Technical Fiat Panda 169 - Replace Steel Wheels with Alloys

[harrythp2003]

Hi all!

First of all, an apology because I know that there are numerous posts about this on here, but none of them seemed to come to very definitive answers or weren't resolved..

My local hand car wash managed to wash the plating off my hub caps. [emoji849] Instead of taking some new ones off an old scrap Panda, I decided to use this as an opportunity to put some alloy wheels on my car!

I'm interested in buying some OEM alloys; some Pandas I have seen already come with them, so I guess it's just a case of buying some from one that's been scrapped.

The question I have is, are the stock steel wheels that come on some Pandas the same size as the stock alloys that come on others?
And are the Punto alloys from the same era the same as the alloys fitted to Pandas?

The reason I'm asking is because I'd like to put my existing tyres on the new wheels I buy, so they really need to be the same size.
If not, I guess it's better to wait until the tread wears out on my current ones and then buy the wheels when I intend to replace my tyres...

I've never swapped out wheels on a car before, so would I need to get the alignment re done after installing the new ones?
Surely the procedure would be more complex than just swapping out the 4 wheels?

Thanks guys [emoji4]

 

[koalar]

check the rim size

most steel are 13" on the Panda

very little else uses 13" nowadays, alloys are usually 14" or 15"

tyres will not swap over

 

[koalar]

alignment stays the same so yes just bolt on

there is a loss in comfort by changing to alloys

the larger sidewalls on the steel 13" wheels take a lot of the jarring out of the ride

 

[LuigiThePanda]

I have 15 inch Punto wheels on mine

 

[jrkitching]

My local hand car wash managed to wash the plating off my hub caps.

Don't be too hard on the car wash. The paint on the OEM trims becomes flaky after a number of years in the sun, and is prone to coming off at the slightest touch. Just try rubbing one with a cloth and you'll see what I mean.

are the stock steel wheels that come on some Pandas the same size as the stock alloys that come on others

Unfortunately not; you won't be able to reuse the tyres if you switch to alloys. You'll also need to notify your insurers; they may or may not charge you an extra premium. If buying secondhand, note that the alloys are easily damaged; quite a few of the ones on ebay will by now well out of round, and older alloys can become porous, which means you'll be forever reinflating the tyres.

By far the easiest and cheapest thing to do is just go buy some new wheel trims. These (aftermarket, but they look the part) won't break the bank; at that price, it isn't worth the effort of repainting the originals.

 

[harrythp2003]

Don't be too hard on the car wash. The paint on the OEM trims becomes flaky after a number of years in the sun, and is prone to coming off at the slightest touch. Just try rubbing one with a cloth and you'll see what I mean.

I've never had any issues with it before, just washing them with car detergent and water. The car wash do appear to use an acidic wheel cleaner, although you're probably right that the paint has degraded with age

You'll also need to notify your insurers; they may or may not charge you an extra premium.

That's a pain. If I do decide to go the alloy route, looks like I'll time it with when I renew my insurance, see what the premium looks like before I go ahead!

Unfortunately not; you won't be able to reuse the tyres if you switch to alloys. You'll also need to notify your insurers; they may or may not charge you an extra premium. If buying secondhand, note that the alloys are easily damaged; quite a few of the ones on ebay will by now well out of round, and older alloys can become porous, which means you'll be forever reinflating the tyres.

That's useful to know - Probably not worth doing it then as I certainly don't think it's worth buying brand new alloys for a panda!

Thank you everyone for your input! I do still want to have alloys eventually, but I think I'll leave it for now. Might buy some new hub caps and then see later down the line if I want to invest in something a bit smarter!

 

[fourbie]

there is a loss in comfort by changing to alloys the larger sidewalls

I think the OP is doing the right thing in getting rid of the steelies particularly if they are like mine were - rusted rotten. Steels add to unsprung weight as well.

As for the ride comfort it is true that the larger sidewall helps so why not go bigger on the rubber anyway. Plus some tyres are quieter than others and those I put on mine are almost whisper quiet!!

I actually have Punto wheels on mine - nicest looking wheel of all the Fiat wheels IMHO.

