Mike, Bill, and Listers,
If you're using spacers, then you have to make sure that there is enough thread
engagement on the studs. How much is "enough"? If you capture a diameter's worth
of thread that's probably enough, so long as the nuts you're using are made of a
decent material. This caveat applies specifically to 'shank lugnuts' where the
small diameter cylindrical part that fits into the wheel actually takes a lot of
the load. They make 'long shank' lugnuts for use with spacers, where the shank
extends into the spacer's stud holes. This ensures that there is enough thread
engagement, and also serves to locate the spacer.
Since the LAT-70 wheels (and I'm sure a lot of others, too) don't center on the
hubs, but use the studs and lugs for centering, it is very important to center
the wheel on the studs before tightening the lug nuts down. The method I use is
to get four acorn lug nuts, and snug the wheel up by alternately tightening up
the acorn nuts. When the acorn nuts are snug (let's say 10 lb-ft), they will
have centered the wheel on the four studs. Then remove two acorn nuts, replace
with the shank nuts, and tighten these to spec. Then do the remaining two studs.
This method may not be necessary if you have shank nuts that actually fit the
holes in the wheels properly (i.e. without a 1/32" or so gap all the way
around).
Theo Smit
tsmit@novatel.ca
B382002705
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