Alloy wheel bolts, suitable for steel wheels?

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Alloy wheel bolts, suitable for steel wheels?

Post by Citroenmad »

Just a query, would alloy wheel bolts be suitable for use on steel wheels?

My C5, as with most Citroens with alloys, have odd looking wheel bolts, with a washer and a extended length before the thread.

Im guessing as the C5 is supplied with a spare steel wheel, that these are fine for use. But after trying them in a steel wheel on my C5 they dont seem to sit too well in the bolt recess of the steel wheel. They do hold it secure though.

Im just thinking about a winter set of wheels with winter tyres for my C5, rather than swapping over tyres from wheels. As ive got a set of new 16" C5 steels spare already to fit winter tyres to. Just thinking if I might need different wheel bolts too?
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Post by Clogzz »

No they’re not, they will hold but aren't meant to.
My car has alloys with bolts as you describe, but the steel spare has four bolts with 17 mm heads packed with it.
There is an adapter with the spare to reduce from the 19 mm alloy bolt heads to the 17 mm steel heads.

Those alloys are bulle s**t (French) anyway.
They’re heavier than the steels and turn black in less than a month’s time.
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Post by Citroenmad »

Thank you for that, you have confirmed my thoughts. I better get hold of some steel wheel bolts then. No doubt pricey from the dealers.

Now you mention it, I didnt think of the weight before i was refitting the alloy back on, but it was much heavier to lift than the steel, despite them having the same tyres. I should have weighed them but its just too freezing cold to be out longer than need be.

Though it seems people are having problems getting hold of winter tyres at the moment.

My steels are brand new and have new and unused Michelin Primacy HPs on at the moment, got another two on the way so ill have a set of steels and Michelins - though im pinching the michelins for the C5s alloys. Leaving me with tyre-less steels, so might as well put them to some use.
Last edited by Citroenmad on 07 Dec 2010, 12:43, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Clogzz »

I would prefer to have steels only because my time-making machine doesn’t provide for alloy cleaning. :evil:
The purpose of introducing alloys was to reduce un-sprung weight, but by now they’re just a heavy decoration.
According to Service Citroën my car was sent with steel wheels, but on arrival was quickly changed to alloys to keep up with the Joneses.

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Post by reblack68 »

I didn't think C5 came with steel wheels. Our LX has what looks like black steels with trims, but they are actually black alloys with trims.
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Post by Citroenmad »

Wow, a time making machine, that's were im going wrong! :lol:

I see what you mean about your wheels turning black ... what wheels are they? They look a little like the normal C5 SX estate wheels, but yours appear to have one thin and one fatter spoke?

I can't think why a car should have black alloy wheels covered with wheel trims? Ive never seen a C5 LX close up so I dont know what they look like.

Though the spare wheels for all of our C5s are steels, im pretty sure.

Im pretty sure the C5 uses the same thread as Xms do. Ive been offered a set of Xm steel wheel bolts from Robert_e_smart, so hopefully they will do the job.
Last edited by Citroenmad on 07 Dec 2010, 15:34, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by spider »

Usually its different bolts for most PSA vehicles.

When new and after PDI (and fitting dealer supplied alloys, NOT factory ones) you would fit the bolts supplied with the wheels, which were different to the steel bolts, discard some to fit a set of locking bolts and retain four of the original steel wheel bolts and put them into the space provided in the locking bolt box.

Of course, later ones came with just a key rattling in the glovebox :oops: , this was just before they changed from 19mm to 17mm though, perhaps the design of the wheel and bolt changed too.

Generally, you will see the difference in the head of the bolt where it sits on the wheel. Alloys usually flat with washer as part of the bolt, steel usually convex

Although things may have changed...
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Post by reblack68 »

Citroenmad wrote: I can't think why a car should have black alloy wheels covered with wheel trims? Ive never seen a C5 LX close up so I dont know what they look like.
I can't think of a good reason either but I'm told quite a few cars have it now. I'm not a fan of alloy wheels at all and to have alloys with plastic trims seems to offer all the disadvantages of alloy with none of the advantages of steel. If you look closely at your spare wheels you might find they are quite thick and a magnet won't stick to them.
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Post by Citroenmad »

Ah, i know what you mean. I think Vauxhall calls them 'Structure' wheels. Though the wheel trims look just like alloy wheels, almost, and as the steel wheel is in the shape of the wheel trim you cant see the steel behind. A very good idea, as you get the best of both alloys and steels, look better but are easy to replace when one meets a curb. Ford also use the same type of thing, though Citroen has not adopted the exact same method.

