pb-1981 10 Posted March 31, 2013 Hi folks, desperate for an answer here, does anyone know if you can run a wheel too close to a brake caliper or as long as there is clearence however minimal will it be ok? I'm fitting some ronals to my vr6 after some thieving gitt trashed my speedlines and the guy I brought the ronals off said they would fit fine, I've just put one on and wheel turns fine but is only missing the caliper on the spokes by maybe 1-2mm max! The wheels are a 7j x 16h2 et 44.5 I know there is a sticky but it didn't really help, any insight would be brilliant please! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
timthetinyhorse 0 Posted March 31, 2013 I would think so long as the wheel has clearence and is true you shouldn't have an issue...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critical_Mass 10 Posted March 31, 2013 As Tim said, should be fine. You could always either shave a little off the calipers or get some 3mm spacers... which you can get hubcentric ones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pb-1981 10 Posted March 31, 2013 Ok so I've gone to try the rear wheels and its popping the centre cap off out the wheel with the hub nut cover, I also had another look around the front one and it seems awfully close to the coilovers at the top of the tire, I had a set of merc alloys on when I brought the car but they were constantly catching the arches even though they have been rolled, I was trying to avoid putting any kind of spacer on through fear of it fouling the arch again, now 600 quid out of pocket and really rather fed up :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pb-1981 10 Posted March 31, 2013 not fancying grinding down the calipers but i guess the spacer might be an option if you can get them just a few mm deep Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
timthetinyhorse 0 Posted March 31, 2013 Did you check he spec of the wheels before buying them? What are the wheels? Sounds to me like they are well out of spec if the nut cover pushes off the cap..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pb-1981 10 Posted March 31, 2013 yeah i told the fella what car i was intending on putting them onto and he said there was a good 5mm clearence so wouldnt be a problem they are ET44.5 and apparently off an audi they are ronals and look like the ones off an A3, he has now washed his hands of them saying its my fault lol, such an arse, he also sold me a set of tuning bolts which were also as much use as a chocolate fireguard! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Critical_Mass 10 Posted March 31, 2013 sounfs loke you need spacers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pb-1981 10 Posted March 31, 2013 going to an alloy specialist tomorrow to see what i can salvage from this, failing that ill have 3 sets of weels to sell not 2! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VW_OwneR_85 2 Posted March 31, 2013 get some 15mm hub centric spacers they normaly come with the longer bolts just select tapper or radius seat bolts, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pb-1981 10 Posted April 1, 2013 Taper being the angled type and radious being the mushroom type shape? Is there only 2 types? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VW_OwneR_85 2 Posted April 1, 2013 Taper being the angled type and radious being the mushroom type shape? Is there only 2 types? correct, yep only two types , the seating depends on what wheels you have , radius are normaly for steel wheels and tapperd normaly for alloy's Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pb-1981 10 Posted April 1, 2013 Now then.... On my speedlines I had to buy a load of bolts which were tapered and when I brought these ronals and the tuning bolts the alloy shop I went to (which is not where I got the wheels from) said the tuning bolts were totally wrong being a taper and I needed a radious type from an Audi, the ones he supplied me with have like a little washer affair on them ---------- Post added at 10:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:57 AM ---------- and having just spoken to the alloy shop he reckons some 3mm spacers on the front to get some clearence from the caliper and knock the grease caps off on the back, problem solved apparently?! bloody hope so lol :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dox 23 Posted April 1, 2013 OE VAG wheels will usually be conical seat bolts (alloys or steels), aftermarket wheels are often taper seat bolts. Remove and not replace the rear bearing dust caps? What keeps the grease in and the dirt out? The wheel shop sounds like a proper maxpower outfit! Post a pic of the wheels you're trying to fit Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pb-1981 10 Posted April 1, 2013 i asked the question about that, he said that the wheel bearings now are sealed and you dont really need the caps anymore? ill try and get a pic on Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dox 23 Posted April 1, 2013 Also if there's minimal clearance now and the discs and pads are worn there may be contact when new discs and pads are fitted ---------- Post added at 10:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 AM ---------- i asked the question about that, he said that the wheel bearings now are sealed and you dont really need the caps anymore? ill try and get a pic on I wouldn't listen to anymore advice from him! