Alloy Wheel Installation

Alloy Wheel Installation Instructions

Step 1: The best place to find the correct procedure for wheel and tyre removal is in the owner’s manual for your vehicle, if not for your help please follow our guidelines. To start (use hand tools exclusively; see Photo A, like a four way wrench or simple socket on a breaker bar). To install your new wheels you will need to raise your vehicle slightly (see Photo B), supporting it with a jack or axle stands (if available). Be sure to rest the stands on a flat surface. In summer be careful of tarmac as the heat makes the tarmac soft and axle stands or a jack may sink.

NOTE: If you only purchased wheels, it is imperative that test fitting is done prior to fitting the tyre

Step 2: When removing lug nuts or bolts, never use air guns of any type unless you are fully trained. It's best to carefully remove lugs with a four-way wrench or a socket on a breaker bar. An air gun may damage the threads if used incorrectly.

ATTENTION: Check the condition of the vehicle's lug studs or wheel bolts as you loosen them. If you feel any resistance or see any roughness after removing the wheels, correct it before reinstalling the wheels. Most automotive stores sell taps and thread repair kits. Wheels must fit flat against the vehicle's hubs. Remove any rust and dirt from the hubs of brake disc and drums using a wire brush. Remove any temporary retaining devices, like stud clips, used to hold brake discs and drums in place before the wheels were installed at the factory (see Photo C). They may interfere with the flush fitment of your wheels against the brake hubs. The exception to this rule: large bolts holding Hyundai discs to their hubs should not be removed. If aftermarket wheels have previously been used on the vehicle, verify that the previous wheel hubs centering rings have been removed from the hubs. If your vehicle is equipped with drum brakes and if the drum’s outer flange or balance weights protrude further out than the center of the drum, verify that the wheel seats on the hub are not against the drum’s outer flange or balance weights. If you have any questions, please contact one of our sales representatives.
Alloy Wheel Fitting Instructions

Step 3: Check the fit of the wheel onto the hub of the vehicle. (Some wheel applications may require the use of a centering ring to create the proper fit onto the hub.) The bolt circle of the wheel must match that of your vehicle and the wheel must make full contact to the mating surface of the hub. The only exception to this rule is if you have a Fiat and needs to use self locating bolts (wobbly bolts) where the bolts have a floating washer which matches to the stud pattern of the vehicle. If the wheel does not match up to the bolt circle of the vehicle, or the wheel does not have full contact to the mounting surface, please contact your sales representative on 01727 790100

NOTE: We suggest removing the wheel and applying a thin coating of “copper slip” around the axle hubs to help prevent rust and permit easier removal when it’s time to rotate your tyres.

Step 4: In order to verify that you have matching nut or bolt thread sizes, first install the nuts or bolts without the wheel.

Step 5: For the next inspections it will be necessary to temporarily install the wheel by slowly tightening down the nuts or bolts in order to verify disc brake caliper clearance. Start threading the lugs with your fingers and tighten them until they are “finger tight.” If you feel resistance while doing this, inspect the stud and nut (or hub and bolt) to see if the threads are clean or obstructed. If the lug nut or bolt appears obstructed or does not match the thread pitch of your hubs, try another one. If another nut or bolt doesn’t thread any better, give us a call. We will then try to verify that you have the correct parts for your application.

NOTE: Do not force your lug nuts or bolts on with a wrench. They should be able to be turned by hand.

If they can't, something is wrong! Please call our sales department at 01727 790100. Only after the nuts and bolts have been installed by hand until “finger tight” should you tighten them down with your four-way wrench or a socket on a breaker bar.

NOTE: Since the thickness of an alloy wheel can differ from Original Equipment wheels, also verify that the lug nuts or bolts will engage the threads. All nuts or bolts should be held on with at least 5 full 360 degree turns of thread for safe application.

Step 6: Put your vehicle’s transmission into neutral and turn each wheel by hand while making certain that the outer edge of the disc brake caliper doesn’t touch the inside of the rim or that the side of the caliper doesn’t come into contact with the backside of the wheel or the wheel balancing weights. Check for any noises while turning the wheel. Mercedes are critical for bolt length and if any clicking noises are heard please contact your sales adviser on 01727 790100

If you have any concerns...CALL US! We will be happy to use our experience to help solve your problem. However, if everything is fitting correctly, it's time to torque them down.

IMPORTANT! Wheel Lug Nut Torquing

Proper installation requires that the wheel nuts or bolts to be set to the recommended specification for your vehicle. These torque specifications can be found in your vehicle’s owners manual or obtained from your vehicle dealer. Finish tightening the lugs down with a torque wrench. Use a crisscross sequence until they have reached their proper torque value. Be careful because if you over torque a wheel, you can strip a lug nut, stretch or break a wheel stud, wheel bolt and cause the wheel, brake disc and/or brake drum to distort.

NOTE: When installing new wheels you should re-torque them after traveling the first 50 to 100 miles. This is necessary because as the wheels are “breaking in” they may compress slightly allowing their lugs to lose some of their torque. Simply repeat the same torque procedure listed above.

If there is anything else we can do for you, please do not hesitate to give us a call. Please keep your receipt for your proof of purchase and please read our terms & conditions of sale on the back of your invoice.

P.S. May we thank you once again for shopping with R-Tec, and look forward to being of service to you in the future.