Older Style Wheel Mounting

Clark Lincoln

Clark Lincoln

Well-known member
I recently purchased a set of older Revolution wheels to use for my rain tires. They have been media blasted and I will be painting them, but the problem is getting them bolted on the car. They have the old style shouldered nuts with the flat washer that seats against the wheel and the nut extension reaches into the hub area of the wheel. The fit is so tight that it is nearly impossible to get them all "in their holes" with the dam washers in place.

Can I slightly enlarge the holes in the wheels, or machine the diameter of the nut shafts down a touch? Or is there some trick to getting these bostiches together? On another set of these old style wheels I have, we can put the nuts on partially (I have long 4" wheel studs) and then wiggle the wheel out onto the nuts and tighten them down carefully - but these new set of Revolutions, this doesn't work...

Any help - please!

Clark
 
I recommend lube.

i.e. anti seize.

The problem with turning the shoulders on the lugnuts down some is those are the centering locators for the wheels. then again if you're at an interference fit, turning them down a few thousandths isn't going to keep make your wheels 1/4" off center.

I also remember seeing some of those on some old Z cars I was working on. Those nuts had the shoulders on them, but they also had a taper on the end so you could get things started and lined up one lug at a time. Maybe put about a 1/8" taper on the lug nuts while you're turning them down a few thousandths, then stick some anti-seize on the outside just so they go together a bit smoother.
 
I had a couple sets of Revolutions and never had that severe a problem getting them on. Some of them were tight but would always start. The lugs that I used had a rounded end but were chrome plated so you aren't going to easily take a few thousands off of them and if you do they won't be plated anymore. You must have some corrosion or scoring in the wheel bores that has resulted in a slightly smaller hole. Do the lugs fit the hole when you are not trying to mount the wheel on your studs? That should tell you what is going on. If they don't fit without trying to line up with the studs then you probably have to open up the holes. An expandable reamer should do the trick or even a file if you are careful. Just open the holes where the lugs are tight. If you turn down the lugs you have to do all of them.
 
We have those same style wheels on the Spit and the problem seems to be that the studs are not perfectly aligned on our car. The long studs we run exaggerated the problem. We found that getting two started and running them on to the studs halfway, then starting the other two, then tightening each lug a little bit at a time (so the other lugs don't go past their shoulders) works...assuming you don't have corroded or galled holes in the wheels.

And yes, lots of anti-seize.

Makes for long tire changes until you get the hang of it.
 
Clark,

I once had some older Revolutions and encountered what you are speaking of. I simply enlarged the holes a bit, always had a touch of anti-sieze on the shoulder nuts and all was good. On another set of wheels, I enlarged the holes so that the cheapie McGard nuts would work...also, no problem.

B
 
Clark, like all the others I used silver Permatex anti-seize and paitence getting all the lugs started before I really snugged them down. I definitely would not recommend having them modified for tapered lugs. Although I like tapered lug nuts, the Revolutions do not have enough meat around the holes and the aluminum is a pretty soft alloy that I would not modify. I would ask if the lug nuts go in freely with the wheel off the car. After years of people fighting the lug alignement, some of the lug holes may damaged and need some clean up with a light file to smooth the existing holes.
 
The other thing I have found with this wheels is the lug goes all the way to the bottom, if the washers have wear or have been changed they will bottom out putting a slight crown on the end of the lug.
 
Clark,

As others stated, lug nuts locate the wheel, and if the holes are over sized, a severe out-of-balance could occur. Lug nuts should turn freely in the rim holes with no wobble. I only used WD 40 as a lube, and corrosion resistant.

Start with 240 or finer emery cloth and clean lug nut shanks and rim holes. Split 1/2" dowel and wrap strip of emery cloth around it. Do by hand; don't be overly aggressive.

Check diameter of lug nut shanks: There may be burrs, scratches, or an out-of-round condition. Each should be the same diameter, and the same as the other lug nuts, within .002". O. K. to use a fine file on the shanks. Best to center in a lathe and make finish pass to true up diameter.

Check holes for burrs, diameter, and out of round condition. Holes should be no more than .002" greater than the largest lug nut shanks. As Ron B. suggested, if necessary to enlarge, use expandable reamer instead of a file, drill, or mill cutter, as a reamer is self centering and has a much better control of finished diameter. Use a drill press or milling machine to better control perpendicularity to the rim flange.

Check perpendicularity of studs to hub flange. Slight bend makes big problem. Check center-to-center at ends of studs. If lug nuts turn freely in rim holes and you still have problems, problem likely here.

Make sure lug nut shank length is .040"-.060" shorter than the thinnest rim flange to assure the lug nuts don't bottom on the hub flange before the lug nut washer clamps the rim.

Many of this type lug nut still in use with no problems. Have patience and perseverance.

RJS
 
Patience and perserverence.........what the hell is that?!

Do it the SM way........with a 4# sledge hammer and an appropriate quantity of British quality focused profanity.
 
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