From RonStygar_at_aol.com Tue Jan 20 01:13:39 1998

From RonStygar_at_aol.com
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 04:11:55 EST
To: dale_at_unofficialbmw.com
Subject: <E36><E36/5> Hub to Wheel Referencing

BMW, in their repair manual, recommends remounting the tire/wheel assembly in the same relationship to the hub as before removal. They say this will help prevent transformation errors and unbalance problems. They advise turning the wheel so that the valve stem is at the bottom, where it will act as a reference when you remove it. They also advise marking the hub to wheel relationship. This is how I went about doing this on my 328is and 318tis with sport wheels. As always, feel free to do it your way. I assume you know how to safely raise your vehicle and properly remount the tire/wheel assembly. Recommended torque is 100 Nm = ~74 ftlb. I first position the tire/wheel assembly with the valve stem at its low point. I then remove the wheel without disturbing the hub position. Then I position the BMW center logo using a straight edge so that the BMW portion of the logo is directly opposite the valve stem (see photo).

From the back of the wheel I put two small dabs of silicone to keep the logo cap in place, yet easy to remove. This will make all wheels look consistent (another detail, if you show your car), and it gives the wheel a more balanced look. (No pun intended). Then with a prick (center) punch, I put one punch mark on the right front (passenger side) (right/left is always in relation to the pilot sitting in the cockpit) hub just above the 6mm hex Allen bolt keeping it within the circle of the wheel recess directly opposite the Allen bolt on the wheel. I then put one punch in the wheel recess area corresponding to this location. This keeps the punches out of the wheel/hub contact area. I continue with the right rear equal two punches, left rear wheel equal three punches etc. This lets you keep track of where the wheel goes, and is handy when exchanging the front and rear snows every Fall as well as the summer wheels every Spring. When your done, position any wheel so its valve stem is at its low point. The center logo should be properly positioned with the BMW lettering at the top. What you've done by positioning the center logo this way is establish a relationship of the logo to the wheel bolts. The M is the top bolt, the B is the top left bolt etc. Now if you would also like to keep the bolts where they came from, it is easy to do, regardless of the wheel position.

RonStygar_at_aol.com, FLI BMW, FLY BMW, BMWCCA 15924