Massive wheel nut problem

[RupertP]

I have been looking around the forums for a bit and I finally joined up, HI all . I have just bought some GP 17" worx replicas off ebay they look amazing. I collected them today and when I came to put them on I found that the wheel bolts which I had on my car were too big and wouldn't fit through the holes on the wheel. The guy I bought them off had had them on his MCS with the original bolts. I have a 56 mini one and I had the R96 delta spokes.

[James]

Can't you buy some new wheel nuts?

[RupertP]

I don't know, if the holes on the wheels are too small for the original bolts, wouldn't smaller bolts not fit into the car. Sorry if I am being a bit thick here.

[MINIAC]

In July 2006 wheel bolt size changed from M12x1.5 to M14x1.25.

You'll have to find someone selling a M14 to M12 stud conversion or drill out the holes in the wheels to accommodate the larger wheel bolts.

[RupertP]

Cool, what size drill bit do I need?
Thanks

[GBMINI]

Obviously not a perfect replica wheel then - since the true GP also has the bigger M14 bolts

[MINIAC]

Quote: Originally Posted by GBMINI (original)

Obviously not a perfect replica wheel then - since the true GP also has the bigger M14 bolts

Some GPs were built prior to the wheel bolt change

[roland2003]

hi, yes it should be ok drilling the wheels.Im assuming the holes are 12mm clearance and you want 14mm clearance. You cant do this with a Black& Decker though! Take the wheels to a machine shop. A large floor standing pillar drill will suffice. Drill to 13mm then 14mm then 14.5mm. (nice slow spindle speed say 200-400rpm.) Bear in mind it will break the edges of the paint at the entrance & exit of the holes. Also before you start make sure the couterbores are big enough for the socket to go in (they should be).
Best Regards Roland GTT
'measure twice cut once'

[marcy]

i had to drill the wheels out to on a 07 convertable as the nuts were to big i did 14mm but 14.5mm would be a better size for a bit more space and i didnt have to change the counter sinks as there the right size for the bolt and use a drill on a stand so you get the hole straight some wheels are allready the right size hole and if youl need lockng nut youl have to get them from the dealer as no one else has any

[jamski]

Sorry, I can be of no use here, no experience with this, but just wanted to ask why, whenver I see the word 'nut' it makes me laugh, alot!! Probably my child like humour, just wanted to share!

[RupertP]

Cool, thanks. I emailed the guys with the wheel stud conversions, no reply yet. I was up at Lohen on Tuesday, they said that they couldn't touch them because they were replicas and that it might annoy MINI/BMW. Does anyone know a good, reliable machine shop in central London?

[roland2003]

Hi, any industrial estate with an enginnering workshop will be able to do it. Most will have at least 3 different pillar drills. Drive round, within 20 minutes you'll find someone.
As said most aftermarket wheels are drilled 14-15mm already, this allows 12 or 14mm bolts , the 60 degree taper seat doesnt need enlarging .
ps You cant use 'adaptors ' to allow 12mm bolts. If your going to go to all that trouble ,just buy 4 early hubs with the 12mm threads . -Drilling is the answer.
best Regards Roland GTT
-How can drilling your own set of wheels annoy BMW,?

[SiBradbury]

I've actually done this before with a Black & Decker and while it may sound like a scary prospect, it's not. It'll take you 5 or 10 mins.

I had to do this on a set of customers wheels and called the wheel supplier to ask if it was ok to do cos i was very reluctant to take a drill to a brand new set of alloys! They said it was a regular task for them and they have to do it a few times a week and I shouldn't be worried about it. A few other suppliers confirmed the same. Once i'd drilled the first hole I didn't know what all the fuss was about!

The only remotely difficult bit is starting to drill the hole without the drill bit 'catching' and trying to rotate the drill out of your hands! I found the easiest solution was to start the drill bit spinning before actually making contact with the wheel. Once you've started drilling allow the drill bit to guide itself thru the hole rather than exerting any force with the drill.

Oh yeah, drill from the back of the wheel to avoid paint damage to the front!

[Mini-Trainer]

Oh Great, so does that mean my Dare X4's need to be re-drilled to fit the new R56?

Rams

[SiBradbury]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mini-Trainer (original)

Oh Great, so does that mean my Dare X4's need to be re-drilled to fit the new R56?

Rams

Not necessarily, just remove a wheel bolt from your mini and try it in the hole on your Dares. They may be drilled with larger bolt holes than is needed. Obviously you can do this without having to jack the vehicle up!