Frequently Asked Questions
A: Konig wheels primarily have three types of center caps on the wheels. One type of cap is a push in center cap. The other type of center cap is a covered lug center cap. The final and third type of center cap is referred to as a bolt-on center cap.
For a push in cap it is best to remove those caps from the back of the wheel. If you can’t push them out by hand, using something carefully like the handle of a hammer with a rag around it can often work. Just be careful not to push too hard to avoid damaging the cap.
For a covered lug center cap, there will either be a screw holding it on from the front or there may be a small rectangular recess in the cap along the very edge of it. If there is the screw(s) removing it should help you take off the cap. If there is a small recess a thin rag around a flat head screwdriver should allow you to carefully pry the cap up and away from the wheel. If you’re not sure about what you have or have questions, please contact us for help!
The final type of center cap is a bolt on. You will see this cap mostly on our Flow Formed wheels. There are 3 Allen head screws that remove this cap. The other two screws do not need to be removed as they are part of the cap. The screws that need to be removed are noted below. The easiest way to note these screws is the orientation of the valve hole. We recommend a very small amount of anti-seize is placed on the Allen head screws before installation. If this was done, removing the screws should not be difficult.
A: YES! Just like brakes, certain suspension components, clutches, and tires, wheels are a wearable item. That may be surprising to some, however, wheels are made of metal, not magic. Wheels are the part that connects your tires to the vehicle. They deal with all of the stress that transfers from the road to your vehicle.
Some wear items like brake pads and tires come with a mileage life expectancy. Unlike some of these wear components, wheels do not have that type of life expectancy. Some wheels may last for the life of the car or beyond. Other wheels may show signs of fatigue much sooner. The key here is to routinely inspect your wheels. This applies to ALL WHEELS not only ours.
A good rule of thumb if you use your car for street use only is to inspect your wheels during the recommended tire rotations or if you sustain any harsh impacts, road hazards or tire issues (blowouts, flat tires while driving, etc).
For people that use their wheels for motorsports and more aggressive driving, it is strongly recommended that you inspect your wheels before and after each event. If an impact, collision, extreme lateral maneuver (such as losing control and going off course), or extreme curbing should occur, it is recommended to inspect the wheels as soon as you can safely and certainly after that run. Off-road use places much more stress and strain on your wheels. Furthermore, there are a large number of variables that can affect a wheel’s life and the stress that is placed on a wheel. Things like use, suspension setups, tire size, vehicle weight, etc. Over time from this stress, like any metal, could result in the wheels experiencing fatigue.
Regular inspection will allow you to replace wheels as needed, stay safe, and prevent issues. Off-road use is not a typical use for wheels and is not covered under warranty. Obviously using wheels for this purpose is at your own risk.
A: Great question…first, try our dealer locator. If that doesn’t help, read below…
Our dealer locator only lists DIRECT authorized KONIG Dealers. Just because a dealer may not be listed doesn’t mean there isn’t a dealer in your area that sells KONIG Wheels. Many retail shops have wholesale accounts with larger wheel distributors in their areas which are valid Mamba Distributors. In this case they can ABSOLUTELY get the product from those distributors.
A: Some replacement center caps will be available in our onlineSTORE. You can navigate to it by clicking on “Store” or using the menu above. However for the most part all center caps, which are still available, are available for purchase through any Konig Retailer. If your wheel is discontinued we may no longer produce that cap. We do our best to produce caps for a few years after a wheel is no longer in production. In any event, if we have it or it’s still in production a Konig dealer can get it for you!
A: You can read all about our Warranty Policy here:
A: The short answer is NO. The longer answer is we highly recommend not running center caps in your wheels while racing. For the most part this really holds true for those who are road racing, or experiencing longer duration racing which would cause a build up of heat. Many of our center caps are produced in plastic with a metal locking ring. If you run these types of caps on track, once they heat up from transfer of heat from the heavy braking, they will become unsecured from the wheels. This loss of cap is not a valid warranty claim (especially in the off-road racing use). **If you’re participating through the NASA program, this is explained in the program paperwork you completed and we generally do not include center caps in your orders. **
With all of this said, most of our Flow Formed wheels come with metal caps which are secured onto the wheel with allen screws. These caps, when properly installed, will not come lose with heat. We still recommend that you remove center caps before racing. Your local track or tech may even recommend this to you.
A: We recommend using a spline drive, tuner diameter, conical seat lug nuts / bolts (if applicable). Some of our wheels may be drilled to accept a Acorn sized lug nut however, the spline drive hardware mentioned above will work in both single and dual drilled wheels, it has a smaller diameter that comes with a key which helps prevent scratching on installation, and is a small security measure from theft.
A: No, Konig is a wheel manufacturer and does not produce lug nuts. This is the same as most other wheel manufacturers. There are plenty of hardware manufacturers out there producing quality lug nuts and mounting hardware. We recommend working with your wheel installer or a reputable wheel and tire shop to purchase the correct hardware for your wheels.
