lug bolt seating

[funkamedic]

i've got a, potentially dumb, Q for ya's.

is it ok to have anything between the lug bolt head (ie. 1.5mm of softish plastic) and the outer face of the wheel itself?

i'm trying to work out how to best affix some "custom" centre caps to steelies on the mk1...

i'm sure seating of lug bolts is important... so i'm not sure it this would be wise, but wanted to ask before i move to plan E.

ant

[Peter Jones]

Nope, not OK at all. Don't do it.

The plastic would be compressed with side load and may result in the wheel nuts un-doing. I think you'd be struggling to get the correct torque on the nuts too. Wheel nuts are designed for the metal faces of the wheel and bolt shoulder to meet.

Tell us what you're trying to do, we might have a few suggestions.

There are small VW centre caps that clip in under the edge of the bolts, you might be able to modify these to hold your new cap.

Pete

[funkamedic]

Thanks Pete. I suspected this might have been the case.

I'll try and explain without confusing you... Originally I was going to source some Passat winter wheel/Corrado steelie centre caps from OS.

Like these:



But as they are to be fitted to Toyota steelies with modified center bore, I wasn’t sure they were going to fit and/or attach. So instead of parting with $ for something that might not work, I thought I would try and make 'replicas' (term used loosely!)…

I have already got some small centre caps (you'd know the ones - similar to the centre section of the above pictured centre caps), and am having made some plastic (HDPE) discs with holes for the hub and bolts. the idea is to attach the small caps to the discs that are being made and then devise a way of having these attach to the wheels - which is where i'm stuck.

The idea I had was to put on the caps before the bolts so the edge of bolt heads hold the thing on, although I've scrapped this idea as a result of your feedback.

Which are type of centre caps clip under the edge of the bolts Pete? (perhaps it's the above?).

ant

[Peter Jones]

You should be right with those small golf caps.

What I thought you were intending was some kind of washer like arrangement.

The small caps just sit under the edge of the bolts and aren't trapped between the bolt and the wheel.

Pete

[funkamedic]

Cool. Thanks for your help Pete!