Aluminum Lug Nuts vs steel chromed OE?
 

so I see many folks with nifty looking colored lug nuts.

is there a weight savings to be had?
a safety compromise for real high speed use?

who owns these already?
brands that are good?
ones to avoid?

thanks

Aluminum lugs are lighter (Rays and etc...), but they cannot be tightened using a impact gun

When I weighed the Subaru stock acorn ones versus some Muteki ones I had laying around I found the OE ones to be lighter, they aren't very big at all. I would get some mcGard spline drives if you just want black ones. If you want other colors you can get Muteki ones but realize the finish won't last forever.

Or if you have money burning a hole in your wallet the Project Kiks or Volk/Work ones are good.

I'd stay away from the really light cheap aluminum ones especially of you swap wheels often, they strip out easy and can get cross threaded pretty easy.

try to avoid muteki, drop engineering and similar lug nuts as they are prone to chipping. Aluminum ones are better in which the color only fade over time but don't really chip. I had muteki red ones for my mazda 3 and it turned to chrome after 1 season, I also used red rays extended lug nuts for my mada 3, it became pink after a season

short of kics dollars is there something north of mcguard y'all recommend?

Its not a weight issue, at least for me, it's finding the right seat to fit aftermarket wheels. I got Rays Lugs to fit my Rays wheels, but most any acorn seat would work with my wheels. There are a few different types of seats.
http://site.brandsport.com/exterior/...ball-seats.jpg

The McGard ones are nicer than most because they are two piece with a rotating seat, which means they won't be grinding against the lug seat on the rim as you tighten them. The really expensive Project Kics ones are the same. The Work RS ones aren't bad, Greddy makes some as well but they are aluminum so you have to be careful with them.

http://www.greddy.com/products/acces...cing-lug-nuts/

Caution !!!

Most stock wheels are ball seat. After marker lug nuts such as rays, work, muteki are 60'degree tapered and usually use on after market wheels only. Will not work on stock wheels !!!

Make sure you put the RIGHT nuts on your car! LOL

http://youtu.be/jv4m41viy4I

Hahahahhaha omfg like something out of a cartoon!!!

Every Subaru made for the last 20 years uses a tapered seat, so the aftermarket lugs work fine with stock wheels. The FR-S and BRZ are no exception. The stock lugnuts will work on aftermarket wheels as well, but the taper isn't quite as long as most tuner lugnuts.

Aluminum (and titanium) lug nuts were originally a racing derived application to keep weight off of the car, especially un-sprung rotating weight. Since the life cycle of a racing lug nut is very low (often 1 race or 1 pit stop) any kind of galvanic corrosion, fatigue, thread stripping is deemed negligible in that application. For the street however, I've never really seen the point in running them as there are a lot of things to watch out for (risks).

* Be wary of imitators and knock off lug nuts from China. There is a long history of shiesty materials practices.
* I would not run cheap non-reputable alloy lug nuts on my car, not worth my life to save 4oz a wheel.

To answer your question directly, yes you can get corrosion between the steel and aluminum especially if you use these lug nuts in a salty environment like the ocean/coast or the snow. Aluminum while it does not rust, does corrode in these circumstances. (I see it every day in our fleet)

Other issues to watch for:

---Galling/stripping of threads. If you use an alloy lug nut be wary and adhere to torquing sequences and torque specs. Over torquing here can be your demise.
---Cross threading an alloy lug nut is very easy
---Inspect the lug nuts after each removal/ try to minimize removal
---Keep spares on hand

FWIW these lug nuts achieve "full strength" through thread engagement length. If you have a bolt and nut of the exact same material type and hardness (i.e. grade 5 nut and bolt), achieving full strength requires very few threads.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

With dissimilar materials and 1 being softer or less hard than the other, achieving full strength requires a lot longer thread engagement or more threads. That is why the aluminum or titanium lug nuts have open ends and are a lot longer than the factory "acorn nuts". The equation for calculating this "engagement area" is in the Machinery's Handbook, and isn't too tough to follow.

Kics IMO make the best Lug for tuner cars, I'd stay away from aluminum lugs.

Lol time to learn something new. Muteki's or any other steel lugnut will be safer to use than aluminum ones. the reason u had the steel ones fade colors is because they are either painted or powder coated and NOT anodized. Steel cannot be anodized which is a process that actually changes the coloring of the metals surface with a super tough micro thin coating. Paint and powder coat are just coatings and will deteriorate and erode.

However the process that is done to make the "Neo Chrome" finish can both be used on steel and aluminum. I have Neo chrome steel mutekis that are totally fine. This Look takes a different procces than anodizing but has a similar end result in changing the actual metals color appearance.

When I had Rays extended lug nuts I didn't have any "safety" problems, I just had my mechanic use a torque wrench instead of a impact gun, and I don't think RAYS will make lug nuts that are less safe than cheaper muteki lug nuts. The reason why I say avoid muteki and similar ones because they chip badly, and I doubt anyone want red lug nut that look chrome after 1 summer. But I agree with people that kics are the best, which is what I will get this time for the FRS

decided: keep steel for now! save up for rays or kics

Well what you think and know aren't one and the same. I never said that aluminum lug nuts were unsafe. I did however say that steel is "safer". Steel lug nuts will (almost) always be safer to run than aluminum lug nuts. You can not argue against that. :bonk:

what I know is muteki are made in china and RAYS are made in japan, but if cost is a factor then I would buy muteki by all means

OK now you getting me mad LMAO. Since you clearly know absolutely nothing about automotive parts manufacturing, I'll let you in on a secret. Mackin Industries makes Rays engineering and Muteki lugnuts, ALL IN THE SAME HOUSE.

http://www.mackin-ind.com/?page_id=2165

Educate yourself before posting again. Every thing you say is wrong.

