Open Steel Lug Nuts for DE?
06-12-2011 | 02:06 PM
#16
RL Technical Advisor
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 11,871
Likes: 65
From: Portland Oregon
It's fine to use them, but I've never seen a stock lug fail even in competition. Ever. Since 1980. Lug nut requirement came into being because one too many dumb asses piled on spacers without regard to whether there was enough thread engagement. Then the above reference to easy tech inspection makes perfect sense. (I had one guy with an ex-factory race car try to pass my tech with stacked fender washers between the hub and wheel. Bitched to high heaven that some 21 y.o. dared send him home.)
So what do tech people do now on the cars with lug bolts??
So what do tech people do now on the cars with lug bolts??
The stock alloy lug nuts (factory ones, not aftermarket unless you KNOW what they are made from) are just fine unless one is using spacers wider than 3mm. Like Ken, I've never seen a failure of a factory one in 37+ years.
We use steel ones on race/track cars mostly to avoid scratching the alloy ones and allowing use to confirm proper thread engagement. Remember, these come off & on the car far more times than normal street use does so thats a major consideration.
I don't do tech inspections, however I'd be looking for wheel spacers and if I found them, I'd confirm that longer bolts were being used.
