[enderw88]

The lug screws on my car are gross. They look like they have been t the bottom of a lake and they need to be replaced. I am not a big fan of the torx fitting either. Are there good aftermarket replacement or should I just pony up for studs? I don't plan on tracking the car, and hopefully I won't have to remove the wheels on this car as often as I did on my previous project E36M3...

 

[Man of Steel]

Studs.

They make even the most basic maintenance tasks easier.

 

[addertooth]

EnderW88,
I am a big fan of studs. They make tire changes much easier.

 

[andy7777]

Lots of folks switched to BMW lugs. They're a standard head in 17mm so any socket will work and the right length for our cars. If you don't plan on changing wheels all that often they work very well. Used a set for four years until I got studs this winter.

 

[enderw88]

Lots of folks switched to BMW lugs. They're a standard head in 17mm so any socket will work and the right length for our cars. If you don't plan on changing wheels all that often they work very well. Used a set for four years until I got studs this winter.

I need to check to see if I still have a set of BMW screws in the garage. Do the Lotus units use the same taper? Are the Lotus wheels hub centered or lug centered? The reason I ask is that the BMW units are known to fail if used on lug centered wheels (mostly where people use big spacers and and don't have the hub extenders required by BMW hub centered wheels).

 

[RBH]

Lug screws will crack eventuality...

 

[sturgeongeneral]

Studs make a world of difference when changing a tire or pulling the rear to change air filter.

 

[andy7777]

I need to check to see if I still have a set of BMW screws in the garage. Do the Lotus units use the same taper? Are the Lotus wheels hub centered or lug centered? The reason I ask is that the BMW units are known to fail if used on lug centered wheels (mostly where people use big spacers and and don't have the hub extenders required by BMW hub centered wheels).

Same taper. Not sure about wheel question but if you put the Lotus lug and BMW lug side by side they are the same except the head. My local Lotus dealer carries them for their customers in place of the strippable OEM units. If you search for you will find a number of threads going back years on the subject. Like I said, it's a known option for Eliges.

 

[Man of Steel]

Lots of folks switched to BMW lugs. They're a standard head in 17mm so any socket will work and the right length for our cars. If you don't plan on changing wheels all that often they work very well. Used a set for four years until I got studs this winter.

...and there's your answer.

 

[Westrock]

I've got the BMW lugs, they come in black, so you'll never notice if they are gross. Were a little pricey from a local dealer, like $4-6 each.

I don't see much of a difference. With lugs, you rest the wheel on the hub and then spin till you get lined up. With studs, it's just as simple as the wheel can only go on one way. There MAY be some issue with the wheel contacting the threads and sliding on them over time, but I wouldn't worry for a normal usage car where you may remove the wheels less then 10 times over the life of the car.

 

[MotoGeek]

IMO exposed studs look hideous. Unless you're swapping wheels every few weeks, I'd stick to the bolts.

Not that it means anything, but over my life I've broken more than one wheel stud on various vehicles. I've never broken a lug bolt.

 

[rp_guy]

i was always confused when people said that studs are easier for changing tires, as I never had a problem with the stock lug bolts. but then I realized that I'm only using the stock wheels and they are hubcentric, so the holes will always match up.

i guess if your wheels aren't hubcentric it could make it easier to line up, otherwise if you're only using stock wheels, it shouldn't make a difference

 

[terryo]

does anyone have a part number for wheel studs?. i expect i'll have to drill out the thread and press in a conventional stud. would be good to know exactly what can be made to fit

 

[Man of Steel]

does anyone have a part number for wheel studs?. i expect i'll have to drill out the thread and press in a conventional stud. would be good to know exactly what can be made to fit

Studs available for our cars to replace the bolts are very easy to install. They have a hex socket on the end. You just turn them into the stock threaded bolt hole. They're installed with red loc-tite so they won't back out when you remove the wheel.

For example:
MWR Lug (wheel) Stud Conversion Kit - Lotus Elise, Exige, 2-elev - MWR-412116 van Monkeywrench

 

[bbs350z]

i have an extra set if you need them. pm me ill sell em for cheap.

 

[Gunpilot]

Studs if you track. They are cheap and easy to install!

 

[driftwood]

studs all day... should have come from the factory like that IMO

bought mine from blackwatch & couldn't be happier

 

[philethier]

If you go with the BWR studs (and I think you ought) you will need a thinwall 17mm socket to change wheels. An impact socket or a cheap socket with thick walls will not want to fit into the access holes (at least on the LSS wheels).

 

[rwbronco]

so do people use open ended lug nuts or have you found sets of closed lug nuts that look good and fit in the stock wheel bolt holes?

Why did lotus choose to use bolts over lugs/nuts?

 

[philethier]

so do people use open ended lug nuts or have you found sets of closed lug nuts that look good and fit in the stock wheel bolt holes?

The open nuts that came with the BlackWatch Racing studs work just fine. BTW, get the longer studs just in case you want to pop in some 1/4-inch spacers for tire clearance or use different wheels.

Why did lotus choose to use bolts over lugs/nuts?

Why did they use socket-head bolts to affix the sway bar where hex-head bolts are easier to reach?

Why did they install the ridiculous U-tube in the cooling circuit?

Why did they place one bolt in a dumb location on the right seat mounting?