Matched on the hub
A pretty cap on the wrong bolt is still a loose wheel. Taper, radius and mag seats are not interchangeable. If you are unsure, bring the wheel or the car to Grattan Quay. We will not sell a spacer or a bolt from a photo of a logo.
- Wheel bolts and nuts, including OEM-style seats
- Locking nuts and keys
- Centre caps and valve kits
- Hub-centric spacers when the offset actually needs them
Bolt seats: taper, radius and mag
The seat is the bit that actually holds the wheel. A 60-degree taper is not a radius (ball) seat. A mag seat is a different shape again. Thread pitch and length have to match the hub, not just “look close enough”.
Too short and the wheel is not on. Too long and it bottoms in the hub before it clamps. Bring the old bolt if you have it. A photo of the wheel face is not enough.
| Seat | Typical use | Do not mix with |
|---|---|---|
| Taper (conical) | Most aftermarket alloys | Radius or mag |
| Radius (ball) | Many OEM steel and some OEM alloys | Aftermarket taper kits |
| Mag / flat washer | Older mag-style wheels | A taper bolt “because it went in” |
Locking nuts
Locking nuts only work if the key is in the glovebox and the thread matches. We keep common patterns for the cars we fit. If you lost the key, say so. Drilling a lock off is a last resort, not a five-minute job on a Saturday.
A lock that is the wrong seat is as dangerous as an ordinary bolt that is the wrong seat. Pretty packaging does not change that.
Hub-centric spacers, and when we refuse
Spacers exist to correct offset, not to make an arch look wider for Instagram. They must be hub-centric, the right thickness, and used with bolts or studs that are long enough for the extra stack.
We will refuse a spacer that puts the tyre into the arch liner, overloads the hub, or turns a hub-centric wheel into a lug-centric guess. If the offset on the wheel is already wrong, the honest answer is a different wheel, not 20 mm of alloy.
Valves, caps and TPMS
Rubber snap-in valves are fine on many passenger wheels. High-speed or TPMS wheels often need a clamp-in valve or a sensor in the valve stem. A cheap cap that seizes on a sensor is a future bill.
If the TPMS light is on, that is a sensor conversation, not a new plastic cap. See the TPMS page if the dashboard is the problem.
How to enquire
This is a workshop job, not a motor-factor counter and not a shop checkout. Send an enquiry with the car and what you need. We confirm what actually matches. You pay at the counter.
- Tell us the car, the wheel, and whether you need bolts, locks, caps or spacers.
- We match them at Grattan Quay on the hub, not from a catalogue guess.
- Fitted or collected. Paid in the workshop.
What to have ready
- The car or the wheel if you can
- Make, model and year
- What is missing: bolts, locks, caps, spacers
Need this done?
Make an enquiry and we call you back. You do not pay labour online. Where: Grattan Quay.