So of course we have the problems with the lug nut swelling / warping / rounding. Now the 27 mm caps on the nuts will only fit a 1-1/8" socket. I have seen a few threads on these before but no definitive answers.

Has anyone bought and used lug nuts with the stock wheels that DO NOT have the cap on them? Yes, we could bring the shop the correct socket and tell them not to use an impact and hand torque them but I want a more reliable and practical option.

I know the threads are M14 x 1.5 with a 27mm hex head. Can you buy other lug nuts that are the same thread and style? I am a lug nut noob.

Thanks

 

Some people simply rip the stainless steel covers off of the stock lugnuts and use them bare. I don't recall what size wrench fits what's left underneath.

 

Where I got mine:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/133585359177

I have not used them yet though. Waiting to find the right tires for my swap from 18" to 16". Will then switch over to these solid lug nuts.

 

Nice! I assume you're going for the stock alloy type wheels? Do the lug nuts feel a lot more solid than the OEM? Thanks!

 

I have solid lugs like those eBay ones. They work just fine, but be aware that the finish is only plated on so they will rust eventually where the lug wrench scrapes off the plating.

 

Good to know. You haven't had any problems with warping? Are you using an impact on them?

I honestly think it would be worth it even if I had to paint them every time they got scratched up.

 

My question to everyone is also can you get lug nuts that are the same thread pitch and seat type but different hex?? Something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/283501689859

 

How would they warp? They're solid metal.

 

Yes, if you can find same thread pitch (M14X1.5) and seat type (no idea how to define that without a complicated drawing), then the hex doesn't matter. The thread is not a huge deal, but the seat type is very Disco 2 Aluminum wheel specific. If you get aftermarket wheels, different lugs. Steel wheels, different lugs.

Mine came with useless 22" wheels that used relatively "standard" lug nuts. I had a bit of a learning curve when I got original Discovery 16" wheels and went to install them. Lucked into a bunch on Ebay for a good price. I ended up ripping the caps off and then blacking them by heating and quenching in oil. Time will tell if that was as good a choice as just painting them or using something like Cerakote.

I grabbed a 26mm socket off amazon and paired it with a Harbor Freight 1/2" drive extendable breaker bar for a lug wrench that fits correctly. In the unlikely even I ever lot a shop touch them, I will be very clear they are to use a 26mm socket, mine if they don't have one, and break them by hand, as well as re-torque them by hand.

If you are going to de-cap them, the fastest way I have found is in a vice and use a flat blade screwdriver and hammer. I was going to do a write up, but haven't yet. Here is an album with the photos I took of the different points along the journey:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KQGBMqQXpJnF5h9u9

Here are the steps I use that would go with those photos:

0. Wear good gloves or have a healthy sized box of band-aids and butteryfly closures handy. (ask me how I learned this)
1. Clamp the barrel of the lug in a sturdy vice, hex side up. Pierce the top in the center and then drive the screwdriver away from you, peeling a strip across the top and down the opposite side.
2. Reverse the lug not and repeat opposite the first strip.
3. Drive the screwdriver into the side, prying around the circumference. The goal is to expose a section of the flat band where the cover stops
4. Once enough of the band is exposed, drive the screwdriver down to snap the band, which will release the sheet metal cap.

I did 24 of them in less than an hour once I got in a rhythm. Then I soaked them in vinegar overnight to remove rust. Finally, whatever surface prep is needed for your coating choice.

 

Thank you brother. This is definitely the type of info I was looking for. Given the specificity of the lug nut seat for the aluminum Disco wheels, I'll stick with the stock type nuts and probably rip the caps off just like that. I wonder if you would even have to worry about shops rounding the hex if the caps are off.

Great idea about makeshift lug wrench for emergencies as well. Don't forget about the 27mm spare nuts though! Unless you took the cap off those too.

Awesome pictures and quick write up. You have decided my next move with these. I also then don't have to buy any lug nuts. Cheers--