We bought a set of wheels from a Miata and it turns out that the bolt holes are smaller on a Miata. I was thinking about converting to wheel studs. If I do can I still use the stock wheels with the larger bolt holes? What's a good vendor to order inexpensive wheel studs/nuts?

Also the extra wheels are track only wheels and do not have TPMS. Can you run wheels on a R56 Cooper S without TPMS without going into limp mode or anything?

 

You can still use the stock wheels whether you have 14 mm lug bolts or 12 mm studs.

The holes in the factory wheels haven't changed since the MINI came out almost ten years ago. It's the tapered shoulder of the lug bolt or lug nut that actually contacts the wheel, not the threaded part of the stud/bolt.

If you don't have TPMS sensors, you just get a warning light on the dash - no ill effects or anything like that.

Also, Way Motorworks has the 14mm to 12 mm conversion studs:

http://www.waymotorworks.com/m14-to-...rsion-kit.html

 

Thanks, you're the man. I think we're going to end up drilling the wheels for time sake. We have a track event this weekend and the tires on the current set are dead. A local machine shop that lots of locals use can drill the wheels to 14mm for 20 bucks so we can just use the stock bolts.

 

One more question, should I have the wheels drilled to 14 or 16mm if I plan to use the stock wheel bolts?

 

16 mm would be fine - that's what the OEM wheels use. Although if you want to use stock lug bolts, make sure that the tapered shoulder of the bolt mates up well with the recess in the drilled wheels.

 

I'll ask the machinist and pull off one of the stock bolts so he can see if it's possible to mate it to the recess. If he can only drill a straight hole should I stick with 14mm?

 

Maybe a little bigger than 14 mm - just so that the bolts aren't a tight fit.

 

Thanks, will report back.