I have 18x7.5 Exel TZ-10's with 215/25/18's (ET42) on the car. I am about to put the Stoptech BBK on (don't know if I will need spacers) and want to convert to studs for fear of not having enough thread coverage into the rotor after the BBK. What do you "experts" recommend I go with?

 

my track setup is 38mm front, and i use small tuner lugs on mine on the pilo kit... and it hasnt killed me...... yet....

i'd say go with a longer stud when in doubt

and 215/25? i didnt know those exists!

 

I got called into work early to sit here and surf the Mini ****. Give me a brerak. I'm tiiiiired. The problem I'm having is that I need REALLY SKINNY stud nuts to fit into the TZ10's. Plus, I'm at a crossroad...On one hand I don't want the wheel to fall off...on another, I don't want studs sticking out passed the wheel either.

 

Check out the studs at Turner Motor Sports. They have two lengths, I'd say the shorter ones - still longer than stock - would do for you.
cheers,

 

You can pull up the fit template off their page before you buy any studs and see what you're working with. I think with theirs you can in fact cut it out in full scale and fit it rather than just measure. Seems the logical place to start.

 

I was hoping there was an easier way to do this. Someone has to of done it with these wheels!:impatient

 

You're local. If you don't want to mess with the template work stop by and I'll print it out and do it for you for free. It's not that big a deal. Maybe I can arm twist you for some sort of matching rear kit later! In any case i'll help you with it if you want.

 

^^^ And that, folks, is what makes vendors like Todd so valuable to the MINI community! Good man, Todd!

 

Thanks Todd...I didn't know you were local. It helps to look at location, right?:impatient My rear brakes haven't drop-shipped from ST yet so I am not in that big of a rush. Maybe next weekend. There are 3 things that I am concerned about....1-Are the studs going to be long enough....2-Will my Exel's clear or will I need spacers for the BBK...3-I need to find really small wheel nuts because the lig openings are tiny.

 

Hey Todd...Do you ever come out to Pavillion's off Indian Bend and the 101 on Saturday nights?

 

Wife has dinner plans alreday.
I might do a trip up there one weekend however. Probably mid Oct.

Shop's in Tempe. Broadway and Priest area. Like I said; happy to print it out and check the fit for you. Spacers...studs....really it's all meaningless until you see what you're dealing with now. From experience however you'll need a stud kit if any wheel spacer is used. If you're on hold for the kit, NOW is the time to check this out. Not after you get them. If needed you'll have time to source them.

You don't want to be one of those Saturday afternoon-car apart in the drive-gotta get to work Monday-must find parts on Sunday-borrow wifes car on Monday-pay overnight shipping-work all night Tuesday-to get it done guys. Do you? LOL

 

That's how I like to roll.... Well, it always seems like that. I'll hit you up this week if your not busy. Thanks again.

 

Justin-
Steve and I got some great studs from some BMW tuner in South Carolina I think. I can't for the life of me remember the name right now. I'll check with Steve. He'll know.

 

I have StopTechs of my M3 track car and have run studs for years. Some thoughts in random order:

- Although ST's wheel templates are very good I can pretty much guarantee you won't know the exact clearances until you mount the real parts. Note too that the clearances will vary with different wheel designs, so be sure to try all those you'll need to use.
- That said you can simply dry-fit the the ST's and still have an easy option of not finishing the installation if you don't have the studs and spacers you need on hand.
- If this is primarily for track use then a bullet-nose stud is best, since these are quicker and easier to get the nuts on and have less tendency to cross-thread. However the extra length of bullet-nose studs causes them stick out more and usually makes it impossible to use closed-end nuts for a better appearance.
- TC Kline Racing in Ohio sells a variety of bullet-nose studs (more than shown here): http://www.tcklineracing.com/wheelstud.htm
Once you know the length you need, give them a call, they'll help you select.
- If you want to go with full-thread studs, here's a good source:
http://vorshlag.com/catalog?model=e36#studs
(Note that the Mini uses the same M12x1.5 stud thread as BMW's, except of course 4 per wheel required rather than 5.)
- Clearance of wheel stud nuts into the wheel is an issue for the socket wrench, not the nut itself. Stock lug bolts take a 17mm socket, while most aftermarket stud nuts require a 19mm, which can be a problem with some wheels. However Vorshlag (see previous link) sells 17mm nuts. I use these for wheel hole clearance reasons and they're just fine. Both seat and thread engagement are equivalant to the 19mm pattern.
- Don't be tempted to use the 17mm closed-end aluminum nuts that some vendors offer. Nice for show but too fragile for repeated wheel changes.

HTH,

Neil
05 MCS
96 M3

 

TC Kline!!! That's the guys!

They were great in helping get the correct stud kit for both my car and ///ACS330ci's car.

Here's a poor picture of my setup:


They are the TCKProStud42 kits. $10 each but way higher quality than any cheap alloy stud. They didn't recommend the "coated" ones as they aren't "worth" the extra bucks. I have had no problems with mine in regards to rust or fitment. Let me know what you decide. I know you can handle putting them on but I would be happy to help out. Plus we could actually get together!

 

AZMCS - are you running spacers? If so, what size, and what size are the studs? Thanks!

mb

 

Vorshlag's stud kits are VERY popular around here at the autocross and track, since they're local... They're very well made and they refuse to use cheap hardware - highly recommended. Had I not invested in a kit from Promini a long time ago, I'd be running the Vorshlag kit!

 

No spacers. The discontinued OZ Superleggara was one of the few wheels that can fit any BBK, including StopTech, without spacing them. I think the Ultaleggaras have a very similar spoke profile and probably would work without spacers too.

The studs I have are 42mm ones. If you wanted/needed to space your wheels out there is room for up to 10-12mm of spacers. TCKline also sells H&R spacers. Probably the best ones out there as they are hubcentric.

Hope that helps.

 

It does, thanks!

mb