If they are alloy wheels with wheel trims id be surprised, as they look just like steels.

Im petty sure my 16" steels (not from a C5, from a Citroen Berlingo but fit the C5 exactly) are steel wheels, they have the tell tale welds on the rear. However they are lighter than my alloy wheels. Ill weigh them next time as im interested to know how much lighter.

I too like steel wheels, often easier to keep clean and when a trim becomes damaged it can be easily and cheaply replaced. Alloys corrode and look nasty but at the same time they often start to loose pressure when the corrode. Though steels rarely look as good as alloys.

If i do get those 16" wheels fitted with winter tyres, ill be gettig some 16" Citroen trims to cover them up.
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Post by myglaren »

It does seem as though there was a problem with early steel wheels.

I took mine for new tyres to a local ATS and they looked as though they were quite at home with the C5, which I commented on.
The branch manager said "We ought to be, we (that branch) changed the wheels on 800 cars when they were first launched.

I neglected to ask why but it was some sort of recall.
Maybe they substituted alloys for steelies then.

I have seen a few LXs with what I took to be steels with plastic trims but perhaps they were alloy after all. Looked like my (presumably steel) spare.
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Post by Citroenmad »

I think your right Steve, i seem to remember that, though i think it was something to do with sub standard steel wheels.

Both S1 and S2-facelifted C5 LXs had steel wheels, S1 with 15" and facelifted with 16". The 16s do fit the arches well, they have a similar rolling radius to the 15" but less tyre which looks better.
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Post by andy5 »

myglaren wrote:It does seem as though there was a problem with early steel wheels.

I took mine for new tyres to a local ATS and they looked as though they were quite at home with the C5, which I commented on.
The branch manager said "We ought to be, we (that branch) changed the wheels on 800 cars when they were first launched.

I neglected to ask why but it was some sort of recall.
Maybe they substituted alloys for steelies then.

I have seen a few LXs with what I took to be steels with plastic trims but perhaps they were alloy after all. Looked like my (presumably steel) spare.
I've read a bit about this recently, though I'm no expert.

The C5 'steel' wheels, or at least some of them, are in fact alloy. There were faults with cracking on the original type, and there was a replacement, which also looks like a pressed steel one

So that could explain why the 'steel' seems to be lighter than the alloy on the C5, though as someone suggested above there are presumably also plenty of other alloys in the world, pointlessly heavier than the steels they replace.

I'm not a C5 owner, but I came across this while taking a look at the Ecomodder forum, which is sort of interesting but maybe a bit extreme in pursuing the ultimate in fuel economy.

The person posting about these light wheels on there had in turn read about them elsewhere. It seems that quite a few of the lads with Saxos are keen on these C5 wheels, as they weigh a bit under 5 kg, so should be an improvement that's a lot cheaper than aftermarket alloys. Maybe not everyone wants the last thing in flashiness.
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Post by Clogzz »

what wheels are they?
They’re a Ronal, 15 x 6, made in Germany from what’s written inside the hub cap.

Contrary to what I posted yesterday, the spare wheel is not made of steel. :oops:
It’s not magnetic and doesn’t rust where the paint is scratched.
The metal is also thicker than steel wheels.
It’s a very ordinary alloy, as posted about since.

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Post by reblack68 »

On the subject of things that look like steel but aren't- what is the C5's bonnet made of? I only discovered a few weeks ago that a magnet doesn't stick to that either.
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Post by andy5 »

I don't know.

Is it plastic, like the BX bonnet and hatchback?

I had assumed that despite the weight saving they gave it up as too expensive after that, but when I bought a GB label for the back of the Xantia I discovered that isn't magnetic either.
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