Wheel Stud Extensions?

[EURO M3 CSL]

Hey guys, plan on upgrading the wheels on my stock 75'530i. Seeing how the stock studs are really small, is there any aftermarket longer replacement studs I can use? I just want to fit maybe newer style 5 series rims. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks

Maybe some1 could post a link to where these replacement studs can be found?

[wkohler]

If you want to use stock BMW wheels without spacers, you shouldn't need to change lug bolts. That said, if you feel the need to, I'm sure it wouldn't be too expensive to come up with twenty.

[Mike W.]

Early E12s, along with Bavs, used lug studs, not bolts. Now many wheels are available that use stock bolts, so they should use stock studs too, but I'm not aware of any longer studs. There might be, but I don't know where to find them. When I replaced the stock steel wheels on a Bav I had way back when with alloys, I did need different nuts as the nuts didn't really fit the alloys well. But the studs themselves weren't a problem.

[Pierre]

Hey guys, plan on upgrading the wheels on my stock 75'530i. Seeing how the stock studs are really small, is there any aftermarket longer replacement studs I can use? I just want to fit maybe newer style 5 series rims. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks

Maybe some1 could post a link to where these replacement studs can be found?

Most BMW wheels will fit your E12. I installed a set of 7 series 16X8 wheels on my 76 and they fir fine.
However, some after market wheels need longer studs. On cars with lug bolts, it's easy. You get longer bolts. On the 75-76 E12 with studs, you have 2 options.
1. Replace the studs with longer ones. Ireland Engineering has them.
2. Replace the whole struts from a later E12. You get lug bolts instead of studs, vented disk brakes and the availability of shocks that actually fit.
Of course, if you swap the front struts, you have to do the back too in order to match.

If you decide the get longer studs, swapping them is not a simple job. You have to take the hub out and drive the studs out of the hub. They are press fitted. Furthermore, watch the length of the studs. If you get a wheel with a center cap that covers the studs, and your studs protrude too far out, you may not be able to get the cap on. Longer studs come in multiple lengths. The ones Ireland has are very long, designed for race applications. And they are not cheap at $8 or $9 EACH. You need 20.

I parted out an 81 E12 and will end up swapping my struts and control arms to the later style. I have a set of BBS open lug wheels I want to put on and they need longer studs. I have longer bolts. They will work on the later cars, and soon, on my 76 too.

Good luck.