What you need to know about Replacement Lugnuts

**Junior** · 08-09-2009, 04:09 PM

To consolidate a bunch of good info from a bunch of different threads, here's what you need to know about buying replacement lugnuts for your LX. I mainly focus on the Gorilla brand, because they offer more options that work, and they're readily available.

The first post has all the specs you need to know, with part numbers for the various options, and the second post will address all the previous concerns that have been raised, one at a time.

Here are the important specs:

Lug Nut Seat Style: Conical seat
Thread Size: 14mm x 1.50 RH
Conical Seat Taper: 60 degree
Conical Seat Type: Bulge

Here are some examples of Gorilla lugnuts that will work on LX's:

- These are all the same length (1.40"):
Gorilla 91147 (Chrome, 13/16 hex)
Gorilla 41147 (Chrome, 3/4 hex)
Gorilla 91147SS (Stainless Steel, 13/16 hex)
Gorilla 91147BC (Black Chrome, 13/16 hex)
Gorilla 91147HT (Chrome, heat-treated, 13/16 hex)
Gorilla 91148 (Same as the 91147, but priced individually)
Gorilla 61147 (Lifetime Finish, 13/16 hex)

- These are longer (1.90"):
Gorilla 91147XL (Extra long, Chrome, 13/16 hex).

- Open-ended (1.0"):
Gorilla 90048 (Open-ended, 13/16 hex, priced individually)

Here's the best price we've ever found for the Gorilla 91147 (91148): http://www.brandsport.com/grla-91148.html (91¢ each when you buy 20)

Here's the Gorilla Numbering Convention:

Click to view the original image

And the PDF catalog which has a whole lot of useful info: http://daliracing.com/v666-5/downloa..._lock_nuts.pdf

**Junior** · 08-09-2009, 04:09 PM

- Individual Concerns -

Question: Will the 91147 lugnuts bottom out?

Answer: No. Not on any stock stud application. Any of the 1.40" Gorilla lugnuts will in fact securely hold the rotor, even with no wheel mounted:

This should set to rest any thought about the Gorilla 91147's bottoming out.

And a couple pics:

Click to view the original image

If you're concerned at all (for instance if you've replaced your factory studs with longer ones), use the 91147XL (1.90" long versus 1.40")

Here you can see how much spare room there is in the factory lugnut, which is roughly the same height as the 91147:

Click to view the original image

Question: The seat looks smaller on the 91147 versus the factory lugnuts. Is this a concern?

Answer: No. The contact patch on the 91147 seems to be the same as the factory lugnuts.

The seat is smaller on the Gorillas, but the wear line on the stock lugnuts (the contact patch) is almost exactly the same size as the seat on the Gorillas. So what we're seeing is that there's no problem. Even though the overall seat area is larger on the stock lugnuts, the portion of the seat that actually makes contact with the wheel is the same.

Click to view the original image

Just for reference, here are a 91147, a 91147SS, and a stuck lugnut (From Ron380 - thanks Ron):

Click to view the original image

Clockwise from top: 91147, 91147SS, Stock.

Question: If the seat is smaller, won't it intrude further into the wheel?

Answer: No. Below I have two tapers of the same angle and the same height, intruding into two identical cones. You can see that though the red example has a much smaller seat, it does not intrude any further into the cone. No Photoshop trickery here, it's just an illustration of a principle.

Click to view the original image

Question: What is the torque spec for lugnuts?

Answer: 110 ft/lbs dry. For the Police Package wheels, it's 140 ft/lbs. (thanks, Pete)

Question: Should I use anti-seize on my studs?

Answer: No.

Here's why: Bolts or studs provide clamping force by being purposely stretched. Most torque specs bring a bolt well within its elastic limit. Then when loosened they will return to their original length and can be safely reused (Some bolts, including many head bolts, are purposely stretched past their elastic limit, and can not be reused). The torque wrench is the most convenient-but not the most accurate-method of properly stretching automotive bolts. Engineers spend hours correlating the proper bolt stretch to the required turning effort. About 90% of a torque specification is used to overcome friction; only 10% of the specified twisting effort provides clamping force.

