Lug nutz

[7plymaple]

Im looking for a new set of lug nuts. Ive got all new studs on my car but no lug nuts right now. Ive done arround 150 wheel changes in the last 10 years without stripping the threads of my origional studs and lug nuts. I always stuck with the stock lugs because I noticed they had a nice close fit compared to a set that came with some rims I bought back in the day.

So I went to the dealer yesterday and its going to be like $65 for a new set of stock lug nuts. Does anyone else care about the clearance in their lug nuts enough to have taken note of wich aftermarket brands fit a bit tighter?

[darcyw]

i had the same issue as you last year. so in the off season i scoured ebay and looked for a set of once used take off lugs for my civic...20 bucks for 20 of 'em. OEM was $7/lug.

good luck
darcy

[Marsh]

I've had good luck with the $1.25/nut cheapies that my local rice shop carries. I've also seen them cheap at Walmart.

McGard makes regular lugs nuts of good quality. A quick google search found them for $32 for 16.

That said, I've never had any problem with any lug nut EXCEPT the garbage thin walled ones that Tire Rack ships with new wheels. I wouldn't use those to hold down a spare.

[Curt B]

I'm ordering new wheels from Tirerack and was pleased to see that they include the lug nuts at no extra charge.... maybe that's why. You get what you pay for.:(

[7plymaple]

Thanks guys Im probably going to check out ebay for some oem stuff. I dont want anything fancy.

Curt you do get what you pay for with the lugs. I noticed the lugs rim shops include with their rims definitely dont have as much thread engagement. It puts all the force on less area. And the threads start to eat themselves sooner if your changing wheels all the time. Spin them all the way on and jiggle them and youll see the difference compared to stock. I tried a brand new set of free bees but never ended up putting a wrench on them because they spun on so loosely.

[Burnsey]

[QUOTE=7plymaple;163036]Thanks guys Im probably going to check out ebay for some oem stuff. I dont want anything fancy.
[\QUOTE]

I'm also looking for new set of nuts....

Oh...uh...wait...:o that didn't sound right :p

Seriously though ;) - Simon if you could post up if you find anything, I have two lugs on my Mazda 6 that aren't co-operating at the moment. I only need two, but I'll go for a full set if I have to...

[Cliff96]

Thanks guys Im probably going to check out ebay for some oem stuff. I dont want anything fancy.

Local pick and pull yard?
Some yard's have buckets with lug nuts, others just throw them inside the footwell/trunk when they remove the wheels.

If the mazda stuff is easy enough to ID visually (like the neon/chrysler stuff was) you should be able to pickup a set for free if you are buying something else, they are both OEM and cheap.

[7plymaple]

Local pick and pull yard?
Some yard's have buckets with lug nuts, others just throw them inside the footwell/trunk when they remove the wheels.

If the mazda stuff is easy enough to ID visually (like the neon/chrysler stuff was) you should be able to pickup a set for free if you are buying something else, they are both OEM and cheap.

Not a bad Idea. Im hoping to find something brand new though. Really I figured since the OEM ones cost more than I thought, maybe someone knows of some good aftermarket ones to be had for arround $70.

[BMWWW.]

Not a bad Idea. Im hoping to find something brand new though. Really I figured since the OEM ones cost more than I thought, maybe someone knows of some good aftermarket ones to be had for arround $70.

Are you looking for fancy neo-chrome crap that hardparkers like?

If not, Garage16 on the Torontomazda3's have a solid set of 20 black acorn/tuners/spline for between 35-40$.

-Gabe

[7plymaple]

Hey Gabe,

I dont really care what they look like. Im just hoping to find an alternative to stock thats got a thread diameter thats on the smaller side. Now that I think of it since I am always picking up different used rims It migt be a good idea to get some aftermarket ones that i can use a smaller socket on.

Hey Burnsey Ill let you know if I find a good deal. I did find some on ebay that cost $14 bucks on ebay that look like the ones from the dealer. But for that price I think they migt be made of some crap thats going to pick up all over the threads of my studs.

[wikdslo]

I have a set of aftermarket close ended nuts that are OEM fit for Honda/VW threading.

I bought them to go with my stud conversion but the studs were too long and ended up having to order some CRX nuts from Honda instead.

You can try them out and if they work for you I think I paid about $20. So a reasonable offer won't be refused. Presently sitting at work in a bag collecting dust.

[7plymaple]

Thanks. But Im just going to bite the bullet and get some aftermarket ones. I think Im just a bit anal about fits from work lol. Seems like no one else realy cares about the thread clearance. I was expecting people on here to have preffered brands based on that. Its definitely something to think about when buying lugs though.

