Went to a regional chain tire store today to get a defective tire replaced. Manager pulled me aside and breathlessly warned me about the tire mounting hardware. Claimed that the OEM version on an LR3 was all aluminum, which, he asserted, is prone to swelling (making removal difficult) and sheering off edges from the hex head. I think he implied that these were two piece units, suggesting that two piece were inferior to single units (because it's been a long time since I've changed a tire on my 2006 LR3, I wasn't sure if he was saying the lug nuts were two pieces with a cylinder for the stud threads and a decorative cap that attaches to the cylinder, or if these were bolt and nut combinations). Offered to replace them all with non-aluminum single piece hardware with a head that looks original for $160 plus tax. I'm not a fan of having to make an on the spot decision about a problem I didn't know I had, so I politely declined.

Is this a real issue that others routinely experience? If so, what's a source for LR3 lug nuts that avoids this problem, if indeed there is one? (note that I do not care one bit about what a lug nut looks like; this is a working truck and appearances do not matter) Hard to believe that an auto manufacturer would use aluminum for a nut or bolt that requires so much torque to tighten or loosen; weight saving certainly wouldn't be the concern so why aluminum? I see that Atlantic British has a full set of 25 "OEM" nuts for $115, but if there is a legitimate beef about the metal LR used originally, it's silly to put the same things on. Or was I just the recipient of good old fashion upsell, and all of his warnings were a bunch of marketing hoo-ha?

Thanks in advance for your advice,

Nick in Palm Springs

 

It’s a cover on a steel lug nut. They do swell also are frequently damaged by tire change shops. I replace all mine with solid steel units. They don’t fail they just can be a pain in the *** to get off.

ebay and Amazon carry sets for $35 or so

 

The manager is an idiot. Stainless caps on steel and it is a stupid Ford design. This is why I carry 23, 23.5 and 24mm sockets for them to use. I have some new ones to put on. What happens is the steel lugs start to rust below the stainless caps, which then start to expand. You can get OEM for about $75 on eBay as new take-offs. Not sure if they really ARE new OEM take-offs tho... could be fakes... still better than old ones.

 

As long as they don't use a rattle gun on them they are fine, if you live somewhere where they salt the roads they do seem to swell.

 

OK, it's clear that there is a potential problem with the use of untreated steel for the nut and stainless steel for the cap. Searching through this forum suggests that the caps can fail. which wouldn't be a pretty thing to have happen in the bush. I don't live in a wet climate (I'm in Palm Springs where single digit humidity percentages are common), but I do need to assume that I can always change a tire without power tools or external help no matter where I am.

So what do you think about this set?: It says these are one piece nuts and are chromed. Nothing stops rust on steel, but surely chroming would help slow it down. I looked on eBay and other sites for lug nut options and found some for much less, but I could never figure out if what was being offered was a one piece and there was nothing in the description about the materials..

Nick in Palm Springs

 

This is not an endorsement but the “gold standard” is Wrington Engineering who make and hand polish solid stainless steel nuts out of marine grade steel… the price for each does reflect that, unfortunately.

 

As an afterthought, yes, the “metal” LR used (uses?) in their vehicles is probably the cheapest they could source and at the same time thought they could get away with. Considering the vehicle is supposed to be “premium”, the materials mostly aren’t.

I live in an area where they salt roads in the winter. A 12 year old Volvo doesn’t have any rust at all while the discovery rusts from pretty much everywhere. Pretty much any screw in the vehicle susceptible to this. The ones around the airbox. The ones at tailgate handle, etc.

 

I have found that you need to use 6 point 23mm socket to get them on and off with damaging the cover. I have "rounded" a few of them with a 12 point socket and then had to cut the cover off to get to the 21 mm nut. I am slowly replacing them with solid lug nuts. and yes once they swell, it is no fun cutting the cover off.

Jeff

 

I think I'm convinced that going with a different lug nut makes sense. My question now is whether there are less expensive but equally solid options than this one on Amazon: "DPAccessories Chrome Lug Nuts for Range Rover - Sport - Land Rover LR3 LR4 - Discovery - Solid Range Rover Lug Nuts for Factory Alloy Wheels - Set of 20 - LCM4D8HCOCH06020" . They certainly seem like they'd be less prone to the cap failing or causing other problems, but $114 is a lot of money to replace something that isn't really an issue yet. Anything out there that's markedly less in price? I checked Lucky 8 ($150 for a set of solid nuts that are clearly designed to address the cap issue, while sets for $82 and $73 all look like the OEM version) and Atlantic British ($115 for what looks like OEM version), but either the price point is way up there or what's offered isn't clearly different than what I have now. Lots of less expensive offers on eBay, but none I've looked at so far have the magic words "one piece" or something to that effect, and in fact make a big deal about being like OEM, which isn't quite what I want.

Any suggestions?

Nick in Palm Springs

 

I bet ya you can find that EXACT same lug nut set for $40 elsewhere under a dozen other names. Point is anything not OEM will not have the same quality - I know, irony given how bad the factory nuts are. But as mentioned, the factory ones did last A LONG time, just a bad design. What I would maybe consider is looking into other OEM vehicles that have the same style lugs without caps in the same thread pitch and going with those, if they exist. On the flip side, if you just use your Rover to crawl around town then maybe the cheaper ones would be okay. But seeing cheap aftermarket lugs nuts ripped right off trucks on the trail, I tend to shy away from non-OEM offerings. The threads may not be of good tolerance the metal too weak.