In January, I got new tires (at Wal-mart - stupid, never again) and the tech reported two missing lug nuts on my right front wheel. I had hand-tightened them with a torque wrench to 83 ft-lbs about a month previously, and I mentally attributed the missing lugnuts to the tech losing them. He replaced them gratis, with - I later discovered - 19mm lugs instead of the 21 mm, but same thread pitch. This left the front right wheel with a locking lug nut, two 19 mm M12-1.5 lug nuts, and 3 stock lug nuts.

Fast forward to this week. I replaced the rotors and discs on the front wheels and retorqued everything to 83 ft-lbs. We drove the truck on a few trips around our area, maybe 150 miles, then went this evening to recheck the lugnut tightness. Imagine my delight to discover three lug nuts missing on the right front wheel. All three were adjacent to each other, and all were the original 21 mm lugnuts.

I'm really freaked out, because I'm 99% sure I torqued all the nuts to 83 ft-lbs. My 9-months-pregnant wife has been driving this truck around while I deal with a brakes problem on her 4runner. I suppose it's possible I somehow missed tightening the three 21 mm nuts on that side, but considering I previously lost two lugnuts on that same wheel, I think it's the lugnuts or the studs.

I replaced all the lugnuts on that wheel with ones from the parts store tonight, but I want to know if y'all think I should replace the studs too.

 

If this set gets loose while checking them frequently, then replace the studs. However, it maybe worthwhile to replace all the studs on the trouble wheels for "peace of mind."

Do the studs looks like the threads are stripped or worn down?

 

Not to be smart.

Are you using the correct lug nuts for the wheels you have.

I have seen people use the wrong ones.Even some tire people are clueless at times

With nuts coming loose has it egg shaped the holes in that wheel??

***So they stayed tight from January till now when you torqued them again ??? After the rotor swap.

I gotta point the finger at you doing something wrong.

Really dry studs giving a false reading

got interupted forget some

went to get the other socket and just put the torque wrench in the tool box.

I have been using a 1/2" impact on my wheels for years with no issues .using never seize on them all the time.

To this day never used a torque wrench

 

What kind of lugs do you have and what kind of wheels? Stock alloy and stock steel wheels both get different type of lug nuts.

If its happening just on one wheel I would just replace the studs. It's not that hard to do and at least it's not on every corner. I would get my ass on that rig or the one with brakes issues ASAP if my preggo wife was driving it. On the plus side you might have lots of down time coming up to fix it...yeah right I thought that too.... I just had my first a month ago and haven't really had much free time since then let alone sleep

 

As far as I know these are aluminum wheels with the original-to-them acorn-style lugnuts. The lugnuts have a taper at the base that fits into a taper in the wheel, and they're what I've been running on the truck since I bought it in 2006.


I'm obviously not able to prove for certain that I somehow didn't get distracted after tightening the 2 19mm lugnuts and the 1 locknut, but I don't think I did.

Regarding antiseize, you know, it's funny - I'd actually like to use the stuff on those threads, since they've got some mild corrosion, but everything I've read says you're not supposed to use it on lugnuts.

I know that the idiots at Walmart overtightened the lugnuts last time. I specifically talked to the repair guy about using a torque wrench instead of an impact when putting the tires back on, but I saw his supervisor come around behind him and put all his weight on the damned torque wrench and bounce on it to tighten the lugnuts. They were all the way on the other side of the bay and I didn't go over and say something, but I probably should have.


These pics show the driver front, not the same wheel I was losing nuts from.

 

I can`t be sure from the pictures but those look like the lug nuts for steel wheels.

Not knowing any different why would you even think they were the wrong lug nuts

Every Aluminum wheel I have uses lug nuts with washers .Otherwise the hard lug overtime will wear the aluminum.

as the aluminum wears the wheel gets loose it is a wonder the studs did not break

The lug also has a shank that goes into the hole in the wheel so all the bearing force is against the washer not the wheel.

If that is the case the proper lugs might save the wheels !!!

I had a set the wrong lugs were used that were pretty much junk till I found out.

Where did you ever read not to use Never Seize on lug nuts ?? I think that was one of my first uses Now I use it on every thing that does not get thread locker.

 

Toyota alloys have a flat mating surface, therefore need a lug nut with a shaft and attached washer. Aftermarket alloys may use a slightly different lug nut. The Toyota steelies have a conical surface that use the lug nut that you are showing.

