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Old 10-08-2013, 08:42 PM   #28 (permalink)
spacemanspif
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dirty Jersey
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The New Focus - '07 Ford Focus ZX5
90 day: 32.44 mpg (US)
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I made some random progress today. Its been about 2 months since I've bought pizza pans but couldn't figure out how I wanted to mount them. I wanted to try and use the plastic lug nut covers that GM loved so much in the 90s and my plan was to drill the center and use riv-nuts. Well I had to order riv-nuts and didn't know if they'd work so I sought out a different solution and found it in metal drywall anchors. They have 4 slits in them and when you tighten the bolt the housing collapses and there are 4 "arms" that anchor it. The original plan was to use the supplied bolts and run them through the pan but I had trouble lining hem up so I flipped them around to be used as studs, found some nuts, and popped on my prototype. Picture attached below. Sorry for the mediocre pic, it was taken with my phone.

Issues I've considered at this point are
1) I marked the spots for the bolts on the pan not quite centered so the pan is not centered on the wheel.
2.1) No need for the anchors if I'm going to use a bolt through the back.
2.2) How to keep the bolt from spinning when it comes time to back off the nuts? Glue?
3) Used a jam nut to make sure the first one did not back off, probably use lock nuts on next version.

Anything else I should consider with making these? I have only done 1 to test the system and because I only have 1 wheel that doesn't have weights on the outside. Once I'm happy with the design I'll have the wheels rebalanced and make more.

Its hard to drill the plastic caps dead center and I think I need to do a better job of marking the pan to drill the holes. I'll probably drill the pan holes larger than needed and use large fender washers to compensate.

Anyone have any thoughts on how to do things better??
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2007 Ford Focus ZX5 - 91k - SGII, pending upper and lower grill bocks - auto trans
1987 Monte Carlo SS - 5.3/4L80E swap - 13.67 @ 106
2007 Ford Focus Estate - 230k - 33mpg - Retired 4/2018
1995 Saturn SL2 - 256K miles - 44mpg - Retired 9/2014

Cost to Operate Spreadsheet for "The New Focus"

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