BCinDC

This issue may have been covered somewhere, but I couldn't find it so I'll post my experience in hopes that it helps others.

I recently installed 18" wheels on my 96 LS400 that were factory take-offs from a GS430. I really loved the wheels (I posted pics in the LS400 forum "Before and After" FWIW) and thought that buying OEM wheels would avoid problems. It didn't occur to me until I went to install them that the lug nuts were not the same for the two wheels. My original wheels have a center cover so the lug nuts are kinda ugly (not chromes, open ended). So, since my new wheels didn't come with lug nuts I ran out to Advance Auto Parts and bought a set that were the correct size for my car. They fit fine, but I noticed that the outer shank diameter was noticeable smaller than the holes in my wheels and smaller than my original ugly lug nuts (BTW, that dimension is .73") . This bothered me somewhat, but I knew that the wheels were hub centric so I didn't think it would make a difference.

To make a long story...well, yet longer...although the wheels did not feel out of balance, they were rougher than my original wheel/tires and made a disturbing knock when turning - like the wheel was flexing!?. Needless to say, after spending $1,000 on new wheels and tires - that I didn't really need as my wife pointed out several times - I was really distressed.

Was this life with 18" wheels? Crap!

I knew the wheels were new, the tires were new, both had just been balanced, and so I was afraid that the wheels just didn't work well on my car. Fortunately, the small lug diameter kept gnawing at me so I bought some OEM lug nuts (chrome that weren't ugly, of course) on eBay and installed them just to see. I was shocked and greatly relieved when all of the problems disappeared. The ride was much smoother and quieter (though it never had had an out of balance feel, which was/is strange to me) and the sound/sensation of flexing and knocking when I turned disappeared.

So, the moral of the story, boys and girls, is use OEM or truly OEM-sized (outside as well as threads) when you install new wheels.

Bob

DoubleWhoosh

It isn't necessarily that you need OEM lug nuts in xxxxx situation. It's more that you need to be able to recognize what wheels need what lug nuts. There are a few different styles of lug nuts, seat styles, etc. Also different wheels need certain parameters to be met for them to work properly.

This is why it's more important than people think to have an experienced person get you the right wheel hardware, AND TO LISTEN TO THEM. Someone who truly knows will be able to see right away what the problem is, or which lugs will work ok or not. Of course knowing who really knows or not is another issue altogether, but that isn't the point of this post

I've seen people bring some horrible stuff by, and they were so proud that they "were able to get these lug nuts to work..." rather than wasting money on "those dumb expensive ones that people keep buying...." My fear for them and my advice falls on deaf ears, so all I can do is send them on their merry little way.

Hopefully nobody gets hurt or killed one day from stupid stuff like this.

Brandon@TR

Lug hardware are what we call "Mission Critical" around these parts. That's because if they aren't right, your accident can end your "mission", while you are in "critical" condition at your local hospital.

SloGS400

iTrader: (1)

So what are some good lug nuts? I've heard of Gorilla locks and nuts, any good? I need acorn style nuts due to aftermarket wheels, the ones I have seem to be fine, but just figured I'd ask what you guys recommend.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

mc guards are also very good stuff, have them on all my cars and been very happy about them

tuan92129

I swapped out my oem 15 inch rims to the 17 inch is rims. I went to Kragen to buy Lug Nuts thinking "well, they are all the same...save $$" So i look in the book for the lug nuts and bought the supposedly correct size for ALL Lexus vehicles. I replace all the Lug nuts with Aftermarket chrome ones, and drive up the street. "thump...thump...thump...thump..wtf Brake...Schreech!
The lug nuts didnot have the proper washers so basically, i was driving the car with out lugnuts
I gave up and bought Lexus lugnuts for $150 for all 20 of them.
I'm sure if you go to Costco Tires they might have Oem quality Lugnuts.

BCinDC

I got my OEM lugnuts on eBay for $50 including shipping. I think the locking nuts (also OEM) were $25.

BTW, my point was that ALL of the dimensions & design of the nuts is important, beyond just the threads, which is all that the lug nut packages list as the criteria for which car they fit.

Bob

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

sometimes its those little things that makes the biggest difference. Glad everything worked out for you.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

you didnt mention if you bought aftermarket "cone" style lugnuts for what are essentially OEM wheels, which require OEM style "flat" lugnuts.

if you did mention it i blame my lack of sleep from studying for midterms.

BCinDC

The aftermarket lugs were the right style, they were not the cone or acorn-type, but the "barrel" or "shank" or whatever it is called, where the lug nut fits into the hole in the wheel was undersized, as was the washer. I believe Advance Auto Parts and Kragen are part of the same company, so they are probably the same lug nuts that Tuan92129 got.

DoubleWhoosh

I find it hard to believe that if you had (virtually) any size shank lug that it would let the wheel rattle or be loose. If this was the case, they would have simply slipped right off.

If anything, they were too long, and bottomed out inside. This causes a risk of completely breaking off the lugs, and also damaging the threads. As a side note, while not the correct solution, more washers would probably have fixed this situation into the "acceptable" range.

I think it's almost impossible that just because the shank portion was slightly small, that it would not tighten onto the wheel. It would still dig in and secure the wheel just the same.

Once again, there is much, much more than meets the eye to choosing the right lug nuts.

tuan92129

I actually compared the OEM lugs compared with the aftermarket. The OEm lugs had a thicker washer and the round cylinder part the washer goes onto was shorter and thicker. Basically I was driving with the lug nuts all the way on and correctly torqued, but there was still some room for the rim to move around.
But another problem... is that it was the first time i actually changed a wheel and jacked up a car before, so I got lazy, and just swapped out the OEM lug nuts with the aftermarket ones without jacking up the car I didn't notice that the rims actually were loose until i jacked up the car.

DoubleWhoosh

Yup, this is precisely what I suspected in the post right before this one. The shank LENGTH is more critical than the shank diameter. Like I said, even if the diameter was small, it should still work and tighten the wheel. The problem originally mentioned in this thread, I still suspect, has absolutely nothing to do with the shank diameter.

This is why the title of this thread is somewhat misleading in some ways - it's not that non-oem lugs are bad or don't work, it's that you really REEEAAALLLYYY need to have the experience to simply look at the lug and know right off the bat if it will work or not, and more importantly W-H-Y it will or won't work.

This is dangerous stuff, and I can't stress enough that this warning is for your own safety and the safety of others.