So being that I intend on taking this car to the track regularly, a safety aspect which many tracks require are open end lug nuts so that they can verify that nothing is potentially broken or cracked with your wheel studs.

So I had decided to purchase some new open end lug nuts to replace the stock ones. In my searching I came across a number of sites which sold these lightweight lug nuts but they wanted an absurd amount of cash (upwards of $100).

Determined to find some for less, I eventually came across a guy on Ebay selling new lightweight lug nuts which fit the specs of our car. He was selling for only 25 bucks and they were made of strong forged material so I figured I have little to lose.

Earlier today they arrived and being the inquisitive person that I am, I thought I would compare them to the stock ones to see just how light they really are.

In the first picture, we have the original lug nuts that come with the car. I weighed 5 of them at a time to see exactly how much weight will be dropped off of each wheel. They weighed in at just under 7 ounces. A bit heavy considering how small they are.




Then I decided to weigh the new ones. They have more thread and a slightly deeper socket so they fit on more firmly then the stock ones. But what surprised me is that they weighed in at a little under 3 ounces. That is over a 50% drop in weight yet these seem signifigantly stronger then stock.




I then installed them on the car, test drove it around and made sure everything was on properly. They hold strong and secure. Here is what they look like on the car.




All in all I am very happy with them. In addition to track safety I have also been able to drop a total of 1 pound of rotational weight. Not something you would really be able to notice, but every little bit helps!

 

If you want your car to weigh less, than how about the driver looses some weight too. Or you could take out the air conditioning, radio, windows, doors, headlights.... I can go on.

If your worried about weight, than there is a problem.

Otherwise, it's a "unique" mod.

 

Read the post....its about track safety....the weight is a secondary bonus.

 

a lot of race tracks require you to have see through nuts, so he figured while he was at it, might as well get the "lightweight" ones. it wasn't about cutting weight otherwise.

 

Ummm not exactly.....

 

that sounds a little personal

 

unsprung weight buddy. Unsprung weight reduction makes a significant difference.

 

Yes it does, but once you are up to speed couldn't heavier nuts theoreticly (spl?) be benificial?

 

No Offence but you have no idea what your talking about......

I'm not exactly sure what your even getting at?

 

Theorectially and practically there is no acceleration improvement by having more vehicle weight on anything other then a gravity assisted situation (meaning going downhill or freefall).

A heavier car will have more momentum and as a result lose speed more slowly then a lighter one due to wind resistance and inclines at speed. But that doesnt really provide a benefit since more force is required to get to and maintain that speed in the first place.

 

haha you think just like me

Heavy nuts FTW. good for T-baggin

 

and for smackin that fat on yo mamas neck

 

you care to share a link or part number in case others might be interested

 

that made me lol

 

Sure. I got them on Ebay from this guys store...

http://stores.ebay.com/Your-Pit-Stop...dZ2QQpZ2QQtZkm

The ones I got are on the 2nd page. They are the set of 20 in Silver....they have other colors as well but I thought the silver looked the best.

 

Great find!


I had aluminum lug nuts on my RX-8 and I notcied a difference vs stock. Under WOT it made no difference, But when dropping the clutch at 2,000rpm the car would accelrate alittle easier. Kind in mind that the Torque for the 8 is 159 at 7500rpm.

 

I'm all about losing weight on a vehicle...my 5.0 stang sits at about 2800 lbs if not in the 2700's.

But, having said that I would never risk safety for 3-4oz per wheel. So much stress is put on lug nuts at all times and its not worth my life or someone elses for a product that is potentially weaker.

 

I was never able to get my 408 Mustang under 2900 pounds...and it was basically just 2 seats and a cage inside....those 408's and C4 transmissions are pretty damn heavy!

It should also be noted that these lug nuts are in fact a safety feature. They are forged aluminum so strength is not an issue and being able to see any possible damage to a stud is the primary reason that many tracks require open ended lug nuts such as these.

A few years ago I had an incident with such a stud on my Mustang because I was pushing the limits with the stock rear axles. About 3 seperate 1/4 mile runs without incident into my days (some very hard launches though), I was waiting in line for another run and while adjusting the tire pressure I noticed a micro crack in one of the wheels studs. This was only noticable due to the open ended stud. I immediatly pulled the car off to the side and ended my racing for the day. I invested in a new rear axle for the car and the problem was solved, but had I not been able to see that crack, I most likely would have blasted my rear tire right off the car the moment I launched it.

After that incident, I always opt for open ended studs so that such problems can be made aware of in the future. So yet again, this was primarily a safety addition...the weight was just an interesting secondary observation.

 

Wonder what it will look like when the studs rust?

 

Just spray a little PB Rust Remover of them every once in a while and they look as good as new

 

Not in any way. Not a chance. Not even "theoretically".

 

If you're worried about the weight of your lug nuts affecting your performance, then you should try filling your tires with helium. And you might want to try shaving some of that extra tread off too.

I would never use aluminum lug nuts on anything I'd drive. No thanks. I'd prefer to drive with 3 out of 5 steel lug nuts installed rather than have all 5 be aluminum nuts.

 

That is the dumbest post I have ever read...

 

lightweight lug nuts? really? I say take out your back seats.

 

Upgrade your steel studs with titanium studs!

I wonder if there are titanium studs avaliable for the SS, I know you can get them for the RX-8.