Styling 14" Steel wheel to 15" Alloy question

[YouKnowWho]

Sorry for another tyre/wheel related thread, but have a specific question.

Hello Forum, require some help please.

My 1.2 Pop came with the 14" steel wheels. Tyre size 175/65/R14. Manual suggests rim is 5 1/2 J x 14H2-ET35.

I have bought 15" (original fiat 500, from well known auction site) alloys tyre size 185/55/R15. Manual suggests that rim size is 6Jx15H2-ET35

I am a little unclear regarding the rim size differences, Can I pop off the old wheels, and use the same bolts on the new wheels?

An online wheel size calculator suggests that there is 0.2% difference between the two wheels, which is good.




Also, do Fiat 500 come with locking wheel nuts? I tried checking their Accessories website, but none are available for the 500

 

[Fiatseicento2002]

For a start you'll need a new set of bolts as steel bolts and alloy bolts are different

Edited by moderator to avoid confusion: this is not correct; the OEM bolts are the same.

 

[306maxi]

For a start you'll need a new set of bolts as steel bolts and alloy bolts are different

Not correct. On the 500 they are the same, I checked and there is no difference in length between the bolts I got with my space saver and the ones already on the car with my alloys.

Fiat do a locking wheelnut kit, you should be able to get one from your stealer dead easy but you can just as easy buy some Mcgard ones which are better quality.

 

[Fiatseicento2002]

Sorry about that then i assumed they werent the rounded type you need for alloys

 

[grimwau]

As well as the length of the bolts the taper is also something to take into account but as said above the bolts supplied for alloys are also used if you need to ever need to fit the steel spacesaver wheel.

In your case I would use an original steel wheel as a spare.

:chin: That is of course if cars with 14" steel wheels also get a spacesaver spare, anyone with a Pop able to confirm please?

 

[YouKnowWho]

Just spoke to my Insurance Company, and it will cost an extra £30 to insure until end of May (based on 30 year old, full no claims, low risk area). Fact that the wheel is Fiat gen. part makes no difference - is treated as after market mod.

And then the tyre company will charge an extra £20-£30 to swap my wheels over.

This is all adding to the cost of going to Alloys!!


Probably interesting to those on here who have gone from alloys to steelies for winter tyres, you might have to pay extra on your insurance too!

 

[RobW]

Just spoke to my Insurance Company, and it will cost an extra £30 to insure until end of May (based on 30 year old, full no claims, low risk area). Fact that the wheel is Fiat gen. part makes no difference - is treated as after market mod.

And then the tyre company will charge an extra £20-£30 to swap my wheels over.

This is all adding to the cost of going to Alloys!!


Probably interesting to those on here who have gone from alloys to steelies for winter tyres, you might have to pay extra on your insurance too!

you should have said they were a Fiat optional extra

 

[YouKnowWho]

you should have said they were a Fiat optional extra

I tried. It did not matter.

They asked whether I was going to add the alloys to a used car - the answer yes immediately adds the premium. It was not just alloys - it was any change to the wheels.

So that means even changing from alloys to wheels would count as a modification and be suspeptible to the extra charge.

 

[RobW]

I tried. It did not matter.

They asked whether I was going to add the alloys to a used car - the answer yes immediately adds the premium. It was not just alloys - it was any change to the wheels.

So that means even changing from alloys to wheels would count as a modification and be suspeptible to the extra charge.

different insurers have different attitudes

sounds like they just applied a service/admin charge

 

[YouKnowWho]

different insurers have different attitudes

sounds like they just applied a service/admin charge

They did that too! of the £30, £13.50 was a service admin charge.

 

[Murano16v]

Thing is , if you buy a used 500, it could equally just as well have had it's wheels changed, but you would not feel the need to tell the ins company ( provided they were OE 500 wheels )

 

[YouKnowWho]

Thing is , if you buy a used 500, it could equally just as well have had it's wheels changed, but you would not feel the need to tell the ins company ( provided they were OE 500 wheels )

Exactly, someone could have changed from 15" alloy to 16" or, even a different type of 15" alloys and the new owner would not know about it all.

I guess this is different, because I am making the change and I am obliged to tell the insurance company.

Missus is gonna have a real laugh, already her insurance costs less than mine on a car 3 times bigger, but typically her mods have cost nothing extra, wheels and tinted windows etc

 

[trphil]

And then the tyre company will charge an extra £20-£30 to swap my wheels over.

Excuse my ignorance, but why would you pay someone to swap the wheels over, it's not exactly the hardest job in the world?

 

[306maxi]

Excuse my ignorance, but why would you pay someone to swap the wheels over, it's not exactly the hardest job in the world?

Agreed. I didn't pay the tyre people anything to swap my wheels over, I did it all myself. Sure it took me a little while but that's life.

 

[306maxi]

Just spoke to my Insurance Company, and it will cost an extra £30 to insure until end of May (based on 30 year old, full no claims, low risk area). Fact that the wheel is Fiat gen. part makes no difference - is treated as after market mod.

And then the tyre company will charge an extra £20-£30 to swap my wheels over.

This is all adding to the cost of going to Alloys!!


Probably interesting to those on here who have gone from alloys to steelies for winter tyres, you might have to pay extra on your insurance too!

Meh. If my insurer wants to play hardball I'll play hardball

Increased risk of car being stolen? Nope!
Less safe? Errrr no, not in winter!
Not genuine wheels? Err no they're genuine!
More to pay out in event of an accident? Nope! They're cheaper.

People have this view that insurance companies can do anything they want to, this is completely incorrect! They will try to do whatever they can to not pay out but if they can't demonstrate that what you've done raises the risk for them they they're up **** creek with turd for a paddle

 

[RobW]

Excuse my ignorance, but why would you pay someone to swap the wheels over, it's not exactly the hardest job in the world?

a lot of people cannot and others cannot be bothered to...

 

[YouKnowWho]

a lot of people cannot and others cannot be bothered to...

The brakes are making a strange noise - and this way I can get that checked out the same time.

I am also probably a bit too lazy !

 

[YouKnowWho]

Meh. If my insurer wants to play hardball I'll play hardball

Increased risk of car being stolen? Nope!
Less safe? Errrr no, not in winter!
Not genuine wheels? Err no they're genuine!
More to pay out in event of an accident? Nope! They're cheaper.

People have this view that insurance companies can do anything they want to, this is completely incorrect! They will try to do whatever they can to not pay out but if they can't demonstrate that what you've done raises the risk for them they they're up **** creek with turd for a paddle

Sometimes insurance companies are a little like that. I think I will look around come renewal time for an insurance company that's not going to charge an extra £50 a year for alloys!

 

[zanes]

Meh. If my insurer wants to play hardball I'll play hardball

Increased risk of car being stolen? Nope!
Less safe? Errrr no, not in winter!
Not genuine wheels? Err no they're genuine!
More to pay out in event of an accident? Nope! They're cheaper.

People have this view that insurance companies can do anything they want to, this is completely incorrect! They will try to do whatever they can to not pay out but if they can't demonstrate that what you've done raises the risk for them they they're up **** creek with turd for a paddle

Does anyone still steal alloys this day and age? I'm *just* old enough to remember when people used to wake up and find their car on bricks, and it was regular enough to make the news.

 

[YouKnowWho]

Does anyone still steal alloys this day and age? I'm *just* old enough to remember when people used to wake up and find their car on bricks, and it was regular enough to make the news.

Of course people still alloys. Someone once stole my rear wash wiper. I didn't notice until i tried putting it on and metal rubbed across my rear window.

I guess the 500 is slightly better protected, as the centre caps hide the nuts. so you would have to open before checking for locking wheel nuts