cutlassgal

Ok guys.... more girl questions!!

I'm on the hunt for Chrome lug nuts and I don't have a clue as to what I'm looking for!! Can I even find real chrome ones anymore, vs. chinesium??

I've decided to get the set of rims I have painted instead of powdercoated. Some of Teepo's lug nuts have a little rust from where they've been scratched, so I'd like to get new ones so the wheels are beautiful!

In some searches, I've seen "Cone Seat Bulge Style" and "Acorn Heat Treated Chrome Style". Are either of these "styles" what I'm looking for?? And I've seen 7/16" and 1/2" threads. I'm clueless!!

They will be put on with an impact wrench I'm sure, at Defer, so I don't want ones that are going to rust right away. I'm sure I'll probably end up with a set of chinesium ones from Fusick but wanted to ask first if there are better ones still out there somewhere.

As always, thanks for your help and advice!!

ROCKET VAPOR

Sandy, you will want "stainless steel capped" lug nuts as per original for your SSII wheels.

Lady72nRob71

Fusicks sells a good repro set of SS capped nuts. Long ago I got mine from the parts place (I think) and they looked great and fit (surprising!) well.
Costly, but worth it. Details make the difference.

Tony72Cutlass'S'

Sandy,

I think those measurements you're seeing is the actual length of the lug nut. For instance, they make 9/16'' and 1'' + models.

Parts place will have the ones you need most probably.

Here, i just checked out the part numbers on thepartsplace

WT4339T
(1966 - 1987 Cutlass/442) STAINLESS CAPPED LUG NUTS - SET OF 20

$29.00
WT5490T
(1964 - 1977 Cutlass/442) STOCK STEEL HUB CAP STYLE LUG NUTS - SET OF 20

$19.00

WT4339T ---> (1966 - 1987 Cutlass/442) STAINLESS CAPPED LUG NUTS - SET OF 20

WT5490T ---> (1964 - 1977 Cutlass/442) STOCK STEEL HUB CAP STYLE LUG NUTS - SET OF 20

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Tony

cutlassgal

So they are Stainless and not Chrome, huh?? Shows ya what I know, lol! I will change my search!

CQR

And you want 7/16" X 20

MDchanic

Well, they're not actually stainless...

Stainless is a wonderful and joyous substance (my favorite one!), but it has drawbacks when used in critical fasteners: It's not generally as hard as regular steel, It has a greater tendency to loosen itself over time than regular steel, and it is much more expensive than regular steel (especially in hard, mission-critical blends).
Because of this, the lug nuts are actually regular steel, with a crimped-on, roughly 1/32nd inch thick, cap of soft stainless over the entire fastener - the part that does the work is regular steel, but the part that you see is stainless!

- Eric

cutlassgal

Thank you guys!!

cutlassgal

I see Fusicks wants $46.00 a set and The Parts Place $29....... wonder if there's a difference in quality or not??

Lady72nRob71

I thought just the "top hat" portion was SS and the part the lugwrench touches is chrome plated steel....

MDchanic

Depends on the nut - the ones on my Jeep GC are completely covered.

- Eric

oldcutlass

Sandy, those can be cleaned with some steel wool, soap and water. Most, if not all the rust will come off!

rocketraider

And a super duper double deluxe PITA. You do not want to turn anyone loose with an impact wrench near these. I finally threw the whole set from my 74 Hurst in the dumpster and put similar-styled chrome ones on after the stainless cap got mangled to where it was near impossible to remove/install them.

If you get them, and you or someone you trust does not put them on, insist that no impact be used and that they are tightened with a torque wrench. Either a beam type or a clicker, but not the "torque sticks" the tire shop will try to tell you is a torque wrench. Stand there and watch them if you have to and slip the installer a few bucks for his trouble.

I've found that a small token of appreciation goes a long way in a tire shop.

