Difference between alloy and steel wheel wheel nuts?

[xr2racer]

I know they're different but how do I know I'm about to buy the right ones?

Need a new set of wheel nuts for my winter steelies but I can only find picks of the alloy wheel nuts with the big 60mm collar or whatever it is. What do the steel ones look like?

 

[Kieran..]

i think alloy wheel nuts are as strong as steel ones, i would steer away from those tbh

 

[tobeski]

I was wondering the same thing. I believe bolts for alloys have the collarand bolts for steelies don't it's solid. Apart from that I think they're the same. Not sure if it matters using bolts for alloys with steelies or not?

 

[tobeski]

Just done a bit a research and it looks like a grey area.

Some say you should not use alloy bolts with steel wheels or steel bolts with alloy wheels as alloy being a softer material will wear away possibly causing wheel wobble.... others say this is BS though.

Some manufacturers specify different bolts (I know the Grand Scenic I hired recently did) but others use the same without any issues.

The main thing seems to be making sure they are the correct taper.

 

[xr2racer]

I think there's some confusion here, or it's actually me that's confused.

What I'm talking about is wheel nuts for use with either alloy wheels or steel wheels. Not that the wheel nuts are made of alloy or steel.

The question is are the wheel nuts used on alloy wheels a different shape with a larger collar on them and what do the wheel nuts to fit a steel wheel look like if they are different ones?

 

[Jaff.]

iirc, i might be wrong but i was under the impression that the steel wheel bolts had a diffrent chamfer on the collar than the alloy bolts...

 

[tobeski]

The wheel nuts (or bolts in the clio's case) can also come made in alloy or steel too to add to the confusion.

Put it this way, I'm running scenic steelies with winter tyres and used the same bolts that came with my original 182 alloys and I've not had any issues.

 

[xr2racer]

Put it this way, I'm running scenic steelies with winter tyres

Snap, 7" inch wide? How long have you had them on? Been checking they are staying tightened up etc? They just don't look "right" when I fitted them with the original nuts from the alloys.

 

[tobeski]

Mine are 6.5" wide. Been on for nearly a week, nothing's come loose so far and that's doing 50miles a day.

 

[bozothenutter]

just to be nitpicking...isn't steel an alloy aswell? :evil:

generally steel is never pure, but has other metals added, which makes it an alloy.

 

[xr2racer]

We could settle it if someone who has had steels on from the factory could take a photo of their nuts (wheel nuts only thanks ) to compare to the ones that come with alloys

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Steel and Aluminium don't like each other. Didn't you study Science at school ? :rasp:

 

[SC03OTT]

Don't know if it helps, but Audi say its fine to use the same nuts from your alloys on steel wheels used for winter.