Restoring Alloy Lugs Nuts

[69S-S/R]

Does anyone have experience/recommendations for restoring alloy lug nuts? Bead blast and black oxide, black annodizing, or ?
Thanks in advance,
Dr. Half Nuts

[VintageExcellen]

Lug are originally black anodize finish. I would think the premium way to restore lugs is chemical stripping of good cores then new black anodize. I have not tried this yet. Spray paint works too.

Black oxide is a process for steel, not aluminum (am I wrong?)

What I have done in the past is glass bead blast, paint with low gloss black spray paint. Then if you can, put them in an oven for a hour or two.

Trouble is installation and removal is so damaging to the lugs. The best way to install/remove lugs is a nylon plastic lined 1/2" drive soft socket - snap on has them and they are a precise fit unlike the popular soft sockets from major Por retailers that are not so precise and leave marks. If you change your wheels often then buy the Snap On socket - it is pricey but it is safe for torque up to 100ft pds and leaves little to no mark on the lug nut. The paint will last a couple installs and removals but starts to wear after a few times - you can touch it up. The anodize will wear after time but you can not touch them up.

I would say anodizing is the way to go but keep in mind it is getting expensive and most places have minimum job cost of $50+ so you should do more than one set at a time. Chem film companies see skyrocketing costs because of the chemicals involved and EPA requirements.

By the way, the Chinese lug nut sets for $50 are the wrong color black.

[Neunelfer]

They're $6-7.00 each new...

[911pcars]

If you're enterprising, you can DIY anodize in the comfort of your home. I'm sure few have visited this site page. There's a link on this process.

http://www.early911sregistry.org/TechInfo.html

Sherwood

[69S-S/R]

Anyone ever tried powder coating, with the correct low gloss and minimum material applied?
Dr. Totally Nuts

[Jeff Trask]

Powder coating would die as soon as you put a socket to it. Just buy a new set. They are readily available and cheap.

[rst73]

Jeff, I respectfully disagree. If you use a soft socket it keeps the anodized or powder coated lug nuts looking good for a long time. I bead blasted and powder coated the ones on my car eight years ago and they still look great.
I like the powder coating because they don't fade and turn blue like the anodized ones do. I know it's not factory original. Invest in a soft socket, it's worth the money!
Hope this helps.

All the best!

Roger Grago

R Gruppe #27
Eaely 911S Registry #194 since 1999

[Jeff Trask]

Thanks for the insight, Roger. I do own a "soft socket" and made an assumption that it would not be a good combo. I'll take a look at yours next time I see your car.

[VintageExcellen]

There is a paint out that is just as strong as powdercoat, it is actually a plastic based paint that measures the same hardness as powdercoat. You can touch up paint. Trouble with powdercoat is that you can not touch it up - you can't add powdercoat, it is also hard to remove - otherwise powdercoat is good stuff. I wonder how hard it is to get lug nuts electrostaticly charged so the powder will stick.


Like I said earlier - simple spray paint works and looks good as long as it is not disturbed. On a car I put together this weekend - the wheels were installed and then removed a couple times since the lugs were spray painted. The paint comes off the second time the lugs were removed.

What I recommend - use spray paint as long as you can bear it, once your car is sorted out and you will not be pulling it apart again for a while - THEN - put new lugs on for $7each or your painted or powdercoated lugs.

[37yrold911]

There is a paint out that is just as strong as powdercoat, it is actually a plastic based paint that measures the same hardness as powdercoat. You can touch up paint.

can you tell us what & where?