Lug Nut Sockets

Here is another little mystery I have had no real success in solving.

Why do we buy a new set of chrome lug nuts for the car and then remove/install them with a standard unprotected socket? Call me silly, but it seems: (1) Impact wrench + (1) standard socket + rapid counterclockwise torque = beat to sh*t lug nuts.  Maybe this topic has been covered and I just missed it somewhere, but I have never seen it discussed.

How do you akido master mechanics keep your lug nuts from being ravaged taking them on and off? I have found one site that offers a solution, www.protectools.com/protectool/product.html, Item #P103/P104. I guess I will someday pony up the $65 unless you guys have some other more economical products I could look at or if you have some kung fu hoo doo way of removing them without being damaged.

Paul

 

Mid-America has a nylon lined lug socket wrench that will do the trick! I bought one and it works great! I think it is about $25.00. That is inexpensive to keep your lug nuts nice looking ater you spend the money to buy new ones. I never use a impact wrench on my lug nuts. I use the soft socket and a torque wrench.

Hope that helps!

I agree with JD. I care enough about my lug nuts (and me) to use a socket & torque wrench. I started doing this many years ago when one of the 4wd drive Jeeps I had put together I chose 14" x 35" Ground Hogs and 10" aluminium wheels for it. I trusted the air wrench at that time. Fortunitly it was nice out and had the top off. My wife & I were crusin slowly and I could hear the center cap in the wheels rattling where the big wheels were workin there way off. I stopped and tightened them up with a break over bar & socket. From then on the air wrench has never been used on wheels in my garage! Most of the good wheel shops won't use them on anything aftermartket .

As a guy who fixed cars for 25 years, and taught them for 10 I need to throw in my $.02

Even in the shop twisting wrenched for a living, and still now, I have Removed lug nuts with an impact, but I ALWAYS use a torque wrench when I tighten them.  It does not matter how old, crude, rusted, or nice the rims, lugs, and nuts are.  I ALWAYS use a torque wrench.

Not only will you be sure of what you have, you won't warp the brake rotors.  Yes that will happen if they are too uneven.  The vast majority of pulsing brakes if from improperly torques lug nuts.  It takes several thousand miles for the warpage to show, but it does.  I have never had a warped rotor on one of my cars.  But I use a torque wrench.

I am with you on the torque wrench, its to easy to warp rotors. If a bolt is properly torqued, it is not going to come loose unless the joint was not designed properly to begin with. I like to torque my lug nuts in two stages. Following the star pattern I take the nuts up to 50% of the final torque first. Then I reset the wrench to the final torque setting and go through the star pattern again.

Sorry, I realize I got off the subject on protecting chrome lug nuts

Ok, you guys convinced me tyo use a torque wrench.  what should they be torqued to?

In the Corvette Shop manual wheel stud nuts are 80 lb-ft which I use. The jacking instructions in your storage compartment say 60-80 lb-ft if you still have it. Here is a link to a torquing procedure for wheels.

http://www.rsracing.com/tech-wheel.html#torque

Here is a site that will give torque values for different size fasteners and grades

http://www.engineersedge.com/torque_table_sae_ftlbs.htm

Hope this helps

Aluminum wheel usually require more than steel wheels. 

Most of the time you will add about 10 or 20 ft lbs.  Always check the specs.

[QUOTE=JDGrant] Mid-America has a nylon lined lug socket wrench that will do the trick! I bought one and it works great! I think it is about $25.00. That is inexpensive to keep your lug nuts nice looking ater you spend the money to buy new ones. I never use a impact wrench on my lug nuts. I use the soft socket and a torque wrench.

Hope that helps!

JD:[/QUOTE]

Do you have the inventory number for this item? I couldn't find it online.  Thanks

Paul

(fixed the QUOTE - Norsky)

Norsky38724.8944675926