I've got 4 x steel rims on my 940 wagon at present, and one wheel is a bit bent and beaten up, so I've elected to change over to a set of Volvo alloys off a 1996 wagon, that I got from a friend at a very reasonable price.

The rims are 15 inch alloys, 6J x 15 x 25, Volvo part 1329603, and I'm fitting standard 196/65 R15 tyres to these. (Dunlops specially formulated for the noisy / rough NZ road surface)

The tyre place fitted two new tyres to the first pair of rims, but balked at fitting these using the nuts that came with my steel rims, claiming that the alloy wheels should have a different sort of nut.

I rang the Volvo dealer, who went away and checked, and said that yes, there was a different nut listed - available on indent only, and NZ$15 (circa US$10) EACH !! Thats NZ$300 (US$200) for 20 nuts, and worth far more than the rims.

Naturally I went to the local car wrecker to look for a more affordable option, but Volvos aren't too common in little old Christchurch NZ, so I didn't have a lot of choice. A 1991 940 had a different style of alloy rim fitted, but was using the standard wheel nuts. A mid 80s 760 had some Volvo alloys fitted (yet another style) and these also appeared to use the standard nuts (as per my steel rims). The cars at the wreckers were all pretty messed around though, and no way could I be 100% confident that what was fitted was actually the correct thing.

The tyre shop guy postulated that maybe some of the crowds that sell fancy wheels and car aftermarket bits might have wheel nuts to suit, but I'm reluctant to go down this road until I know more. Why should a special nut be required ?

Close inspection of my alloy rims appears to indicate that where the wheel nut bolts down is a actually a steel (?) insert cast into the rim, and the hole in this appears to have a taper very similar to the taper on my steel rims.

Anyone care to comment as to whether a special nut is required or if my steel rim wheel nuts will do the job. If there is a special nut required, if someone could point me to a picture of what it looks like, or post a picture to the gallery, it would be appreciated.


John Marshall
1994 940GL wagon, 162,000km
Christchurch NZ