Always check your nuts

[Scott.b]

Was out for a country road blast last night when i went round a sharp left hand bend.
After that the whole car started to vibrate and a big rumbling sound. I thought i was just on the middle white line to start with, but it kept getting worse, i slowed right down and pulled into a parking area as soon as i could.
I then thought it might be a wheel bearing.
but then i had a look round the car, check all the wheel nuts, all where fine until i got to the offside rear wheel.
All the nuts where hanging on by little over one thread, the whole wheel was flapping around,
That was a close one! EEEEKK!
Tightened them back up and took it easy on the way home.

I have Alloy wheel nuts, the internal drive ones. I think i will be getting some steel nuts when i have some pennies.

[TheBigShow]

I have Alloy wheel nuts, the internal drive ones. I think i will be getting some steel nuts when i have some pennies.

yeh good call, you got lucky mate

glad everythings ok, but it should be a warning to everyone, they may look pretty but they are made of cheese and will kill you!!

[Rubix_Cube]

Alloy wheel nuts are utter shite.

Get steel ones and thats the best bet.

[Sideways Simon]

That happened me before with the steel nuts on i had on my previous s14a, was my own fault though, and lucky i had'nt gone far when i noticed it!!

But i have them cursed alloy wheel nuts on my s15 and ill be replacing them with trusted steel wheel nuts once funds allow!!

[Teggers]

I had this happen once - similar situation but it was my nearside front that worked loose. It was also with steel nuts

Never had any issues with my alloy ones but admittedly I do now have internal drive steel ones on the front but still ally on the back (longer studs fitted but the spacers are currently off as they would push the wheels out too far - need to roll and flare or fit overfenders first)

Just make sure they are correctly torqued and you should be fine.

[Sidewaysfun]

Hmm, not really sure if the problem is with the Alloy wheel nuts here. As long as they are torqued correctly there should be little difference between alloy nuts and steel ones surely?
A factor involved here could be the coating of the alloy wheel itself, namely the recess where the nuts sits.
I was told once when buying a set of new wheels off a bloke that its quite a good idea to key up/file/sand/whatever you want to call it the area that the wheel nut sits on so that it has friction and not sitting on a smooth surface. Apparently this greatly reduces the risk of nuts working themselves loose

I have done this on all the new wheels I have purchased and not had any issues.

Admittedly all the wheel nuts were loose on my 180 when I checked them at the nurburgring

[MaccyD]

stupid question, wheres the best place to buy steel wheel nuts? ive got ally ones and want rid.

[Evilchap]

You will find alloy nuts because they're so dis-similar to the stud metal, as they go through head cycles they can work loose They are not allowed in any FIA event, and as such are specifically against the rules in the little blue book, for safety reasons

The main cause of steel nuts coming lose is people using the wrong sort... standard nuts generally only are good with OEM wheels, you need a nut with a tapered seat for an after-market wheel. When you buy new wheels from almost anywere, you'll get new nuts, sometimes free, sometimes with a charge. If you buy used wheels, and you're changing from standard, always make sure you have the correct nut.

One other thing to make sure you avoid is over-tightening them, as it can damage the nuts and studs, and cause them to come loose. Finally, when you have just put new wheels on and torqued them up, after 10-15 miles just double check the torques

[voodoo_melon]

But i have them cursed alloy wheel nuts on my s15 and ill be replacing them with trusted steel wheel nuts once funds allow!!

I have Alloy wheel nuts, the internal drive ones. I think i will be getting some steel nuts when i have some pennies.

A set of steel nuts costs less than half a tank of fuel If you can't afford that, how are you running a 200?

[Si]

http://www.driftworks.com/shop/wheel...-packages.html

[docwra]

1. Alloy is softer than steel.
2. So soft in fact that wheel studs can strip it.
3. So can a man with an angle grinder who wants your wheels.
4. Before you say it, the reduction in unsprung weight is probably about the same as cleaning your car.
5. If you dont believe me, see what Driftworks had to say about it http://www.driftworks.com/forum/drif...el-nuts-s.html

[Sideways Simon]

A set of steel nuts costs less than half a tank of fuel If you can't afford that, how are you running a 200?

my car rarely see's over a quarter tank obviously, its not my daily

[Jem]

1. Alloy is softer than steel.
2. So soft in fact that wheel studs can strip it.
3. So can a man with an angle grinder who wants your wheels.
4. Before you say it, the reduction in unsprung weight is probably about the same as cleaning your car.
5. If you dont believe me, see what Driftworks had to say about it http://www.driftworks.com/forum/drif...el-nuts-s.html

This

The idea of alloy nuts in nice, all that extra unsprung weight saving and all, but you have to treat them with kid gloves, ensure the threads are lightly greased with copper grease and torque them to 75ft/lbs, no more. And if you frequently take your wheels off the threads will wear and ultimately fail

Alloy nuts are fine for holding unimportant things on, but for the minimal weight saving, not worth the risk when it comes to holding a wheel on

[TallPaul]

If you dont believe me, see what Driftworks had to say about it http://www.driftworks.com/forum/drif...el-nuts-s.html

I read the first page and the last page (6) of that thread and remembered why I never log on to Driftworks! Classic.

[voodoo_melon]

my car rarely see's over a quarter tank obviously, its not my daily

You run two cars but have to save up for a £30 set of wheel nuts?

I really don't understand some people

[Scott.b]

Just ordered some new nuts, I also was looking at getting longer studs, so ordered them at the same time.
I got these nuts
http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product...oducts_id=4650

I went for the Subaru studs for the front, there 14.3mm spline and 63mm long. there 12x1.25 too.

[piman2k]

Aluminium wheel nuts are not sh*t.

CHEAP and eBay Aluminium wheels nuts are sh*t.

Misused, frequently (99.999999% in my experience) over torqued and under checked Aluminium wheels nuts fail.

Yet to see a single proven and recorded case of an Alumnium wheel nut from the likes of Rays/Volk or Work failing. Lost track of how many times I have taken my Work nuts on and off my project. Not stripped or mangled a single one yet.

All this talk of Aluminium being softer than steel, it's bollocks. The only time that would be a problem would be, again, with it being over tightened so the steel would chew the Aluminium (that's not how a thread works). At they're reccomended torque they're secure.

[Gary.]

Yet to see a single proven and recorded case of an Alumnium wheel nut from the likes of Rays/Volk or Work failing. Lost track of how many times I have taken my Work nuts on and off my project. Not stripped or mangled a single one yet.

All this talk of Aluminium being softer than steel, it's bollocks. The only time that would be a problem would be, again, with it being over tightened so the steel would chew the Aluminium (that's not how a thread works). At they're reccomended torque they're secure.

AFAIK Rays wheelnuts have an inner liner of something other than alloy for the obvious reasons.

They're still shite though, my red Rays went pink within about 3 months

[Mark]

Not stripped or mangled a single one yet.

Lets hope you never come to regret those words


Alloy nuts can lead to this



For how much steel ones are i dont see why anyone would buy alloy ones

[Evilchap]

Aluminium wheel nuts are not sh*t.

At the risk of getting into another arguement, which I am honestly not aiming to do, you're wrong

They're not allowed in Motorsport.

We see A LOT of them here, and have had to get countless drilled out because they're siezed on, or they've come apart while being undone.

They're something we sell here for show cars and the likes, but do not recommend for track / road use, they're just not that sensible an idea.