Wheel Fitting

Official Installation Guide: Wheels & Tyres

Are you planning to install your new alloy wheels yourself? Then read these instructions carefully. Here, the experts at Wheels 'N Customs explain exactly how to fit wheels to your car safely, without vibrations and without damage.

▵ Important: Test fitting before Tyre Mounting!

Have you ordered loose wheels from us (without tyres)? Always trial-fit the bare wheels on both the front and rear axle of the car first. Check that the wheel runs 100% clear of the brake calliper and shock absorber while rotating. Once a tyre has been mounted on the wheel, we can no longer accept the wheel for return or exchange! Are you ordering a complete set (wheels + tyres)? Then the expected fitment has been checked in advance by our specialists, or personally coordinated with you in case of non-standard sizes.

The 5-step plan for a successful installation

Unboxing, Inspection & Test Fit

Always unpack the wheels on a soft surface (such as a piece of cardboard or a cloth) to prevent scratches on the visible face. Check the delivery for any transport damage. Use a trolley jack to safely lift your vehicle (use axle stands!) and place one bare wheel on the front axle and one on the rear axle. Make sure everything lines up neatly and without interference.

Remove Rust & Clean the Wheel Hub

This step is often skipped, but it is crucial to prevent vibrations! Brush the rust and dirt off the wheel hub (the part of the car the wheel sits against) with a wire brush. Ensure a perfectly flat and clean mating surface. Optionally apply a tiny layer of ceramic grease or copper grease to the centre bore (beware of the ABS sensors).

Fit Hub-Centric Rings (If Needed)

Have hub-centric rings been supplied? This means the wheel’s centre bore is slightly larger than your car’s hub. Click the plastic or aluminium hub-centric ring into the back of the wheel. Without this ring, the wheel centres on the wheel bolts, which will definitely cause severe steering wheel vibrations on the motorway.

Check Bolts or Nuts

Use only the supplied or original hardware with the correct seat (Conical = tapered or Ball seat = rounded). Never use the wheel bolts from steel wheels in alloy wheels unless the manufacturer explicitly allows it. First tighten all wheel bolts or nuts at least 5 full turns by hand. This prevents damaging the thread (cross-threading).

Tighten in a Criss-Cross Pattern (Torque Wrench)

Never use a pneumatic or electric impact wrench for the final installation! Tighten the wheels diagonally (criss-cross) with a calibrated torque wrench according to the factory specifications. Important: after 50 to 100 kilometres of driving you must re-torque all wheels with the torque wrench, because the metal can ‘settle’ due to driving heat.

Guidelines for Torque Settings (Nm)

Not sure exactly how tight your wheel bolts or nuts should be? Although ideally you should always consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual, the following safe ranges are generally used in the automotive industry when using a torque wrench:

Bolt / Nut size	Torque for Alloy	Torque for Steel Wheels
M12 (e.g. M12x1.5 or M12x1.25)	110 - 120 Nm	100 - 110 Nm
M14 (e.g. M14x1.5 or M14x1.25)	130 - 140 Nm	120 - 130 Nm
Large SUV / Vans (e.g. M14 size)	150 - 170 Nm	150 - 170 Nm

Additional Maintenance & Safety Tips

Tyre change with TPMS: Does your car have an active tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS)? Don’t forget to ‘reset’ or ‘calibrate’ the tyre pressures in the car’s onboard menu after installation.
Cleaning: For the first few weeks, wash new wheels only with car shampoo and plenty of water. Never use aggressive or acid-based wheel cleaners on polished (Diamond Cut) or chrome wheels; they will attack the clear coat.
Locking bolts: Always use any anti-theft locking bolts last per wheel when tightening, and first when loosening. Never use an impact wrench on these; the teeth can break off!

Prefer Not to Take Any Risks? Let Us Handle the Installation!

Don’t want to mount your new wheels or tyres yourself on the jack, but hand it over to certified professionals instead? In our professional workshop in Nijkerk we mount and balance your wheels safely, without scratches and precisely to the correct Nm values.

View Our Installation Service → Contact Customer Service