Lug Nuts - Track/Street use ?

[AZTVR]

Decided to replace the two piece OEM lug nuts with the Gorilla Acorn Bulge lug nuts, part # 41187, as recommended in several places in the archives.

Having received and inspected the aftermarket lug nuts, I'm concerned that the contact area between the nut and Wheel appears to be about 2/3 of what the stock nut provides. Although I don't like the two piece construction of the stock part, I don't want to increase the stress on the BBS wheels and possibly cause a crack.

Has anyone using aftermarket lug nuts had any problems with their wheels?

Are there any opinions from the track crowd?

Is there another aftermarket, one-piece solution with the same contact area as the OEM part?

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Got any pics?

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

Although I don't like the two piece construction of the stock part
_______________________________
What wrong with the two piece? the outer is just for looks.



2005 Silver SRT/10
2000 Steel Gray GTS (sold)

 

[AZTVR]

It looks like the contact width is 0.20" with the Dodge lug nut and 0.15" with the aftermarket Gorilla 41187 lug nut. My old luts were pretty scarred up, and I read that the outer piece can break up. My luck would be that it would happen while changing a flat in the middle of nowhere. So I decided to go with what I thought would be an improvement. Maybe not.

The first image shows where my marking material was rubbed off by the contact with the wheel.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

I found that the after market lug nuts rusted over time, were the socket made contact with them.




2005 Silver SRT/10
2000 Steel Gray GTS (sold)

 

[CANTDRIVE55]

The outer "looks" part can separate from the lug nut at the track's high loads....been there.

 

[Randy]

What wrong with the two piece? the outer is just for looks.

Air tools will destroy the two-piece nuts, in my experience with my Durango - they will strip off the outer "looks" portion, leaving you with a nut that is slightly smaller than the normal lugnut size (I've de-constructed six or seven so far). As a result, I don't use my air tools on the Viper lugs, but it is (in my opinion) a stupid way to constuct a lug nut.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

That is interesting. What causes the smaller contact area? Is the bevel angle slightly different? It seems the smaller contact would make a difference in torquing strength but I'm no engineer.

 

[AZTVR]

What causes the smaller contact area? Is the bevel angle slightly different? It seems the smaller contact would make a difference in torquing strength but I'm no engineer.

The angles appear the same, but maybe it only takes a fraction of a degree difference to cause this. The only reason I looked into it is because the available contact area on the angled surface was much smaller on the afterrmarket lug nut. I'm wondering if I am just over-analyzing things, but I don't want to induce a problem. Perhaps no one notices this and never had an issue.

 

[Camfab]

As usual, aftermarket parts appear to solve one problem but end up causing another. I agree with your analysis regarding contact area. Your picture appears to show a smaller O.D. on the Gorilla nut, which would explain the decrease in contact area.