Technical Hubcap Help Please

[Giardiniera1969]

I would like to put the classic type of hub caps on my wheels but am not sure which ones to get? My rear wheels have a small hole in the center and the front wheels have a cap. Well, I guess the differences are more in the drum center vs the wheels. It looks like lug nuts in the back and bolts in the front. My tires are the same size. 12 inch wheels. Any help would be appreciated in answering these questions:

1. Why the difference? Is this normal because of the axle or something?
2. Which hubs do I get? Same for the front and back?
3. Does anyone have experience with those white wall trim pieces that you add to an existing tire?

 

[Vitesse]

Hi John,

On the front you have a cap because you can pull the cap off and find the nut that holds the wheel bearing assembly together. It should be full of grease. On the rear it is a different set up.

Because it is a rear wheel drive car, obviously the hub is bolted directly to the drive shaft, so the rear wheel bearing is installed inside part that is bolted to the swinging arm assembly.

On a 500 saloon it is bolts in the front and rear, I don't know if the set up you have with lug nuts on the rear is normal with the Giardiniera? There is no reason why you couldn't put studs in and use lug nuts instead of bolts, but I am not sure why you would want to?

I would think you need the same hub caps all the way around. Seeing you are in Germany I would call or send an email to Fred at Axel Girstl. He should be able to advise whether your setup is normal for the lug nuts and whether you need the same hub caps.

I have no experience of those white walls.

Tony

 

[Giardiniera1969]

Yes, I'll have to take off one of the rear bolts to see if it is a lug nut or a bolt that looks like a lug nut

 

[Vitesse]

Yes, I'll have to take off one of the rear bolts to see if it is a lug nut or a bolt that looks like a lug nut

Yeah looking at your picture again in higher resolution, I think you will find they are bolts with a domed head. If it was studs and lug nuts, I wouldn't expect it to have the domed head on it. I would expect there to be no head on it at all to allow the stud to come through the nut to allow you to tightening it sufficiently.

 

[Vitesse]

This is what you appear to have.
http://webshop.fiat500126.com/katalog/artikelinfo/3078/wheel_bolts_with_cone_and_taphole_m10x26_mm

 

[Damon500]

Hi,

The first challenge you have here is that the wheels you have are incorrect. The wheels you have appear to be from an air-cooled Fiat 126- you can tell by the vents (Giardiniera wheels are solid) and there are no hubcap clips or retaining lugs on the wheels.
You may be able to retrofit the hubcap retaining clips if you want to use the early style hubcaps as per your picture. If your car is a 1969 model it should use 850 Sedan style hubcaps which fit over lugs pressed into the centre of the wheel.
I am planning to use 850 Sedan wheels on my Giardiniera which will enable me to fit the later style hubcaps which are more easily available and tend not to fly off like the earlier clip on style.
The easiest way would be to use Fiat 126 personal 4 style hubcaps which are secured by the wheel bolts- it is incorrect but will look better than the current setup.
Hope this helps!
Regards Damon

 

[Giardiniera1969]

Thank you! I guess these will be my "winter" wheels and tires

 

[Giardiniera1969]

Do you think if I use this adapter plate,
http://www.fdricambi.com/zoeken?shop=&zoek=adapter

I could use these rims?

http://www.fdricambi.com/fiatmix/Tires+-+Rims/WL1006

If so 5mm or 10mm adapter plate?

 

[stevehg]

Yes you can. Personally I would go for the 5mm, so that the spacers add the smallest amount to your track width. Some people prefer the wheels further 'pushed out', hence the choice.

Be careful with tyre sizes on the standard 500 rims, as your current size of tyre 165 wide may be too wide for those rims. Find out from FD Ricambi what width the rims are so that you can source ok tyre sizes.

Thanks

Steve

 

[the hobbler]

I think that you find that the Giardiniera was fitted with '600' specification brakes and wheels. By fitting the 98pcd/190pcd adaptor plate you will limiting yourself to 500/early 126 wheels. I personally would look for a set of '850' wheels (and hub-caps) or fit a set of Allys (Minilites look good on a Giardy). I would not recommend that you run a Giardy with '500' wheels--the factory must have had a darn good reason to uprate the brakes/wheels

 

[Giardiniera1969]

I can't seem to find any 850 Sedan wheels but I found this on Axel's page:

http://webshop.fiat500126.com/katalog/artikelinfo/2452/set_of_aluminum_rims_4_pc_45_x_12_polished

they look nice and like they would fit but I don't know if they will look right with white wall tires.

 

[AndrewHarvey]

very nice rims.....look a little like the ones I fitted on my Cal-look beetle back in the day - Speedlines I think they were called.....

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Nahh - centrelines.......the old brainbox is showing its age....

 

[AndrewHarvey]

like this

 

[Hugh Jarce]

like this

Or even better Andrew, like this? 145/70x12 Falkens fitted on Alloys.

Cheers
HJ (aka Gary)

 

[stevehg]

I can't seem to find any 850 Sedan wheels but I found this on Axel's page:

http://webshop.fiat500126.com/katalog/artikelinfo/2452/set_of_aluminum_rims_4_pc_45_x_12_polished

they look nice and like they would fit but I don't know if they will look right with white wall tires.

If you are interested, you can save ~€120, by buying them here...

http://www.500ricambi.it/dettagli.asp?sid=33778555720150419232257&idp=1021&categoria=9

 

[Giardiniera1969]

The Alloys are nice, just would have to get the adapter plate to use with that bolt pattern.