HELP! Ford Focus Wheel Studs

Farmer_3650

Hi, I recently purchased a set of alloys for my mk2 Ford Focus. Today I put them on and while I was putting them on I noticed the wheel studs didn’t come out as far past the new wheel as it did with the old wheel ( roughly 1/2 inch in the difference). I was just wondering how would I know if it is safe or not as I would rather not change to longer wheel studs unless I really have to. Cheers

colm_mcm

Are your wheel nuts capped or open (ie.can you see through the hole)

Did you originally have steel wheels on it?

Are the alloys original ford or aftermarket?

pablo128

You need alloy wheel nuts if you're changing from steel to alloy wheels on a Ford.

Farmer_3650

colm_mcm wrote: »

Are your wheel nuts capped or open (ie.can you see through the hole)

Did you originally have steel wheels on it?

Are the alloys original ford or aftermarket?

Open wheel nuts
Yes there was steelies on it beforehand
Aftermarket Alloys (18” ST)

Whocare

Had same problem you need difference wheel nuts

joujoujou

OP, make a photo and show us, how nut/stud combo looks like now.

Farmer_3650

The nut threads on roughly 16mm on to the stud...the nuts threaded on about 24mm with the old wheels. Pictures finally sent, see below.

Farmer_3650

.

Farmer_3650

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Farmer_3650

Threaded roughly as far as red line. Apologies for photos in 3 separate posts, wouldn’t let me send all 3 together.

Effects

Doesn’t look safe to me

colm_mcm

Don’t drive on those.

Farmer_3650

pablo128 wrote: »

You need alloy wheel nuts if you're changing from steel to alloy wheels on a Ford.

Any idea where I’d get them? Also what do they look like?..I had a quick search for them there on the internet and a large range of different types came up. Thanks

Farmer_3650

Whocare wrote: »

Had same problem you need difference wheel nuts

Where did you get your wheel nuts and what type were they? Thanks

pablo128

Farmer_3650 wrote: »

Any idea where I’d get them? Also what do they look like?..I had a quick search for them there on the internet and a large range of different types came up. Thanks

They have a floating collar. There's only one type that I know of, but I haven't worked on any Ford's for a good few years now. It is possible there's more than one type.

I'd be going to a car dismantlers for them myself.

Farmer_3650

pablo128 wrote: »

They have a floating collar. There's only one type that I know of, but I haven't worked on any Ford's for a good few years now. It is possible there's more than one type.

I'd be going to a car dismantlers for them myself.

Something like this?

martinr5232

Those wheel nuts you have look like alloy wheel nuts with the chrome cap missing off them. Is your 19mm wheel brace loose on them ??

joujoujou

Looks like studs are way too short for your current setup. How many turns a nut can do on it?

Farmer_3650

martinr5232 wrote: »

Those wheel nuts you have look like alloy wheel nuts with the chrome cap missing off them. Is your 19mm wheel brace loose on them ??

Ya the chrome caps are missing off most of them. The 19mm socket is too big when the caps are gone, so I’m using an 18mm socket.

Farmer_3650

joujoujou wrote: »

Looks like studs are way too short for your current setup. How many turns a nut can do on it?

Roughly 5 turns

Charlie19

I had a similar issue on my previous car and I sourced new nuts from a crowd called Route66 in Ballymount D12.

Yarrumkram09

I'm currently having a similar issue with my car. Excuse my ignorance, but I see people talking about getting different wheel nuts, but how would this help the OP as I'd imagine they will only go as far as the old nut threads into as the holes in the alloy seem tapered in shape. Would it not be longer studs needed. Again excuse my ignorance but just curious as how this would make any difference.

Farmer_3650

Thanks for the reply. I have looked on their website and nothing has come up, but I have contacted them to see what they recommend. I was looking online and found this website "spot on nuts and bolts". The link below will direct you to the page where they have Focus wheel nuts for sale. Are these wheel nuts they have for sale something like what you got? They seem like they are reasonably well priced. Thanks again.

Whocare

Farmer_3650 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I have looked on their website and nothing has come up, but I have contacted them to see what they recommend. I was looking online and found this website "spot on nuts and bolts". The link below will direct you to the page where they have Focus wheel nuts for sale. Are these wheel nuts they have for sale something like what you got? They seem like they are reasonably well priced. Thanks again.

