Lefty loosey, righty tighty

[Strayconch]

My son and I recently picked up an 02 boxster s. He was involved in a hit-and-run and we are still having trouble getting the wheel to mount correctly. Hub centric or lug centric, the wheel after 10 mounts will not true up. The wheel itself is true I'm just having trouble centering it. Any help with this would be appreciated.

[JayG]

Originally Posted by Strayconch

My son and I recently picked up an 02 boxster s. He was involved in a hit-and-run and we are still having trouble getting the wheel to mount correctly. Hub centric or lug centric, the wheel after 10 mounts will not true up. The wheel itself is true I'm just having trouble centering it. Any help with this would be appreciated.

that makes no sense. If they are wheels for a Porsche with the correct lug hole spacing, it should line up perfectly. The wheel should sit on the hub protrusion

[Racer Boy]

Was the wheel hit in the crash? If so, it’s possible that the wheel is bent.

The wheels are hub-centric, so if the wheel won’t mount correctly, you likely have some issues that really need to be resolved.

[Strayconch]

Head scratcher. I have seen it on a balancer and runs true. It is not a hub centric wheel. The lugs have a bevel that should true it up with staggered tightening. I’m thinking of getting a set of centering studs to aid in the process.

[husker boxster]

If you don't have this:

Wheel Mounting Guide Bolt from Suncoast Porsche or your favorite Porsche dealer. (I'd incl a link but it's a competitor to the site sponsor and they block it.) Search on part name on the dealer's website.

Buy 1 or 2, as they will make your life a whole lot easier. Cheapest part you'll ever buy from Porsche ($9.95) and maybe the most useful.

[Starter986]

So... uh... have you considered throwing on the car another set of wheels. That might narrow down the challenge. Maybe that "balancer" isn't true... could be something wrong with the machine. Good luck.

[Quadcammer]

I don't get this whole thread.

So the wheel won't sit on the hub properly?

What is the actual problem you are having.

[Strayconch]

You are correct. The center of the wheel does not touch the hub. As I tighten the lugs there is a little play around each lug creating a new variable each time I mount. I'm trying to find out what manufacturer the wheels are.

[Burg Boxster]

Originally Posted by Strayconch

You are correct. The center of the wheel does not touch the hub. As I tighten the lugs there is a little play around each lug creating a new variable each time I mount. I'm trying to find out what manufacturer the wheels are.

All wheels or just one in particular?

If just one, flip it to other side and see if issue follows wheel or stays w/ hub / wheel bolts (keep them true to side but if issue stays at orig location then flip them to see if issue is wheel bolts or hub/hat of rotor, etc.).

Also, pull the center cap and take a picture to post please.

And, take a picture of lug bolt head and wheel lug mounting surface. OEM wheels/bolts are spherical shaped. Many aftermarket wheel use conical, flat or mag... they do not mix. And finally measure your wheel bolt length... maybe there were spacers previously?

Wheels look like knock off of HRE wheels from same era.

[Racer Boy]

So after a hit-and-run, you now have the problem? It doesn't appear that the wheel or surrounding bodywork is damaged, so I don't understand what the hit-and-run has to do with your issue. Why did you have to remove the wheel after the hit-and-run?

I'm just trying to understand what is going on. Is the problem merely that you have aftermarket wheels that aren't hub-centric and probably don't fit properly, or is the problem that the car got some damage in the hit-and-run crash?

[Strayconch]

The highly unlikely case of two tires kissing and nothing else as he was sitting at an intersection she turned into him. My driver side rear. Her driver side front. Rubber to rubber. We lost. It pushed the wheel out 15 deg and he had to crab home. All parts replaced and realigned. I just can't get it to mount centered. I think the mounting studs will help. I like the wheels, just tricky to mount. Thanks for your help.

[Strayconch]

I'm out of town. Best picture I have for now.

[Strayconch]

[Strayconch]

[GLImages]

How big is the centerbore? (The hole in the center of the rim? Measure it on the back of the wheel, shld be about 71.6mm). If its larger than the hub, it would be impossible to center it correctly without hubrings.

Maybe the ring(s) got lost at the shop? Idk. You can check the other hubs or wheels to see if they have hub rings. Maybe one is missing on the problem wheel only.

[GLImages]

Look for something like this stuck to the hub or other wheels. Sometimes they are plastic, but usually metal. They could be stuck to the rim.

Note I just stole this pic from ebay, its not a porsche (obviously).

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[maytag]

Others have shown you hub-centric rings. These are essential. But yet more crucial are the correct bolt. 986 factory wheels use a ball-seat type bolt. Many aftermarket wheels use a conical seat. Others have a centering shoulder that goes into the lug bore. Still others have a flat washer captive on the bolt. They are NOT interchangeable.

Me personally, I would be VERY careful about no hub-centric mounting. I've had my own wheels pass me on the freeway before when lug bolts broke. (Not the 986!)

I'm still scratching my head about what actually broke, or bent, in the accident you described. What did you repair?

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[mikefocke]

So you take the center cap off the wheel so you can see the hub and how the wheel fits there. You hoist the wheel and center one lug hole over the hole in the hub and you choose one of the topmost ones. You insert the first lug bolt and turn it a few times. You now center the other holes and insert their lug bolts and tighten a few turns by hand. You note the way the inside of the lug nuts will contact the wheel and act to center the bolt in the lug nut holes in the wheels as the bolts are tightened. Now you tighten the bolts a bit at a time in a pattern that skips around, not doing two consecutively but every third one (from memory). You tighten then by doing this a few turns at a time going around the rim. I actually hold the tire and rim in place with my thighs while I am tightening the bolts so I am bearing the weight and so they go in the center of the bolt holes in the wheel and I'm not depending on the bolt head to center the bolt in the hole. You tighten until the wheel doesn't wiggle and the bolts are centered and bearing the weight of the wheel and tire, then get out the torque wrench.

At what point in this sequence are you seeing a problem? I think people are having trouble seeing what you are seeing.

[Strayconch]

I use the same technique while cradling the tire between my feet. I think you hit the nail on the head as I was ordering an Alignment pin last night at 3:00 a.m. I noticed the ball style lug nuts. I have the beveled lug nuts. The cross member and upper control arm were bent and replaced along with a new 4 wheel alignment. I will be ordering a new set. I have spacers. What size bolts do you recommend

[maytag]

Dood.... help us help you, hahaha.
Give us ALL of the information, Haha.
What size spacers do you have?

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