Ask Me Anything: Lug Nut, Bolts and Wheel Locks!

[flipflp]

Are the new Gorilla 10mm thick hub rings any good? I just ordered a set. I have a slight vibration at 70+ that comes and goes. I remedied it by using some tighter hub rings, but they aren't 100% tight on the wheels. Hoping the longer 10mm helps alleviate.

All Gorilla hub rings are 10mm thick at this point, but hub rings are hub rings as long as they are the right size. Unless your previous rings weren't contacting the hub in the right spot for some reason, I don't know that swapping brands is going to buy you anything.

Were the wheels and tires road force balanced to get them as zero'd out as possible? Is that vibration always on the same stretch of road?

 

[777-300ER]

How about minimum thread engagement. I recently went with motorsports hardware 68mm studs and their steel nuts. The nuts are about an inch and a half long. The studs don't extend past the end of the nut, but they do have at least have 1 and a half times the diameter of the stud in thread engagement. Is that enough do you think? Or should I get a longer set of studs and eat the loss.

 

[flipflp]

How about minimum thread engagement. I recently went with motorsports hardware 68mm studs and their steel nuts. The nuts are about an inch and a half long. The studs don't extend past the end of the nut, but they do have at least have 1 and a half times the diameter of the stud in thread engagement. Is that enough do you think? Or should I get a longer set of studs and eat the loss.

As long as you're getting the width of the stud in engagement or more, you're fine. 1.5 times is probably ideal, and it's past minimum recommended.

 

[777-300ER]

That's fair. I always heard the rule is 1.5. Thank you.

 

[toothofwar]

Warning, long post ahead. Please use patience. Lol.

I am doing a brake conversion on my 2015 gti s. Non pp. The calipers I got are off of a b9 a4. 4 pot calipers that bolt right up in place of the stock carrier. I purchased a set of wheel spacers and stud kit from a fellow forum member.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-parts/ball-seat-stud-conversion-flush-kit/001467ecs00kt/
First question, will this work correctly with my stock Austin's? I needed roughly 8mm to clear the wheel so I figured if I am already using a spacer, might as well flush the wheels up.


Second question is a little more complex. For this conversion to work I need to use a set of rotors from a b8 a4. 320mm. I have read that the hub boar is different from Audi to Volkswagen. Will I need a hub centric ring for the rotors? If so, will they interfere with the wheel spacers I will be using? Thanks in advance!


P.s. if rings are needed, can you point me in the right direction for a set? Thanks again.

 

[flipflp]

Warning, long post ahead. Please use patience. Lol.

I am doing a brake conversion on my 2015 gti s. Non pp. The calipers I got are off of a b9 a4. 4 pot calipers that bolt right up in place of the stock carrier. I purchased a set of wheel spacers and stud kit from a fellow forum member.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-parts/ball-seat-stud-conversion-flush-kit/001467ecs00kt/
First question, will this work correctly with my stock Austin's? I needed roughly 8mm to clear the wheel so I figured if I am already using a spacer, might as well flush the wheels up.


Second question is a little more complex. For this conversion to work I need to use a set of rotors from a b8 a4. 320mm. I have read that the hub boar is different from Audi to Volkswagen. Will I need a hub centric ring for the rotors? If so, will they interfere with the wheel spacers I will be using? Thanks in advance!


P.s. if rings are needed, can you point me in the right direction for a set? Thanks again.

This is probably a lot more to do with brakes than anything but I'll answer what I can.

The ECS kit you linked is what they setup for OEM wheels with ball seat lugs so that would be correct.

If you need rings for the rotors, that's not the same thing as a hub centric ring for a wheel to hub. I've seen these in the past from brake upgrade threads, and they are typically custom machined rings that fill the gap between the brake rotor center bore and hub should contact. That will probably need to be measured, as the vehicles hub size (for wheels/hub rings) isn't generally the same size as where the brake rotor centers on the hub. It can be wider at that point on the hub.

 

[MiamiBourne]

I recently purchased the ECS Stud Conversion (70mm) and 8 of the 20 studs received did not thread properly with the supplied nuts. It's as if the studs were the wrong pitch. I checked the packaging and it was labeled correctly. One thing I will say...if you can't get these studs to thread by hand then do not try and force them on.

I sent ECS an email asking for a replacement but it was the weekend so I'm waiting for a response. I talked to a few others who also had the ECS stud conversion and they mentioned that some studs could not be thread by hand but they were able to still get them on using tools which again...I do not . At this point I'm pretty disappointed in ECS. I've purchased lug bolts of many sized since I've run different size spacers and never had an issue. Seems like their studs are the same used by other manufacturers.

Oh well...hopefully I get sorted soon.

 

[Raguvian]

I recently purchased the ECS Stud Conversion (70mm) and 8 of the 20 studs received did not thread properly with the supplied nuts. It's as if the studs were the wrong pitch. I checked the packaging and it was labeled correctly. One thing I will say...if you can't get these studs to thread by hand then do not try and force them on.

