How many of you stock class autoxers have made the conversion?

I'm getting ready to either order another batch of lug bolts or a conversion something like this or this.

I think my bolts are getting tired of all the work. They seam to be asking for more torque to stay happily seated.

 

Hahaha! That's exactly the dillema that I'm in. I'm trying to decide between the exact same manufactures.

A number of drivers here in the Northwest had problems with the studs they purchased (I guess I should have asked them where they bought them from). They'd have problems with stripped threads, etc..... I don't think any of the people that had problems were using anti-seaze on their studs though.

My friend Keith (motoring on NAM) recommended these:
http://www.ezaccessory.com/Wheel_Stu...75_p/st948.htm

Here's another set that look really heavy duty, but they don't make them short enough to fit under the factory hub caps (if you have 16-inch wheels):
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html..._ID=TWH9950B62

I really don't know what to buy. Should I buy the cheaper Pilo set and hope I don't have problems? Or go with the Pro Mini for three times the price.

 

My inclination is that we're talking about keeping the wheels on the car. So don't cheap out.

But 3x the price is pretty tough.

Just wondering if it's worth it to replace the lugbolts. . . .

 

I'll be changing tires 2-3 times a month soon, so that's a pretty good motivator to switch to studs. It's a lot cheaper than replacing the hubs when the threads wear out!

 

Id spend the extra on the studs. It's not that the materials are poor quality on the lesser kits, its the plating I've had trouble with. I bought a set of the basic kits from helix, and within a couple moths they were rusting. Helix actually replaced that set free of charge (I called asking to buy a second set and they said that they'd warranty them which I though was more than generous), but the second set did the same thing. judging on how the OE wheel lugs hold up I'd say that they black oxide studs should hold up better than the plated ones. Its purely a cosmetic issue but that's what I'm going to use next.

 

The Pilo look to be hard anodized (hence the color):
http://www.piloracing.com/proddetail...=64002.C948XL4 ($65)

Is that what you mean by "plating"? Maybe the hard anodized would hold up? Otherwise, I guess I'm going with the black oxide Pro Mini setup:
http://www.promini.com/product-exec/product_id/252 ($125)

 

How tough was the uninstall?

 

the set I had was/looked to be zinc plated. The pilo studs you're looking at seem to be cad plated (prolly grade 8 steel, usually that has yellow cadmium plating on it) by the color. If memory serves me correct, you can't anodize steel only aluminum (the acid wash you put aluminum in during the anodizing process doesn't jive with steel). Maybe the lugs are hard anno'd aluminum (then my only concern would be galling/stripping of the softer aluminum lugs on the steel studs). I'd probably stick with the H&R or BBS studs from what I've seen they're a better quality (finish-wise) part than the generic stuff some other guys sell. Of course if you live in a dry, fair weather climate (CA, AZ, etc...) you might never run into these problems; I'm in northern NJ so we get a fair amount of everything, and the less expensive studs I bought just didn't hold up.

Trick, As long as they have the hex head in the stud they'll be easy to change (just make sure to use blue loctite, it'll keep them from vibrating loose and won't have to use heat it to get them out) otherwise you'll have to double nut them which can be a bit of a pain, but only take you a little longer