lug nuts???

[Sellis1012]

Went to the dealer looking for lug nuts for my 79 Cobra today. $24 a lug nut!!! They were obsolete though so he coudn't get them. I guess the lug nuts were chromed instead of sleeved? Anyway, anybody know where I can get 16 TRX lug nuts for a 79 Cobra?

[Boss 429]

24.00 Dollars each x 16=384.00 dollars,holy cow! (good thing he couldnt get them,cause you would have said "forget That") Here's a tip I have been using on the TRX cars I own: Try this part # for lug nuts: D7OZ-1012-A Same thing as what you want, (less pricey?) Let me know, Also if you need a few lugs to help you out,call me, as you are real close here,in Dayton area. Gregg M.

[Sellis1012]

Thanks Gregg, I'll check it out, and your right. No way would I have paid that for lug nuts.

[mikejb]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1979-...QQcmdZViewItem

[Zap's 85 GT]

Even better.

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...=egnsearch.asp

[Sellis1012]

Hey, thanks!

[MHISSTC]

I was wanting to replace the somewhat rusty and knicked lug nuts on my Capri and found the same thing to be true at my local Ford dealer. I seem to remember they only wanted $20 a piece.

They told me the original part number for the TRX lug nuts has been obsoleted. Obsolete parts=big money I guess. They had trouble finding any. The ones they had were way in the back on a shelf in a really old and dusty box. The parts guy found them before he found the price. Once he found the price, I had him put them right back on the shelf to collect more dust. I went home and spent some quality time polishing up all the lug nuts as best as I could.

Another source for the lug nuts might be the '80s T-birds and Cougars along with the Mustangs and Capris. It seems to me that any car of that vintage that had four exposed lugs on a alloy wheel would have those. If you find any TurboCoupes with the 8-hole rims, the center caps and lug nuts are identical to the TRX ones. If you find any in good shape...grab as many as you can!!! I just happened to have a set of those along with another original TRX set and was able to pick and choose the best ones of the bunch and polish them up pretty good with some steel wool and metal polish followed by a wax to try and keep the knicks in the chrome from rusting.

[negusm]

OK...I'm confused, what's the difference between TRX lug nuts and non-trx lug nuts? I thought the threading was still the same?

-Mike

[MHISSTC]

The and lugs and the threads are the same, but the TRX lug nuts and the lug nuts on the TurboCoupe 8-hole wheels are of the extra long variety so that the lug nuts can be removed without removing the wheel center cap first. The center cap on these wheels and the wheels themselves do not have any little notch in them for screwdriver/prybar acces to pop the cap off. The only way I have found to remove the center cap without messing up the cap or wheels is to remove the wheel, place the butt end of a wooden hammer handle through the back side of the center hole in the wheel, and then smack the top of the hammer with my hand to pop the center cap out. Make sure this is done over grass and not the driveway in order to keep from scratching the center cap when it comes flying off.

P.S. I did find a small difference in the lug nuts. The ones original to my car and the set of 8-hole rims weren't all the same. Some had no "lines" on the corners, some had one, some had two. If you have seen them you know what I'm taling about. If not, and you'd like to, I might be able to get a picture. Let me know.

[evlgt85]

Well, this'll be something for us to check out when we get the TRXes for the white RS soon. Interesting.

[negusm]

SVO lugs are extra long I think. Have you guys tried them?

-Mike

[evlgt85]

Really? I'm sure we have the factory SVO lugs somewhere...the car was piled up with SVO stuff when we brought it home. No idea when the wheels will get here.

[MHISSTC]

Here's what I mean when I say the lugs have none, one or two "lines" on the corners or edges. I also included an original McGaurd locking lug and key for reference.

[negusm]

Really? I'm sure we have the factory SVO lugs somewhere...the car was piled up with SVO stuff when we brought it home. No idea when the wheels will get here.

I *thought* so. I have been watching ebay for a set halfheartedly and I saw an auction with some SVO lugnuts and the seller said they were the correct "longer" length.

BTW, I thought there were companies who made these lugnuts and you could buy them much cheaper than from Ford. I'll have to start looking around.

-Mike

[negusm]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SVO-M...spagenameZWDVW

The reason I was interested in them is that they are "flat topped". I was told that the asc wheels should get "flat topped" lug nuts but I am not sure on the length.

[negusm]

the lug nuts on the TurboCoupe 8-hole wheels are of the extra long variety so that the lug nuts can be removed without removing the wheel center cap first.