It is no surprise then that most lubricant tables recommend a 40-45% reduction of applied torque when using anti-seize on a bolt. So, a lug nut coated with anti-seize should be tightened to a maximum of 49 ft-lbs. Tightening this lug nut to 85 ft-lbs. means it is now over-torqued by 73%! Considering that most torque specs stretch a bolt to within 70% of its elastic limit, over-truing by 73% will easily send the bolt or stud well beyond its elastic limit-and could be dangerously close to its failure point.

From: http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?p=24091

Question: Are the 91147SS lugnuts solid Stainless Steel?

Answer: No. They are the same steel as the 91147's, with a Stainless Steel cap on them - similar in construction to the the stock lugnuts, but made with much higher tolerances, and therefore less slop. They are still a sleeved lugnut, though.

UPDATE: There have been concerns, and some failures stemming from the caps on the SS version. Here's one thread about such issues: Gorilla ss lug nuts suck IMHO... Why you ask ???

There have been others using the SS for years successfully as well, but if you're looking for a solid one-piece lugnut, you have to stay with the non-SS versions.

**MattRobertson** · 08-17-2009, 04:02 PM

Great stuff Mike! I was cussing away at the track last Friday cuz I need two sets of lug nuts when switching from street to track wheels and back. I can use this to find one size that matches both.

**Ron380** · 08-17-2009, 04:10 PM

Thanks for getting all this together, Junior!

Glad I could help!

**Trojan** · 08-17-2009, 04:14 PM

Great Info Junior.

Not to sidetrack this but Ive recently encountered that I need longer wheel studs, Do you know what size the stock studs are? I need to find some 1/2" longer.

**Wellsy** · 08-17-2009, 04:20 PM

These are the 91147BC Gorilla black chrome lugs. I just put them on this past weekend.
Dimensionally, they are smaller, but like the specs Mike posted, the taper, the taper length and the thread length of the lug match up identically.

**MattRobertson** · 08-17-2009, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Trojan

Great Info Junior.

Not to sidetrack this but Ive recently encountered that I need longer wheel studs, Do you know what size the stock studs are? I need to find some 1/2" longer.

Just been there and done that. Here you go!

http://lxforums.com/board/showthread.php?t=174243

**hemiwagn** · 08-23-2009, 07:47 PM

Great post Mike, thanks for putting everything on this topic in one place!!

**Magnum P.I** · 08-23-2009, 09:30 PM

Well thanks for the excellent write up Mike

, i am no longer uneducated

about lug nuts on the LX cars..

**GasGunR** · 08-23-2009, 09:32 PM

One more question... one of our members here was going to make lugnuts for our cars. Who was that and what ever happened to the idea. I remember they were pretty costly compared to Gorilla.

Anyone have details?

Thanks!

**JimIsland-SRT8** · 08-23-2009, 10:10 PM

I think that idea fizzled out or at least I never heard anything else about them. I bought some from Summit(Acorn bulge 7/8) and they've worked great so far. Cheap too!!

**swenard** · 09-14-2009, 04:46 PM

Anyone know a good spot in the Toronto area to get some of the 91147's? The link above is a great price, however shipping to Canada is quite expensive.
I'm actually in the Brampton area, specifically.

**Leadfootluke** · 10-05-2009, 10:17 PM

quick question. Do we reuse the caps from the stockers? Or do these replace all of that.

**BrilliantBlackHemi** · 10-05-2009, 10:35 PM

Gorilla makes some good lugs, so do others. Key thing is if you take them on and off a lot, beware the ones with crimped on covers. The slightest misalignment of the socket and you will rotate them loose and get a lug stuck on. Get the conical acorn style lugs that are a billet piece. No crimped covers. Even the stockers have a crimped on cover.