I have a P reg fiesta ghia, with Alloys. I have recently been told that unless i have special alloy nuts fitted, that the steel nuts will eventually "chew through" the alloys. What sort of nuts do i need, or can i fit some sort of washer/shim type devices to go between the nuts and wheels?
thanks zardoz
Have a dentist take the steel nuts teeth out.
you need the nuts that are designed for your wheels, if they are ford alloys then buy the ford nuts, etc. Using nuts designed solely for steel wheels (to secure alloys) may be very dangerous, as in: the wheel may fall off.
It depends on the wheels. If they have hardened inserts then you can use the same wheel nuts with no problem. If not, you will need the correct ones, which will generally have some kind of washer or other load spreading device.
MW
WTF? Unless your alloy wheels have a different seat to the steel wheels (many aftermarket wheels have taper seats, whilst OE are generally radius IME), there's no reason not to use the same bolts. The idea that there should be enough movement for the bolts to erode their way through the alloy is ridiculous. And what's the alternative? Wheel bolts that erode and you replace periodically?
Some alloys require special tubular wheel nuts or there is insufficient thread in use, for one thing . Using a 'conventional taper steel wheel nut in a plain alloy will damage the alloy, many of the ford wheels used plain alloy, the correct wheel nut has a free spinning washer built on it, this allows the nut to be done up against the alloy without digging in and ripping the alloy seat away. (which is, I think what the OP meant)
I have seen OEM alloy nuts (with a washer built on), but that is not common, mostly they are steel nuts with a washer, but often vary in design from steel wheel nuts, sometimes they are tapered, sometimes flat
Just get the right nuts for the wheels, do them up to the correct tightness and there will be no damage and hopefully no danger.
Mrcheerful
Two examples: Toyota Previa had nuts that have a deep cylindrical recess with a wide taper seat at the top. No way the normal steel-wheel bolts will fit. My Merc, OTOH has Merc alloys with bolts that look the same as those on steel wheels, but are longer 'cos the alloy is thicker. (As the spare is steel I have to carry a set of short bolts with it).
Get the right nuts or bolts.
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