[new2alpha]

I am ready to install my newly powder coated campy rims on my 71 to replace the phone dials. (they had been blasted and painted 5 years ago and still look great but the mags look even better) Before I move the tires over I stuck a rim on just to be certain it would work since they came off a 74. I am concerned about the length of the lug bolts and the distance they extend through the rim. I have not replaced the acorn nuts yet and was going to use my standard lug nuts until I have a chance to get some. As you can see in the attached photo the lugs do not extend more than an eigth of an inch past that flat part of the rim lug hole. Using my standard lug bolts I can get no more than 5-6 turns on the lug before it bottoms. This is les than half the depth of the standard lug bolt. Anyone know if this is normal or does my 71 have shorter lug bolts than normal? BTW my 71 has left handed lugs on the drivers side. Is this normal as well?

 

[Vintre]

Last year I put on new rims as well on my '91 Spider.

I had the same concerns about attachment.

I found this chart on Tirerack.com

With your description of 5 to 6 turns, doesnt look like its enough for any of the sizes.

You can see your size in particular but none are rated at less than 6.5 turns.

In my case, I had just enough turns, but it didn't look right to me. Looked like yours, with the stud not coming through. I didn't feel comfortable and ended up replacing the studs with longer ones from ARP. It wasn't hard to do.

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

Vin

 

[Alfajay]

Yes, the "short" studs, and the LH thread on the left side are absolutely correct for a '71 (and all earlier) Alfas. Those short studs were sized for steel wheels. And the LH threads were for ...., well, it's a long story.

You will definitely need to use longer studs - it wouldn't be close to safe to have your wheels secured with just a few threads. Serpent Autosports, a BB member, sells studs - see: http://www.serpentautosport.com/HTML/Hub%20Adapters%20and%20Spacers.html

I know you have already made an investment in the Turbina wheels. And yes, I will definitely agree that pretty much anything looks better than "phonedials". But, if you want my opinion, the original steel wheels + hubcaps look best on a '71. That's the only squaretail that used the vintage hubcaps. Turbinas, on the other hand, are sort of an acquired taste (one that I haven't yet acquired). Why not keep things the way Pininfarina intended?

 

[new2alpha]

I have been torn up about that for a year. I too like the phone dials but the turbinas do look nice. I know they did not offer the turbinas in 71 and that is a concern but they also did not offer a wooden steering wheel and I could not resist trading mine out for the one from the 74. I will never get rid of the phonedials and can always put them back on. The problem is I now have over $450 in these rims. much of itbthrough ignorance. I paid $40 each to have them soda blasted. It was a waste. When I finally had them powder coated they had to sand blast them anyway to get the powder coating to adhere. ( He uses a very low pressure to keep from harming the alum.) I bought a 5th rim for the spare and just purchased new center caps from IAP.

I have never changed a stud. I suppose they just screw out? Double nut would maybe do it I would imagine?

 

[garwood1]

Not sure if this pic helps...just popped out to my '77 and snapped this pic, more or less same view as yours, for comparison. This car came with Turbina's from the start. To the best of my knowledge, the studs press in from behind the axle shaft or hub flange...with ribbed / knurled shoulders, to keep them in place.
FYI !
(hmmm...time to paint the lugnuts again, from the look of things)

 

[Lokki]

I have a 71 Spider that I'm rebuilding (I hesitate to say 'restoring') and I've gone through/am going through the same thing.

Here's some info.
1. The 71 Spiders do have L/R hand threads - they're the last year of Spiders to have them.
2. The studs are shorter.
3. We had considerable discussion about your exact question some months ago:
http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/spider-1966-up/161529-wheel-lug-nuts.html

and came to the conclusion that the original wheel studs are too short to really be comfortable with on alloy wheels.

I went to Serpent Automotive with Charlie DiMarco and bought new studs and lugnuts.

The old wheel studs have to be pressed out, and the new ones pressed in.

As it happens, I'm rebuilding my front suspension right now, and my hubs are in the shop having the studs changed out (as well as having new bushings pressed into the A-arms.

If you feel comfortable with the shorter studs on alloy wheels, Charlie also has some prettier looking LH/RH thread lugnuts that will look nicer than the originals.... a better match to the turbinas ( I have a set of Daytonas that will go on when I'm done with the rebuild).

Until I reached the point of having the studs changed out, I used the nicer LH/RH lugnuts and the chrome "Somberos" along with chrome wheel rings on the steel wheels.

Looks pretty good, IHMO, but when the rebuild is done, the alloy wheels are going on.

 

[Alfajay]

If you feel comfortable with the shorter studs on alloy wheels, Charlie also has some prettier looking LH/RH thread lugnuts that will look nicer than the originals.... a better match to the turbinas.

Lokki:

I disagree with this line of thinking. I don't think the three threads holding new2alpha's Campy wheels onto the short studs will care whether he feels comfortable or not. Nor do I believe that "prettier" lugnuts are going to make things any safer.

With all due respect, I'd advise new2alpha to either install longer studs to accommodate his thicker wheels, or stick with the steel rims that the short studs were designed for.

 

[flivesay]

the studs will bang out and the new ones will bang in (or press or vise). having the rotors off in a convenient access mode will make this a possible mod with enough threads to be safe

 

[Lokki]

Actually I agree and putting the longer studs in is what I'm doing.
New2Alfa - don't use the short studs with the alloy wheels.
Ain't safe.

 

[RC Hiatt]

Actually, steel wheels with sombrero caps also came on a 72 didn't they, (at least that was what was on mine when I first got in in 2000) and I think they look better than the turbina's. Phone dials are not steel, nor are they early in my limited vocabulary, but then I've had a couple, so enunciation is going south.

Anyone (local only) want to trade their steel wheels in great shape for my spare ugly turbina's?

 

[Farace]

In the "FWIW" department, there are alloy wheels that don't require longer studs. The PO put 15" Exips on my '71, and there's plenty of stud poking through. I still have LH threads on the left side, so I'm fairly certain he didn't swap them out.