I sent ECS an email asking for a replacement but it was the weekend so I'm waiting for a response. I talked to a few others who also had the ECS stud conversion and they mentioned that some studs could not be thread by hand but they were able to still get them on using tools which again...I do not . At this point I'm pretty disappointed in ECS. I've purchased lug bolts of many sized since I've run different size spacers and never had an issue. Seems like their studs are the same used by other manufacturers.

Oh well...hopefully I get sorted soon.

Damn, sorry to hear that. Probably a smart move not forcing them on, although I'd try to just run them through a tap and die set to see if the threads are just crappy.

 

[flipflp]

I can't remember if I had any issues with threading on my ECS studs at this point, it's been a while. They are coated/plated which can cause some binding if the coating is a bit built up, especially if the threads were a bit dinged up in the process of getting to you. I would be okay with running a lug through those studs just using a socket in my hand and see if it threads clean after one pass. You shouldn't have to run a die over them but that is a quicker and more aggressive/sure way of getting them to work haha.

The only issue I had after installation that persisted for me is that my studs weren't 100% straight and true, and one of my wheels had very narrow lug pockets so I had some difficulties getting everything installed. Partially my fault for using a lug that's width was so close to the ID of the lug hole, but the studs being a bit tweaked didn't help anything.

 

[MiamiBourne]

I can't remember if I had any issues with threading on my ECS studs at this point, it's been a while. They are coated/plated which can cause some binding if the coating is a bit built up, especially if the threads were a bit dinged up in the process of getting to you. I would be okay with running a lug through those studs just using a socket in my hand and see if it threads clean after one pass. You shouldn't have to run a die over them but that is a quicker and more aggressive/sure way of getting them to work haha.

The only issue I had after installation that persisted for me is that my studs weren't 100% straight and true, and one of my wheels had very narrow lug pockets so I had some difficulties getting everything installed. Partially my fault for using a lug that's width was so close to the ID of the lug hole, but the studs being a bit tweaked didn't help anything.

I noticed when putting the spacer on the drivers rear that it seemed the studs went slightly inward and it was a little difficult to get the spacer on. The passenger side was fine though.

Waiting to hear back from ECS on replacements. Part of me what to just go with another set...is Motorsport Hardware better? Their studs look similar. Seems like everyone's does in that price range.

 

[flipflp]

I noticed when putting the spacer on the drivers rear that it seemed the studs went slightly inward and it was a little difficult to get the spacer on. The passenger side was fine though.

Waiting to hear back from ECS on replacements. Part of me what to just go with another set...is Motorsport Hardware better? Their studs look similar. Seems like everyone's does in that price range.

That's where I noticed the studs being a bit off, when fitting my 10+mm spacers.

ECS sources those studs from the same place as Motorsport Hardware I'm sure. There aren't tons of stud conversion manufacturers for that grade/cost of stud sadly.

Rennline used to be my go to but they lost their source or something to that degree. They were a quality bullet nose stud, a bit harder to install but very well made.

 

[bfury5]

As long as you're getting the width of the stud in engagement or more, you're fine. 1.5 times is probably ideal, and it's past minimum recommended.

When you say width, do you mean diameter?

FWIW, I've worked with stress plots of threads and a standard UNJ (slightly different from a metric thread due to root radius) thread typically sees all the load spread across the first 7 engaged threads. After that the stress becomes so small it's immeasurable.

 

[flipflp]

When you say width, do you mean diameter?

FWIW, I've worked with stress plots of threads and a standard UNJ (slightly different from a metric thread due to root radius) thread typically sees all the load spread across the first 7 engaged threads. After that the stress becomes so small it's immeasurable.

Yes, width of the stud or diameter of the thread size (14mm, 12mm, etc.). Same thing unless you're really into semantics.

That's where the industry standard comes from but it's much easier to translate to a consumer. For example, 14mm of thread engagement would be about 9 threads engaged on a 14mm stud or bolt. For a 12mm stud, it's 8-9 depending on thread pitch.

 

[Raguvian]

I noticed when putting the spacer on the drivers rear that it seemed the studs went slightly inward and it was a little difficult to get the spacer on. The passenger side was fine though.

Waiting to hear back from ECS on replacements. Part of me what to just go with another set...is Motorsport Hardware better? Their studs look similar. Seems like everyone's does in that price range.

I got the Urotuning stud kit and haven’t had any problems with threads or being bent.

 

[SonicBloom]

I got the Urotuning stud kit and haven’t had any problems with threads or being bent.

I have a strange issue with my Urotuning race stud kit. Whenever the wheels are reinstalled, the lug nuts will loosen a few times after. This mostly happens in the front. I’ve changed lug nuts and have tried it with and without spacers and it still happens. It’s annoying but I’m used to checking the torque once in a while now.