pitch circle diameter?

[mr_ace5288]

ermmm i aint got the foggiest, im so sorry. if i could bring the car down to you sometime during next week with the alloys i have could you sort that for me? (looks at wallet) how much is that job worth?
you;ve got enough info for the alloys right?

 

[Chris Murray]

1. Have you bought the alloys already?
2. Considering the additional expense, are you considering returning them?
3. You're willing to come to W1 and buy me lunch?

 

[mr_ace5288]

i'l take it as a day out, lol. im not really considering returning them. the reason i bought them is to be different, and i know if someone likes them on my car they wont go through what i gonna be going through to get them on hopefully.
yes ive bought the alloys.
should i really stick with 8's at front? cuz i wanted to swap them for 10's as previosuly stated, defo want 10's on rear though cuz the dish is 2inches deeper than on 8's
lunch is not an issue, a drink even? whats W1?

 

[Chris Murray]

what exactly have you bought?
You can fit 9" front, 11" rear..
W1 is London West End, I'm a couple of minutes from Oxford Street.

 

[mr_ace5288]

yes i want 9"front and 10" rear please mate (alloys! lol). any idea on cost of the work? ive got to go to lancashire yet to swap the 8's to tens then
are you sure it can be done? gosh im mighty excited lol
could you give me a tyre size to put on them before i make my way down
ta

 

[mr_ace5288]

ive just checked the boxes for those alloys and there is a mark sayin

HUB - 73.1
what does that mean?


i have just checked that site, is it a simple case of buying the spacer thing and putting the rims on top with long enough bolts?

 

[Chris Murray]

that means that you should ask ultralite for a centring ring to 66.5mm!
tyre sizes earlier in the thread
I'll send you some tyres if you'd like!

 

[mr_ace5288]

lol is that an easy mod? will getting a centring ring to 66.5mm make the alloys fit straight on the merc?

damn i feel so stupid

 

[Chris Murray]

a centring ring lets the hub spigott take some of the load from the wheel. If they do one, ask for a metal centring ring..
We can sort all of this in a 5 minute phone call... 07790901849

 

[mr_ace5288]

great luck eh, ive lost my phone and waiting on insurance set! lol
any chance of using msn?

 

[andy_k]

are PCD adaptor bolts street legal in the UK or are they an MoT failure if they get spotted ?

Any ideas as to what insurance companies would say? considering most of them will have a fit if you mention spacers.

Cheers

Andy

 

[mr_ace5288]

another nail in the works. lets hope its not true

 

[andy_k]

before you go fitting after market wheels give your insurance company a call - they may well affect your premium - knowing what a bunch of greedy crooks these people are, any chance to charge you a few extra quid and they are on the case

I know some insurance companies won't touch a car with wheel spacers - it's a mod too far.

Just don't run the risk of not declaring stuff to the insurance company though or you could find yourself with no cover just when you really need it.

Andy

 

[Chris Murray]

Andy - what are your concerns about spacers?
Maybe I can dispell a few myths!

 

[Chris Murray]

I'll open the discussion with this:
http://www3.uk.porsche.com/isapi/english/gbr/accessories/911teq/item.asp?id=398&kat=Wheels

 

[andy_k]

I don't have reservations about properly constructed spacers made to those kind of standards, in fact I considered them when I was looking at changing my wheels but I know many insurance companies (mine included) don't accept vehicles with wheel spacers fitted and my local MoT tester said he thought they had been made illegal along with "banded" wheels so I was asking about the legality of such fittings - most spacers are sold "for competition use only" if that's the case, then surely using them on the road is questionable if not illegal?

Worse case scenario, your insurance company doesn't like spacers so you don't tell them and are involved in a big accident where the vehicle is impounded - you are found to have none declared mods to the car so you have no insurance

The same must go for the wheel bolts - stuff like that is pretty tightly covered by all the construction and use regs so there must be some spec/legislation as far as that is concerned.

Cheers for the reply.

Andy

 

[Chris Murray]

many of the concerns are based on the types of spacers fitted to minis. These were hollow aluminium spacers with universal slots that used stud extensions..
The spacers we buy have the TuV certificate to show they have been tested and passed for fitting to the relevant vehicle..
CU regs aren't as detailed and stringent as TuV in Germany. What are your specific concerns - that the bolts shear, or they reduce thread inside the hub or...?
It's also worthwhile to note that Carlsson only manufacture 'blank' wheels. For fitment to each of the models, a fitting kit is supplied that consists of an aluminium spacer and the correct size bolts..

 

[Chris Murray]

if the manufacturers are low volume, it won't be financially viable for them to submit the components for testing, so they'll mark them 'not for road use' etc...
I read your last post in a rush.... are CU regs online?

 

[andy_k]

you've still not actually said whether or not spacers are legal or illegal to use on UK roads.

That would be my concern if I was considering fitting them even if it is a "grey area". As another example should you get stopped at one of these roadside vehicle inspections and be found to have four "illegal" wheel spacers - each classed as an individual offence with three points for each, much the same as worn tyres. Apart from the obvious loss of driving licence would they impound the car? If not how would you gt it home with no spacers and wheels that no longer fit?

I accept that most of the reaction to them applies to the cheap ones you refer to but then they would be just the type of thing to get blanket legislation enforced.

I was only going on what I've been told and asking questions based on that trying to clarify the position for myself and others reading this forum - I know for competition use spacers are generally limited to 25 mm and that most classes of racing have specific rules relating to them and presumed their must be some sort of control for road use.

Do "competition only spacers" qualify for legal road use - if they haven't been tested to Euro safety standards then surely they don't and using them would place your insurance (if your insurance company will accept them as a modification) and licence in jeopardy?

I know you are here as a wheel salesman/specialist so I assumed you would be a good person to ask

Andy

 

[Chris Murray]

All good questions that I should have answers to, but don't. I know where to find these answers, so give me a few hours to look at:
1. Construction and Use regs
2. VOSA MOT regs
3. My MSA Blue book

Might need to speak to a VOSA NT for the MOT issues and a traffic cop for the interpretation and enforcement issues, if any.
It still stands that some spacers are TuV approved, Carlsson and Porsche fit them as options, so we can at least say that they are not illegal..
Anywhere else I should look?