Lug Nuts too shallow for custom wheels?

[larscot]

Own a 2006 2.3 XL 5 sp. single cab. A few months back I bought some American Racing aluminum 15x7's to dress it up. I also bought std size/depth chrome lug nuts, brand new Kumho tires, too.

Now I have no more than 500 miles on the wheels/tires, but I've noticed the ride isn't as smooth as it could be - around town is fine, but it becomes really noticable at freeway speed. I'd pass it off as a thrown tire weight, but I know that hasn't happened. The tires aren't out of round, they're new and freshly balanced.

I did have someone tell me that some rangers with non-stock wheels need to go to a deeper lug nut because going to a custom wheel changes the available stud length - the std chrome lugs sold with the wheels supposedly just don't go deep enough for a good seat....

Anything to this theory?

 

[rubydist]

The answer is a strong "it depends". You need to have 1/2" of thread engagement. If you have that you are fine, and if you don't then you need more.

I have had brand new tires not stay balanced and not stay round. In fact the Continentals on the Mustang will flat spot if they sit more than 48 hours, and will have a noticeable shimmy until the tires warm up (2-3 miles at highway speed on a summer day). On those tires, it seems to be primarily one tire, and it depends which part of the tire is down when it sits - in other words how bad the shimmy is varies from time to time.

I have also had wheels that were lug-centric not be centered on the hub, if the guy who installed them was not careful about how they seated the nuts. Loosening the nuts, jacking it up and then carefully centering the nuts before tightening made a big difference. That is one reason I always try to have hub-centric wheels even if custom.

So, the point of my post is that there are several other likely reasons as to your shimmy that are not related to the thread engagement of the lug nuts.

 

[larscot]

I have thread engagement at more than the minimum, and it's not an issue of flat spots. I'll try and re-seating of the wheels.
I had all the work done at a regionally known chain. I know that guarantees nothing.
Best to you.

 

[racsan]

There were some “extended thread” lug nuts you could get for certain custom alloy wheels, they had both a taper and a extending end that would go through the wheel, like a short-shank mag lugnut but a taper instead of a flat area where a washer would go.