Question About Wheel Studs

[deathrace2000]

I am going to be putting some 14" RX7 wheels and new tires on my car this week. Do I need to upgrade to wheel studs? Or will my stock wheel bolts(is that what I should be calling them?) be sufficient. I did some test fitting and the wheels seem to go on okay.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer my silly question.

[FestYboy]

you should have a MINIMUM of 5 threads into the hub, if you don't have that, get studs or longer lugs.

[sam.1956]

Make certain your lug bolts have sufficient threads into the hub assembly. You do NOT want just 2 or 3 threads into the hub, as you'd be asking the wheel to come off very quickly! I've heard the target is to have 7 or 8 threads into the hub. Someone check my math on that, please.

The stock Festy lug bolts (M12 x 1.5 pitch) have a 21 mm long shank (threaded portion). When I installed significantly wider aluminum wheels which required spacers, I had to go with 36 mm shank lug bolts to get sufficient thread depth into the hub.

[TominMO]

When I used Festy lug bolts on aftermarket aluminum wheels, they vibrated at hwy speed, like over 50 MPH. Didn't happen with Metro steelies, since they are nice and thin like our 12" wheels. So yeah, either get longer lug bolts, which are available, or studs. Studs are easier to work with than lug bolts, so that alone is a good reason to change to them.

Here is a site that sells the studs: http://www.c2racers.com/servlet/the-...0-Screw/Detail

[deathrace2000]

Thank you for the input. I may just go ahead and convert to studs.

[fastivaca]

BMW wheel bolts have the correct seat taper and are 1/4" longer than stock Festiva bolts. I used them when I had 1/4" spacers on the back.

[Grey Vw]

I read somewhere that safe thread engagement is the thickness of the bolt.

[runner406]

I just put rx7 wheels on my car , and no issues with the bolts being to short at all they work fine i had plenty of thread to bolt these rims right on

[BigElCat]

I just put rx7 wheels on my car , and no issues with the bolts being to short at all they work fine i had plenty of thread to bolt these rims right on

About how many turns did it take to get the wheel bolt tight? I'll go count the number of threads in a stock festiva hub, and edit ths post.

It's 5 threads thru the front hub...8 threads thru the rear drum. If you didn't get 6 full turns, I'd be concerned.

[runner406]

I got 7 full threads of my bolt going in front and 7 and a half in the rear drum bolt goes in far i dont think u need studs i marked it w paint it goes in far and snugs very tight

[Bert]

I put alloy VW wheels on last year and had to go with longer bolts. Plus they had to be 'ball seat' instead of 'cone seat'. But getting a dozen and half at the wrecker was cheap and easy. Maybe you want to do something similar. Better too long than not long enough.

[rbrown]

When I used Festy lug bolts on aftermarket aluminum wheels, they vibrated at hwy speed, like over 50 MPH. Didn't happen with Metro steelies, since they are nice and thin like our 12" wheels. So yeah, either get longer lug bolts, which are available, or studs. Studs are easier to work with than lug bolts, so that alone is a good reason to change to them.

Here is a site that sells the studs: http://www.c2racers.com/servlet/the-...0-Screw/Detail

Bumpin it.

Who else sell these studs?

[Christ]

I put alloy VW wheels on last year and had to go with longer bolts. Plus they had to be 'ball seat' instead of 'cone seat'. But getting a dozen and half at the wrecker was cheap and easy. Maybe you want to do something similar. Better too long than not long enough.

Yeah, until they start hitting things inside the drum assembly or beyond the hub surface.