Three Bolts: Mk 4 Roadster Build

[carbon-12]

Since I like the look of 15" wheels with spinners, I ordered the FIA Pin Drive Wheel Set from Factory Five at the same time I ordered my kit. Once the wheels arrived, I had them powder coated black, and fitted with a set of Avon CR6ZZ tires.

Since I have the front and rear suspension together, the next step is to put the wheels and tires on the car, lower it off the jack stands, and set in on the ground to adjust the ride height and do some basic alignment. I hope to get to those jobs this weekend.

But this was my goal last weekend, too, and if you've been following along on this thread, you'll know that I ran into a snag—the studs protruding from my wheel hubs were too long for the pin nuts. The pin nut tightening tool wouldn't have enough grip to torque the nuts to 60 ft-lbs. I needed to shave off about 1/4" from the ends of the studs.

pin-nut-and-tightening-tool.jpg
The pin nut tightening tool and a pin nut. The end of the tightening tool which is facing up fits into the end of the pin nut which is facing up. Fit the other end of the tightening tool into a socket to torque the pin nut to 60 ft-lbs.

My original idea to cut the studs was to use a reciprocating saw, and I even went out to buy such a saw, since I didn't have one in my tool crib. However, I got some expert advice from Jeff Kleiner and MPTech, and they persuaded my to use a Dremel tool for the job instead. Since I have one of those, I fitted it with a metal cutoff wheel, and gave it a go.

cutting-stud.jpg
The sparks flew as I cut the wheel studs with a Dremel tool.

It worked great. Since the threads on the rear studs don't start until a 1/4" from the end, I didn't need to worry about fouling the end of the threads. I just needed to cut off the unthreaded portion. Even so, as a precaution, I threaded on a die before making each cut, but I've now cut the five studs for each of the rear wheels, and I didn't need the die's help to fix up the threads. After making each cut, I dressed the end of each stud with a wire wheel fitted to the Dremel tool, then I blew the whole wheel area with compressed air. All the pin nuts screwed on with the lightest hand pressure.

putting-on-wheel.png
Putting a pin drive wheel on. From left to right: hub, add brake rotor, add pin drive wheel adapter, add pin nuts, put wheel on, thread on spinner. Once the ride height is set, I'll put the car back on jack stands, take the wheels back off, and fit the rear brakes.

Today, as I said earlier, I plan to trim down the studs on the front hubs, put on all four wheels, and set the car on the ground. Once I do that, my kit will be a roller!