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The caps on my lug nuts are beginning to fall off so I'm in the market for a replacement set. I'm having trouble finding an OEM replacement and I'm not sure what aftermarket lug nuts are compatible. What do you recommend? Thanks for the help I appreciate it.
That's a good question, I'm researching this right now. So, yes, you need ball seat, but much better than the stock junk lugs that rust.
Stock (factory/genuine Honda) lugnuts rust at a much slower rate than aftermarket ones do.
There are plenty of factory and aftermarket ball seat lug nuts available on eBay. I recommend a search there. Use "Honda M12x1.5 lug nuts" or similar as your search. Find the ball seat ones.
I have had 6 sets of McGard Spline Drive's without a single issue, and they're not titanium. Unfortunately they don't make ball seat.
You use them in the same environment as you do the factory lug nuts? And use them in the same way (impact tools or not)? And have they been used for the same amount of time?
My factory lug nuts are 11 years old, used year round with impact tools to remove them/snug them down (I torque them to spec after)....and they are just now starting to have small tinges of rust.
The McGards do have the benefit of a standardized or proprietary key. The factory ones get installed with a socket that resembles a fitted tool.
I'm pretty sure Gorilla makes ball seated spline drives, if that style worked for you.
That's a good question, I'm researching this right now. So, yes, you need ball seat, but much better than the stock junk lugs that rust.
My intention wasn't to quarrel with you. But saying that the factory lug nuts have a junk coating is absolutely inaccurate. I've owned a lot of Hondas...and years ago, I used to work at a tire shop in the Chicago area. I definitely took note as to how much better the factory lug nuts held up, as compared to "OE replacements".
McGard is a good company...and as far as I know, they are the OEM for Honda's locking lugs. I wouldn't be surprised if they were the OEM for all of Honda's lug nuts.
So...since you've had luck with McGard spline drives, maybe you aren't using the right tool on your hex lug nuts...and/or you aren't evaluating or comparing the two fairly.
So...since you've had luck with McGard spline drives, maybe you aren't using the right tool on your hex lug nuts...and/or you aren't evaluating or comparing the two fairly.
I've seen you mention impact a few times, which surprises me, since I consider use of an impact on aluminum wheels complete idiocy. Yes, I just called every human on earth that uses an impact on aluminum wheels an idiot.
All my lugs are removed, and re-seated by hand, and torqued by hand.
Any chrome that rusts under any circumstance in 2007 is trash, and the use of chrome on lug nuts in general is bad engineering IMO.
I've seen you mention impact a few times, which surprises me, since I consider use of an impact on aluminum wheels complete idiocy. Yes, I just called every human on earth that uses an impact on aluminum wheels an idiot.
All my lugs are removed, and re-seated by hand, and torqued by hand.
Any chrome that rusts under any circumstance in 2007 is trash, and the use of chrome on lug nuts in general is bad engineering IMO.
Why is chroming lug nuts bad engineering?
Your OEM lug nuts rusted even though you never used an impact on them? How? I'm afraid I find that hard to believe.
Did you use your McGard spline drive lugnuts in the same environment as your stock ones? I'm assuming you're using the black phosphated ones since you don't think chrome is a good idea?
Your OEM lug nuts rusted even though you never used an impact on them? How? I'm afraid I find that hard to believe.
Did you use your McGard spline drive lugnuts in the same environment as your stock ones? I'm assuming you're using the black phosphated ones since you don't think chrome is a good idea?
Don't put words in my mouth, I said any chrome that rusts (not all chrome is untreated). The Subaru community led me to Spline Drives back in 2004, and my original lugs still have no rust on them. I have bought and sold various sets, some more impossibly expensive than others, and never had an issue since then. All of my after-market wheels wear them.
We bought our TL new back in 2007, and the lugs have never seen an impact.
Yes, same environment, Summer, Winter, the whole 9. I have chrome, black, and the euro-chrome look Spline Drives, and have had no issues with any of them.
Now, as much as I might enjoy having this conversation with you, I feel like we're contributing very little, or dare I say none to this thread, so that'll be all of it.
Again, didn't want to quarrel. But I started out asking questions about where these factoids about lug nuts were coming from.
Helpful facts to help OP: Steel lug nuts are all made from some sort of heat treatable alloy. 4140 is likely. Which has chromium alloyed in it. Similar to tool steel. So...lugnuts that have chrome in them being badly engineered as a general statement is preposterous.
They are then chrome plated...similar to hand tools and shock shafts. Its an electroplating that is a thin and extremely hard, corrosion resistant surface. Chrome doesn't rust orange. If you're seeing orange rust, it means that the plating has come off and the steel underneath is rusted.
Some are organically coated as well. Black lugnuts typically are organic coated. Organic coat is not as durable as chrome in terms of impact strength. Phosphating probably works better than powder coat.
Zinc plating is a bad idea unless the lugnuts are jacketed like the ones on GM's.
Some manufacturers use shitty plating. Chrysler lug nuts are the shittiest lugnuts on Earth, for example. Its a chrome or SS cap placed over a steel lug nut. So...the pocket of space allows the steel to corrode badly...which causes the whole thing to balloon and become useless.
Honda, fortunately, uses a manufacturer that plates exceptionally well. Edges eventually start to rust from tool useage. 10-11 years of careless useage on Chicago area roads, in my case.
I'd buy good condition used or new Honda genuine lugnuts. I would then avoid using impact tools on them. I would also use a good quality 19mm socket specifically. 3/4" is close...but its not 19mm.
I'm not mettalurgist. So feel free to fact check me. I'll readily admit if I'm wrong.
01-28-2017, 02:06 PM
