# DIY three piece wheel assembly / installation bbs, fikse, ccw, kinesis, etc



## Thatcher (Nov 22, 2001)

Step 1: Make sure all surfaces are clean and free of any old silicone before mating them together. To strip silicone, you first use a razor blade, then a wire brush attachment on a cordless drill or drill press. There are other methods of stripping old silicone, feel free to get creative. 

Step 2: Assemble the wheel. With most three piece wheels, you mate the outer lip and inner barrel together first, then drop the center in from the backside or front side, line up the hardware holes, and put in the hardware by hand. 

Step 3: Torque down the hardware (you may also choose to torque down the hardware at the very end, this helps with not having a bubble form in the silicone). With Fikse and Kinesis wheels, which use relatively small, M6 hardware, torque spec is around 15 ft lbs (14 ft lbs for fikse, 15 for kinesis). Do not over-torque. With wheels that use larger M8 hardware, torque spec is usually around 18 ft lbs. Torque in a _*star pattern*_, rather than just one after another in a row. _Do not use a cheap, autozone style torque wrench. Borrow a good torque wrench from a friend if you have to. _ 










Step 4: Lightly scuff up the mating surfaces of the outer lip and inner barrel with scotch-brite or light sandpaper. 










Step 5: Clean the mating surfaces with some rubbing alcohol on a rag, or surface prep. 










Step 6 (optional): Mask off the mating surfaces so that you'll end up with a clean silicone line on the barrel and the lip. 



















Step 7: Seal with a non-acid curing, adhesive RTV silicone. Slowly lay down an even bead all the way around, with the angled cut tip of the tube facing down. 

**Note: I buy this stuff by the case, so if any of you guys need a tube of it, just email me. [email protected] ** 










Step 8: Carefully smooth the bead with your finger, applying just the right amount of pressure so that it correctly seals the mating surfaces; you want a smooth, even amount of silicone. _Make sure you don't have a bubble in the silicone. Often times, a bubble forms because the trapped air has nowhere to go. One way to combat this problem is to not torque down the hardware until after the wheels are sealed & cured. If a bubble forms, just pop it with a razor blade or something sharp laying around, and smooth back over it with your finger. _ 

Step 9: Remove masking tape before the silicone cures. 










Step 10: Allow at least 24 hours of cure time before mounting a tire.


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## PSU (May 15, 2004)

Good stuff dude! 

Those five spokes are sick.


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## 98DUB (Feb 21, 2003)

Nice thatcher, you have any wheels for sale right now?


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## Ervinmudkips (Aug 10, 2010)

those fikse's are sexy :thumbup:


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## Thatcher (Nov 22, 2001)

Thanks all



98DUB said:


> Nice thatcher, you have any wheels for sale right now?


Currently I've got some nice 5x120 17" and 18" options (Kinesis Supercups and DP Motorsport Cup wheels), and 5x114.3" 17" sets (DP motorsport Amp). A couple other random sets as well.


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## Teutonic turbo (Mar 13, 2004)

Great post, Thatcher. I will be in touch when it finally comes time to assemble my Fikse wheels. 
By the way, what color are the centers painted/powdercoated? They look fantastic.


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## RIP EP3 (Sep 2, 2005)

Good stuff. Thanks for the write up. This answered all my wheel sealing questions. :beer:


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## Thatcher (Nov 22, 2001)

Teutonic turbo said:


> Great post, Thatcher. I will be in touch when it finally comes time to assemble my Fikse wheels.
> By the way, what color are the centers painted/powdercoated? They look fantastic.


Hey - It's a medium grey powdercoat finish sourced by Jr at Motorsport-Tech. Powdercoating is really not the way to go on aluminum 3 piece wheel centers though, I don't recommend it! You should always go with a painted or anodized finish when it comes to 3 piece wheels.


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## ninohale (Jun 9, 2010)

Nice write up!!


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## 87vr6 (Jan 17, 2002)

Thatcher said:


> Powdercoating is really not the way to go on aluminum 3 piece wheel centers though, I don't recommend it! You should always go with a painted or anodized finish when it comes to 3 piece wheels.


Why do you say that?


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## Thatcher (Nov 22, 2001)

87vr6 said:


> Why do you say that?


Two reasons: 

1. When you powdercoat a wheel center, it increases the diameter of the center, and when you're dealing with a wheel like Fikse wheels, where the shells (inners and outers) are JUST big enough to slip over the center diameter, the center will no longer fit correctly. The wheels will literally make a creaking noise because of the increased diameter. 

2. Powdercoating makes the wheel center heat up faster under heavy braking, and the center will stay hot longer, thus making it more susceptible to cracking (especially a forged center).


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## msheehan (Jan 28, 2011)

what type of loctite do you recommend using?


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## Thatcher (Nov 22, 2001)

If you do choose to use Loctite, i'd recommend the *blue 242*


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## eurotrsh (Dec 25, 2004)

Thatcher is full of good info! I got my K58's split today, can't wait for those lips to show up!


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## Bullitt_TDI (Dec 12, 2006)

Thatcher said:


> Two reasons:
> 
> 1. When you powdercoat a wheel center, it increases the diameter of the center, and when you're dealing with a wheel like Fikse wheels, where the shells (inners and outers) are JUST big enough to slip over the center diameter, the center will no longer fit correctly. The wheels will literally make a creaking noise because of the increased diameter.
> 
> 2. Powdercoating makes the wheel center heat up faster under heavy braking, and the center will stay hot longer, thus making it more susceptible to cracking (especially a forged center).


and baking the wheels might effect the metal characteristics of the wheel.


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## ninohale (Jun 9, 2010)

Bullitt_TDI said:


> and baking the wheels might effect the metal characteristics of the wheel.


I guess I will find out... My faces are currently being powdered as we speak. I will post up what comes of it when its all said and done :fingerscrossed:

opcorn:


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## white pepper (Aug 20, 2001)

those FM5s :heart:

great info. :thumbup:


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## DoctorDoctor (Oct 18, 2006)

The color of those centers are absolutely on point! :beer::beer::beer:


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## alankitzmiller (Apr 14, 2009)

is it not necessary to lay down any silicone in between the lip/barrel/face before putting them together? I would assume it would try and squeeze through the rim screw holes if you did


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## Thatcher (Nov 22, 2001)

Definitely not necessary to do that. Just creates a headache.


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## eurotrsh (Dec 25, 2004)

What about on sandwich mount wheels? I'm going to be putting girl's Equips back together soon.


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## Thatcher (Nov 22, 2001)

What about them? Usually with a sandwich mount, you just lay two beads of silicone


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## alankitzmiller (Apr 14, 2009)

Thatcher said:


> Definitely not necessary to do that. Just creates a headache.


okay cool. someone said I should with my futuras since they are reverse mounted but I don't think I will now


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## eurotrsh (Dec 25, 2004)

Thatcher said:


> What about them? Usually with a sandwich mount, you just lay two beads of silicone


So no silicone between the mating surfaces?


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## Thatcher (Nov 22, 2001)

None


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## vwmk2vr6s (Aug 19, 2007)

How much for a tube? Will one tube do 4 wheels?


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