Seeking Quality Wheel Nuts
Discussion
Can someone point me to a set of new wheel nuts, I'm looking for top quality.
I'd prefer stainless but would consider chrome/zinc plated if they're heat treated carbon steel with proper cut threads, I need a set of 16 deep closed end M12 x 1.5 with a 60 degree tapered seat like these I've found.
I appreciate wheel nuts are a small detail and with Imolas you only see their ends, but wheel nuts are also a safety item and with so much rubbish out there I'm suspicious these may be disappointing quality?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16-x-Alloy-Wheel-Nuts-M...
So I'd appreciate if someone can indicate a supplier of known good quality wheel nuts.
I'd prefer stainless but would consider chrome/zinc plated if they're heat treated carbon steel with proper cut threads, I need a set of 16 deep closed end M12 x 1.5 with a 60 degree tapered seat like these I've found.
I appreciate wheel nuts are a small detail and with Imolas you only see their ends, but wheel nuts are also a safety item and with so much rubbish out there I'm suspicious these may be disappointing quality?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16-x-Alloy-Wheel-Nuts-M...
So I'd appreciate if someone can indicate a supplier of known good quality wheel nuts.
Belle427 said:
I bought a set, not from that seller but a similar listing.
The part about will not rust is bs in my opinion as mine are showing signs of surface rust already and I don't use it much in the rain.
I couldn't locate a set of stainless ones, I think Racetech used to stock them but they were £100 a set.
Your comments are pretty much exactly why I created this post, surely there are better quality wheel nuts out there than the ones on Fleabay?The part about will not rust is bs in my opinion as mine are showing signs of surface rust already and I don't use it much in the rain.
I couldn't locate a set of stainless ones, I think Racetech used to stock them but they were £100 a set.
They're only Sierra/Escort after all, so what are the RS boys using when they want something decent?
The hunt continues
I wonder if these would work
They're listed as Ford Ghia stepped taper sleeve nuts with washer, the thread is 12x1.5 which I believe is correct, the seat type is described as Sleeve with 60 degree taper washer.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Ghia-wheel-Sleeve-...
They look half decent and £23.00 a set seems fair, but will this stepped type taper sleeve nut fit the Chimaera Imola wheel?
I can't see why not
They're listed as Ford Ghia stepped taper sleeve nuts with washer, the thread is 12x1.5 which I believe is correct, the seat type is described as Sleeve with 60 degree taper washer.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Ghia-wheel-Sleeve-...
They look half decent and £23.00 a set seems fair, but will this stepped type taper sleeve nut fit the Chimaera Imola wheel?
I can't see why not
Thanks, but I'm favoring these at the moment as they seem deeper, when I fitted my Brembo brake conversion it demanded wheel spacers on the front which in turn dictated longer wheel studs. I tried to match the extra stud length to the spacer thickness so their exposed threads would be the same as standard but they ended up a couple of threads longer, we're only talking one or two millimeters but a deeper nut will definitely suit me better 
If the above photo is anything to go by the nut end face which is the only part of the nut you actually see, does appear reasonably well finished too. These nuts also look like they will locate and pull in well with the depth I need, finally at £23.00 for a set of 16 they seem reasonably priced.
Spot On Nuts and Bolts are based in Maidstone Kent, all they do is wheel nuts and wheel bolts so you'd hope the guy knows a thing or two about how to select quality parts?
Here's their website...
https://www.alloywheelnutsandbolts.co.uk/
And some more about them here...
http://www.findglocal.com/GB/Maidstone/98635084810...
Anyway I'm feeling reckless this morning so I'm going to risk the £23.00
Buying online is always a risk as you never can really tell what you're going to get in the way of quality until the items turn up, however what I always try to do for the TVR community is give honest reviews so keep an eye on this post as I'll be back to let you know how these nuts worked out.
Thanks for your help chaps, especially Barreti (Ian) who highlighted the need for the rotating collar, I actually think this has been my problem all along, if I'm honest my fixed taper solid body wheel nuts have never felt like they pull my wheels as nicely as I'd like.
I'll end by saying....
"Who would have thought I'd have spent Monday morning mostly talking about my nuts?"