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pb-1981 10 Posted April 1, 2013 Going from puller to post on this one, its astounding the difference a small change of offset seems to make, the front pads are new but the discs arnt, surely they wouldn't make a difference to where the caliper sits?? :/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bristolbaron 10 Posted April 1, 2013 You paid £600 for a3 ronals?? Without seeing them id be looking at 3mm spacers on the front and 10mm hubcentric on the rear. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dox 23 Posted April 1, 2013 Going from puller to post on this one, its astounding the difference a small change of offset seems to make, the front pads are new but the discs arnt, surely they wouldn't make a difference to where the caliper sits?? :/ Thats what the slide pins are for on the calipers, they allow for wear in the discs and pads, there's only one piston and that's on the inside so as the disc and pads wear the caliper moves inwards, new discs and pads and the caliper moves outwards towards the wheel. Corrado rear bearings - very much non sealed if you don't refit the cap http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-MK1-MK2-MK3-CORRADO-REAR-WHEEL-BEARING-KIT-191598625-NEW-GENUINE-VW-PART-/130872436870?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e789ae886 Running without the dust cover will dramatically reduce the life of the bearings and lead to wear to the stub axles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pb-1981 10 Posted April 1, 2013 (edited) [ATTACH=CONFIG]73291[/ATTACH] ok, so these are the headaches, and soft as i may be i didnt pay 600 for them, from the top, the wheels fitted when i brought the car rubbed like hell on the arches dispite them being rolled and being as i actually wanted to drive the car i brought a set of speedlines (probably too much on impulse) for 200 quid with tires with decent tread, i now realise i was probably robbed on the price of these, it cost me another 50 quid for wheel bolts and lockers, less than a week later i take the car to the garage with a terrible rumbling noise from the front, turns out i only had 3 bolts left in the front passenger wheel and only in a couple of threads, needless to say i felt a bit of a tool over this although im happy that all bolts were tight because i torqued them up and re-checked about 100 miles after and all was well, with the wheel moving on loose bolts it has worn away the alloy on the bolt holes and ive been told by the garage that its likely the wheel will keep coming loose now due to the damage, so with that in mind i started looking again, i brought these new ones off a guy on ebay, they have just been fully refurbed and sprayed and to be fair are like new, i got a set of part worns put on and the lot cost me 350 quid thats where im up to the 600, fella also sold me a set of tuning bolts that seemingly were totally wrong for the wheel, then again he said the wheels would fly on the car no worries too :/ the alloy shop supplied me with a set of audi bolts and a set of lockers free of charge because he felt id had enough crap luck/judgement i guess Edited April 1, 2013 by pb-1981 typos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dox 23 Posted April 1, 2013 Were you using taper seat bolts with OE speedlines? They should be cone seat bolts and I'd suspect the audi wheels are the same fitment too. ---------- Post added at 1:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 1:06 PM ---------- What did you torque to bolts up to? You should be able to source a speedy to complete your set easily enough. It may also be worth stating what tyre sizes are fitted to the wheels Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pb-1981 10 Posted April 1, 2013 [ATTACH=CONFIG]73302[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]73303[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]73304[/ATTACH] so on reflection the audi bolts look very much like the ones i was supplied with to fit on the speedlines, in my defence when i picked the audi ones up id just come off a 19hr shift the day before and maybe wasnt in the best mind for this, just to clarify the shiny bolt was fitted in the speedlines and the the manky one is the audi bolts, not so clear but the last pic is of the bolt hole on the new wheels, tires fitted are 195/50/16's and i was torquing the bolts to 80 ft/lb which i read somewhere was the specified amount? really appreciate the input here guys Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites