how are you protecting lug nuts during installation ?
 

OK I have freshly painted 911 aluminum lug nuts how do you protect them during installation ? Soft socket ? Socket inserts ? Homemade solution ? Help please.

I use a soft socket where the wheels have room, otherwise a 6 pt socket and hand tighten/loosen(no torque wrenches

I use a plastic grocery bag. Loosely cover the lug with a double layer of the bag, and you should still be able to slide the socket over the lug. You need to constantly move the bag around because the bag gets destroyed after one or two nuts. Also, the paint will still wear off eventually, this buys you a little extra time. A six point socket will also help.

I use sandwich type bag,(or a zip lock) about one bag per wheel. Makes a nice tight fit and no marks on lug nuts. I put the bag over the socket so it doesn't wind up.

I did a brushed finish on mine ;)

No more worries.

Ditch those "girly man" fragile aluminum lug nuts for some simple open ended steel ones, and you'll never have to worry ever again.

Added bonus....you get the "racer" look. :rolleyes:

Plastic bag or wax paper as others have said.

If you are showing the car that's a whole different ball game.

Concours with regional PCA is "Creating the illusion of perfection"

I strip and repaint lugs before each Concours event during a season. Yes that means 5-8 repaints...

The best solution is to have a fresh set of anodized lugs for show and another set for street use.

If you are gentle with the new anodize it will hold up very well.

Cooper

You dont use a torque wrench, and only hand tighten your lugs? :eek:

I assume you meant impacts, just giving you greif. :D

I strip and repaint lugs before each Concours event during a seasonhttp://www.gqtt.info/5b.jpg

That's what I did... No going back. ;)

Did the same thing to all my porsches, how many splintered aluminum/magnesium lug nuts do you want? :D

That's the next step;)

I do have a set of open metal lug nuts but for the street I really want the aluminum ones.

Another vote for a plastic bag, or cling wrap on the nut, so that the six-point socket is 'lubricated' by the plastic and also cushions the pressure from the socket while tightening the nut.

I have a deepwell socket made by SnapOn. The insert is a hard plastic or resin. Usually they sell them in a set but I was able to acquire a single socket from a dealer.

BTW: The nuts are NOT aluminum but actually magnesium.

shopping bag works great not the thin ones you can almost see through the thicker waxy styles work great and I can usually do a full wheel without any tears

+1

I use blue painter's tape on the inside and outside of the socket to prevent scratching the nuts and wheel. Might need a 1mm bigger socket if you really line the inside thoroughly. This is the only thing I use that socket for, so the tape stays on (makes it really easy to find, too).

OMG!!!!!! Now I will lie awake nights wondering how badly I screwed up my lug nuts over the past 10 years of just using a standard impact socket to loosen and tighten my nuts (using a torque wrench for the final setting, of corse).

The horror!!!!!!