A: If you’re looking for replacement lug nuts or need a special key, we recommend returning to the retailer you purchased your wheels from. If you don’t know who that was you may want to visit a reputable wheel and tire shop who can identify your hardware and order replacements.
Konig Wheels only produces wheels for your vehicle. The hardware (lugs) that you may find on your wheels would have been ordered and possibly installed by the dealer or retailer where the purchase was made. Konig wheels does not supply installation hardware with the wheels. With a handful of major lug nut brands available and a bunch more in the marketplace, it would be extremely difficult for us to identify which hardware you have on your vehicle. That is why we strongly recommend that you return to the original place of purchase or a trusted local wheel and tire professional in your area.
A: We always recommend hub-centric rings for an installation.
Most issues related to vibration occur because of the failure to install Hub-centric rings. We do not supply hub-centric rings with the wheels. The installer should ensure they order or have the appropriate hub-centric rings for each individual application. On a few applications especially with BMWs our product may be hub centric. If you are not sure if this pertains to you, you may ask your local Konig retailer!
A: This is always a tricky question to answer without being there in person. For this reason we recommend going to a reputable wheel and tire shop who has the knowledge to work on this for you. In MOST cases, especially on a recent installation, it will be the absence of Hub-centric rings in your wheels. If this is a newer installation, check hub rings first! If you have hub rings you may wish to return to the installer to ensure all wheels are sitting against the hub of your vehicle, are properly torqued, have the correct hardware and are correctly balanced.
A: Soap and warm water.
We recommend the frequent cleaning of your wheels with a non acidic based soap and water. Things from exposure to the elements and even the inevitable brake dust that will get onto wheels can corrode the protective clear coating on the wheels. Brake dust if left on wheels for lengthy amount of time turn acidic and can eat through the protective clear coating. Also we recommend avoiding car washes, and acidic wheel cleaners on your wheels. especially any cleaner they mayTreat your wheels finish like you would treat the finish of your painted, clear coated vehicle and you should have a long and fantastic appearance of your wheels!
A: Living in a harsh climate (such as with harsh winters) and driving on rough surfaces can negatively effect the appearance of your wheels.
This is not the case with only Konig product. This is the case with ALL wheels. Our recommendations to those who must keep their wheels on through harsh weather (i.e. winter) is to clean them FREQUENTLY. Frequency will depend on the amount of use, and exposure however removing the chemicals that cause corrosion to the wheels as soon as possible is the key. The chemicals used on the roads are extremely corrosive and will eat through the protective clear coating on the wheels. That is why removing these chemicals will prolong the finish on your wheels. On rough roads debris and dramatic changes in condition can scratch and begin to degrade the protective clear coating on the wheels. For example loose rocks and sand at speed can certainly scratch and cause nicks in the finish exposing your wheel to the elements. While this is common sense for most, the care you provide in the use of your wheels will be the difference on their appearance for the time you own your wheels.
A: Yes, we always recommend going with a fully painted wheel if you live in poor weather areas and are making the choice to keep them on your car the full year. We recommend putting your stock wheels on during the winter, however a painted wheel tends to hold up better to the corrosive chemicals used to prevent roads from freezing.
A: For more information on that please read more here:BECOMING A KONIG DEALER
A: Knowing if a KONIG wheel is discontinued is an important fact. You can use this information to find out if the wheels you are purchasing from a retailer, or anywhere for that matter, are still current product. Also it can help you to find out if replacement wheels may still be available for your vehicle if needed. If a wheel is not under the CURRENT WHEELS tab then the wheel is discontinued or exclusive. You can use the DISCONTINUED WHEELS tab to look and ID a previous Konig Wheels. If you do not see your wheels anywhere on the site, you can always send us a picture to mail@konigwheels.com or message us on our Facebook page (konigwheelsusa) to identify it for you.
A: 99.9% of all bent or damaged wheels come from a significant road hazard or impact. Wheels are made of metal not magic. While its always frustrating, a significant impact to a wheel can cause it to bend or become significantly damaged. We build our wheels to exceed industry standards and safety is always our number one concern with any wheel development. After such an impact we recommend inspecting the wheel and then bringing it to a local wheel and tire shop to have it inspected for safety.
A: There are some things you can do to try and prevent damaged / bent wheels. One of the major things is to ensure proper air pressure in your tires. The amount of air (psi) should go according to the vehicle manufacturer and the tire manufacturer. Basically a bent wheel indicates a significant impact. The absence of proper air pressure with enough of a road hazard could cause a wheel to become damaged as the “cushion” that proper air pressure creates is not there to protect the wheel.
One of the other things that you should constantly do is ensure you are continually scanning the road for road debris and pot holes. The final obvious tip we have for you is to regularly check the proper torque of the mounting hardware of your wheels. This is especially true with in 50 miles of installation and after anytime your vehicle has been serviced where a wheel might have been removed / installed. This will help you spot issues before they can cause you catastrophic problems.