WHEEL STUD ADAPTORS

[Anton]

My Sprinter Marino stud pattern is 4 x 100, is there a stud adaptor I can use which will allow me to put a 5 x 100 wheel? If so where is the best place I can buy a set? Are these stud adaptors safe to use? Cheers.

[rx7guy]

You can get them on trademe but I have no idea how good they are. They need to be certified too I believe.

[iOnic]

Your best bet is to find 4x100 wheels to be honest. You *CAN* use stud adaptors but they also act as a spacer and decrease the overall offset of the wheels so you'll probably find that the wheels that would have fit your car perfectly now sit outside the guard (illegal). That's ignoring the fact that you'll also need a cert to use them legally so there's another ~$400...

It's much less hassle to just get wheels that fit the car

[Bling]

Your best bet is to find 4x100 wheels to be honest. You *CAN* use stud adaptors but they also act as a spacer and decrease the overall offset of the wheels so you'll probably find that the wheels that would have fit your car perfectly now sit outside the guard (illegal). That's ignoring the fact that you'll also need a cert to use them legally so there's another ~$400...

It's much less hassle to just get wheels that fit the car

Very valid points! ^^

Wheels can stick out past the guard so long as the tyre tread is inside the guard, ie stretched.

Does sound like a lot of hassle just for a set of wheels. So unless they are deal of the century you'll be better off getting the correct fitment wheels.

It is possible though to use adapters, there are requirements for their build quality/specs too so don't just go buy any old set etc. Check out our sponsors section as they are available there.

[NZ_AE86]

Wheels can stick out past the guard so long as the tyre tread is inside the guard, ie stretched.

Your wheels can't stick out past your guard at all!

I think there was a thread about stretched tyres - I would not give you a WOF if you had stretched tyres unless it was certified.

Tyres need to be the right size for the rim.

[Bling]

I guess it depends on you WOF issuers opinion then.

As I know what you're saying, but the same would apply to 18" rims on a car that came factory with a mas of say 15" rims. Unless you fail any cars with mags bigger than factory?

[RomanV]

Yeah, since stretched tires are illegal anyway, even if it was the case that only your tires have to be under the gaurd, it still wouldnt be possible to run wheels significantly wider than the tires.

Just because tire stretching is a relatively obscure fad, and WOF people and cops etc dont know that it is illegal, doesnt make it not so.

[RomanV]

Unless you fail any cars with mags bigger than factory?

Arent you allowed to go 2" diameter wheel increase, and after that you technically need a cert?

Although technically you also need a cert for things like ECU change

[NZ_AE86]

Yes a lot of cars go beyond the 5% increase in rolling. But as we do not have the wheel and tyre sizes of every vehicle available to us as WOF issuers I can't fail them all!
But if a wheel or tyre sticks out of a guard then it is quite black and white.

I know it sounds anal but NZTA are coming down hard as are the police (which in a lot of cases I think is great!) so we need to cover our ass's or we can lose our WOF authority.

[Bling]

I edited my post back to original as during the time it took me to write it someone posted

Depends how you read the rules on the matter really. Keen to be shown where it states any stretching of tyres is illegal however.

[NZ_AE86]

I edited my post back to original as during the time it took me to write it someone posted

Depends how you read the rules on the matter really. Keen to be shown where it states any stretching of tyres is illegal however.

Yes a lot of it is how it is read but the tyres must be as below. I would be happy with a letter from the tyre and wheel manufacturer (not the tyre shop) to say they were happy this was safe. All tyres will have been tested at some stage to meet standards and I assure you they were not tested while stretched.

Tyre size changes • the tyres:
– have an outer circumference that is no more than 5% greater than OE, and
– are an appropriate selection for rim width, and
– have tread that does not extend beyond the original or modified body panels or guard
extension (see Figure 10-1-1).

[Alex B]

VIRM, Table 10-1-1

-are an appropriate selection for rim width

Ya bet me.

[NZ_AE86]

only just! Good old cut and paste aye!

[tsoob]

dont waste your time with spacers. buy the right wheels, it will add around $800 IF you do it all legally but there is a real good chance your wheel offset will be wrong and will not work anyway

my understanding was that the tyre tread must not be outside the guard NOT the wheel.

for certification they will no longer cert overly streched tyres a 235 is now the minimum on a 9" rim (we used to be able to do 215's)

[Anton]

Thanks for the replies mates. I didn't know that one had to pay a fee for using stud adaptors. My plan was to upgrade the 15 inch in my Celica to 16, then put the 15 inchers in the Sprinter Marino, which I envisioned would look cool. I estimated the tire's edge would just be aligned with the guards, which is what I like. The price of the adaptors plus the certification fee is definitely sad news which puts an end to something I was so excited about.
Cheers to all.