Looks at brother focus mk2 as well and had steel wheels but change to standard Focus alloys wheels nuts looks the same as your and tread in about half way in nuts not saying it right but the wheel nut do fit good and tight on wheels and that about two years ago.. I think what make you think about not being right is when chrome bit is missing on wheels nuts and looks wrong seeing it only tread in about half way in nuts...( earlier i said I had same problem as I thought you was using steel wheels nut on alloys)

Farmer_3650

Yarrumkram09 wrote: »

I'm currently having a similar issue with my car. Excuse my ignorance, but I see people talking about getting different wheel nuts, but how would this help the OP as I'd imagine they will only go as far as the old nut threads into as the holes in the alloy seem tapered in shape. Would it not be longer studs needed. Again excuse my ignorance but just curious as how this would make any difference.

I dont think how far the nut goes onto the stud is really an issue. What my concern is, is how far out the wheel is sitting on the stud. The weight of the car is being held on 20 wheel studs, so the closer they are to the wheel hub, the safer it is. With my Old wheels, the wheel sat right in against the hub, but my new wheel sits about 6mm further out. I would be relatively mechanically minded, and I don't think longer wheel studs would be any addition, but then again I am no expert, and I could very well be wrong and please correct me if I am wrong.

I see where your coming from with the point you made about different wheel nuts not threading in any further than the old ones... any ones I've seen online look like they'll only thread in as far as old ones too, hence why I am wondering what specific type of wheel nut i can get that will screw right into the hub.

Thanks for your reply though, nice to see a different perspective that could very well be the case

Farmer_3650

Just to show what I mean in my post above, I have included the picture below. The top wheel nut is tightened in as much as it was with my old wheels (against the hub) while the nut below is how far it tightens in with my new wheels. ( roughly 6mm out from the hub).

FAMLEE

I had a focus van years ago & when i put ST alloys on it (5x108), I had to get the Lugcentric Nuts with stupid chrom caps.. they were about 50mm longer than the standard steel nuts.

pablo128

This might help. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.alloywheelnutsandbolts.co.uk/ford-alloy-wheel-nuts-fitment-data/&ved=2ahUKEwiO276vxOPmAhWSVBUIHdGmAB0QFjALegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw3-gb01fwd_ZT9uNk5eOgN8

martinr5232

Farmer_3650 wrote:

Just to show what I mean in my post above, I have included the picture below. The top wheel nut is tightened in as much as it was with my old wheels (against the hub) while the nut below is how far it tightens in with my new wheels. ( roughly 6mm out from the hub).

Those wheel nuts are ford alloy wheel nuts minus the chrome cap. If you had them holding on steel wheels they were the wrong nuts they are specifically for alloy wheels. They dont come out to the end of the stud because the alloy wheel is deeper than a steel wheel. If you want to get them from ford they are about five euro plus vat each.

Farmer_3650

FAMLEE wrote: »

I had a focus van years ago & when i put ST alloys on it (5x108), I had to get the Lugcentric Nuts with stupid chrom caps.. they were about 50mm longer than the standard steel nuts.

Thanks for that. Exact same alloy as I have gone for. Them nuts must have been very far out past the alloy? Were they something similar to the nut circled in the pic below?

FAMLEE

Farmer_3650 wrote: »

Thanks for that. Exact same alloy as I have gone for. Them nuts must have been very far out past the alloy? Were they something similar to the nut circled in the pic below?

Yeah they look identical to them ones in that link, Dear little bast4rds at the time i think it cost me close to 100 at the time just for the nuts. Try a scrapyard get them off a focus, smax, mondeo?

FAMLEE

Farmer_3650 wrote: »

Thanks for that. Exact same alloy as I have gone for. Them nuts must have been very far out past the alloy? Were they something similar to the nut circled in the pic below?

No they didnt sit out past the alloy, they were still down in the wells a good bit.

Farmer_3650

pablo128 wrote: »

This might help. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.alloywheelnutsandbolts.co.uk/ford-alloy-wheel-nuts-fitment-data/&ved=2ahUKEwiO276vxOPmAhWSVBUIHdGmAB0QFjALegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw3-gb01fwd_ZT9uNk5eOgN8

Thanks Pablo, that was a very informative article:)

Farmer_3650

martinr5232 wrote: »

Those wheel nuts are ford alloy wheel nuts minus the chrome cap. If you had them holding on steel wheels they were the wrong nuts they are specifically for alloy wheels. They dont come out to the end of the stud because the alloy wheel is deeper than a steel wheel. If you want to get them from ford they are about five euro plus vat each.

