Machining out Audi wheels

Post by **gilbo** » 17 Jan 2007, 21:20

I just bought some gorgeous 17" Audi wheels off someone off here

I didn't do my research and didn't know the front ones would need machining. This wasn't explained to me by the seller.

I do not want to return the wheels, as they are going to transform my van into something wicked!

Does ANYONE know somewhere or a company I can get machining of the front wheels done at, in or around West Yorkshire? I am searching myself but am not coming up with anything - please help! (desperate)

Post by **diviy** » 17 Jan 2007, 21:22

try any local engineering show they should be able to help

Post by **shepster** » 18 Jan 2007, 09:53

Maybe ask Simon Baxter he may know of someone.

Post by **gilbo** » 18 Jan 2007, 11:00

Yeah, we tried SB 1st - my gf rang him yesterday afternoon (on recommendation from the guy who sold us them) with a view to him fitting them for us - he quoted her 'anywhere between £100 and £160' just to put them on the van, but then broke it to her that we needed them machining but did not recommend anyone.

I'm going to telephone a couple of machinists in Leeds today got out of the Yellow Pages, then hopefully get it sorted

Post by **pouch** » 18 Jan 2007, 12:03

I have some Audi 15" wheels to fit and the fronts do need to be milled as you say.
I phoned a couple of local machine shops I found on yell.com and both said they would do it. I will probably have to have the tyres removed, but they were only talking about £20- £30 for all 5. Once the machine is set up it's easy.

Also there is a lot of info on wheels on the Brickyard forum, brickwerks have all the parts you could need to sotr your wheels out.

Good luck

Post by **jed the spread** » 18 Jan 2007, 12:03

cant you just take the hub caps off the front, put the wheels on cut a small square hole in the left front centercap for the speedo cable fill with a bit of grease and pop the center caps back on ?

jed

Post by **syncropaddy** » 19 Jan 2007, 23:41

You will need to find a machine shop that will be able to swing the wheels over the saddle on a reasonable size lathe and make sure the lathe chuck can hold the wheel on the outside of the rim and not the inside. You will possibly need a lathe with a swing of around 24". Ive done this some time ago and its easy enough and I think the bore has to be 68mm dia but I cant remember.
Oh yeah .... you will have to take the tyres off!!!

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 20 Jan 2007, 21:48

Okay.
longer rear studs - £23.50
long conversion studs - £21.20
4x 20 mm spacers (to correct the massive ET57, as advised by you) - £51.70
10 budget nuts - £11.80

Then 2 hours to remove the rear drums, and hubs, remove old studs, fit new longer studs cut to right length and re fit to van.
Fit conversion studs to front.
Fit wheels.
1 hours labour is £28 plus VAT, so 2 x28 = 56, plus 17.5%VAT = £65.80

So, in total that is - £174, just to put the wheels on, if they fitted.

You will then have to take the wheels to a tyre shop and get the tyres removed, ? say £5.
Take the wheels to a machinist to get the centres taken out to 66mm, thats gunna be £20 ish, although saying that, the last ones I knwo of being done around here at that size were too big to go on a lathe and had to be done in a milling machine, this cost £40!
Then, once that is done you have to get your tyres refitted, valves and balanced another, £20 ish..

Just remember I will try to price match any genuine trader (website, premises, insurance, comeback etc..) wherever possible, I know I am at least 30% cheaper than one of the big names for my wheel fittings.
And I doubt if your local garage wil charge less that 2 hours at probably a higher labour rate and chances are he won't have done them before either.

Just goes to show it pays to do a bit of research before wading in and buying something.

Post by **kevtherev** » 20 Jan 2007, 22:13

Simon Baxter wrote: Just goes to show it pays to do a bit of research before wading in and buying something.