Allan R

Geez Sandy, when I saw the title of this thread I thought you were in trouble and needed some help from us 'lug nuts'

The guys have given you some good advice. I personally don't care if the lug nuts are chrome or stainless over steel. I just polish them with chrome polish and they look good. But if it's for winning a show, by all means go with the ss caps.

No matter which ones you get, they will sooner or later get marked from sockets. What I can't stand it the lack of professionalism I've seen when the tire guys jam an impact onto the nut and don't think twice about the scratch they leave on the center cap. (Do you have the bolt on caps? Those are the ones I'm refering to).

Anyway, next show you go to I'm going to pm the judges and tell them to pay specific attention to wheel lug nuts They'll understand when they get to Teepo

Lady72nRob71

I took a close look at my nuts when I got home.
Wait - what did I just say???

They were completely covered in stainless - top and sides. I have a picture of an original GM spare part and it looks like just the top hat is SS.

I have made a special socket for the tire guys to use. It is wrapped on the outside to prevent center cap damage and has a piece of heater hose inside to where it will not slip on too far and gouge the paint around the nut. I will have to watch over the guys to make sure they use only that and I know they won't like it, but tough...

brown7373

Some shops won't cooperate at all with what they like to call "custom" wheels. If possible, find a shop that you can talk to the shop manager about taking the proper care with the wheels and lug nuts. And as someone mentioned, don't let them use the torque tube as a replacement for a proper torque wrench. I have a shop that because I have asked they take the special care with my wheels, will do it. But even then, you have to watch because just because the shop manager agrees, it doesn't mean the non English speaking tire changer will get or understand the message.

I own an 07 Dodge Charger R/T that gets regular tire rotation with oil changes. The shop manager came to me one day about a years and a half ago and said ALL of my lug nuts needed replaced because they were all rounded off. I was livid, to say the least! They only place that had touched my 22,000 mile car was them. I suggested that they must have been having NASCAR Pit Crew Contests in the back. One or two being damaged by over agressive use of the gun I can accept (not like, but accept), but all 20 of them? And the manager wanted me to pay for them, then backed off and asked if we could split the cost. I made a prettey good scene, having 3 cars with tires bought from them and they reluctantly replaced all 20. The problem is the guns are very hard on any lug nut, especially the stainless capped acorns. But the shop MUST bear some responsibility to take care not to damage the nuts. On the Dodge, I have learned that there is a problem with the nuts being very close in size (SAE vs. Metric) and once a gun distorts the nut slightly, they need to use the slightly larger metric to compensate, and that just magnifies the problem and eventually ruins the nut. But again, the solution is to take a little extra time and do it with a hand torque wrench, and I'll pay a little more, to do the job without damaging the nuts.

cutlassgal

.....They were completely covered in stainless - top and sides.

Glad to get that description of your nuts, Rob!!! Teepo's lug nuts are are solid
also. How could I make a socket for Defer to use?? They have hit the rims before around the nuts, you can tell. And yes, Allan R.... She has the bolt on center caps which I just got a couple years ago for Christmas, remember?? This spring when I had her at Don Sitts and they had the wheels off while doing the brakes, I noticed several scratches from the impact on 2 of them. Needless to say, I am not happy about it!!!

Maybe when I get the rims painted, I can put duct tape on them around the lug nut holes and that might protect the rims from the impact? Think that would work??

Tony72Cutlass'S'

I recently had a shop (Costco) do one of our family cars.

They tightened 10 out of 16 bolts on the car, the rest were all loose. Needless to say, i bought an impact set and dont plan to let a shop do my tires again.

But, if that's your only option, i would definitely say do anything you can to protect your rims, it's not their car, so they 'usually' just dont care.

Best of luck,

-Tony

rocketraider

OK, we've devolved from comtemplating navels into... you get the idea. I can only imagine what Rob was like as a baby when he discovered his pee-pee!

As brown7373 noted, the stainless caps are very close in size between metric and SAE and it's easy to mess them up.

