Wheel Bolts

Hello,

I have a US September 1988 328S NON ABS car with the ABS looking wheels. I need new wheel bolts. Where is the best place to source them.
Any info welcomed.

Thanks,
J
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We offer the Hill Engineering bolts at Ricambi America: SLWB01

At the bottom of the page, there is a drop-down selection where you can chose the specific bolt size/application needed.

 

Can you re-chrome them?

 

Just purchased a set from Ricambi for my 308, as mine were getting a bit rusty after 36 years.

 

Thanks Guys,
Having them looked at for re-chrome tomorrow. If to pitted, Ricambi, who is always good.

J

 

I'd think the Hill Engineering bolts from Ricambi would be less expensive than re-chroming AND better quality.

 

agree with rechrome.

 

The Wheel bolts on my '89 328 GTB were pitted when I bought the car 12 years ago; bought a set of rechromed original bolts on E-Bay U.K one Sunday morning for $ 200, postage included...then had the original set of bolts rechromed, which was not that difficult as I'm in a region where steel industry and its ancillaries were traditional. The full set was re-chromed for $ 200, a job well done even if the threads themselves were also rechromed in the process, which I would have prefered not to. The set from E-Bay U.K put on the car 10 years ago is still perfect.

Had to order a new original front bolt for the GTS three years ago, oddly for an OEM part, its head is slighty longer than those on the car, something like 2 mm; you have to know it to notice...

Rgds

 

Yes

 

I had my Dino bolts very similar to the 308s rechromed a few years ago. They looked funny and a little off since the shop had to grind them before chroming them.

 

Should you re-chrome them?
No, probably not.

I'm an enthusiast of re-plating stuff and I like shiny stuff. But I would replace the wheel bolts with new. There are several sources and prices vary widely. As nerofer mentioned he paid the same for a set as it cost to re-chrome.

 

Hello,
Thanks for all the input. I spoke with a local plating guy who I have used before. He wants to see the bolts and is confident his plating is better than any OEM (I am still interested in Hill). Also, the threads will NOT be plated. Has anyone thought of a satin finish, seeing that the wheel bolts are the only piece of chrome on the car.
Thanks,
J

 

As long as you don’t care about being 100% original in appearance, I think satin finish bolts against the painted wheels would actually be a great look.

 

Any specific reason? Do you feel that the re chroming process compromises the bolts in some way?

 

Or metal fatigue perhaps??

 

Buy new bolts from Ricambi! The Hill Engineering bolts are identical in dimension to original and are made to a much higher standard. If you have your existing bolts re-chromed you will still have decades old bolts and you will end up spending close to the cost of a replacement set to get a good job done. In addition if the chrome shop does not properly handle the issue of hydrogen embritllement during the chroming process, you run the risk of having your bolts break. In the long run you don't save anything by trying to re-use the original bolts.

 

seems like the hydrogen embitterment debate has two sides.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/re-chroming-wheel-bolts.135645/

 

Wheel bolts often get abused. So many people think that proper torque is their body weight on the end of whatever the longest lever they can find. I don't have an issue with chroming, and I don't have an issue with a bolt just because it is 40 years old. Probably they are fine, but if I'm going to put almost the same money as new, and there's nothing special about the original parts, then I'm going to go with new. There are certainly parts I would put money into refinishing and restoring, this just happens to not currently be one of them.

 

makes sense

 

Current price for HE bolts is $19 each so $380 plus shipping for a set so I don’t think the cost comparison to rechroming is as close as suggested. New might still be the right decision just the cost is not close to being a wash.


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Don’t forget that once you buy a new set of bolts you will be left with a set of ‘OEM Ferrari bolts’ to sell which there is always a customer for. The extra money from the sale will easily put you ahead.

 

Good point!!!!


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DON'T sell them. Keep them for when you sell the CAR. Many folks looking to buy one of these cars see it as "more valuable" if everything is original or, if not, that you have all the original parts to go with the car.

 

All good info, I am now leaning towards new.
Thanks Guys.
J

 

I had all mine re chromed for a cost of $160 Australian, Came out great