach relies on the center hole of the wheel to the center locating dowel flange of the hub.
https://www.autoserviceprofessional...g-the-nuts-and-bolts-of-wheel-clamping?Page=1
The X1/9 is hubcentric, so the wheel center bore will need to match that of the hub. Like Karl said, especially critical if using "wobble bolts". Adapter rings can accommodate this so long as the wheel's bore is larger than the hub's center diameter. One difficulty that might arise when fitting wheels from another vehicle is when the wheel has a smaller center bore than the hub. That requires the wheels to be machined accordingly, which needs to be done accurately to the same profile and diameter as the hub. The cost to have the wheels properly machined this way is a bit expensive (unless you have a connection).
As mentioned, there are some stock wheels (and aftermarket) from various rear wheel drive cars that can be made to fit the X. The benefit of choosing stock ones is the factory units are very high quality and usually found very inexpensively.
Jefco
daily driven if I drive daily
Looks familiar Chad! I'll be trying something somewhat similar when I get it on the road- Maserati Biturbo wheels, 14x6, 4x98- I haven't even fit them to the car yet, still working on a 2-liter motor for it.