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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / June 2006substuting improper lug nuts
An elderly woman asked me to fix up her one ton Dodge (1972) van for the road. The previous mechanic insists that the use of lug nuts used for mag rims (very long shanks, designed to clamp to the outside of a mag rim with DEEP holes) is 'ok' for steel rims with shallow holes. I spent more time arguing with this guy than working on the damn car. As he is a friend, and otherwise ok as a neighbor - I want some input on this. It is my contention that the use of the mag rim nuts are a dangerous substitution and they should all be replaced. He insists that the 'parts guy' looked up the lug nuts and they are 'oem' even though every other Dodge on the place with steel rims has the short lugs that seat properly into the champfers provided, as designed. Also this - providing I am correct - should serve as a heads up for those tempted to use just any old lug nut even if it does 'look a little weird'. please reply via email. > An elderly woman asked me to fix up her one ton Dodge (1972) van for > the road. The previous mechanic insists that the use of lug nuts used [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > little weird'. > please reply via email. A next-door neighbor of mine once had an '86 Nissan Pulsar NX. At some point, somebody had put some 60-degree lug nuts on wheels that had a 45- degree chamfer. He came to me saying his wheels kept coming loose on him. Since he was desperate to get them tightened to go somewhere right away, I tried to torque them down for him (against my better judgement). I got 80 ft lbs, but they felt really weird going down. And they came loose again anyway. He finally agreed to go get some cheap 45-degree lug nuts from the parts place. I installed those and the problem went away. Use the right nuts! They're NOT all the same.  SignatureTeGGeR® > An elderly woman asked me to fix up her one ton Dodge (1972) van for > the road. The previous mechanic insists that the use of lug nuts used > for mag rims (very long shanks, designed to clamp to the outside of a > mag rim with DEEP holes) is 'ok' for steel rims with shallow holes. I should point out here that the OEM mag lug nuts I've seen *also* have a regular taper on them, just like the ones for steel wheels. This is for use with the space-saver spare, which is steel and has the usual tapers any steel wheel has. SignatureTeGGeR® TeGGeR® <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in article <Xns97E8504D8DB16tegger@207.14.116.130>... > > An elderly woman asked me to fix up her one ton Dodge (1972) van for > > the road. The previous mechanic insists that the use of lug nuts used > > for mag rims (very long shanks, designed to clamp to the outside of a > > mag rim with DEEP holes) is 'ok' for steel rims with shallow holes. > > I should point out here that the OEM mag lug nuts I've seen *also* have a > regular taper on them, just like the ones for steel wheels. This is for use > with the space-saver spare, which is steel and has the usual tapers any > steel wheel has. Sign on SpaceSaver Spare usually reads..... Max: 50 m.p.h. Max: 50 miles If she's only going to drive 50 miles at speeds less than 50 mph with mag wheel lugnuts holding the steel wheels on, she should be okay. Compare the load-bearing tapered surfaces of the two. The lug nuts designed for mag wheels has a minimal tapered surface. > Sign on SpaceSaver Spare usually reads..... > > Max: 50 m.p.h. Max: 50 miles I think that has to do with the rubber, not the lug nuts. > If she's only going to drive 50 miles at speeds less than 50 mph with > mag wheel lugnuts holding the steel wheels on, she should be okay. > > Compare the load-bearing tapered surfaces of the two. The lug nuts > designed for mag wheels has a minimal tapered surface. Then why do I see so many people up here using their mag lug nuts to hold their snow tires on? Snows are usually installed on steel wheels and are on all winter. The lug nuts for our old '86 Toyota MR2 had tapers that were identical to those on a regular lug nut, but the aluminum wheels were held on by flats on the backs of the nuts. SignatureTeGGeR® TeGGeR® <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in article <Xns97E86EC16B268tegger@207.14.116.130>... > > Sign on SpaceSaver Spare usually reads..... > > > > Max: 50 m.p.h. Max: 50 miles > > I think that has to do with the rubber, not the lug nuts. But, the lugs will also hold for the brief period of time that the wheel is expected to be used. > > If she's only going to drive 50 miles at speeds less than 50 mph with > > mag wheel lugnuts holding the steel wheels on, she should be okay. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Then why do I see so many people up here using their mag lug nuts to hold > their snow tires on? You must have the monopoly on idiots "up there." There are an unlimited number of things that "people" do that are wrong, even dangerous, yet the proverb about God protecting idiots and drunks rings true. > Snows are usually installed on steel wheels and are on > all winter. No arguing with your logic...... If enough people do the wrong thing, then it MUST be right! > TeGGeR® <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in article > <Xns97E86EC16B268tegger@207.14.116.130>... >> Then why do I see so many people up here using their mag lug nuts to >> hold [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > No arguing with your logic...... > If enough people do the wrong thing, then it MUST be right! No logic intended. I just asked a question and made an observation. SignatureTeGGeR® I'm assuming you are running a shop. Out of fear of being sued if something went wrong I would only use lug bolts designed to seat properly in the rims. If the truck owner insists on apparently saving money with those lug nuts then let the swap be done elsewhere. I would not touch it. > jbodden6977@hughes.net wrote: > An elderly woman asked me to fix up her one ton Dodge (1972) van for [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > little weird'. > please reply via email. |
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