I've got a few nasty curb rashes on mine.

I was looking online on how to repair them when I saw someone on eBay selling a set of four that 'look' identical to mine. They're for a focus MK1 with same tyre size and look great, even with good tyres and 100% positive reviews, so I bought them.

Assuming they are the same, is it just a case of swapping them over, or is it very important to get them balanced and re-aligned etc?

If so, can I take my car to say Kwik-Fit and just ask them to swap all the wheels over with the ones in the boot?

What is the best course of action?

Thanks very much and hope you can help.

Hi,

You can just swap them straight over.  Can even do it yourself using the emergency jack to save a few quid.

If the tyres are fairly new then the wheels should still be in balance.  If they're half worn, or you can see any uneven wear, then it would be worth having the balance checked before fitting them.  If they're not balanced, you'll know as soon as you get some speed up as the steering wheel will shake.

Wheel alignment is an adjustment made to the car, not the wheels.  If your old wheels are aligned fine, the new ones will be as well.

Is your 2005 Focus a Mk1 or Mk2?

just hoping you’ve not got yourself a set of wheels with a different number of mounting studs 😬

 

Same number, it was an impulse buy but luckily they look identical, albeit I haven't swapped any over yet.

Do I use my nuts or the nuts that came with the wheels?

I would've thought mine, in fact, is it important to use the same nut for each stud or it doesn't really matter?

The nuts that came with the wheels, I would expect to be the correct ones.

If the wheels are identical, the nuts should also be identical on a Mk1.  If the nuts are different then use the ones that came with the wheels, as above.  Doesn't matter which stud they go back on.  That's only for precise critical bolts like cylinder head bolts.  Wheel nuts have a fairly wide working range, though it's still best to try and get them all roughly the same tightness to prevent warping the hub.  Ideally would use a torque wrench but that's not realistic for an occasional DIY'er.