simon's learning what to do with the polo thread

[simon k]

making more of the same thickness does make them cheaper, multiple thicknesses doesn't - so we need to make a call on which one - 12.7mm means maybe too thick initially, but has more material to machine off to make toe & camber corrections. 9.53mm is probably too thin to machine much off, especially when we're looking for toe-out which means thinner at the trailing edge where the caliper mounts...

I'm rubbish at making decisions

edit: oh yeah, seen these? https://www.darksidedevelopments.co....platforms.html

[sambb]

wow you don't often see our car actually listed in the drop downs. 60 pounds is a bit steep. To make a decision on which width I reckon measure your front and rear tracks. I'd do it on mine but with modded subframes and balljoints/wishbones I think my front track is pretty far from a stock reference. Just look to see how much narrower the rear track is relative to the front. I think Re003's have a tyre centre line mark stencilled on them that you can use as a reference.
Do you have et43's or 38's. Et43 with a 12.7 spacer takes you to ET30.3 and 9.53 takes you to ET33.5, both of which are good with 205's.
Et38 rims with 12.7 spacers gives you ET25.3 (probably a limit on 205's without scrub issues) eg my et40's at the back run 20mm spacers = ET20 which is 5mm too far with 205's but is just right with 195's. A 9.53 spacer gives ET28.5, again all will be ok with 205's.
But having said that you don't want to space the rear and take its track out wider than the front unless you are prepared to run front spacers, so take the above numbers into account against the track widths you measure.
Let me know if you want me to measure my stock et43 track widths.

[sambb]

looked at the pictures of their race car that's linked on that darkside product page. Good to see the front ride height isn't slammed at all. Their kit doesn't use plated bolts. I can easily get 12.9 cap head high tensiles like that for us.

[simon k]

looked at the pictures of their race car that's linked on that darkside product page. Good to see the front ride height isn't slammed at all. Their kit doesn't use plated bolts. I can easily get 12.9 cap head high tensiles like that for us.

I like their caster adjustment in the strut tops...

I'm using the stock wheels still, so ET43 - I'll measure it a bit and see what I come up with... maybe take the spring out and have a look too.

hey, you know how we were talking about converting to wheel studs one day, I think the sensor for the rear wheel picks up toip of the wheel bolts - does that sound right to you?

[Stuwey]

hey, you know how we were talking about converting to wheel studs one day

I've still got a wheel stud conversion kit at home.... I think. You'd just need some ball-seat nuts for the OE wheels.

[sambb]

Simon I just had a look at my spare beam and we're in luck re the ABS sensor. Its bolted to the stub axle base flange, so will move out ward with the stub axle as its spaced. On the back side of the wheel hub that slides over the stub axle spindle you can see that there is a pressed on ring. The ABS sensor looks at that ring that must have a conductive lug pressed into what looks like resin that the sensor picks up on. So no, the sensor doesn't look at wheel bolts. They are a far distance out from the sensor.

The only trouble I can see re the sensor is that it has an angled plug on it. There's a void in the beams stub axle mounting face where the sensor fits into from the inside. If you space the stub axle out, that plug section of the sensor looks like it'll butt up against the beams flange where one of the bolts run. I'd say it'll be very tight when you go to actually push the plug on. Doesn't look like it'll be drastic, probably just a tickle with a grinder will sort that but something to be mindful of.

[simon k]

ahh, I see, good one - I thought it was a bit weird that it'd be looking at the bolts, but couldn't think of what else it would be looking at. I hadn't separated the rotor from the hub when I took it off, so couldn't see behind it when installed.

There should be enough clearance for the sensor in the plate - I'm going to take it apart to check dimensions again before I release the final drawing to the cutter, so I'll make sure I check that.

When I had it apart I also noted that instead of using studs that screw in from the wheel side, we could screw bolts in from from behind. Screwing studs in from the wheel side scares me a bit. I realise that once they're loctited and torqued up, they should never come undone, but without 1st hand experience I doubt what I don't know.

Though if Gary pipes up and says "we've been doing that for 30 years and never had an issue" then maybe I'll be OK with it.

I swapped corners with the wheels on the weekend so had 20 of those f*cking bolts to put in

[sambb]

yeah I've seen both styles - press in from the back and thread in from the front. My mate with his Clio did it recently with a full Clio Cup car kit so i'll check what his were.

[simon k]

yeah I've seen both styles - press in from the back and thread in from the front. My mate with his Clio did it recently with a full Clio Cup car kit so i'll check what his were.

ours won't press in from the back, that's a different type of flange... I'd be 90% sure his are screwed in from the front

[Sydneykid]

Though if Gary pipes up and says "we've been doing that for 30 years and never had an issue" then maybe I'll be OK with it.

On the Renault we used screw in studs, same as on the Clio Cup cars, just loctite the threads, I think they were H&R. We used to break the OE bolts (rattle guns at pits stops), but the studs were great. Is the Polo M12 or M14?

Cheers
Gary

[simon k]

Is the Polo M12 or M14?

M14 - they're fatties...

[Sydneykid]

M14 - they're fatties...

H&R Quick-Safe Bolt to Stud Conversion M 14 X 1.5 X 40mm - Set of 20 – V-tech Australia | Engineered Performance

Cheers
Gary

[sambb]

well worth it for a set of 20. Because my race rims are conical rather than ball seat I have to carry about 3 different sets of wheel bolts. Add that in with spacers and hub centric rings, I basically have a suit case for it all. Having studs to just throw the rim on and just having to carry different nuts would be a hell of a lot easier. I'll see how much money is left over after I get some tyres and will probably do it.

[simon k]

H&R Quick-Safe Bolt to Stud Conversion M 14 X 1.5 X 40mm - Set of 20 – V-tech Australia | Engineered Performance

Cheers
Gary

pricey... but get what you pay for

ECS - 001467ecs08kt - Wheel Stud Conversion Kit - full set

no?

[sambb]

ECS - 001467ecs08kt - Wheel Stud Conversion Kit - full set

I suppose with the H&R kit you still need the nuts. Also I like those smooth tip bolts too that cone down to the threads. If you're interested Simon, get a quote for shipping for 1 vs 2 and I might go in on it.