Anti-seize On Lugnuts?

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"My feeling is the benefit of using anti seize on lug nut studs outweigh any concerns of problems it may cause. I do think it is a good idea to apply the anti seize very sparingly to the lug studs, and to try to not get any anti seize on the contact point between the end of the lug & where it seats in the rim lug recesses."


lol, I torque almost everything by feel anyway. Just did a torque arm insert. It was 65ft-lbs +1/4 turn (?) I did it till it felt right. I'm actually going to check it over time and if it loosens I'll add a helical spring (split) washer.

http://www.boltscience.com/
 
Originally Posted By: mongo161
All I use is a wire brush on the threads and have the bolts sitting and soaking in a container of Liquid Wrench.


That's what we do here with our fleet, except we use PB Blaster.
I can't tell you how many things work better after soaking in that stuff!

I just fixed a cranky IAC on one of my vans simply by soaking it in PB while I cleaned the throttle body.
 
Quote:
http://www.engineersedge.com/wwwboard/posts/13070.html

This has some good reading.
Thanks for that informative light reading.

Seems that if a torque wrench is used to spec every time, then anti-seize probably not necessary. But, when used sparingly on the threads alone, not wheel/lug contact area, it can help prevent frozen/rusted lugs and damaged studs. Sounds reasonable.

As said, DT uses a torque wrench each time so it doesn't seem to be an issue.
 
For newish lug nuts with the plating still intact, oil works fine. As they get older, the plating on the studs and nuts wears off, and things start to rust... antiseize works nicely.

I understand where the engineers are coming from- antiseize introduces an unknown that they have not tested and accounted for... and can very well increase stud strain by an unknown amount. It's a valid concern.

Problem is that age, corrosion, and worn plating introduce just as much uncertainty in stud strain... and seized lug nuts are a ROUTINE cause of problems. It's probably the most common failure mode for lug nuts. Antiseize eliminates this concern- and in my experience, the safety factor for lug nut torque is more than adequate to compensate for any increase in strain due to the antiseize- as long as you're careful to avoid over-torquing.

Personally, I've used antiseize on the lug nuts of every vehicle I've owned for the past 15 years or so. Never caused a problem, never had a seized lug nut. Sometimes I torque the nuts to factory spec; sometimes I reduce the torque by 10%. More often I just torque them by feel and leave it at that.

This ain't rocket science.
 
The longer I own a vehicle, the more of the bolts get anti-seized. I don't go out of my way to do it- but I put it on just about any bolt when I'm going back together for a repair. 'Cause I know who's gonna have to work on it next time.
 
The silverish coating seen on most OEM studs is Dacromet or a Dacromet-like coating. I've reverse-engineered this coating (and run salt spray corrosion tests) and it is very similar to an antiseize compound. Instead of a mineral oil carrier that antiseize uses, Dacromet uses an organic paint-like carrier.

The black studs often seen in aftermarket studs is nothing more than a phos and oil treatment.

Neither lasts forever. Dacromet lasts a bit longer.
 
Surely I'm not the only one who feels the lug stud rapidly twitch on a rotational axis when it "creaks" near torque. That twitching has to be causing internal metal fatigue! My lube of choice is WD40 in that it's a terrible lube but okay at rust prevention. I only use it on creaky studs. And I keep the "acorn" angle dry on the nut-to-wheel interface.

If I can spin my 4-way lug wrench and have its inertia get a few turns, I call the stud clean enough and don't lube it. I get summer/winter tire changeovers that also scrape things clean. One winter broke three studs all at once, pretty aggravating-- and a sign that they're pretty uniformly manufactured, I guess...
 
I would think that hydraulic pressure created by the anti-sieze would create a "false torque". I have read the Nissan Altima owners manual and it specificaly says NO ANTI-SIEZE. I worked at a tire/lube shop for many years, but our insurance company "green lighted" us to use anti seize on all studs. I never put it real thick. Another place I would put a LIGHT coat was on the mating surface of rims to hub especially on Ford Escapes. Another application was on those "big mouth" Dodge pick-up oil fill caps that get stuck to the point where you got gotta have channel locks to get them off.
 
I've never broken a lug bolt. German steel, ftw. I replaced almost all the lug nuts on a 94ish Mitsu. They were all stripped.
 
Originally Posted By: sayjac
Seems that if a torque wrench is used to spec every time, then anti-seize probably not necessary. But, when used sparingly on the threads alone, not wheel/lug contact area, it can help prevent frozen/rusted lugs and damaged studs. Sounds reasonable.

As said, DT uses a torque wrench each time so it doesn't seem to be an issue.


I never used anti-seize until a few of my lugs seized, and I was the only person who had ever torqued the lugs (apart from the factory). I'm really anal about using proper torque, and it didn't keep my lugs from seizing. No problems since using a/s.

I use NAPA's a/s, place a small dab on the threads at the end of each lug - then run the lugs on as far as they will go, then back them off. This leaves a very thin coating of a/s on both threads. After making sure there is no a/s on the mating surface, then I mount the wheel and torque to spec. I could argue that you could reduce torque 5 - 10 lb-ft, but I've been chicken to try so far.

http://www.raskcycle.com/techtip/webdoc14.html
 
Originally Posted By: Steve S
What is wrong with Antiseeze on lugnuts?

The tightening force on a nut is the combination of friction in the threads, friction of the bolt face against the base (wheel in this case), and stretch of the bolt. A torque spec takes all these into account (and among other factors includes the friction of the factory finish on the threads). If you reduce the friction by lubing with antiseize but torque to the same spec, you run the risk of stretching the bolt beyond its yield point (permanently stretched) or stretching to breakage.
 
Ok, this is a easy answer. No you wheels wont fall off and yes you wont have to drill the lugs out to change a flat.

My familys used it since the 60s, we've never had a problem with it.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2
[ spec takes all these into account (and among other factors includes the friction of the factory finish on the threads). If you reduce the friction by lubing with antiseize but torque to the same spec, you run the risk of stretching the bolt beyond its yield point (permanently stretched) or stretching to breakage.


The factory finish corrodes and increases friction, anti-seize abates corrosion and counteracts the increased friction.

Bear in mind, people are not "lubing" the threads for the sake of classical lubrication, they are using "anti-seize", for the reason the name implies.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2

The tightening force on a nut is the combination of friction in the threads, friction of the bolt face against the base (wheel in this case), and stretch of the bolt. A torque spec takes all these into account (and among other factors includes the friction of the factory finish on the threads). If you reduce the friction by lubing with antiseize but torque to the same spec, you run the risk of stretching the bolt beyond its yield point (permanently stretched) or stretching to breakage.


Agree 100%

Use antiseize or any oil or lube on wheel studs at your own risk.
 
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