Aluminum wheels versus lug nuts

1993 Buick station wagon. Aluminum wheels, and the old style lug nuts. Two aparently fused themselves to the rims, and were a PIA to remove. Drill, pound, grind, etc.

He's going back to the tall lug nuts that came with the vehicle. Is there any kind of stuff to keep the lug nuts from sticking to the aluminum rims?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
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Dissimilar metal corrosion sucks. Basically a battery corroded the lug nuts to the wheels. Impact wrenches from the tire shop when you buy tires does its damage too. Yea, grease or anti seize resolves the issue. . But make sure they are tight. No salt roads and stay away from impact wrenches. Those particular wheels went very good. Well, any aluminum wheels corrode in Ohio. From the salt. My buddy has a set and they corroded even where the wheel bead sits. And he cant keep air in them now.

Reply to
DogDiesel

Dissimilar metal corrosion sucks. Basically a battery corroded the lug nuts to the wheels.

CY:That's about what I'd figured. The galvanic thing.

Impact wrenches from the tire shop when you buy tires does its damage too.

CY: That's my experience. Most tire shops over torque the lugs.

Yea, grease or anti seize resolves the issue. . But make sure they are tight. No salt roads and stay away from impact wrenches.

CY: Sadly, in NYS we have a lots of road salt on the roads in winter.

Those particular wheels went very good. Well, any aluminum wheels corrode in Ohio. From the salt. My buddy has a set and they corroded even where the wheel bead sits. And he cant keep air in them now.

CY: Yep, aluminum wheels are probably great in Arizona.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

BTDT. You can get special grease that prevents the problem, sold in most home stores in the electrical isle. Then use good tall lug nuts and PROPERLY TORQUE THEM.

Reply to
Steve W.

I've seen grey "no-al-ox" for aluminum wires in circuit panels. Maybe that kind of grease? The grey stuff I've bought seems like some kind of sludge suspended in some kind of oil.

That's also true, don't want the lugs put on with air wrench.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

That's the stuff.

Reply to
Steve W.

I have worked with that stuff, for wiring in panel boxes, circuit breakers, etc. I wasn't sure how it would do, in a wet salty environment like car lugs. Who knows? Might work fine.

At the moment, we're using white lithium grease spray, and the resolve to remove, respray and replace lug nuts once a year.

I would have been thinking some heavy grease, close to tar. That would displace water. But, the grey No-al-ox might work. I've also seen Ox-Gard, which I fondly and jokingly called Ox-Gored.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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