Lug Nut Dillema
 

Hello, long time lurker with an issue I just can't get a straight answer on.
Ive got an 08 350z with bolt on hubcentric spacers with separate wheel studs. I have the oem 18 inch wheels bolted to these spacers.

The problem is the lug nuts that came on the car are low quality and multiple socket sizes, so I wanted to replace them. I purchased a set of OEM lug nuts, however they are too short to seat the wheel onto the spacer which I suppose has extended studs.

I need to know if I can use these , (amazon.com),for my application,(OEM wheels)

I've went through every thread I can find on here about this issue, but only found varied opinions. The lug nuts are 12mmx1.25 thread size, with a 60 degree tapered seat(?), as shown on the link. These dimensions seem to be the same as OEM, so I do not foresee a problem, however I did want some confirmation in case anyone had this same issue.

Thanks for any assistance.

i would look here first

https://www.oakos.com/10998.htm

Thanks for the reply, all of the muteki lug nuts appear to have the same dimensions as the ones from my link. However, they do not specify if they properly seat oem wheels, only that they are "oem quality."

they should be fine... .when in doubt, call them

NO. DO NOT USE LUG NUTS MADE FOR AFTERMARKET WHEELS ON OEM WHEELS.

They are not made for OEM wheel lug nut seats. They LOOK very similar:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....c7cb570454.jpg

However, the taper angle is different. OEM wheels (most Japanese mfgrs) utilize a 45-deg tapered seat OR an acorn/ball style seat REQUIRING the correct lug nuts.

Look at the pic above. On left is a garden variety steel wheel lug nut as used on wheel spacers for Nissan (hubcentric 66.1 hub, 5x114.3PCD).

In the middle, an OEM lug from a Touring V1 wheel. It uses a same taper as the one on the left.

Now, I know it's difficult to see the difference but look at the one on the right, a Rays lug specifically for an aftermarket wheel with a 60-degree taper which is pretty standard for aftermarket wheels, e.g. Work, Volk, BBS, etc.

Problem/confusion arises because the aftermarket lug will tighten and seemingly torque to the OEM specs. However, due to the contact points being only contacting a fraction of the mating surface, true torque can't be achieved and you run the risk of a loose wheel from when the lug starts to relax and back off.

Here is a case in point - a warning posted on a page for aftermarket lug nuts - on the website of a pretty well known seller of aftermarket wheels and lug nuts:

"NOTE: LUG NUTS ARE MADE WITH TAPERED BOTTOMS SPECIFICALLY FOR AFTERMARKET WHEELS. DO NOT USE THESE TUNER LUGS FOR YOUR FACTORY WHEELS. WE NO LONGER ACCEPT RETURNS ON LUG NUTS FROM CUSTOMERS WHO ATTEMPT TO USE THEM ON FACTORY WHEELS. THESE LUGS ALSO DO NOT FIT ON SPECIAL WHEELS THAT REQUIRE INVERTED LUGS. WE WILL ALSO NOT ACCEPT RETURNS FROM CUSTOMERS THAT TRY TO USE THEM FOR THESE TYPES OF WHEELS"

You need to use 45-degree conical OEM lug nuts (OR, if fitting 370Z OEM wheels to your 350Z, you must use the shank AND tapered style with washer OEM lug nuts) such as these:

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....83c5e8819a.jpg

Now, I'm a little confused as to how a lug nut can be "too short" to seat the wheels as you state. I'm inclined to think that they must be the wrong lug nuts and you're trying to seat them on the wrong seats and/or the wheel isn't flushed against the spacer. Worse case scenario, use your original OE lug nuts until you get the correct lug nuts.

Interesting, thank you for the detailed explanation MicVelo. What I mean by "too short" is the OEM lug nut threads run out before they seat the wheel (they are close-ended lug nuts), therefore when the OEM lug nuts are all the way 'tight,' you can still pull the wheel back and forth from the hub. I believe this is because the studs on the spacers are extended, i.e. not OEM length.

I did speak to a representative at Gorilla auto, the lug nut manufacturer that I was going to order from, and the guy said that the lug nuts would work, but it seems it won't if the OEM wheel is tapered 45 degrees, and the lug nuts are tapered 60 degrees.

I haven't been able to find aftermarket lug nuts (open-ended), that will seat the OEM wheel if it is a 45-degree taper. I will have to either remove the spacers; replace the studs to shorter studs on the spacers, or get aftermarket wheels I suppose.

Should've asked before: What OEM wheels are you re-fitting? Might be a simple case of wrong depth OE lugs for your wheels.

Look at this pic:
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....50e96af3af.jpg
Are yours similar to the one on left or the third from left? OEM short lug on left (forget what wheels they come from). You probably need the "deep OEM lug", third from left.

If you look at the spacer, the WHEEL mounting studs ON THE SPACER are NOT typically longer than OE. (Or put this way, I've never seen a set of spacers with longer studs. And I have at least 5 sets in my tool box for use on varying wheels/offsets.)

Two different sets:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....d70ca0f2c2.jpg

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....b659d92830.jpg
Both within a mm or so, same as OE wheel studs.

This pic (below) shows how the short and long lug nuts fit on the stud (bottomed out), note the gap at the bottom of the short one.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....38b2c32c0c.jpg
However, it still mystifies me because the thickness of the wheel mount face is way more than that gap making me really think that the wheel may be sitting on top of the hub lip of the spacer, indicating the spacer might not be fitting right altogether. But.... if you had them on before and nothing's changed other than the lug nuts, well, that can't be right. :confused:

This is now driving ME nuts.

But, if you are using the shorter nuts, see if you can locate the deeper OE lug nuts. (Or compare with your original, mismatched ones) I would think that that should fix the problem. No guarantees, but if you have the short lugs, I'm betting it does.

Also, on a long shot, did you make sure the spacers were sitting flush against the hub? Sometimes it happens that you've (OK, "I've" :icon17:) left an errant hub ring on it causing the spacer to not sit flush. Just grasping straws here because if you're running OE wheels, you shouldn't have a hub ring...

Call Z1 @
770.838.7777

They'll give you a straight answer and solution. gl.

The OEM lug nuts I bought to replace the mismatched ones are the same as the lugs on the left in the picture (short close-ended). I have the 35th anniversary 18 inch OEM wheels.

The last picture is exactly what is happening with the OEM lug nuts, they are bottomed out and not seated to the wheel. I just recently checked all of the spacers and they were flush with the hub. I did measure the stud length of the front spacer and it was 2 and 1/4, similar to the measurements in the pictures. I will have to measure the rear spacers which appear to be a bit larger than the fronts when I get a chance.

Also, the spacers look just like the ones in the picture, how the hubcentric ring is 'molded' with the spacer. I may try to find the deeper OEM lug nuts, or just take the spacers off.

Thanks again.

$19 /end thread
https://www.ebay.com/itm/20-Pc-Set-S...oAAOSwIgNXmkeQ

all this nut talk and no jokes yet?

Cut the ends off your nuts and presto...