Aluminum Lug Nuts
03-11-2009, 01:53 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Aluminum Lug Nuts
I see forged aluminum lug nuts guaranteed to about 300# torque for sale by various speed equipment dealers. Do they stay tight? Will they work for HPDE use? General thoughts, pro or con?
03-11-2009, 03:38 PM
#2
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2003
Location: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
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April 1 coming early this year?
just go to NAPA and buy some open ended hardened lug nuts. $1.25 each never have to worry or think about it again.
besides if the Al ones get cross threaded
just go to NAPA and buy some open ended hardened lug nuts. $1.25 each never have to worry or think about it again.
besides if the Al ones get cross threaded
Last edited by AU N EGL; 03-11-2009 at 04:53 PM.
03-11-2009, 04:19 PM
#3
Race Director
I wonder at their service life, with vibration/use will the threads break down over time?
Last edited by Aardwolf; 03-12-2009 at 02:01 PM.
03-11-2009, 04:56 PM
#4
Safety Car
03-11-2009, 06:15 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Dec 2007
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I bought 20 new open ended steel nuts for $33 a few weeks ago at autozone 
now that being said, I've run Alu nuts on other cars and been just fine, but you go need to watch that they are not x-threaded.
now that being said, I've run Alu nuts on other cars and been just fine, but you go need to watch that they are not x-threaded.
03-11-2009, 07:01 PM
#7
Safety Car
Thread Starter
I figured they might cross thread easier, but it's easier to grab a new lug nut than change a stud so I was willing to live with that. My main concerns are if they're strong enough and will they stay tight. Sounds like they will. With all the heat generated on the track is there any problem with the variation of expansion and contraction between the steel studs and the aluminum bolts causing them to come loose? Also, how well do they survive the impact gun?
03-11-2009, 08:07 PM
#10
Burning Brakes
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I figured they might cross thread easier, but it's easier to grab a new lug nut than change a stud so I was willing to live with that. My main concerns are if they're strong enough and will they stay tight. Sounds like they will. With all the heat generated on the track is there any problem with the variation of expansion and contraction between the steel studs and the aluminum bolts causing them to come loose? Also, how well do they survive the impact gun?
haha, alu ones will show wear REALLY quickly (ie when used with an impact gun), and on a race car they simply will not last as long because of it. Mine never came loose, on my sti that was pretty damn fast. Although i was not racing in this car.
my advice is, get open ended steel ones
03-11-2009, 10:06 PM
#11
Safety Car
Thread Starter
haha, alu ones will show wear REALLY quickly (ie when used with an impact gun), and on a race car they simply will not last as long because of it. Mine never came loose, on my sti that was pretty damn fast. Although i was not racing in this car.
my advice is, get open ended steel ones
my advice is, get open ended steel ones
03-12-2009, 07:55 AM
#12
Racer
I've been watching the aluminum ones for a few years with interest. It's not that I'm trying to reduce unsprung weight on a Stock class C4autocross car running Grand Sport wheels, I wanted the longer reach of a lug that is two to three inches long to lower the risk of hitting the wheel with the socket! I'm not really a concourser, really!
The import crowd is the largest user of the aluminum lugs and don't seem to have a problem with them. I asked one of the engineers with Enki who told me they were OK to run but needed to be watch very closely. I took that to mean they would need to be replaced with any signs of deformation in the seat area or threads. That worried me.....
I'm still looking for a set of steel, open ended, lugs that are 3" long but have only found ones that are over $100 for a set so far.
Personally, I'd stay away from the aluminun nuts unless you feel you just have to have the lowest unsprung weight in the paddock. First though, you'd better be spending thousands of dollars on the lightest wheel. Fiske, maybe????then worry about how much weight you're saving on the lug nuts.
P.S.
If you want them for the pretty colors, my advise would be to not tell this forum..........it might get ugly....
The import crowd is the largest user of the aluminum lugs and don't seem to have a problem with them. I asked one of the engineers with Enki who told me they were OK to run but needed to be watch very closely. I took that to mean they would need to be replaced with any signs of deformation in the seat area or threads. That worried me.....
I'm still looking for a set of steel, open ended, lugs that are 3" long but have only found ones that are over $100 for a set so far.
Personally, I'd stay away from the aluminun nuts unless you feel you just have to have the lowest unsprung weight in the paddock. First though, you'd better be spending thousands of dollars on the lightest wheel. Fiske, maybe????then worry about how much weight you're saving on the lug nuts.
P.S.
If you want them for the pretty colors, my advise would be to not tell this forum..........it might get ugly....
Last edited by Locke; 03-12-2009 at 07:58 AM.
03-12-2009, 12:56 PM
#13
Safety Car
Thread Starter
. I asked one of the engineers with Enki who told me they were OK to run but needed to be watch very closely. I took that to mean they would need to be replaced with any signs of deformation in the seat area or threads. That worried me.....
Personally, I'd stay away from the aluminun nuts unless you feel you just have to have the lowest unsprung weight in the paddock. First though, you'd better be spending thousands of dollars on the lightest wheel. Fiske, maybe????then worry about how much weight you're saving on the lug nuts.
P.S.
If you want them for the pretty colors, my advise would be to not tell this forum..........it might get ugly....
Personally, I'd stay away from the aluminun nuts unless you feel you just have to have the lowest unsprung weight in the paddock. First though, you'd better be spending thousands of dollars on the lightest wheel. Fiske, maybe????then worry about how much weight you're saving on the lug nuts.
P.S.
If you want them for the pretty colors, my advise would be to not tell this forum..........it might get ugly....
No, I don't care what color they are, although I was attracted to some shiny purple ones I saw.
Well, now it's out to the shop to change out the wheel stud that started me thinking about using aluminum lug bolts.
03-12-2009, 01:09 PM
#15
Race Director
Aren't the caliper brackets aluminum and held on with a similar torque? I can't remember. How about intake bolts, aluminum block bolts?
03-12-2009, 01:17 PM
#16
Melting Slicks
yes yes, but those bolts aren't routinely taken off and put back on. think about how many times a racer/hpde'r removes wheels. i wouldnt trust an aluminum lugnut to last that many torquing cycles.
03-12-2009, 02:01 PM
#17
Race Director
Changing pads would be just as much but that bolt isn't torqued to the same ft/lbs as a lug. Anyways, just trying to put an aluminum fastener into perspective.
03-12-2009, 06:41 PM
#19
Melting Slicks
300-500 dollars for a set of lugnuts? you've GOT to be kidding me.
the steel ones arent THAT heavy.
http://store.bimmerworld.com/shared/...t=products.asp
those are the ones I use. smaller than stockers, cheap and they've done just fine for 2 years now.
the steel ones arent THAT heavy.
http://store.bimmerworld.com/shared/...t=products.asp
those are the ones I use. smaller than stockers, cheap and they've done just fine for 2 years now.
03-12-2009, 06:48 PM
#20
Instructor
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300-500 dollars for a set of lugnuts? you've GOT to be kidding me.
the steel ones arent THAT heavy.
http://store.bimmerworld.com/shared/...t=products.asp
those are the ones I use. smaller than stockers, cheap and they've done just fine for 2 years now.
the steel ones arent THAT heavy.
http://store.bimmerworld.com/shared/...t=products.asp
those are the ones I use. smaller than stockers, cheap and they've done just fine for 2 years now.
I said they were pricey.