Davesrocket

Back in 1985 I installed McGard Tough Nuts http://mcgard.com/AutomotiveProducts/LugNuts

They look almost like the OEM nut, but without all the hassle that comes with those stainless covers. They have been on the car all this time and still look good. Should I take a moment to polish my nuts they would look like new again.

cutlassgal

Hmmmm.... I like the sounds of these! I looked them up on Summit's website. Would they fit my studs??

McGard 64001 - McGard Lug Nuts



large/multiple images

• $9.95
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• + Wish List
• + compare

• Lug Nuts, Conical Seat, 7/16 in. x 20 RH, Closed End, Chrome Plated Steel, Set of 4
• 
  • Application Specific Part: Check Application
• Estimated Ship Date: Today
•  
  • 
    
  • 
    
  • 
    
  • Email

• Overview
• Warnings
• Application
• Show All

• Multiple Images

BrandMcGardManufacturer's Part Number64001Part TypeLug NutsProduct LineMcGard Lug NutsSummit Racing Part NumberMCG-64001 Lug Nut Thread Size7/16-20 RH in.Lug Nut Seat StyleConical seat - 60 degreeLug Nut Head StyleStandardOpen End DesignNoConical Seat Taper60 degreeConical Seat TypeStandardWasher IncludedNoLug Nut MaterialSteelWrench Size Required (in)13/16 in.Lug Nut FinishChromeQuantitySold as a set of 4.

McGard lug nuts are designed to last for life. They're triple nickel chrome plated for lasting beauty, and are made of restricted chemistry steel for structural integrity. All McGard lug nuts are through-hardened and tempered, reaching the depth of hardness needed for their unsurpassed level of safety (unlike case-hardening, which is only a surface treatment). McGard lug nuts also offer a lifetime guarantee against rust! What more could you ask for?

Davesrocket

As long as you have the stock length stud you will be fine. Closed end nuts will not work on those long studs drag racers use.

Allan R

Sandy, The reason I asked about the clip on caps is that they don't get damaged like the bolt on ones do. Sorry, I did forget about them as a Xmas present. However, I feel your pain about the scratches from the 'carelessness' at the service shop.

Would duct tape solve the problem? Maybe, but that's a lot of work for just taking wheels off. At the risk of offending you, why don't you just do it yourself and avoid the hassle? Then you know there's no damage and it's not that hard to do. You can operate a dolly jack can't you? Get yourself a 1/2" torque wrench (longer handle is better for providing leverage) If you have both of these items you're home free and won't have to bother the shop again. + think about how much you'll save each time you do it yourself. Even if you have to change tires, take in the loose wheels so you don't have to run any risks with the tire monkeys. Teepo will love you more for the time and attention you'll be spending on her

Why, yes little darlin they will fit both Rob and me

Those chrome nuts are the right size for your car. Remember even though they are 'guaranteed for life against rust', they still need the occasional clean up and polish. Just like doing bumper chrome BTW triple nickel plate chroming is fairly standard so it just sounds impressive.

Rickman48

I've replaced many same-sized 'capped' nuts with the solid ones over the years, and found them for as low as $1 to $2 - only complaint I've had is length!

Allan R

uhhh, no. Not gonna go there......

mike's88

Totaly agree with you. When I got my 78 buttless, went to pull the wheels. Good thing I had an elec. impact, took at least 1 minute on EACH nut to get them off, all 20. I would pity anyone that gets a flat after having lugs put on with an impact, trying to break them loose using a factory lug wrench or even a cross.

cutlassgal

Allan R..... You just make me laugh, lol!!! What a nutty thread I created, lol!

Well if Dave has had these McGard nuts on his car since 1985 and they still look good, I think I'll order them. I also have a $10 off Summit gift card to use too, so that will help. As far as I know the studs are as they should be on her.

Allan R.... I was just going to have the tires taken off her old rims and put on the new rims and put on the car while they have her on the lift. Just thought it would be easier in one fell swoop, ya know?? Don't worry about insulting me...... I don't insult easily as you know!! I appreciate all the input, guys!!