I bought new steel lug nuts for my steel wheels 6 months ago from Atlantic British. Now they are all rusted. Is this normal? Do all steel lugnuts rust? Are they not suppose to have some kind of protective coating.. I might email AB soon. Kinda bugs me that they're new and all rusted.

 

Steel+water= rust

Have them powder coated.

 

All steel will rust. There are preventatives and other paints you can buy but, all steel will rust, including stainless.

 

I know steel rusts.................

Just odd that AB will sell me lug nuts that will rust right out of the box. What's the point of that. I would think all steel lug nuts come with a coating.

 

There are UK based third party manufacturers like "All Makes" that make lug nuts for the D1.
I got those, and they're a lot cheaper compared to the original LR nuts but have a tendency to rust after some time.
The Rover store that sold me the lug nuts told me to have them chrome plated.
Haven't done it though.

 

They didn't rust out of the box but after 6 months of driving. Ever look a a brake rotor after it sits a week after a rain, all rusted.
As Spike already mentioned get them painted or power coated after removing the rust. If power coating, make sure you don't get any on the threads, it will be hell to pay.
By the way, your steel wheels will starting rusting soon, might want to consider coating them with a couple coats of wheel wax to prevent it.

 

Good idea about the wheel wax. I'll just buy new lugs this summer and have the new ones painted.

 

You might just want to buy a can of navel jell and soak the rust of your current nuts, save a few bucks, then paint them.