Yes please do, I am in need also.
Lugnuts
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 17
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From: Lynchburg VA
Lugnuts
I ordered some chrome lugnuts recently from a vendor (which I will not name) and was extremely disapointed in the chrome finish, very flawed. There's got to be a vendor out there who sells quality lugnuts at a decent price. I am looking for 1978 aluminum wheel lugnuts. Do you have someone you can recommend? thanks so much.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
they get the snot beat out of them with lug wrenches and rust pretty easy.....the cheap ones off ebay dont seem to last long. we all are having the same problem
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Florida
Even the quality of the steel itself sucks. Threads will strip very easily with minimum torque.
If you're serious about nuts, then install 60° cones in the wheels and you are open to a host of quality nuts.
If you're serious about nuts, then install 60° cones in the wheels and you are open to a host of quality nuts.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,380
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From: Western NY
You can't safely use the 60* lugs with wheels that were designed for the "mag shank" lugs. The 60* lugs require a wheel with a 60* chamfer.....
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Florida
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Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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From: Western NY
Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought that the lugs that GM used on their aluminum wheels were very similar to the "standard mag shank" lug nuts, except that the washer was integral to the nut, as opposed to the aftermarket "mag" nuts where the washers are seperate pieces.....however, I'll readily admit, it's been a LONG time since I worked on a C-3.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Florida
Growing up in the 60's with the old style mag wheels, I really learned to dislike the mag style nuts and washers. The original GM nuts were a little better, but the current replacements are pretty poor too.
Here is a link to the cones that can be installed in the alum wheels.
The wheels must be machined preferrably on a cnc mill and then the cones pressed in. then with longer studs many of the 60° nuts can be used including stainless. Done properly, there is no downside. But as I said due to price, you've got to be pretty serious.
http://www.prestigewheel.com/Imagewi510.asp
I have also had a friend make me some lugnuts on his cnc turning center, a cheaper option if you know someone. Sadly, he died very quickly last year form lymph cancer and another friend with a similar machine also died last year of a sudden heart attack. Got one friend left that still could do it. Next time I see him, I'll ask.
The Toyota Land Cruiser and Tundra use an identical lugnut as the vette but are in the popular 12 and 14mm.
Range Rover also uses them in 14 and 16 mm.
They all come with shanks of 20mm, 29mm, 22.5mm, 18.5mm and 22mm.
They are known as "flat seat" lug nuts
They rims could be adapted a little easier to match the metric shank.
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Had trouble finding lug nets for my American Vector mags, Napa's web site has a huge selection and had just what we needed.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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From: Western NY
....Here is a link to the cones that can be installed in the alum wheels.
The wheels must be machined preferrably on a cnc mill and then the cones pressed in. then with longer studs many of the 60° nuts can be used including stainless. Done properly, there is no downside. But as I said due to price, you've got to be pretty serious.
http://www.prestigewheel.com/Imagewi510.asp
The wheels must be machined preferrably on a cnc mill and then the cones pressed in. then with longer studs many of the 60° nuts can be used including stainless. Done properly, there is no downside. But as I said due to price, you've got to be pretty serious.
http://www.prestigewheel.com/Imagewi510.asp
As annoying as the "mag" nuts might be, they're an inexpensive alternative....as long as the shank diameter is the same as the GM nuts.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Florida
No doubt, that will work, but it's one hell of a job to have done properly, so the wheels will still run true, when the work is completed. I also think that it would be a safe assumption that while the cones themselves, are not all that expensive, the maching work to the wheels won't be.
As annoying as the "mag" nuts might be, they're an inexpensive alternative....as long as the shank diameter is the same as the GM nuts.
As annoying as the "mag" nuts might be, they're an inexpensive alternative....as long as the shank diameter is the same as the GM nuts.
To get quality plated nuts you have to convert.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,813
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From: JOPPA MD
I ordered some chrome lugnuts recently from a vendor (which I will not name) and was extremely disapointed in the chrome finish, very flawed. There's got to be a vendor out there who sells quality lugnuts at a decent price. I am looking for 1978 aluminum wheel lugnuts. Do you have someone you can recommend? thanks so much.
Virginia Vettes.... sales@virginiavettes.com.
They are in your area.....
A very simple cure I have found to alleviate any induced harm while installing the chromed lug nuts is....I cut a finger out of a Kevlar glove and placed it inside the 4-way lug wrench, cutting enough to allow me to wrap it back around the outside of the lug wrench itself. I think any strong soft glove material will work...that just happen to be a glove I could waste. Try it...works for me!
Stay in tune....
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,380
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From: Western NY
NO, you purchase McGard's tough nuts....as long as the McGard's shank diameter is the same as the GM pieces. They're not inexpensive, as you phrase it, but as always, you get what you pay for.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Florida
), so some sort of conversion is necessary.There have been some sets of original GM, but they went for a few hundred dollars a set on eBay.
No doubt, that will work, but it's one hell of a job to have done properly, so the wheels will still run true, when the work is completed. I also think that it would be a safe assumption that while the cones themselves, are not all that expensive, the maching work to the wheels won't be.
As annoying as the "mag" nuts might be, they're an inexpensive alternative....as long as the shank diameter is the same as the GM nuts.
As annoying as the "mag" nuts might be, they're an inexpensive alternative....as long as the shank diameter is the same as the GM nuts.
The stock wheels are hub centric, not really an issue.
So if you have a quality inexpensive alternative please post it.
That's what everyone is asking about.
McGard's don't fit
