Lug Nuts - The definitive guide
 

Lug Nut Types

There are several different types of lug nuts available, depending on the type of wheel you have.

• Ball Seat
• Cone Seat
• Washer (OEM)

Additionally there is a thread pattern / pitch for our lug bolts.

• Size: 12x1.25

---------------------------------------------------------------

Lug Manufacturers

Brands worth shopping

• Blox Racing (Magnesium alloy)
• Drop Engineering
• Muteki (I wouldn’t buy these)
• Project Kics
• Rays / Volk
  • Short - 27mm
  • Standard - 35mm
  • Medium Length - 42mm
• Skunk2
• Titek
• Work
  • RS Lugs (Closed End Alum)
  • RS-R Lugs (Open End Alum)
  • RS-Z Lugs (Open End Steel)

---------------------------------------------------------------

Notes / FAQ

• Some Lugs are counterfeit
• Some Lugs are just too expensive
• Buy from a trusted forum vendor instead of saving a few dollars on eBay.
• If you over torque or use an impact gun on lug nuts be prepared for BROKEN lugs or studs.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Lug Weights

Now that we know that we want lightweight lugs... what ARE the weight savings??

• 370z Washer Lug = 2.69 oz
• Rays 42mm Lug = 0.75 oz

Doing some math gives us the total weight before and after:

• OEM - 53.8 oz
• Rays - 15.0 oz

With the total weight savings coming out to: 38.8 oz or 2.4 pounds.

http://imageshack.us/a/img40/6067/nnh7.jpg

nothing wrong with muteki IMO

I run steel muteki's. Very good quality. Paint don't chip off or lugs rust like some of the others.

i think the general dislike about them are paint chipping because people buy fakes from ebay. people need to buy everything from a reputable source!

how do you know what type of lug nut to use with what wheel?

The shop that currently has my car has put on VMS steel lugs. Ever heard of them?

I wonder what is the best nuts[lighter ones] for O.E.M. wheels.?

Good info :tiphat:

Now if they would just make some good looking aftermarket lugs that are acorn/tapered style. I shouldn't have to purchase new wheels to use the lug nuts I want to use :shakes head:

Nice List

I picked up Project Kics in Titanium. At first I was like why am I paying $200 for lug nuts, but then I'm putting about $5000 in rims and tires on my car...why not.

Also there are reputable sellers on Ebay, you can usually tell just by the price difference and where they are located. Actually Fuzz Nissan and other vendors we like sell on there too.

What about running aluminum lug nuts on steel studs? Another member had to drill out his aluminum lug nuts after they seized onto his steel studs... Is this common?

At least two mechanisms that can cause fasteners to seize - galvanic action between dissimilar metals and dirt on the threads. Clean the threads before installing and don't overtighten. To prevent corrosion/rust, I will sometimes put anti-seize compound (eg, Never-seez) on the threads.

But is the galvanic action an unstoppable result of the two dissimiliar metals? Will the anti-seize cause the lugs to loosen unnecessarily? Is it better to use steel lugs on steel studs? Or is Titanium a better choice/less reaction? Thanks!

Nice summary Sean :tup: you have been repped

How can someone make a high level chemistry comment involving Galvanic process and then make the WORST RECOMMENDATION??

DO NOT put anti-sieze on your lug nuts. Friction is a good thing sometimes. Just wire-brush the bolts before torquing down.

Anti-seize will not cause the nuts to come loose if they are torqued to the proper value. It does provide some lubrication for the threads, so, if you're real picky, you may want to adjust tightening torque. It works great at preventing rust/corrosion/galling (if you are using stainless-on-stainless fasteners, some form of anti-seize is a must to minimize galling) and makes removal much easier.

All but impossible to prevent totally but, with a little care, it can be minimized to the point that it becomes inconsequential.

No. Torque the nuts properly and loosening will not be a problem.

It is best not to mix-and-match materials, but, in The Real World, it doesn't make much difference for this application. Clean the threads well and, if using dissimilar metals, use a little anti-seize. Torque 'em down and you're good to go.

Technically, anti-seize does change things for torque values. I have no idea how much in this particular case, but when you look at specs for *big* nuts (1"+) with torque specs, they're very specific about the conditions under which torque values are measured, and lubrication makes a difference. Even so, I'm not saying the anti-seize will make the nut come loose - it just may change the appropriate torque-wrench measurement value by some small amount.

On the nuts: I've used a few sets of the Muteki on this car (open-ended short ones on extended studs) without any issues, and they've stayed on and unbroken through lots and lots of tire/wheel/brake changes and track weekends. They do seem a little cheaper and thinner than some others (e.g. the Z1 ones, which I've also used successfully and seem a bit more stout), but in my experience they're not unreliable. Then again, I'm also pretty proactive about throwing new studs + lugs on the car about once a year just in case given how often I dismount+remount wheels on this car.