 

[Myusername]

I think the OP is doing the right thing in getting rid of the steelies particularly if they are like mine were - rusted rotten. Steels add to unsprung weight as well.

As for the ride comfort it is true that the larger sidewall helps so why not go bigger on the rubber anyway. Plus some tyres are quieter than others and those I put on mine are almost whisper quiet!!

I actually have Punto wheels on mine - nicest looking wheel of all the Fiat wheels IMHO.

What tyres are you using for quieter ride?

 

[fourbie]

What tyres are you using for quieter ride?

Toyo Nanoenergy 3

https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/488261-alloys-2.html

 

[DaveMcT]

The 6J x 15 pepper pot steels I fitted to the 100HP, with tyres, were a pound or two lighter than the alloys. They have survived British roads better than the alloys ever did and painted pale silver with centre caps they suit the car really well.

 

[rmjbn1]

I think the OP is doing the right thing in getting rid of the steelies particularly if they are like mine were - rusted rotten. Steels add to unsprung weight as well.

The 6J x 15 pepper pot steels I fitted to the 100HP, with tyres, were a pound or two lighter than the alloys.

I was surprised to discover steel wheels are usually quite a bit lighter than equivalent alloys.
Even more so if they're rusty I guess...

 

[Wee Smurf]

You could put 13inch Cinquecento alloys on if you can find them. I had them on mine. Swapped the tyres from the steels.

 

[koalar]

I was surprised to discover steel wheels are usually quite a bit lighter than equivalent alloys.
Even more so if they're rusty I guess...

correct

there are alloy wheels and alloy wheels

obviously the wider the tyre the heavier the combination of tyre and wheel is. So putting on wider alloys will increase the unsprung weight. Not that I would ever see any difference at normal road speeds.

race alloys are indeed very light. Factory alloys tend to be more fashion, plus have to be durable. Some are indeed heavier than factory steel.

factory steels have very Good durability vs weight.

 

[DaveMcT]

Rusty steels (or corroded alloys) simply means they were not properly painted. What do you expect for £40 each? Paint them properly.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

As koalar says above, race alloys are much lighter than road wheels and consequently aren't really suitable for extended use on the road. I would say there's not much to choose weightwise between the average alloy or steel wheel used on road cars these days so it's just down to preference. Myself? I'd go for steels whenever I could - much easier to repair if damaged and don't tend to become porous - but usually end up being forced to accept alloys because that's what they come with these days. Take a look at a modern alloy fitment. You'll find that the offset is all inwards which makes the inner rim weak and vulnerable to potholes etc, a situation which is only exacerbated by fitting low aspect ratio tyres.

 

[DaveMcT]

5.5 J 14 wheels will take a 165 or 175 tyre. Just get the correct offset 35mm is likely but do your own research. Oponeo have them for £38.

The finish is a simple satin black and the cut edges are pretty sharp. Not dangerous but too sharp for powder coating. You will need to flap wheel and file all cut edges to give a neat radius before painting or better powder coating.

An industrial enameller/powder coater will do you a more than good enough finish for considerably less than alloy wheel refurb shops. I was very happy with CJ Ward in Burton on Trent when I did motorbike restorations.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I was amused when last year we got a non repairable puncture in one of Becky's tyres. I took the old tyre off the rim so I could derust and paint the bead area of the rim but I didn't have time to properly refurbish the whole wheel as the car was needed in a hurry. I took the rim along to our local independent tyre supplier and, feeling a little embarrassed by the rusty state of the face of the wheel, I made some "silly" comment about thinking of looking for alloys for the car - as if to explain why I hadn't properly refurbished it - The chap fitting the new tyre for me said "why? You'd be much better to just stay with the steel wheels son"! Good advice I feel.

He is not the only one to address me as "son". At 75 years young I find this a little puzzling?

Steels with a nice cover can look very nice. I was watching a video about the new Dacia Spring, which I believe is supplied only with steel wheels, and thought the wheels with their trims look very smart?

 

[DaveMcT]

The new TV series "Outback Car Hunters" had a mid 1970s Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV, very rusty but very stunning on the original pepper-pot steels. The programme is pretty lightweight but the car looked fabulous on its silver steels. Modern cars would have lower sidewall tyres, so I have to ask why alloys are such a big deal?