lug bolt size

[airtim]

Does anyone know the right size lug bolt for a 1975 overlander & the proper torque lbs. for these bolts ? thanks , airtim

[Andrew Selking]

Proper torque is usually 85-90 lbs .
If you have one of your old lug nuts any good auto parts store should be able to match it up and supply you with some new ones.
Just my two cents.

[Mike Lewis]

Are you talking about a lug BOLT or a lug NUT. If it's the bolt you'll most likely have to pull the brake drum ad knock the old one out and take it to an auto parts stor for comparison. It should be pressed in but there are other ways to install it if a press isn't available---Pieman

Originally Posted by airtim

Does anyone know the right size lug bolt for a 1975 overlander & the proper torque lbs. for these bolts ? thanks , airtim

[bobechs]

My 1975 coach, admittedly not an Overlander, uses a lug bolt, repeat BOLT, to hold the wheel on to the hub. It is not necessary to disassemble anything to size it and no presses, liquid nitrogen, chicken bones or anything other than a lug wrench is needed to r&r.

The bolt size is 1/2 inch, and is available at most auto parts stores. The vexing thing is, there appears to be no standard for the hex head size. Over the years I have accumulated a miscellany of three bolt head sizes on my collection of 1/2 inch BOLTS.
The fix in my cheap-ass case is a four-way lug wrench.

I have a 76 Sovereign and ran into the same problem when I bought a set of Alcoa wheels and tires from a new Airstream. The bolt head is really recessed in the new aluminum rims. I was concerned and called Airstream about it.They gave me a part number and I ordered 20 new ones from an Airstream dealer but aside from being new they are the same as the ones that held the steel wheels on.

[Mike Lewis]

Bob --- Here's something that might interest you since you've expearenced those odd size bolt heads. I'm a retired auto mechanic having started my carrier in1960 and grew up in my dads garage. Old tools always fasinated me and over the years I collected any that were out of the ordinary or different. I picked up a complete set of open end wrenches in a leather pouch, about 8 in it if I remember. The odd thing about these is the stamped size is the bolt size not the head size. Thus a wrench stamped 1/2 inch is in todays size is 3/4 or bigger.------Pieman

[markdoane]

Pieman,

Those are Whitworth spanners. I'm glad that idea didn't catch on!

[dinoburb]

The overlander and others of the same era have lug bolts with a 1/2'x20 RH thread. Fairly common at most auto stores.

To mount alloy wheels on an older coach I believe the best way is to replace the bolts with studs of the proper thread. These are to be installed from the outside of the brake drum. Make sure the stud does not extend into the braking surface as that is where the magnets make contact with the drum. This is not too hard to do as wheel studs come in many lengths. Studs should be a couple of dollars each for wheel quality studs.

For the lug nut you might consider McGuard lug nut kits designed for alloy wheels. These cost around $50 for a set of 24 which would serve well the 2 axle trailer owner. The nut is steel, conical, chrome plated and designed for alloy only. A near perfect solution.


Take care,

[Mike Lewis]

Don ---thanks for the clarification on the spaners----Pieman