Urgent wheel question!

djoptix · Post by **djoptix** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 9:38 pm

Hi peops,

my 16v is approaching a period of being laid up as I can't afford to do various bits of work on it, and BXaholic's AX is replacing it as runabout. However, in true sulky French car fashion, it got a puncture last night (the first one I've ever had) and the spare doesn't fit! It looks right, has spacers on the outside of the (steel) wheel to make up for the longer bolts for the alloys... but the hole in the middle of the wheel fouls the protrusion on the centre of the hub. (advice on this welcomed) So while I can't get another wheel on it I can't even take the existing wheel to the garage for a new tyre!

Luckily I recently bought some 205 gti (1.6) alloys on the 'bay which I have to go and pick up. My plan is to stick them on and drive it back to where it will be kept when off the road. I just need to know if they will go straight on. I'm pretty sure they will but I really need to know for certain - I have to transport the car before its tax runs out (end of April!)

Alternatively, does anyone in the Manchester area have a spare 16v wheel they could lend me for a couple of days?

Help!

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:41 pm

The spike sticking out of the rear hub us to assist with the location of the wheel on an unbraked hub. Its actually an elongated countersunk headed screw which also holds the disc on - and can easily be unscrewed using the hexagonal head on it to get a grip.

Ideally it should be replaced with a normal countersunk headed screw to hold the disc in contact with the hub and prevent dirt getting between them. You will see such a screw diametrically opposite it.

The standard steel wheels have just one hole in them which locates over this stud.

djoptix · Post by **djoptix** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:46 pm

Not that one. The big hole in the middle of the steel wheel is not big enough to fit over the hub itself. The back of the steel wheel is flat where the alloy has a large recess.

Incidentally those bolts on mine aren't bolts, but large pins.

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:15 pm

<unhelpful>There's a set sitting here in Brighton if you can pick them up.</unhelpful>

djoptix · Post by **djoptix** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:23 pm

HA BL**DY HA

thanks mate

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:26 pm

Sorry buddy!

If you were closer by, I'd drop them off.

I would offer to bring them up at the weekend but I'm busy - and I am SURE you'll find a solution that will cost less than the diesel I'd burn doing so before then.

Good luck!

djoptix · Post by **djoptix** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:32 pm

Got the car back to my house by pumping the footpump like a lunatic and driving home at speed. Going to try the spare again in daylight and see if I can get to the bottom of things...

Vanny says that a 14" 205 wheel should drop straight on so hopefully if I can just get hold of those wheels I should be laughing...

In other news, the expansion tank cap has disappeared

Post by **docchevron** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 1:05 am

pug wheels will go straight on the car, but have shorter bolts, if you use cit bolts on the pug rims the front wheels may not rotate as the bolts will stick through the hub and may fowl, they might not, but they might...

As for the spare that wont fit, are the hub centres corroded?

Is the centre of the spare bent or corroded?

I had the same on my spare, three minutes with a wore wheel cleaning it up and slipped on easier than a catholic condom..

djoptix · Post by **djoptix** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:38 am

docchevron1472 wrote:pug wheels will go straight on the car, but have shorter bolts, if you use cit bolts on the pug rims the front wheels may not rotate as the bolts will stick through the hub and may fowl, they might not, but they might...

Hmm. As long as they're alright on the back it doesn't matter as it's a rear that I need to replace on the car...

Hub centres aren't corroded as far as I can see, but I'm going to jack it up again later and have a look in daylight.

djoptix · Post by **djoptix** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 12:07 pm

jeremy wrote:The spike sticking out of the rear hub us to assist with the location of the wheel on an unbraked hub. Its actually an elongated countersunk headed screw which also holds the disc on - and can easily be unscrewed using the hexagonal head on it to get a grip.

Ideally it should be replaced with a normal countersunk headed screw to hold the disc in contact with the hub and prevent dirt getting between them. You will see such a screw diametrically opposite it.

The standard steel wheels have just one hole in them which locates over this stud.

I stand corrected - it was this bolt that was causing the problem! My discs, however, being third party ones, also had a pin in that should have been removed before the discs were fitted. So I just removed the screw and used the hole in the spare to locate over this pin. Catholic condom-tastic, as Doc puts it.

Cheers guys.