Next question: wheel bolts/studs

[Peter Cripps]

Hope I'm not trying people's patience with all my questions ....

Looking through the parts book, I see that Fulvias come with studs and nuts. Well, my car has bolts, with 60 deg cone seats. The wheels appear to be the standard S2 pressed steel type.

Looking at the way these bolts mate with the wheels, it seems to me that there's something wrong. The wheels don't appear to have a 60 deg surface; in fact it looks more as if they are designed to take nuts (or bolts) with a straight shoulder. Of course it's also possible that the wheels are old and worn out.

So my questions are:

1. Am I right in saying that there should be studs and nuts, not bolts?
2. And are the nuts shouldered, or are they 60 deg cone seats?
3. And finally, as a sanity check, the threads are 14x1.5mm, in a 4x130 pattern?

Thanks!

Peter

[Huib]

Series 1 Fulvia's came with studs and nuts.
Series 2 and 3 came with bolts.

I would not call the shape conical. It is somewhere between half sphere and cone. It has the shape to help center the wheels on the studs / bolts

[Paul de R. Leclercq]

Yes 14 x 1.5 and 130mm P.C.D.

I have never in 24 years had any problem except with the brass wheel nuts fitted to S1s; where the hexagon has been worn out, probably by gorillas with impact guns.

I replaced these with Porsche 911 aluminium ones. These are "acorn" pattern and thus prevent corrosion etc;, and provide a reduction in unsprung weight!

Paul

[Peter Cripps]

Thanks Huib and Paul.

Here's a picture that shows what I mean about "cone seats". Also it shows what, I think, Huib has described as the correct shape:

http://www.petercripps.com/Lancia/bolt_styles.jpg

I can easily get the ball seat type; they look like this:

http://www.petercripps.com/Lancia/WHEELBOLT1450B_fs.jpg

My only remaining concern is that the holes in my wheels are quite a bit larger than the threaded part of the bolts. Is this correct?

And, Paul, you raised another question I was about to ask: Porsche wheels! Did you have to do anything about offset?

Thanks as always,

Peter

[Huib]

What you describe as ball seat is the correct shape.

I will have to check a wheel and get back later.

[Justin]

Hah ! I know Paul only ever dreamed of fitting Porsche wheels !

He used the Porsche nuts on his S1 Fulvia studs.

I vaguely remember he looked at offset etc, but never got that far.

He'll back this up, I'm sure.

[Paul de Raymond Leclercq]

Hello.

What got me going was that the beautiful and superb forged Fuchs wheels fitted to 911s used to be available at reasonable prices; they were made in various sizes and the 6 x 15 one was not especially sought after by the Porsche boys, but would be ideal in size terms for a Fulvia.

The Porsche uses the same PCD as the Fulvia, 130mm, but of course is five-stud fitting - and as I remarked above, the studs are the same size as those on a S1 Fulvia.
My car has S2 front hubs and S1 ones on the back; it is possible to redrill the S2 hubs (just) to accept five bolts - studs are as I remember, pretty well impossible. I cannot remember the plan for the rear, but I think that it was possible but tricky.

I cannot remember the offset dimensions of the Porsche wheels although I think I did measure them and I imagine (!) that it was probably OK.

Good luck!

Paul

[Peter Cripps]

OK, the picture is becoming a little clearer.

Paul, my car also has an S1 rear axle, which indeed does have studs. What's more, I believe 2 nuts on each wheel are the original type -- they are brass, and in addition to the ball-type seat, they have a rim that snugs up against the wheel around the hole. These look very proper and very secure. The other 2 nuts on each rear wheel are not correct. They have the cone seat, and no rim, so that there really isn't much holding the wheel in place.

At the front, I have bolts. Actually, they are not real bolts, but the cone seat nuts, as described above, with studding attached with locktite to make a 'bolt'. I am not at at all happy with the way these engage with the wheel.

So, what I need, to make this all good, is at least 4 nuts, equivalent to the original S1 brass type, plus 8 bolts, with the proper seat and rim. Does anyone have any idea where I might find these items?

Regarding the Porsche wheels, I was thinking about the 4 lug types fitted to the 914/916 models, and also to some later VW Beetles, I think. But at this point, I'd rather find the correct nuts and bolts to make the steel wheels safe.

Thanks again to all for helping this newcomer!

Peter

[Paul de Raymond Leclercq]

Hello Peter.

I think that you mean brass NUTS rather than "studs" or at least I hope so!

You can replace these with Porsche ones - I have taken the view if they are good enough for a 150-mph, 215HP Carrera RS then they are good enough for my Fulvia.

The bolts sound horrible. Have you S2 front hubs? If so just get some S2 bolts - or buy them from your local wheel place.

In addition to the Beetle (and derivatives) the Skoda Rapide had quite attractive 51/2 x 13" aluminium alloy wheels with 130mm PCD...

Paul

[Peter Cripps]

Thanks Paul. No, they're not brass studs -- the rear axle has steel studs, with 2 brass nuts per wheel, plus 2 non-original chromed nuts per wheel. The front wheels have the horrible 'bolts'. And yes, the fronts are S2, while the rear axle is S1.

I've ordered 16 Porsche-type nuts from a local supplier. Assuming they look suitable when they arrive, I'll use them on the back. I'm also thinking of converting the front to studs, and then using the Porsche nuts.

Regrettably (?) the Skoda Rapide did not find its way to the USA. However, there are plenty of Porsche 914/6 wheels available, if I decide to go that route. But for now I'm happy with the steel wheels, providing I can become confident that they will stay on when I go round corners!

I'll report back when all this is done ...

Peter