If the above photo is anything to go by the nut end face which is the only part of the nut you actually see, does appear reasonably well finished too. These nuts also look like they will locate and pull in well with the depth I need, finally at £23.00 for a set of 16 they seem reasonably priced.
Spot On Nuts and Bolts are based in Maidstone Kent, all they do is wheel nuts and wheel bolts so you'd hope the guy knows a thing or two about how to select quality parts?
Here's their website...
https://www.alloywheelnutsandbolts.co.uk/
And some more about them here...
http://www.findglocal.com/GB/Maidstone/98635084810...
Anyway I'm feeling reckless this morning so I'm going to risk the £23.00
Buying online is always a risk as you never can really tell what you're going to get in the way of quality until the items turn up, however what I always try to do for the TVR community is give honest reviews so keep an eye on this post as I'll be back to let you know how these nuts worked out.
Thanks for your help chaps, especially Barreti (Ian) who highlighted the need for the rotating collar, I actually think this has been my problem all along, if I'm honest my fixed taper solid body wheel nuts have never felt like they pull my wheels as nicely as I'd like.
I'll end by saying....
"Who would have thought I'd have spent Monday morning mostly talking about my nuts?"
magpies said:
I recently purchased these from Burton Power. they make sure that they will not bottom out.
https://www.burtonpower.com/open-wheel-nut-m12x1-5...
https://www.burtonpower.com/media/catalog/product/...
True, but I'd rather go with the closed type, I don't want to see the ugly stud or a hole.https://www.burtonpower.com/open-wheel-nut-m12x1-5...
https://www.burtonpower.com/media/catalog/product/...
Saying that you can always cap them with 19mm wheel nut covers/caps
Hi Guys,
I've been speaking with the guy from Alloy Wheel Nuts & Bolts....
https://www.alloywheelnutsandbolts.co.uk/
He's been very responsive and happy to answer my questions, he does also seem to know his subject too, he's been specialising in wheel nuts/bolts for some 10 years.
Apparently most of his stock is sourced from Italy, so hopefully a lot better quality than the wheel nuts I've suffered in the past?
I've been speaking with the guy from Alloy Wheel Nuts & Bolts....
https://www.alloywheelnutsandbolts.co.uk/
He's been very responsive and happy to answer my questions, he does also seem to know his subject too, he's been specialising in wheel nuts/bolts for some 10 years.
Apparently most of his stock is sourced from Italy, so hopefully a lot better quality than the wheel nuts I've suffered in the past?
So far so good, my shiny new nuts arrived this morning 
Looking good so far, they are definitely way better quality than what I've had in the past from other sellers.
The chrome finish looks great, the threads are well cut and the collars rotate nicely, I'll see how they fit my Imolas this evening
Looking good so far, they are definitely way better quality than what I've had in the past from other sellers.
The chrome finish looks great, the threads are well cut and the collars rotate nicely, I'll see how they fit my Imolas this evening
So I replaced my existing set of M12 x 1.5 wheel nuts with a 60 degree seat, with a new set of M12 x 1.5 wheel nuts with a 60 degree seat, all other measurements such as sleeve diameter and thread depth were carefully measured while choosing the new nuts, finally I took the advice of the vendor who agreed with my choice and reiterated the benefit of a floating seat.
People reading this post should be reassured my new nuts are better by design due to the 60 degree seat being separate and able to rotate around the nut (the floating seat), of course this floating collar/seat does not actually rotate at all, friction between the wheel and the floating seat ensures it stays static, the nut rotates around it as you tighten the nut on the stud.
This in contrast to my old solid nuts with their integral 60 degree seat, when you tighten a solid nut the whole thing rotates including the seat face, this grinding rotational force acting on the wheel stresses and fractures the powder coat that's there to protect the wheel. As we all know once powder coat fails water gets under it, and before you know it aluminum oxide is the result lifting more and more of the powder coat.
I'll get a photo of this corrosion that I believe started on my wheels because the solid nuts fractured the powder coat in the nut recesses, in places this corrosion has started to creep out of the nut recesses and is spoiling the look of my wheels. However, the floating collar/seat is actually there for safety, it takes the stress away from the alloy wheel itself when you tighten the nuts with an impact wrench (air gun), and transfers the pulling load through the nut directly to the stud where is should be thus avoiding potential wheel damage. Finally the floating collar/seat reduces irregular friction between wheel and nut caused by rough surface, and thus stabilises the torque, essentially it helps you to ensure the same torque is applied accurately every time.