As wyomin9 has stated, your alloys are possibly being slowly destroyed by the conical lug nuts. Continuing to run those could be dangerous.

 

Those don't look like stock wheels.

 

Those are NOT toyota lugs, they are aftermarket ones! As Tantacoma stated, they arent correct for your truck. You need to buy toyota nuts.

I would also replace the studs and check over the wheels AND go get another torque wrench or put them on very tight by hand. Ive been a tech a long time, I can put lugnuts on tighter if I want with just a simple 4 way and Ive never had one come loose.

 

Torquing to 83 ft-lbs. is the right thing to do and will help keep your rotors from warping. The second right thing to do is re-torque after 50-100 miles of driving. Customers don't do that so that is a big reason (along with speed) that tire shops impact the s**t out of lugs.

When I retorque, I am always glad I did. I slather most things with anti-seize, but I leave my lugs alone unless they are hard to remove, and then I use as little as possible. However, my understanding is that the the danger of lube is overtorqueing, not that lugs will come loose.

I agree these are not stock wheels, and the lugs are not right for the wheels.

 

Yeah, sorry if I was saying these were toyota wheels at first. Looking at the hubcap, it appears to be an aftermarket wheel - anyone recognize the logo? I have two 4runners and the other one has Toyota wheels, I was probably getting the two confused. These are the same lugnuts I've had on there since 2006 when I bought the truck used from a Toyota dealership - could they just have put on the wrong lugnuts in the first place?

But are you suggesting I should replace the lugnuts with this style:




Because it doesn't quite look like that would fit correctly into this hole. I'll try swapping one from my other truck (which has the other style lug nuts) to see how it fits



(EDIT) Oh wait, maybe I'm picturing it wrong, and the shank of the nut actually runs down into the space around the stud, instead of the tapered portions of the lug nut and hole mating together.

 

That is because those wheels have had the holes worn hard by the wrong lug nuts all this time .

What brand wheels are those wheels it would be nice to see what the holes look like to start!!!

Like I said it might be time for new.

The correct lugs nuts can be determined by measuring the diameter of the hole and the depth of the hole.

you don`t want a shank so long it bottoms out before the wheel is tight.

Quite a few different length shanks can be had.

Toyota Lug nuts are very expensive !!

Last i priced them over $ 3.00 each adds up pretty quick

 

Try to find a set of toyota lugs online, perhaps eBay. That's where I got mine when I switched wheels, they were like $15 used. Pretty sure the ones in your last pic are the correct type, but to be sure you should inspect your aftermarket wheels for a brand and find out what they recommend for your wheels. Good luck.

 

wrong lug nuts for the wheels pictured OR those wheels have been
overtightened and are now deformed

the close up of the nut shows wear pattern that: it doesn't fit the last thing is was bolted to


--->check nuts daily ! or

-->new wheels
-->matching new nuts

 

Those enkei wheels don't use the toyota style shank and washer pattern. They are correct.

Threads are probably stretched, so they cannot stay tight anymore.

 

if it were my wife almost not pregnant anymore, i'd be spending some quick cash on insurance....

4 toyota alloys or steelies and 24 brand new lug nuts/studs. no use of truck until changed.

 

Crazy the amount of incorrect information in this thread.



THIS is the only correct post so far.

The Enkei wheels did NOT use a shank-style lug nut, they used an Acorn lug nut. The Enkei wheel was also not a "factory" Alloy wheel, but rather a "dealer add-on" option.

It DOES look like the wheels have been WAYYYY over torqued in the past, thus damaging the mating surfaces. I torque all my wheels to 100-110ft lbs which allows for proper toque without damaging the surface. Can't say for sure it will work since your surface is damaged, but its worth a try. And get a matching set of lugnuts. Nothing more frustrating than changing a flat with 3 different wrenches.

 

Btw, google "4Runner Enkei Wheels" and you will find many others who have the exact same wheels on their 4Runners.

So to review:

NO, they are not "Factory"
YES, they are a Dealer option, made specifically for the 4Runner
NO, you do not use the shank style lug nuts designed for Factory alloys
YES, the Acorn lug nuts on there currently are correct
YES, torque and re-check the torque after driving 50-100 miles.