I have been going through old threads looking ideas for replacement wheel nuts for the SD1 Vitesse alloys that I fitted four years ago. I did a write up for P6ROC Magazine back then, an edited version of it follows. Can anyone suggest a source of chromed wheel nuts that will fit my set-up of Vitesse alloys and M12 studs?
New SD1 Vitesse Wheels for GWEN
I had a set of SD1 Vitesse wheels fully refurbished from an abandoned project. The tyres on GWEN were over 10 years old and showing their age. I decided it was time to put the Vitesse wheels on. A few months back I spotted a set of 4 Kingpin tyres that fit the Vitesse wheels and were the correct size for GWEN. I got them for £80. When I picked them up, two were heavier. As they are remoulds it is likely that the heavier ones had van tyre carcasses. These will go on the back axle as the higher unsprung weight will have less impact than on the front. I will upgrade the tyres when I have finished the restoration work.
I also looked at the various combinations of wheels studs and nuts that work with the Vitesse wheels and P6 hubs. There was also the issue of centring the wheels on the hubs as I did not want to rely on the sleeves of the wheel nuts. I decided to go with original SD1 Vitesse wheel nuts and new metric studs. This avoids the issue of finding new 7/16” UNF nuts with the correct shank size.
For the front, I used the hub nut covers with the top hat flange cut off to centre the front wheels. This is not an interference fit so I am not convinced that the front wheels are correctly centred as I get some vibration at speeds over 70mph. I will get the wheels re-balanced first to see if that is the cause. If not, I will have to look at a custom turned hub nut cover.
For the rear, I had stepped spigots made that were an interference fit into the wheel centre and a push fit into the rear wheel hub recess. I had to trim back the locking washer slightly to get the necessary clearance using a Dremel.
The existing studs came out surprisingly easy from all hubs. I sacrificed a wheel nut, spun partially onto the end of the studs and a single sharp tap with a calibrated lump hammer freed them off. The new studs M12 x 1.5mm x 47mm long were pulled into place using an oversize nut as a spacer, a heavy washer as a bearing face, an old wheel nut with the matching M12 x 1.5mm pitch thread and a liberal application of grease. A ½” drive ratchet pulled the studs into place very easily. As I was not sure what length of stud was required I purchased 47mm long studs. They were 5mm too long for the Vitesse wheel and nut combination when fitted. The studs were cut back insitu and the ends chamfered with a hand file.
I got a set of original SD1 Vitesse wheel nuts that were in reasonable condition, but the chrome finish was deteriorating. As a temporary measure, I wire brushed them, applied rust treatment and painted them satin black. I would like to fit new stainless steel wheel nuts, but at £12 each they are outside my budget.
As the spigot centres the rear wheels, I may be able to use some of the flat washered alternatives that have an undersized shank. The clamping action of the wheel nuts should stop any minor rotation of wheeI to hub under braking or acceleration. I will need to make sure the front wheels centre correctly on the hubs before I do this. Has anyone any experience in using undersize shank nuts on the Vitesse alloys?