[Cap'n Pete]

I wasn't overly impressed with the quality of the McGaurd (sp?) sold at Crappy Tire ... like you say, their fit/feel on the lug just wasn't very confidence inspiring (and I had a couple that actually began to strip out too easily and prematurely, IMO).

I priced some at GM, and choked on the ~$10/per price! :eek:

However, I went into a local NAPA, and got OEM style replacements (the quality seems excellent, and they have the outside threads as well for screwing on the plastic covers) and I think they were around ~$3/per. ... ok, so they're still a little pricey, but at least WAY better than going to GM, and the quality was still there :cool:.

[jonweir]

Please make sure you are matching the nut seat profile to the wheels. On Hondas, the stock seat is a ball shape. Aftermarket wheels have a straight taper. You cannot interchange these without damaging your wheels and nuts.
If you have OE wheels, I recommend OE nuts.

For aftermarket wheels, I have tried quite a few brands. So far, I've gotten what I paid for. The cheap ones at tire shops don't have accurate threads, and their finish is poor.
Al nuts are super light, but will wear faster and will lose torque - they must be checked often.
I am using Project Kics R40 composite nuts now and I love them. They weren't cheap, but I'm totally satisfied. I've never experienced torque relaxation on the track, and they go on great. I especially like the integrated sliding washer on the seat.
http://www.mackinindustries.com/wm/kics/racingnutcomposi.html

[Marsh]

Al nuts are super light, but will wear faster and will lose torque - they must be checked often.
http://www.mackinindustries.com/wm/kics/racingnutcomposi.html

I'm running Al nuts on the street for a year and a half and I've never had them loose torque once. They do show their age though.

[Cap'n Pete]

For the few ounces of weight savings, I don't know what the purpose/advantage of running aluminum nuts would be on steel lugs?! :confused: That just sounds like a (chemical) recipe for disaster???? :rolleyes: It's bad enough the corrision that can build up between the aluminum wheels and the steel hub/flange, let alone what might build up in the threads between the dissimilar metals :confused:.

[DJones]

Hey gang, I HIGHLY recommend to stay away from Walmart when it come to lug nuts. I ran the truck for years and changed tires tons of times .One race did exactly that, decided to freshen up some tired looking old lugs , that very weekend I jammed no less than 4 lugs. Two were so bad I had to use a grinder to cut off the nut and replace one of the studs. The studs were fine its like the nut "smeared" onto the stud.
Like they say ,you get what you pay for , and our pride and joys deserve better than $4.99 for 4.:eek: And yes I did buy the right size.

[darcyw]

Hey gang, I HIGHLY recommend to stay away from Walmart when it come to lug nuts. I ran the truck for years and changed tires tons of times .One race did exactly that, decided to freshen up some tired looking old lugs , that very weekend I jammed no less than 4 lugs. Two were so bad I had to use a grinder to cut off the nut and replace one of the studs. The studs were fine its like the nut "smeared" onto the stud.
Like they say ,you get what you pay for , and our pride and joys deserve better than $4.99 for 4.:eek: And yes I did buy the right size.

I also recommend staying away from Walmart brand prophylactics for obvious reasons. hahahaha...um, yeah.

I suppose those cheaper brand lugs are ok for folks who change their tires once every 4-5 years. For us who do it 20-40 times a season, only OEM or better will do.

later
darcy

[smokinfire]

I had the project kicks lug nuts for a very short while on my last car, and they appeared to be excellent quality, but very expensive. My concern would be how do aluminum lug nuts hold up over time. I don't have many options for my 944, but the PCA only allows open ended steel lug nuts for track days...

[Marsh]

For the few ounces of weight savings, I don't know what the purpose/advantage of running aluminum nuts would be on steel lugs?! :confused: That just sounds like a (chemical) recipe for disaster???? :rolleyes: It's bad enough the corrision that can build up between the aluminum wheels and the steel hub/flange, let alone what might build up in the threads between the dissimilar metals :confused:.

You're in the autoslalom forum Pete. We take our wheels off our street cars every weekend.

And there's this really neat new technology you should be made aware of. It's called anti-seize.
http://www.bikernet.com/news/images/PhotoID3032.jpg
It prevents galvanic corrosion.

[DareBee]

I always have used never-seize on the studs too, however, it should be stated that it is AGAINST Ministry of Transportation Regulations (in case you care).

[7plymaple]

I always have used never-seize on the studs too, however, it should be stated that it is AGAINST Ministry of Transportation Regulations (in case you care).

I did the same thing to protect the threads. The friction between the lug and the rim keeps em torqued.

[Gen1GT]

Performance improvements has tuner lugs on for super cheap on their midnight madness sale. Click on Flyer to the left, and scroll down to almost the bottom:

http://www.performanceimprovements.com/

[7plymaple]

Im pretty close to one of those. Ill check em out. Thanks.