[Buckles]

I just had the alloy wheels blasted and refinished with 2 pack. They look magnificant.

I was almost going to have them powder coated, but you cannot get a true silver, there are only variations of gray.

Naturally I was trying to be careful installing the wheels with their new tyres. However I had great difficulty lining up the holes. I am sure you know what I mean. I was trying hard not to damage the fresh finish on the wheels which would not have fully hardened yet.

There must be some advantages in having wheels attached by bolts instead of nuts and studs, but it does make life more complicated to line up the holes.

Pretty basic question, but is there a simple method of lining up the wheel?? The dowel doesn't seem to serve any purpose.

I would hate to be doing it (changing the wheel that is) on a cold wet night in the middle of no where.

Of course, while this was being done I did a complete brake fluid change using the BillJ method

Another question; Did I do my maths right? 120 NM is 90ftlbs? Correct torque for the alloy wheels??

cheers

 

[haydon]

I always do mine to 115Nm (85lbft) I'm not sure where I got this figure from originally, but it is also the one that BillJ recommends on www.saab9000.com

 

[1989agoodvintage]

Not taken the wheels of my current car. However, the Carly had 16" cross-spokes and these had a recess on the back of the rim which lined up with the dowel perfectly, the trick was to make sure the dowel was at the top of the hub when the wheel was removed.

I take it your wheels are Saab alloys and not after market jobbies?

 

[billj]

Originally posted by DrD:
[qb]I always do mine to 115Nm (85lbft) I'm not sure where I got this figure from originally, but it is also the one that BillJ recommends on www.saab9000.com[/qb][/b]

Picking up my MY95 handbook (closest one to hand), it says in the Car care and maintenance" section about changing wheels: "Tighten the studs to a torque equivalent to 105-125 Nm (80-90 lbft)."

I think I originally got the figure from the Haynes manual, though, which says 115 Nm or 85 lbft.

 

[Buckles]

Thanks for the replies.

My hand book advises 120nm and I was just checking that this equates to 90 ft lbs. From memory my calculator showed 88.7 ft lbs using the formula from the Haynes manual.

The alloys are Saab and the dowel just goes into the large square hole between the bolt holes. It doesn't seem to help to line anything up at all. I did put the dowel at the top, but as I said it didnt seem to help much. In future I think I will jack the car up so the wheel is just off the ground.

 

[sgould]

I'm thinking of making myself a stud to put in the bag with the wheel nut key. Many years ago my wife had a Mercedes and the tool kit included a plain stud with a screw slot in the end. It was screwed into the topmost hole in the hub and used as a temporary hanger for the wheel while the other four bolts were put in.