4 replies to this topic

[Tom7]

Hi everyone this is my first technical post on this forum!

I've been looking to change the wheels on my mini, its a 1983 Mini Mayfair on 10" wheels.

I got a set of mag wheels with the car not fitted, I have also bought on e-bay a set of Cooper S reverse rims and then a set of Dunlop D1s. They've all got badly stretched bolt holes! I sent the Cooper S wheels back and have just e-mailed the seller of the Dunlop wheels. Is this a common problem I need to look out for with mini wheels? I've had old cars for a long time and have never come across so wheels with this damage before, am I just unlucky or should I be asking sellers about bolt holes? Has anyone had alloys repaired after they've been damaged in this way?

[tiger99]

It is a common problem with alloys, due to using wrong wheel nuts, or too tight, or too loose. It is not necessarily uncommon on steel wheels, for the same reasons, but they do not damage quite so easily.

I don't think it can be repaired safely. Possibly TIG welding would work, but it would have to be by someone who really knew what they were doing, and there may have to be heat treatment and crack testing afterwards.

Sometimes, unlikely on a Mini, alloy and even steel wheels are ruined by people putting a wheel with a 4 inch PCD on a 100mm PCD hub, or vice wersa. The wheels will go on, just, and the idiot does not realise that the nuts are not seating correctly....

[Cooperman]

You could possibly get the holes bored out and a special sleeve made up with a collar on. However, it would ned to be done on a jig-borer to ensure that the PCD is correct.
Alternatively you might get some special wheel nuts with a built-in sleeve, like an original Minilite wheel nut, but again th4e holes will need jig-boring out the the new sleeve dia.
Add the cost of machining up the special sleeves to nthe jig boring costs and you might be better putting the wheels back for sale and getting a set with undamaged holes. Don't take any chances with wheels.

[Tom7]

I've sent them back now. It just seems strange to have so many problems all with Mini wheels!

[bmcecosse]

There's no such thing as 'Cooper S reverse rims' - the reverse rim wheels were not fitted to the Cooper S . Wise to send them back - the only way they could be damaged would be running with loose wheel nuts. Effectively the wheels would then be scrap.