Right, with that out of the way I can now reveal the real reason for me playing with my nuts all week
So lying under the car recently removing my damaged ARB and and tightening up all my exhaust tray bolts that were left barely finger tight after my chassis restoration, I noticed my rear tyres (Rainsport 3s) are down to 3.5mm so I've bought myself a set of Rainsport 5s that will go on the car before too long and well in advance of the wet weather Autumn months.
And as with many such things one thing leads to another, my rear wheels are definitely in need of a refurb but I've been waiting for my tyres to wear out to do this as it saves me the cost of paying someone to fit my Camskill sourced Rainsport 5s. So I then look at my existing wheel nuts which are a mismatched set and rather crusty too (see above), clearly they needed to go!
To reassure everyone my new Ford Ghia wheel nuts (just the way the vendor describes them) are great and fit perfectly, their thread size/pitch and 60 degree seat faces are all exactly the same as my old nuts, and importantly the 60 degree seat faces are the correct angle for my Imola wheels that have a concave 60 degree nut receiving inner faces x 4 per wheel. The only difference being my new bright zinc plated nuts (almost as shiny as chrome) are a lot nicer looking and better made, oh and thanks to Barreti (Ian) who highlighted the need for the rotating seat they no longer stress and break the powder coat on my wheels which should mean my upcoming wheel refurb will last better than the last.
Worn tyres = wheel refurb, which in turn demands I sort me nuts out
I hope this post is helpful to others, I've been speaking with the guy who owns Alloy Wheels & Nuts, having been specialising in this market for some 10 years it's quite clear he knows what he's talking about when it comes to wheel nuts and bolts, he also sources good quality parts much of his stock coming from Itally as he refuses to sell cheap Chinese parts. Having taken his professional and experienced advice I can confirm after fitting his bright zinc plated Ford Ghia M12 x 1.5 rotating seat wheel nuts, they work absolutely perfectly on a TVR Chimaera fitted with Imolas.
https://www.alloywheelnutsandbolts.co.uk/
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Ghia-wheel-Sleeve-...
Enjoy
People reading this post should be reassured my new nuts are better by design due to the 60 degree seat being separate and able to rotate around the nut (the floating seat), of course this floating collar/seat does not actually rotate at all, friction between the wheel and the floating seat ensures it stays static, the nut rotates around it as you tighten the nut on the stud.
This in contrast to my old solid nuts with their integral 60 degree seat, when you tighten a solid nut the whole thing rotates including the seat face, this grinding rotational force acting on the wheel stresses and fractures the powder coat that's there to protect the wheel. As we all know once powder coat fails water gets under it, and before you know it aluminum oxide is the result lifting more and more of the powder coat.
I'll get a photo of this corrosion that I believe started on my wheels because the solid nuts fractured the powder coat in the nut recesses, in places this corrosion has started to creep out of the nut recesses and is spoiling the look of my wheels. However, the floating collar/seat is actually there for safety, it takes the stress away from the alloy wheel itself when you tighten the nuts with an impact wrench (air gun), and transfers the pulling load through the nut directly to the stud where is should be thus avoiding potential wheel damage. Finally the floating collar/seat reduces irregular friction between wheel and nut caused by rough surface, and thus stabilises the torque, essentially it helps you to ensure the same torque is applied accurately every time.
Right, with that out of the way I can now reveal the real reason for me playing with my nuts all week
So lying under the car recently removing my damaged ARB and and tightening up all my exhaust tray bolts that were left barely finger tight after my chassis restoration, I noticed my rear tyres (Rainsport 3s) are down to 3.5mm so I've bought myself a set of Rainsport 5s that will go on the car before too long and well in advance of the wet weather Autumn months.
And as with many such things one thing leads to another, my rear wheels are definitely in need of a refurb but I've been waiting for my tyres to wear out to do this as it saves me the cost of paying someone to fit my Camskill sourced Rainsport 5s. So I then look at my existing wheel nuts which are a mismatched set and rather crusty too (see above), clearly they needed to go!