It's true that you shouldn't use an impact gun on these lightweight aluminum lugs as they fatigue and deteriorate quickly.

I am using forged aluminum lug nuts from 949racing for my Mr2 Spyder. They're amazing.
http://949racing.com/forged-alloy-lugs-black-12x15.aspx

It's true. This forum is full of n00bs who don't have enough decency to search first, then ask. Even worst is when you have n00bs dispelling hearsay and just crap. It then gets some of the other n00bs believing. It literally is dumb and dumber :bonk:

Made by the same company doesn't mean made by the same place, same reason why your frs/brz is made in japan but the camry and corolla are made here. In case you can't see, it's made in taiwan
http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg545...pg&res=landing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiocracy

The movie is right.

Made in Taiwan isn't made in China either. Also you have no poof or fact that Rays or Muteki is produced anywhere specific.... unless you are a Mackin Industry board member, are you? Also, since when is a steel lugnut made in "china" less strong than a aluminum lugnut made in "japan". Assuming any of what you assume is true or right....

You are going in circles and creating contradictions for yourself. I'm done letting you embarrassed your self further. It's all on you now. I will no be responsible for feeding you more ways to prove you have no idea about this.

I never said aluminum lug nuts are stronger than steel ones, I only said try to avoid muteki because it's prone to chipping. You are the one who said:

And plus you are contradicting yourself too, you first said they are all made in the same place, and now since I proved to you mutekis are made in taiwan and you are assuming what i said is right lol

Guys:

We sell tons of the Muteki, RAYS, WORK, WEDS, KICS etc. All the anodized color lug nuts chip and color fade away regardless of the brand.

Never use impact gun, always use torque wrench.

Aluminum lug nuts are lighter, but also softer. Ur studs are steel, so if not use carefully, the aluminum lug nuts will get destroy.

KICS made chromely steel lug nuts which was the R26, and R40 series. They are a bit heavier than the Aluminum version but because it's chromely steel, it's stronger as well.

If use properly, most of these lug nuts are safe. I had used every single brand for the past ten years, the most common problem is the color fading out and chipping off regardless of the brand.

I have some OEM lug nuts from the BRZ and also a set of OEM wheels from the BRZ. It looks like the tapered wasn't enough to use any of these aftermarket lug nuts. So you might not get enough thread to use aftermarket 60 degree tapered lug nuts on the stock wheels.

Mark

I never said anything was made anywhere. You were saying that because you assumed Multeki lugs nuts were made in china and that you assume Rays are made in japan that that makes Muteki's less safe or lesser quality.

I simply informed you that you are basically claiming that mutekis are crap... when they are made the the same factory as rays engineering under that same manufacture plant designed both by the same engineers.

You clearly didn't know you were bashing one brand with another brand... when they are both the same brand. HA :D:bonk:

These are also all made by Mackin Industries.

Made by the same company doesn't have to mean made by the same place, duh. Are the cars Toyota have made in Japan and lesser quality than the ones made in the USA? I don't think so. That is the point here. you are bashing a brand that is designed and created by the same people as the brand you praise.

Do you see your error here? :thumbup:

shu5892001 your digging yourself into a hole. There have been several members on here trying to explain to you what you can't seem to comprehend. I'm not trying to put you down, but clearly you are a little delusional. I'll break it down since you seem to be trying to justify using aluminum lugs. Are they safe...well that depends on a lot of things but let's keep it simple for ya. If you change tires/wheels often for autoX or track or for whatever reason I would HIGHLY recommend you use steel and not aluminum. I have a feeling you're going to use aluminum cause RACECAR!

Japan>USA in manufacturing precision failure rate

Well if you look back at my initial post, the only claim I made was to avoid muteki since I used a set and it chipped very badly after 1 season. I was only giving my opinion based on my own experiences. I didn't even get into which one is safer, which one had better quality and more importantly I don't go on post and tell other to learn something new

Toyota has plants in Japan, China, US and Canada.. just to name a few. It's no secret that the same corolla made in japan has better built quality than the ones made in China and etc.. But that's off topic...

What kinda facts do you have to back that up?

This thread is painful.

You don't use an impact gun on these aftermarket lug nuts because it will take the finish off of them.

Or because the metal is too soft and will simply stripp out the threads. Yes this is stupid.

I would never recommend aluminum lug nuts to anybody. Especially if you take your wheels on and off very often. Since the aluminum is softer than the steel stud they will wear every time you put them on or take them off.

Of course if you're extremely careful with them you can get away with them. Personally, I would never use them.

I think Mackin has the Muteki made, but the Rays etc they import. This has been my understanding, although I haven't been in the aftermarket industry in over 15 years.

Ended up running these:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002009YPA/ref=wms_ohs_product"]Amazon.com: McGard 65354BK Chrome/Black SplineDrive Lug Nuts (M12 x 1.25 Thread Size) - Set of 4: Automotive[/ame]

USA made...

Running my WedsSport lugs and love them on the street. If you track your car, then just go with the simple steel open acron lug nuts like all the racers do.