Indexmill
Well-known member
Hi Everybody,
What is the general consensus; do you use anti-seize on lug studs/nuts, or not.
What is the general consensus; do you use anti-seize on lug studs/nuts, or not.
Anti-seize on Lug Studs?
- Thread starter Indexmill
- Start date
leave em dry
G1GRANDEUR
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2009
- Messages
- 2,094
nope, some things are better off press fit dry.
genog
Well-known member
Dry
you can run em dry if you rotate your tires on a regular frequent basis , so theres no time for the lugs to corrode onto the stud.
problem is ,alot of people dont rotate the tires for years on end then the lugs seize and break the stud or wipe out the threads upon removal.
problem is ,alot of people dont rotate the tires for years on end then the lugs seize and break the stud or wipe out the threads upon removal.
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
You'll find there's no consensus...half the people do, half don't. It's usually split between people who live in the rust belt and those who live in southern states.
jsaw
Well-known member
In the rust belt if you do not use it, you will eventually have to replace studs
garfunkle24
Well-known member
If you do, adjust torque accordingly.
if you're losing studs due to rust, you have bigger problems than that
I use a very light coating of regular grade anti-seize on all lug threads. As soon as I can tell it's there, that's enough. I rotate my tires regularly and don't encounter much road salt where I live, so lug seizing isn't my main reason for using it. I use it because you end up with more consistent contact pressure from lug to lug (after torquing the nuts) when you have anti-seize on the lug threads. Consistent contact pressure puts less stress on the wheel system as a whole and it also helps reduce brake rotor warping issues. I personally think many vehicles known for brake rotor warping are likely just very sensitive to lug overtorquing or unequal lug contact pressures. I have been able to make the problem almost disappear entirely on several vehicles I maintained by always using anti-seize, torquing the lugs in the proper order, and torquing lugs myself with a torque wrench instead of allowing a shop to do tire changes or rotations with an impact.
I reduce my final tightening torque by 10% to compensate for the regular grade anti-seize I use (It has a K factor of 0.18). I don't use copper (mine specs a 20% torque reduction factor) or nickel anti-seize (mine specs a 35% torque reduction factor) because of those higher torque reduction factors. The higher the torque reduction factor is, the greater the chance is for something to be damaged by overtorquing if you ever have to take your vehicle to a shop and an idiot tightens the heck out of your lugs with an impact wrench instead of torquing them properly.
I reduce my final tightening torque by 10% to compensate for the regular grade anti-seize I use (It has a K factor of 0.18). I don't use copper (mine specs a 20% torque reduction factor) or nickel anti-seize (mine specs a 35% torque reduction factor) because of those higher torque reduction factors. The higher the torque reduction factor is, the greater the chance is for something to be damaged by overtorquing if you ever have to take your vehicle to a shop and an idiot tightens the heck out of your lugs with an impact wrench instead of torquing them properly.
Buck_nekid
Well-known member
It says on the jar to not use it on lug nuts.
redmondjp
Well-known member
I also use a very light coating of it, not only on the studs but on the hub in order to keep the brake drum, rotor, and wheel from seizing to it. I have been doing this for the past 35 years on dozens of vehicles with no ill effects.
Qualitytools
Well-known member
This is really how it is. Also if you do decide to use antisiez than make sure as mentioned above to adjust the torque specs for the studs or lugbolts.
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
You're in North Carolina. Don't even bother in my opinion. It won't seize anyways.
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
I'm in the rust belt and don't. You should be rotating or pulling off tires enough that it's not needed.
MarineScott
Well-known member
NO! Read the label.
Roobaix
Well-known member
I live in the rust belt and have never used it, nor have I had any problems from not using it.
This. Reduce the lug toque to compensate for wet vs. dry
Nice to be able to remove a tire when needed.
snyder
Well-known member
Even if you don't use it on the lugs, it can be helpful to use around the center hub. This can keep the wheel from getting stuck.
demarpaint
Well-known member
That's where I use it. Living in NY [rust belt] kicking wheels off can be a real PITA, especially if you're stranded with a flat tire.