To reassure everyone my new Ford Ghia wheel nuts (just the way the vendor describes them) are great and fit perfectly, their thread size/pitch and 60 degree seat faces are all exactly the same as my old nuts, and importantly the 60 degree seat faces are the correct angle for my Imola wheels that have a concave 60 degree nut receiving inner faces x 4 per wheel. The only difference being my new bright zinc plated nuts (almost as shiny as chrome) are a lot nicer looking and better made, oh and thanks to Barreti (Ian) who highlighted the need for the rotating seat they no longer stress and break the powder coat on my wheels which should mean my upcoming wheel refurb will last better than the last.
Worn tyres = wheel refurb, which in turn demands I sort me nuts out
I hope this post is helpful to others, I've been speaking with the guy who owns Alloy Wheels & Nuts, having been specialising in this market for some 10 years it's quite clear he knows what he's talking about when it comes to wheel nuts and bolts, he also sources good quality parts much of his stock coming from Itally as he refuses to sell cheap Chinese parts. Having taken his professional and experienced advice I can confirm after fitting his bright zinc plated Ford Ghia M12 x 1.5 rotating seat wheel nuts, they work absolutely perfectly on a TVR Chimaera fitted with Imolas.
https://www.alloywheelnutsandbolts.co.uk/
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Ghia-wheel-Sleeve-...
Enjoy
Zener said:
Well done Dave, just curious might of known you did your homework on this one 
It's nuts mate 
Seriously though, the shouldered part of the sleeve/floating seat actually locates the Imola beautifully, it's like they are made for the wheel, and the 60 degree floating seat design itself is a real improvement over a 60 degree solid nut.
The threads on my new nuts are well cut and the bright zinc plating is actually very close to a chrome finish, overall they seem very well engineered and fit better than anything else I've used in the past, but only time will tell how the plating copes with our UK winters and salt laden roads
At the end of the day for £23 for a set of 16 these Ford Ghia wheel nuts from 'Spot On Nuts & Bolts' seem, errrr...Spot On
, I'd love stainless but they are all the solid type and I'm beggered if I'm paying £100 for a set of wheel nuts!I hope this post helps others looking for quality wheel nuts that are better by design and suit their Imola shod Chimaera
Zener said:
Interestingly I have been using alloy wheel nuts for a while little less un-sprung all helps, they dont last forever and clean threads and correct tightening discipline are essential and definitely no rattle guns (air tools etc) 
as did road going Porsche models, Triumph Stag MK2 etc , for low maintenance I would follow Daves find
Hi Simon, tapping into your professional experience a couple of questions if I may? as did road going Porsche models, Triumph Stag MK2 etc , for low maintenance I would follow Daves find 1. Do you torque wheel nuts?
2. If you do, what torque setting do you use?
I was also taught to re-check tightness/torque after a few miles, would you agree this remains necessary?
Riff Raff said:
ChimpOnGas said:
This in contrast to my old solid nuts with their integral 60 degree seat, when you tighten a solid nut the whole thing rotates including the seat face, this grinding rotational force acting on the wheel stresses and fractures the powder coat that's there to protect the wheel. As we all know once powder coat fails water gets under it, and before you know it aluminum oxide is the result lifting more and more of the powder coat.
That's true for wheels that have the flange that the nut sets into cast as part of the wheel. The rims I've just bought have an alloy bush pushed into the mounting plate that the nuts bear on. You can scuff that up all you like I'd imagine, it won't cause any issues with corrosion. Except with the bush itself, which would be replaced when the wheels need a re-furb.
I suspect these inserts are a hard aluminium alloy, if they were steel you'd have galvanic corrosion issues.
I actually think this is the real source of my wheel corrosion, an aluminium wheel and interference fitting steel wheel nuts are a always going to promote corrosion boys
This is because the wheel is made from less noble aluminium, so it is always going to become the sacrificial anode!
I actually think this is the real source of my wheel corrosion, an aluminium wheel and interference fitting steel wheel nuts are a always going to promote corrosion boys
This is because the wheel is made from less noble aluminium, so it is always going to become the sacrificial anode!
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