Recutting lug nut seats?

[elkhunter]

I recently purchased an ’85 60 with 16x8 OEM 80 series alloy wheels. The two rear wheels use the earlier acorn style lug nuts. But, for whatever reason, the other two the PO wound up with require the shank style lug nuts (on the front). That’s fine if I wanted to always leave them on the front so the usefulness of this situation to say the least is poor and I was ruminating on the possible solutions to my condition.

Obviously I could replace them but being a half ***ed machinist possibly I could make a cutter to allow the seats to accept the acorn lug nuts. Then, of course I thought maybe someone out there makes a cutter that would save me the time. Anybody have a similar experience and found a solution?

Gene

 

[cruiserdan]

The factory taper-seat is a hardened steel insert imbedded in the wheel. I would not attempt to cut a seat in the aluminum. It would be too soft. In addition the pilot size of the hole is too large to begin with.

 

[elkhunter]

cruiserdan,

I'm not going to say you're wrong on the hardened insert but I have my doubts. I thought I'd already checked that when a local parts store told me the same thing. At that time it did not seem that the tapered seats were anything but aluminum but I'll have to check that again when I have the chance.

Quote:
"I would not attempt to cut a seat in the aluminum. It would be too soft. In addition the pilot size of the hole is too large to begin with."

I'm not sure what you mean here because if indeed the seat is hardened steel I couldn't cut it anyway and what do you mean by the pilot size is too large? The acorn lug nuts are self centering. I'll have to drop the wheels off and look again. Thanks for your input.

Gene

 

[cruiserdan]

It's a hardened steel insert. I have three sets of those wheels in my back yard and on two 80s and I have been selling them since 1993.

The shank type 95-97 wheel does not have steel insets and it has larger "square shouldered" holes to accomidate the shoulder of the later "mag style" lug nut.

 

[Mark W]

yep... I have three '80s here wearing the acorn nut wheels and three more sets stacked up with snow tires mounted waiting to be swapped on once the winter conditions settle in.. they do have the steel inserts and the later style have none.


Mark...

 

[elkhunter]

Thanks guys,

I stand corrected. My bad. I appreciate you sticking with me here. I simply must not have looked closely enough at my rear wheels to see the inserts. Soon enough I will look to trade the square shouldered wheels off.

Gene

 

[cruiserdan]

Thanks guys,

I stand corrected. My bad. I appreciate you sticking with me here. I simply must not have looked closely enough at my rear wheels to see the inserts. Soon enough I will look to trade the square shouldered wheels off.

Gene

If you already have the correct lug nuts for each wheel type all you have to do is keep them with each wheel as you move the wheel from hub-to-hub. The studs don't care, nor do the hubs.

 

[elkhunter]

I'm running spacers so the back wheels have nothing to center on without the acorn style lug nuts. Even so, IIRC, without the spacers the rear wheels on the 60s still have nothing to center on except the lug nuts. So with the current setup I'm stuck front to back. Except ............ While I'm typing I'm wondering if anybody's ever fabricated a way to properly center a hub-centric wheel on an fj60 rear axle?
Thanks again.
Gene

 

[elkhunter]

I guess apologies are in order as I posted in two threads with the same question. Didn't realize this was a no no. In half defense of myself I would only say it was because the Tire and Wheel Tech forum seemed at first pretty slow with response. My impatience was for naught as that changed for the better when cruiserdan and Mark W came to the rescue. Alas it was too late as my misguided ways were subject to proper chastisement.

The good news is I received accurate information and am grateful in spite of the appropriate reprimand. Thanks go out to the forum in general for all the excellent info on this site.

Gene

 

[Mark W]

While I'm typing I'm wondering if anybody's ever fabricated a way to properly center a hub-centric wheel on an fj60 rear axle?
Thanks again.
Gene

Lightly snug the wheel in place with three tapered lugnuts to center it. Install three shanked nuts and torque them down. Replace the tapered nuts with shanked and torque them down too.


Done.


Mark...

 

[elkhunter]

Lightly snug the wheel in place with three tapered lugnuts to center it. Install three shanked nuts and torque them down. Replace the tapered nuts with shanked and torque them down too.


Done.


Mark...

Thanks Mark, I have done this before as a temporary measure but was always hesitant about leaving it long term. Should I be that worried that it could loosen?

Gene

 

[Mark W]

In my experience, no more worrisome than any AL wheel with shank nuts. Tighten, check and retighten and recheck again over the first couple of days to a week after you have a wheel off... that is my standard approach with this type of wheel and nut.

Losing a wheel going down the road really gets your attention and makes you take lugnuts a bit more seriously.

Mark...