Mikeske
Well-known member
I never used any anti seize when I do a rotation but I also wire brush everything including the hub, inside the wheel but that also gives me the opportunity to completely wash the inside of the wheel to get all the brake dust off and inspect the wheel for damage. I do live in the part of the country that has not much of a rust problem.
I went out to the garage and looked at 3 different bottles.
What am I not seeing?
geartow
Well-known member
No to anti seize , yes to 1 drop of engine oil. And only 1 drop. If you are doing flanged lug nuts then the flange to nut each get a drop and hand spun prior to installation.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
...
Ole Slewfoot
Well-known member
I have an s shaped Craftsman 3/4 drive slide bar that says somebody should have used some lube on their lugs.
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Yes I do. Used to not till I started working on Subaru where the studs always freaking snap lol. Can’t tell you how many I replace on a weekly basis. But I use very little. Just a dab of it.
I leave most of them dry, but if I can feel them getting tight will use a very small amount. As to the hub: we have a lot of very high mileage vehicles and trailers with aluminum wheels and the damage from corrosion at the hub face is common and constant - especially for those that travel South and East in the winter. Some can become nearly impossible to remove for roadside tire repair. Years ago I started cleaning the hub faces up and spraying with a coat of zinc rich paint ("cold galvanizing" compound) and we no long see wheel pitting and they remove easily from the hub.
WOW, i have never needed to do this to any of my Subaru's. May i ask what models?
Terra Nova
Well-known member
I live in the rust belt and have never used it and never had an issue on a vehicle I've maintained. As mentioned, if you are adding a lubricant to a threaded joint be sure to lower the torque spec accordingly otherwise you may be yielding the fastener without realizing it. Now how much do you lower it?? That's the question, and one no one here can answer because it'll be different across all the platforms and lug designs out there.
Keep the center caps on and rotate the tires every great once in a while and you'll have no need to put anti-sieze on wheel studs IMHO.
Keep the center caps on and rotate the tires every great once in a while and you'll have no need to put anti-sieze on wheel studs IMHO.
In a commercial shop, I'd go with the "1 drop of oil" thing before I'd put antiseize on lugs when the product instructions specifically say don't do it. If there's ever a problem and some attorney gets that detail, you might get stuck with something that's not even your fault.
A wire brush and a couple quick twists with an oily rag should be plenty. But I'd want it to look dry at the end of whatever process.
Bondo
Well-known member
Ayuh,..... I use Form-a-Gasket #3 to seal out the water, 'n Ox so they can't rust on,....
Jeff95TA
Well-known member
If I even glance at a container of it on the store shelf, it somehow ends up all over me. 
Iridium rand
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- Joined
- Sep 23, 2021
- Messages
- 218
Way i see it can’t really hurt if you reduce the torque by x percent for whatever type you’re using, not a big deal in a shop environment but when stuck on the side of the road I would really prefer as close as you can get to guaranteed that they come off relatively easily. Not a fun situation where you’re starting to consider jumping on a tire iron
kelpaso1
MEMBER EMERITUS
I use it on studs here (because of the amount of salt they use here) even though it says not to. Some guys here say they use a drop of oil instead. What's the difference? You are still using a lube on the threads. I think the warning on the label is there for the lawyers. The biggest issue is to not get it on the taper of the nut and the taper of the hole. THAT is what holds the nut from loosening and where the most friction is when tightening.
javyLSU
Well-known member
Never have, never will use them on wheel studs. Manufacturer torque specs are always given for clean, dry threads - so if you're applying some sort of schmoo to your threaded fasteners and you're "torquing to spec," you're doing it wrong. I live in New England, and I recognize that many people will do this to prevent corrosion and make removal of that fastener easier, but wheel studs are not a place where I want to deal with mis-torqued lug nuts, stretched, fatigued, and broken and studs, and dealing with (at best) the fun that comes with replacing a stud, or worst case having a wheel come off while driving and endangering others. If you're worried about not being able to get a lug nut off while stranded on the side of the road, head on over to Harbor Freight, buy a 25" breaker bar for $20 and keep it in your vehicle.