For most fasteners. There is a dry torque spec. and a wet torque spec. The honda common service manual for motorcycles has a excellent chapter on it. ;)
As for using anti-seize on lug nut threads. Use it. It won't hurt. If the nuts are torqued. They won't come off. Just remember to check the lug nuts after about a 100 miles after having installed the tires back on the car. ;)

Not sure how you can have such an informative thread then not mention why you wouldn't run Muteki's? Their steel line is more than capable and I have been running them for 2 years without issue as have several others

You should also add McGard and Gorilla lug nuts to your thread, plenty of people run either and are a good option instead of paying $200 on a set of JDM lugs that don't offer you anyting else more than a fashion statement

You should also mention that the maxium torque spec for our lugs is 80 ft/lb and a torque wrench should always be used

IIRC, the manual says 80-90 ft/lb. I usually go for 85, and I always tell the tire guys (only people other than me who remove my wheels) to do 85 with a torque wrench and not use an impact driver.

I always do 80 and then I check them again after 100 miles or so of driving

for steel lugs i do 85, but for aluminum ones 80.

i check after driving a few miles. then re-torque however many times as needed. usually 2-3 times, but sometimes could take as much as 5-6 re-torques.

no wonder dealers zip it up with their impacts to like 100lbs. :icon14:

Yes. There are different torque specs for dry and oiled fasteners. On larger fasteners and those with a lot of stretch (torque is just an indirect measure of bolt stretch), the difference can be significant. For smaller fasteners and those that aren't stretched very much, the difference is ignorable.

Even if the difference was enough to matter, how does that warrant an unequivocal "DO NOT put anti-sieze on your lug nuts." (not to mention the big font)? At most, you just adjust your torque setting.

Really? I generally go 80 for the initial install and then re-torque at 85 after an initial test drive. After that I check them at 85 pretty regularly (esp during a track weekend), but it's rare any of them move at 85 again. Sometimes 1-2 move a little before clicking on the 2nd re-torque, but never more than that. This is cone-type aftermarkets on aftermarket wheels, though, maybe that makes a difference.

I torque the stock lugs on stock rims to 85 every time and have pretty much the same experience as you seem to have with the aftermarket ones (albeit minus the track time stress). I should check them more often, but I don't take the wheels off too often and they are always fine. As it is, I've only had a couple of lugs between all four wheels ever need tightening on the 2nd re-torque - after that they are always fine.

I don't even think it makes a difference between 80 and 85, both do the job effectively to tighten the lugs down correctly

Maybe if you go in the 100's but 80 or 85 makes no real difference between the two

80 or 85. That's splittin' hairs. LOL

its crazy how you guys talk torque numbers like that. all these years all i have been using is these 16inch pythons arms of mine lol. havent had any issue in the last 10 to 12years

to the op: would still like to know why to not use muteki?? i just bought a set and currently running them for a couple of hundred miles now, seems pretty good quality to me

my snapon torque wrench says otherwise. :D

aluminum ones break if overtorqued. they are very fragile vs steel lugs.

+1. Considering all the variables involved (condition of fasteners, accuracy/repeatability of wrench, &c), +/- 5 lb-ft isn't a big deal. Get them as close to spec as you can but don't be obsessive about it. Getting them even is important; be consistent.

Oh i just get the impression that they're not premium quality. No facts here, just a feeling. :p

...Of course that's my opinion, I could be wrong.

I'm using a Muteki on my K3 wheels for almost 10k miles without any issue or whatsoever. So what's the problem?

yah, why bother using a torque wrench. just go by feel. :icon17:

it appears people buy faux muteki's and complain about its quality. lol

Opinion does not equal fact :tup:

I don't recall stating any of this as fact... however, i think spline drives are ugly. Maybe that's why i don't like most lugs.

Then maybe don't title a thread "The Definitive Guide" :confused:

Meh, it's the best guide we have for lug nuts so far... so until there's a MORE definitive guide... :p

*Bump for updated info in original thread, added weight info. :tup:

Great guide! Very well done and organized!

Got my wheels mounted today and this dumbass didnt measure the OEM lugs before hand and turns out they wont fit the new wheels.

so i have to get some new lugs from the shop that mounts the wheels.

anyone using these? Muteki Lugs. How reliable are they besides the chipping issue? (more worry about durability and reliability than the colors chipping since i wont be able to get another set until i come back from my trip)

these are the ones i got

http://fatninjaracing.com/ebay/clearance/31886b.jpg