A customer relayed to me the other day that he has M14 bolts on is car and not M12 parts.

The car I believe is one of the specialty models (insert name here, I'm not a MINI expert) and he tells me that this car is M14 as are all the 2007 model cars.

Anyone have conclusive proof of this? I don't deny his comments but speaking with Wilwood to be prepared for this they do not know about it either. Should create a bit of a mess....wheels....replacement rotors....kits...used parts...yikes.

I'm all ears.

 

The M14 lug bolts are on the GP models.

 

The 06 GP's and all the new 07 MINI's will have the M14 lugs.

 

I thought I read that all MINIs after April 2006 may have M14 lug bolts.

Also, I believe the thread pitch may have changed from 1.50 (i.e., M12x1.50) to 1.25 (i.e., M14x1.25).

So, do not assume any lug bolt size and thread pitch without checking.

 

BMW does use M14 lug bolts on some vehicles already—the X5 is one example. However these are M14x1.5, which is already the normal fine pitch thread for the 14mm size (M14x2.0 is standard).

A switch to M14 lug bolts for the new Mini sounds like a nightmare in the making for parts suppliers. If higher wheel clamping force is needed why not go to a normal 5-lug setup? Perhaps M14 is some kind of cost savings.

Neil

 

I have an '06 MCS that was built at the end of July, how would I tell which bolts it has?

Oh looks like it's the head size in mm's? I will check when I get home and post the results.

 

Pretty much how I see it too. Maybe Alex will chime in on how this may effect wheel choices. Wonder if some of the M12 wheels will accept the M14 studs. Does so on the Lightning.

 

The head size won't tell you anything.


You may need to go to Pep Boys or some other auto parts store. Remove one lug bolt and take it inside to check.

 

We'll be toying around with a GP next week, installing some suspension goodies... Since we have to remove the wheels, we'll check out the thread pitch and see what we can find...

 

A GP owner in our local club has temporarily swapped their GP wheels onto an earlier car, and vice-versa, with no problems. I'll check the bolts on my Sept '06 build date 'S' when it arrives this week and see if it has the 12mm or 14mm bolts.

I have a set of 15" "holies" stock wheels in my garage, and the bolt hole diameter on those wheels is 16mm, so they (and presumably at least some of the other stock wheels) would work with either size studs.

Scott

 

I'm that GP owner.

Scott, it doesn't matter what your new 06 convertible has, it's not a GP. The GP has 14x1.25 bolts. Old wheels and new wheels will work with these bolts.

 

April,
That's exactly what I was thinking, until Paul made his comment about ALL post-April 2006 MINI's possibly having 14mm bolts.
So, you're certain that the 14mm bolts are *only* on the GP, and not on any of the other late-build MINI's?

Scott

 

Hmm, apparently you're right, my bolt head sizes are 17mm. I was just out and about, I wish I would have seen your post sooner!

So there's no way for me to tell at home what size they are?

 

X-lites fit over the JCW brakes?????? Who knew? Not I.

mb

 

14x1.25 is a new thread pitch to me.. Will be hard to locate lugs beyond the dealer..

Most are 14x1.5

 

Alex

 

OMG, you are my hero.

Off to pm Aprilwhine.

 

I just walked out the garage and pulled out a lug bolt. Here's the spec's from our new 2006 Mini Cooper S (July 6th build date):

Head: 17mm
Thread: 12mm x 1.5 Right Hand Thread

BTW, what is the proper torque spec for lug bolts? (I seem to remember 82 lbs)

 

For SB:

 

I've always used 85 lbf-ft for alloy wheels. I don't remember what the owner's manual says, but I remember that it was pretty close to that - 88 lbf-ft perhaps?

Scott

 

Yeah, 88 ft lbs plus or minus 5 or so. Just set the torque wrench to 90 or 95. These lugs are meant to take 2-3x what they are rated for (just don't try it unless you like warping brake rotors).

 

Thank you, AprilWhine.

 

Do you know of any other cars using that thread pitch ?

 

Most M14 bolts are 2.0 pitch. I'd be extremely shocked to see this as 1.25 pitch. That would prove a very fine thread on such a bolt and not one I've seen. I'll have to look at a drill chart but I think "fine" will be 1.50.

In any case the pitch is not really the matter; it's the diameter that may prove to be the biggest hurdle.

 

Well, stand by to be shocked. Lots of experts out there who who have never seen the wheels or bolts that can predict thread pitch by ESP.

GP0019