Well said young Baxter. it does look so simple fitting new wheels, thats why it's the first thing that gets done usually

My experience in fitting ML's held no surprises as thanks to your website and parts and advice from 80-90.

from steels to alloys (that had to be stripped painted and booted) was approx £500

Post by **futbus** » 21 Jan 2007, 21:08

You can use a milling machine and not just a lathe. Wont cost a fortune to do.

Post by **gilbo** » 05 Mar 2007, 00:00

Simon Baxter wrote: Just goes to show it pays to do a bit of research before wading in and buying something.

I haven't been on here properly for a bit and have only just checked this post - although I know that nothing has been directed specifically towards me, I would still like to speak in my own defence as to how I came to buy the wheels -

The guy who sold me them answered an ad I placed on these forums - he sent me the following picture

I then contacted him by email and eventually we telephoned him. This guy, who is a regular user of these forums by the way, categorically stated that the wheels would fit my T25 - no problems.

He then met us at a neutral location a few days later and followed us home.

Once at ours, he explained that the wheels could be fitted by S. Baxter whose name he dropped about 20 times, AND that the hub caps could be fitted with no problems and the wheels needed no alteration. He also said to let S.Baxter know he had sent our business his way, although when my gf rang Mr Baxter he didn't seem to know who the seller was.

Then, during coffee, he dazzled (blinded) us with his multitude of photos of his T25s & VW magazine articles he had brought with him, phone numbers, contacts and his splendid stories of bi-monthly visits to Germany to buy T25s and other accessories (including these wheels he said he had picked up on his last visit) so we handed over the £400.

Then, as he was about to walk out the door, he coughed that the picture he had emailed me two weeks before (above) was not a picture of the wheels on his van. They were actually a picture of the wheels next to his van. I hadn't even noticed! (and believe me this is one mistake I will NEVER make again if I find myself in this situation)

Had YOU not noticed either? Look again!

However, he said that he knew what he was talking about, and that the wheels just needed spacers and longer wheel nuts and would fit. My girlfriend and I both agreed later on that he seemed to know a great deal about T25s and wheels! So instead of demanding my money back there and then based on his admission about the photo, I foolishly believed everything else he had told me, and he left.

After we were then enlightened by S.Baxter regarding the machining issue, and that the hub caps would not fit, we made numerous attempts to contact the seller with a view to getting a refund. He ignored all emails and phone calls. I don't believe he disappeared off the face of the planet - I just think he didn't want the wheels back, and let's face it - he volunteered to bring the wheels to us, we did not go to pick them up from his house so we don't even know where he lives.

As far as research goes before I 'waded in', what would any other buyer who knows nothing about this sort of stuff have done? The only mistake we made was trusting this guy we bought the wheels off who no matter how much of an expert he made himself out to be, HE CLEARLY WASN'T. He had then made ME look like the idiot.

Oh, and I fully expect certain people on here to tell me that after all of the above, I still should have got a second opinion. I would prefer people to tell me that I am far too trusting of people. Let it be said I do not intend to update or view this post again so say what you like.

And on a happy note.

The front wheels have now been machined, & fit over the hubs perfectly without a mm to spare. I've obtained the parts at a good price, and they are being fitted this week at last by one of our local Aircooled specialists in Leeds. (yes, and they have done them before and charge a standard labour rate) Turns out we have three specialist classic VW garages all within 3 miles of our house that we only found when we did some asking around. Only one of them seems to be in the yellow pages. It's been a wait but I think they will look fantastic. I have a few ideas about what I am going to do about centre caps.

I only use this site when I need some advice about a problem I have (wheels aside) and although I am not likely to find myself in this situation again, I will in the future double check what EVERYONE tells me, no matter how much of an expert they claim or appear to be!

Post by **Rozzo** » 07 Mar 2007, 18:27

sorry to hear you got ill advised m8 but very glad you got it sorted. i'm new to t25's also and have been doing a lot of reading around here and the brickyard. i've come to the conclusion that baxter is a very straight talking bloke who tells it how it is wether it makes you happy or not. i wish everyone was so honest as things would be much simpler.