Ok thanks, thats great to know. Wouldnt like to have to buy 20 of them:D.. I think the way the wheels are now should be safe enough so if they are the proper wheel studs.

martinr5232

Farmer_3650 wrote:

Ok thanks, thats great to know. Wouldnt like to have to buy 20 of them .. I think the way the wheels are now should be safe enough so if they are the proper wheel studs.

Yeah they are. You will get proper wheel nuts on ebay just look for mk2 focus/mondeo alloy wheel nuts.

Farmer_3650

martinr5232 wrote: »

Yeah they are. You will get proper wheel nuts on ebay just look for mk2 focus/mondeo alloy wheel nuts.

I thought the wheel nuts that I have are the proper wheel nuts for my alloys?

martinr5232

Farmer_3650 wrote:

I thought the wheel nuts that I have are the proper wheel nuts for my alloys?

They are but you are missing the chrome cap. Takes away from the look of the alloy.

Farmer_3650

martinr5232 wrote: »

They are but you are missing the chrome cap. Takes away from the look of the alloy.

Oh I see, I'll have a look on ebay now and see what I can find. Thanks to all for your advice and opinions, much appreciated:)

Yarrumkram09

I have a very similar problem. What length of stud would you want past the wheel? Another website said 1 1/2 times the diameter of stud. Would this be reasonable?...mine is out 16mm past the wheel and diameter of stud is 12mm so close enough thanks

joujoujou

Farmer_3650 wrote: »

Roughly 5 turns

That's not enough. At least 7 is considered safe. I'm afraid longer studs is what you need.

Farmer_3650

joujoujou wrote: »

That's not enough. At least 7 is considered safe. I'm afraid longer studs is what you need.

My local garage looked at them today and reckoned they are sound.

joujoujou

OK, just let me know where and when you usually drive it, I'd be more than happy to be elsewhere.

Yarrumkram09

martinr5232 wrote: »

Yeah they are. You will get proper wheel nuts on ebay just look for mk2 focus/mondeo alloy wheel nuts.

Not sure I would trust wheel nuts off ebay...

Farmer_3650

Yarrumkram09 wrote: »

Not sure I would trust wheel nuts off ebay...

A bit like saying I wouldn't trust parts off donedeal. Seen these ones, supposed to be made with high tensile steel. Reviews look alright so probably will chance them. https://www.ebay.ie/itm/20-X-ALLOY-WHEEL-NUTS-FORD-FOCUS-MK1-MK2-MK3-ST-RS-M12-X-1-5-19MM-BOLT-LUG-STUD/223481704130?hash=item34088c2ec2:g:-pAAAOSwD2lcLPD2

colm_mcm

Farmer_3650 wrote: »

A bit like saying I wouldn't trust parts off donedeal. Seen these ones, supposed to be made with high tensile steel. Reviews look alright so probably will chance them. https://www.ebay.ie/itm/20-X-ALLOY-WHEEL-NUTS-FORD-FOCUS-MK1-MK2-MK3-ST-RS-M12-X-1-5-19MM-BOLT-LUG-STUD/223481704130?hash=item34088c2ec2:g:-pAAAOSwD2lcLPD2

Not really. Buying non OE unbranded parts with no obvious certification from eBay is risky.

You’d get factory ones from a breaker for similar money.

jelutong

Try your local Tyre fitter. They usually have a good selection of wheel nuts both new and secondhand.

martinr5232

colm_mcm wrote:

You’d get factory ones from a breaker for similar money.

Those ford wheel nuts are s***e the chrome seperates from them would be very hard to get good second hand ones.

colm_mcm

martinr5232 wrote: »

Those ford wheel nuts are s***e the chrome seperates from them would be very hard to get good second hand ones.

Had them on a jaguar before, they’re not great. Plenty Focuss in breakers though.

Farmer_3650

Don’t think it’s worth trying a breakers yard as the caps are probably all gone or ready to fall off....I’ll try a tyre or alloy spot where I can see the nuts and decide if they are safe or not. I don’t think eBay is worth the risk as I won’t find out what nuts are like until I have them bought

kennethsmyth

Farmer_3650 wrote: »

Threaded roughly as far as red line. Apologies for photos in 3 separate posts, wouldn’t let me send all 3 together.

Definitely wrong nuts, not safe as is, maybe safe if with correct flat nuts with a floating collar on them - they will sit flusher.

Farmer_3650

kennethsmyth wrote: »

Definitely wrong nuts, not safe as is, maybe safe if with correct flat nuts with a floating collar on them - they will sit flusher.

What do you mean by a floating collar?