Hey Astro,

This is kind of OT but.. I just replaced my webspokes with some 18" gunmetal rims with a reflective white (deep) lip. I'm going to take some pics this weekend after I wash it up.

I've followed this thread since the beginning and was considering painting my webspokes out but then I went the Brembo route.. and the webspokes just wouldn't work for me anymore.

Looks Awesome Partsman!

 

btw the wheels looks good..

sorry to be OT: typer139.. yeh pos pics of your wheels that would be awesome.. thnx

 

I assume you're referring to the pictures he posted from my Gallery.

Thanks for the compliment.

Chad

 

What do you mean by the webspokes "not working" for you anymore? Do the Brembo brakes not fit under them, or are you saying that the Webspokes didn't work you cosmetically?

Scott

 

typer139, those are cambowl's wheels. Mine will be Dark silver.

 

Sorry Chad (and Partsman).. I my fingers werw moving faster than my brain when I compliemnted Patrsman instead of you...

Scott: The Webspokes didn't fit over the brembo's.. Cosmetically I think they're the best looking stock 17... but I kind of wanted something a little larger.. and deeper.

Personally I think that Mini should've offered the webspokes factory colormatched as an option. I think it looks fantastic painted out. I'll be washing the money pit tomorrow and I'll take some fresh pics of it. I updated my sig with a photoshopped version of the rims. It gives you an idea of what it looks like.. but with the white trim rings, the lip looks huuuugggee.. Anyway.. I'll post 'em when I get 'em..

 

Well.. here they are... Without bogging down this thread with Off Topic pics, click the link below for my Axis TC Evo folder in my gallery.. I initially didn't run the white (technically "reflective silver", but they look like reflective white to me) rim lip rings but I think I like it with them on.. it pulls in the white roof and stripes..

I'm debating on dropping the stripes..

Axis TC Evo Pics

 

...brake dust on white wheels...

 

My old friends..

 

Anybody have any idea where we might be able to get replacement bolts?

 

There's any number of places online that sell stainless steel bolts, in any length/diameter/head style that you could want.

I would feel safe re-using the ones that are on the wheels, though. Considering that the torque spec is only 24 lbf-ft, I doubt seriously that they're the "use once and discard" type that permanently deform the first time you use them. Those are usually torqued to significantly higher values, and are used for things like cylinder heads, connecting rods, and main bearing caps.

Make sure you use threadlocker when you replace them, and re-check the torque several times over the course of a week or so.

Scott

 

I suppose when your rim falls apart on the highway you will know if they where the one time torque bolts or not.

 

Yeah. I'm going to go with Alex on this one. Perhaps there's some stretch under load or minor shear that would affect torque. Actually, I've seen some ~20 ftlb specs on cylinder heads that require replacement. Though thermal expansion is a lot more of an issue there.

 

Also, is it only the bolts that keep the center piece from rotating in the outer hub, or are there notches/teeth/steps in the interface between the center section and the outer section?

If there's something else to keep the center piece from rotating, then the perimeter fastening bolts won't have much shear stress on them during operation, and all they have to do is hold the center piece snug to the hub - the notches or teeth will absorb the forces during use.

With a cylinder head, it's the stretching of the bolt that actually provides the clamping force to keep the head attached to the engine block, and there's nothing else that provides that clamping force.

I'll make my final decision once I have my webspokes taken apart, but I'm really not seeing why the perimeter bolts would be the "use once and discard" type.

Scott

 

My understanding is that all bolts apply force by stretching at least slightly. Either the substrate crushes, or the bolt stretches, or some combination of the two. Block bolts need to apply a very exact and repeatable amount of force, which I'd imagine changes after tightening/heat and tension cycles. Perhaps that's important in this application, perhaps not.

Regardless, I'm only advocating doing the research (which I don't have time to pursue right now). Seems that Ronal would have said something about new bolts with that torque spec, so I'd imagine the old bolts are serviceable. I will be looking into this more deeply when I do this to my wheels next summer.

Cheers.

 

bumping this thread. I've got a set of BBS LM's and would like to paint/coat the center. the fasteners look to be the opposite of the OEM webspokes....12pt but needing sockets vs. an inserted wrench.

 

got an email back from BBS. 21 ft/lbs is the spec on LM's. They say the bolts are one-time use as well, but say they don't support this wheel in the US and therefore have no spares to offer.