949 Racing Forged Lugs and Alloy Valves
 

949 Racing 7075 T-56 forged aluminum 24g each
7075 T-6 alloy valves
http://949racing.com/lugs-valves.aspx

86 uses 12x1.25 lugs
Lugs also available in 14x1.5, 12x1.5

Lugs
Our forged lugs are designed and engineered for motorsports use where more frequent wheel changes, higher temps and power tools are the way. That's why they're kinda chunky looking. Lugs ARE NOT the place to save weight. As a race team with about 10 national championships, we focus on durability and ease of use. Lugs will not make your car faster, but they can strand your car on pit lane if not designed an implemented right. We use a 19mm hex instead of the smaller 17mm hex some lugs still use. This makes a thicker stronger lug that will accept more fastening torque. We also run the threads all the way to the end of the lug. The wide flange on the bottom forms a positive stop to the socket to aid in fast installation.

We used these lugs in our enduro cars where we're rapidly changing all four tires, four times during the Thunderhill 25 hours. We use cordless impact guns to remove and install. No torque wrench used during races. Guns calibrated to deliver roughly 100 ft-lbs. Our team performed these four tire and driver swaps in about 60 seconds. Zero issues with lugs in 15 years of racing. They’re tough.

Primary benefit for a HPDE, autocrosser or race car is that if you cross thread the lug, the lug dies but saves the stud. Having a ruined stud can end your race on a 4 lug car. We can't take that chance. As a bonus, they shed heat a bit better than steel or titanium lugs.

Steel lugs wear out too. We have found that steel or our forged alloy lugs last about the same. For light users, say 2 auto-x a year, they'll last pretty much forever. For enduro teams racing 4-6 times a year plus practice HPDE events, they'll last 2-3 years, about the same as steel lugs in the same use.

Valves
Why alloy valves?
Besides looking cool, they are far stronger than rubber valves and will never blow out. Rubber valves have been known to blow out of the wheel when the rubber becomes too soft in extreme heat of track driving. For this reason, many racing sanctioning bodies outright ban rubber valves. If an alloy valve takes a hit in wheel to wheel competition it is more likely to retain air pressure where a rubber valve usually won’t. An alloy valve, even if broken off, will shed air pressure more slowly than a rubber valve that has been pulled out. In the end, it’s about increased safety.

A few details on the 949 Racing alloy valves. They are as short as possible to keep them from getting knocked off in wheel to wheel contact, or kerb grinds while parking. The core uses a special red high temp silicone. Most valves have a black EPDM rubber core which degrades in high temps. They are fit all standard .45” diameter valve holes in virtually all OEM and aftermarket wheels. Some Rays wheels use a special smaller diameter.

Pro tips - lugs:

-Regardless of lug brand, always re-torque lugs after first drive on new wheels. They will be loose.

-Retorque when wheels are cold. So right before you go out each HPDE session, not right after you come off track.

-Hot lugs expand, aluminum more so. A 19mm socket will be a tight fit on a hot 19mm lug. We use 3/4" impact sockets for hot lugs.

- Always rotate lug at least one full turn by hand on stud before hitting it with ugga dugga. NEVER start a lug with the gun.

-Do not lube lugs or studs. That just attracts dirt that grinds your lugs to junk. Just plain clean parts will work best. If your OCD burns and you need to put something on, dry graphite lube is the only thing you should use. That's what NASCAR uses.

-Replace lugs when they feel wobbly on the stud, or have damaged thread or any other damage you feel might compromise its structural integrity

-Real talk: Lugs, like so many other thing on a track car, are consumables. Don't expect them to last forever. Strictly street use though, they should pretty much last forever.

Pro tips - alloy valves:
-When installing for the first time, you just want a tiny bit of preload on the conical gasket. Don’t crank it down.

-Retorque the valves every time a new tire is mounted. They might be a tad loose by then. Don’t get OCD and constantly retorque them before new tires are mounted. You’ll just destroy the gasket.

-Leave the caps off when on track. Makes quick pressure checks less of a hassle.

-The valves last virtually forever. Just check that they’re snug each time you mount new tires

Imho these lugnuts might benefit from optional plastic caps for those that will use it for DD throughout all year, for dirt/sand to not get in due them being open-ended, no? Otherwise both look well made product.

Not really, no. Hasn't been an issue in 15 years and maybe 100,000 sold.
And yes, they are very well made :)