My guess is that the only reason they are so long is for looks...so that the top of the nuts are even with the surface of the wheel. I don't see why a deep well socket (which is all I ever use on lugs) couldn't get at a short lug nut to remove it. However, I could see what you mean if the lug nut hole becomes very constricted towards the inside, and does not allow the socket to reach deep enough. I don't have experience with the TRX wheels but have never run accross wheels designed like that.

The asc wheels I have are using the short lug nuts and they are fairly sunken in. I think I should have lugs that are a bit longer.

-Mike

[negusm]

Here is a place showing a long lug nut...

http://www.stocktonwheel.com/lugs.htm

Worth a call...

[MHISSTC]

My guess is that the only reason they are so long is for looks...so that the top of the nuts are even with the surface of the wheel.

No so. I removed my 8-hole wheels and caps in order to give them a thourough cleaning and polishing. When I went to put them back on, I almost made the mistake of putting on a shorter aftermarket style lugnut and then snapping on the center cap. If I would have done that, I never would have gotten two of the nuts off again without bunging someting up.

I don't see why a deep well socket (which is all I ever use on lugs) couldn't get at a short lug nut to remove it. However, I could see what you mean if the lug nut hole becomes very constricted towards the inside, and does not allow the socket to reach deep enough. I don't have experience with the TRX wheels but have never run accross wheels designed like that.

That's exactly what the TRX/8-hole center caps do. Two opposing holes in the center cap are actually smaller than the other opposing two holes because of a small "collar" around the base of the hole. A socket will not get past the "collar" in order to engage the lug nuts. Super design, huh? I don't know what possessed me to check it out before I snapped on the center cap, but I'm glad I did. I guess that little voice inside my head was working that day.

[MHISSTC]

Even better.

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...=egnsearch.asp

Ohhh. Those McGaurd nuts look really close. They look a little short to me, but darn close. $42.99 for the whole set (FMS-M-1012-K) including locking nuts, key, and valve stems (if those are included) seems like a super deal at Summit, especially if that only gets you two regular nuts at the Ford parts department. Anybody know how to find the length of those lug nuts?

[Sellis1012]

Ok,

Now I really don't know what lug nuts are suppose to go on my Cobra!

[MHISSTC]

I guess you didn't get to see one in person since your Ford parts people couldn't get the obsolete part for you.

When I checked at my local Ford dealership for the TRX wheels lug nuts (same ones as for the 8-hole TurboCoupe wheels), I gave the parts guy the TRX lug nut part number from my '85 Service Manual and took one of the ones I suspected to be an original lug nut for said wheels. Like I said, he had a dusty old box he pulled off the shelf for me and said that the part number was an obsoleted part number. The lug nuts contained within that box looked exactly like the one I took in as a comparison. In that box were a mixture of lug nuts that had a different number of "lines" on the edges of them. I'm guessing that any of them could have been original.

Bottom line, if you're looking for the original lug nuts, get the ones at the Ford dealership, or go on a junkyard quest for ones identical to the ones in the picture I posted. I know you will find them on any car with any style of TRX sized alloy wheels (T-birds, Cougars, Mustangs, and Capris included) along with any of the Cougar/T-bird 8-hole wheels. If you happen to find any good center caps in the search...snag them also! They are not being reproduced and nice ones are VERY hard to find and tend to be $$$ if you do.

The ones from Summit look oh so very close, are quite a bit less spendy, but the locking lug is a different style than the original.

[f4fntm]

I got a set of lugs with the 10-holes that 84NAVYCAT (tip o' the hat) gave me last summer:



He'd taken the 10-holes off his '84 Capri RS. I suspect it originally had TRXs and a previous owner had swapped on the 10-holes while retaining the original "long" TRX lugs.

In any case, they're all got one "notch" and are 2" long overall.

Mike, I'm gonna guess those McGard lugs are flat-topped simply because it's cheaper to make 'em that way - that much less machine work.

[MHISSTC]

According to the Ford parts people thats over $350 worth of lug nuts you've got there

[f4fntm]

According to the Ford parts people thats over $350 worth of lug nuts you've got there

Now I just need to find a buyer...

[Zap's 85 GT]

The lug nuts in the FMS kit are 1 1/2" from bottom to top. I just pulled one off my car to check. Definitly not as long as the ones pictured.

They are the exact same set of lug nuts that come originally on Mustangs. They also do come with he valve stems pictured.