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Has anybody tried to go to wheel studs instead of the bolts?
Honestly, Im tired of stocking multiple lengths and colors of lugs. My black wheels need black lugs. And the black lugs on Amazon tend to shear eventually. And I need two different set lengths of chrome lugs for my winter wheels and the stock wheels. I have a fourth set of wheels that Id like to eventually use, but those also need a different length chromes I believe.
On a VW lemons car I use to race, we converted to the studs, and the team was much happier afterwards. Its not a hard job to do. I was just hoping to hear some feedback from others that have tried it. Id be able to move down to just two sets of lugs, black and chrome. They'd be closed lugs, so the color of the stud wouldn't really matter.
The way I figured it out is a 68mm F so I can add a 5mm spacer and a 78mm R to accommodate a 10mm spacer. I found a few sets on EBay so that’s the route I’ll be going.
i bought grade 12.9 studs in 57mm, but didn't get a chance to install them. i think you just need to make sure they are grade 10 or better? may be someone else can chime in on that lower limit. don 't forget to think about what seat you need. ball or taper seat. this depends on the wheels you have.
The bolts are 78mm M12x1.5 grade 12.9, have a ball nose, and have extended threads to accept up to a 20mm spacer. Should be enough for any setup I run! I'm excited to try them out.
So far, I am super impressed by these studs!! They were super easy to install, they look great, and it was super easy to mount the wheels. I think I'm going to be really happy I converted with how often I change wheels. If you just have one set of wheels that you run year round, this is not really a needed upgrade. If you have winter/summer/track sets, its nice to be able to run the same hardware at all times. Im super confident in the bolts, especially since they are 12.9 grade, and the kit was nicely put together. I put a picture below because I liked the packaging a lot. This was not a "kit", but pieced together. So I was impressed to see it all packaged so well, as if it was a finished kit.
You might notice the silver washer looking items in the bag. I could only find black lug nuts in a cone taper. Those convert a cone to a ball end. I wasn't so sure I'd be a fan of it at first, but after using it the first time, and seeing the quality of their other parts, I'm really not worried about it at all. They seated well and seem pretty solid. In addition, the studs themselves have a ball end, so its more difficult to mar up the wheels.
This winter, I'll probably try out a 15-20mm spacer with my narrow winter wheels and see how well they hold up.
I don't ever swap wheels here, so I don't deal with variable-length lug bolts, except when i have occasionally needed to use the spare tire. I have never had any challenges in mounting wheels, either, and I've never needed to use a "wheel hanger". I find that the factory wheels fit tightly enough around the lip at the end of the hub that I can hold it in place while inserting the first bolt. Having said that, the one car where I have had issues is the W164 ML350. That hub has very little lip, and the wheels are very heavy, so it is a challenge to get the tire in place while a bolt is inserted, so I often do use a hanger bolt on that one.
I think my only concern with that kit would be those cone-to-ball adapters and the rear "nuts" for the studs. I would worry about corrosion or even electrolysis with all those parts, especially since you are in the "Rust Belt". I guess time will tell, and if you are swapping wheels often, you can keep an eye on everything.
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