Lightweight nuts

[dasadrew]

My Stag came with extremely lightweight wheel nuts and a few new spares. Seem to be some kind of aluminium alloy.

I read recently that the studs can sometimes be stripped by the nuts, but can't imagine that happening with my lightweight alloy nuts.

So, are there different nuts (steel, alloy?) as standard? Or has mine be fitted with racing nuts (!) to reduce weight or whatever?

[Stagdad]

imported post

I think the aluminium ones are standard and it's the nuts that strip.I got SS ones when i found one of mine strippedand must admit that bag of SSnuts is very heavy in comparison.

Cheers Steve

[Peter Hills]

imported post

Guys,

When I bought my Stag it had some particularly horrid alloy nuts for alloy wheels. Shortly after driving it for the first time two fell off one wheel, luckily at low speed.

I bought a new set of nuts from Rimmers; these are black and are certainly steel - they're rusting after about 10 years.

I think they are very unlikely to strip any wheelstud threads - especially if loose like mine were, or even if used properly - but I ask the question - 'Can anyone check whether the suggested wheelnut torque (Page 06-3 in Stag Repair Ops Manual) - 13.9 kgf m or 100lbf ft - is the correct figure for 7/16" UNF studs?'

For any practicing mechanical engineers with the right reference material it should be easy enough to calculate whether this lead is within the elastic limit for the studs or typical nuts. 13.9 kgf m or 100lbf ftseems very high to me and might, indeed, strip the alloy nuts that Drew is asking about.

Peter

[StagnJag]

imported post

I have black nuts too :shock: they started rusting almost immediately!

I too think the 100lbf is too high. When i first got my Stag, trying to vdo everything 'by the book' I broke a couple of wheel studs, and then one of the replacements! I use 80 - 90 these days which feels like the limit. I keep a couple of spare studs in the spares box!

Rgds

Dave

[dasadrew]

imported post

Thanks for the replies. Looks like there could be a market out there for decent nuts - titanium maybe???

Torque sounds very high. My other cars have about 100Nm (about 9.8kgfm). Fraid I can't be naffed to work that out in £ s d !

[404ROD]

imported post

I originally had those alloy nuts. The service book quoted a very low torque wrench setting for tightening due to stripping if overtightened. Being alloy they were thought to hold the wheel OK becuase of the courseness of the thread. All sounded quite frightening. I have been using stainlees steel nuts from Rimmers for over 20 years and never had any trouble with them. You can use a much higher torque setting with them.

[DJT]

imported post

I have been using 80ft/lb for the past 21 years. This was on Mk1 steel wheels, Stag alloys and on Minilight replica alloys. Seems tight enough for me and never had one come loose.

100ft/lbs always seemed excessive and, not only in danger of stripping threads, but a hell of a struggle if trying to change a wheel at the roadside. On that topic, I bet there are few people who could achieve 100lb/ft tightening a wheel using the original wheel brace, which reinforces my belief that 100lb/ft is wrong.

Dave

[V Mad]

imported post

I think alloy wheel nuts were factory fitted. The thread is fine (UNF) and I think not ideal for alloy. I have come across several occasions where the alloy nuts had lost half their thread, and therefore was an accident waiting to happen!!

I would recommend to all owners who have not checked them to do so, and replace with steel. The stainless are best if you can afford them as chrome plated ones will get damaged by the wrench then they get unsightly.

[AlanD]

imported post

i must stop reading this forumi will check my wheel studs now, i have never bothered to before as i thought everything was ok and there were no problems with them:?so glad thats its on here, i can check now.

thanks again for giving me another little job for the weekend, list so far compiles of,

inertia switch, boot lid,tighten power steering belt, and now the wheel studsoh well keeps me out the pub as they say

[les M]

imported post

dasadrew wrote:

My Stag came with extremely lightweight wheel nuts and a few new spares. Seem to be some kind of aluminium alloy.

I read recently that the studs can sometimes be stripped by the nuts, but can't imagine that happening with my lightweight alloy nuts.

So, are there different nuts (steel, alloy?) as standard? Or has mine be fitted with racing nuts (!) to reduce weight or whatever?

As far as I am aware ( some person may know more ) the original alloy wheel nuts fitted from the factory where made from DURALUMIN, a aircraft quality alloy and that is why they are so light yet extremely strong.

Les.

[peter f]

imported post

I had problems with stripped aluminium threads when I bought my Stag, so have some s/steel ones now and never had a problem in the three years they have been fitted.

I hand tighten them with the wheel brace, and in the 'old school' way of things just give them an extra 'tweak' to nip them up.

By the way, I like the heading of this thread - there are a few "lightweight nuts" post on here sometimes when you read some recentcomments methinks!

lol

Peter f

[dasadrew]

imported post

you mean like:

WARNING: This Forum may contain nuts.

[V Mad]

imported post

peter f wrote:

By the way, I like the heading of this thread - there are a few "lightweight nuts" post on here sometimes when you read some recentcomments methinks!

lol

Peter f

Only lightweight?

[NickA]

imported post

I thought the original nuts for the alloy wheels were light alloy, black with a concave head.

Mine had the orginals when I got it, nearly all of then had damage to the treads. I don't think you can get this type any more

ROM has nuts tightened at 100 lbf ft

[NickA]

imported post

les M wrote:

<snip>

As far as I am aware ( some person may know more ) the original alloy wheel nuts fitted from the factory where made from DURALUMIN, a aircraft quality alloy and that is why they are so light yet extremely strong.

Les.

Probably explains why they are NLS