Toyota Alloy Lug Nuts

[Hokiefyd]

I am looking for lug nuts for the Toyota alloy wheels, the passenger car versions (12x1.5mm). Has anyone had luck with aftermarket replacement nuts? The OEM ones are expensive, as are the Gorilla ones, though I'm sure those are the best two options. I see them on eBay for 20 bucks for the set of 20, but don't know how they'll hold up.

I am swapping the steel wheels on my Camry for alloy wheels, so need to change the lug nuts (the steel wheels use a tapered seat and the alloy wheels use a mag seat).

If anyone's had good (or bad) luck with aftermarket lug nuts for your Toyota, please respond!

Thanks.

 

[javacontour]

Don't get cheap aftermarket lug nuts. I've seen too many that rust shortly after they are installed.

Even more importantly, they keep your wheels attached.

I'd go with something better than the lowest bidder on this. You might get lucky with the e-bay lug nuts, or you might not.

 

[MrCritical]

I'd pass on $1 lug nuts.

 

[Trav]

Buy quality lugs for safeties sake,the $1 lug nuts may just turn out to be the most expensive thing you ever bought. JM2C

 

[mechanicx]

A lot of the aftermarket lug nuts do rust. They might keep your wheel tight but they will look like rusty junk and sometimes stick to your socket when removing. Eventually some of them might even strip and it will be fun getting them off.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Thanks guys. I've used a ton of McGard type lug nuts in the past on various vehicles, and while they sometimes might rust/chip on the edges of the hex, they always work well mechanically. The ones on eBay are probably sold in enough bulk that they could put any price on them.

I'll stick with the OEM or Gorilla type lug nuts. I've used Gorilla also in the past, and they were high quality.

 

[mechanicx]

Yeah even OEM lugs can rust some. A little surface rust isn't the end of the world or anything. I wouldn't say you have to go with OE to get quality as there are some decent aftermarket brands like you mentioned. I do think the Toyota ones are pretty good though.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Through some more creative search terms on eBay, I've found a number of sets of new OEM Toyota lug nuts. The OEM Toyota ones apparently have a stainless steel coating, rather than chromed steel. I had OEM Toyota lug nuts with the alloy wheels on my former Corolla, and they held up well, but the finish wasn't chrome-shiny (a bit duller, like stainless steel might look).

I'll probably end up with some OEM ones from eBay.

 

[Kestas]

I don't know if it'll help you, but I thought I'd toss this link into the thread: http://www.ezaccessory.com/

I've bought from them and I'm a satisfied customer.

 

[saberz]

Don't get the OE key'd lugs either. The key is made of a super cheap metal that will break depending on who wrenched your tires on before.

My brothers Camry needed brakes and it was always serviced at the Dealership until warranty ran out. Then my buddy would work on the car. Brother took it to the dealer for a tire rotation + oil change and a few weeks later asks me to bring it by the shop for brakes.

Key snapped right off(the grooved part). Wasted 4 good heads on all those keyed.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: Anies
Don't get the OE key'd lugs either. The key is made of a super cheap metal that will break depending on who wrenched your tires on before.

I'd go further and say to not get keyed lugs at all. They only make it much more likely that you'll snap the key off or lose the key at the worst possible time. I'd hate to be up that creek on the side of the road with a flat (on the way to my first kid's birth, wife in labor in the car, snowing, at night, barefoot, uphill both ways, etc...). Someone stealing my wheels is about the last thing I'm worried about, as there's just a few thin panes of glass keeping more valuable things from walking away (knock on wood that never happens).

My Golf came equipped with them so at the second tire rotation I replaced all four keyed lugs with OEM lug bolts and donated the four keyed lugs and the key to my mechanic (after originally throwing them across the garage and screaming obscenities at whomever's idea it was to force them on VW owners).

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
I don't know if it'll help you, but I thought I'd toss this link into the thread: http://www.ezaccessory.com/

I've bought from them and I'm a satisfied customer.


Thanks; I have used them before as well, and I agree: their product is good quality.

Thanks to those who recommend against locking lug nuts. This car is garaged at night, rarely travels out of town, and I'm on an Army post during the day; the likelihood of the wheels getting stolen is incredibly low. So I will not use the locking nuts.