where to buy left hand thread lugs?

On Tue, 25 Oct 2005 12:47:44 -0500, Steve > wrote:

>N8N wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> looking to mount some wheels on my old Studebaker - they used the same
>> lugs as Chrysler did. (1/2-20 RH and LH.) I am using for now at least
>> a mix and match set of wheels, two Ford and two MoPar. Apparently the
>> Ford wheels used a lug nut with a 13/16" hex and I am hesitant to use
>> the smaller 3/4" hex Stude/MoPar lugs on them in case that might cause
>> a problem. In my friend's garage I found *five* chrome lug nuts,
>> 1/2-20LH. That solved my immediate problem, but I would like to run
>> the same hex size on all wheels so I only have to carry one lug wrench.
>> I'm trying to find five more of these nuts and am coming up dry! Year
>> One has them for $25 for five, Summit Racing sells Gorilla lug nuts for
>> under $5 for four, but when I tried to order them they want to charge
>> me *more* in shipping and handling than they are worth! Jeg's doesn't
>> carry them apparently. Anyone know where I can get these for less than
>> an arm and a leg, or is there a parts store chain that carries Gorilla
>> products?
>>
>
>Its getting harder to find them... hence I'm gradually converting all my
>Mopars to right-hand lugs and nuts :-/ Except the '49, since it uses
>*bolts* not studs and nuts. Don't want to change axle hubs....
>
>However, if you want to use left-handers, Year One has them:
>
>http://yearone.com/serverfiles/headl...?hid=118AA5072


I HAVE seen "conversion studs" that thread into the hub LH, with red
locktite, and take RH nuts.I've also seen the hubs drilled and studs
pulled in. (In fact I've done it). It is the simplest way to get away
from LH Lug Bolts on early Mopars and Hudsons. (I think they were left
hand - I put studs in the Terraplane instead of bolts anyway)

> I HAVE seen "conversion studs" that thread into the hub LH, with red
> locktite, and take RH nuts.I've also seen the hubs drilled and studs
> pulled in. (In fact I've done it). It is the simplest way to get away
> from LH Lug Bolts on early Mopars and Hudsons. (I think they were left
> hand - I put studs in the Terraplane instead of bolts anyway)

My first reaction is "eww!, I don't want to depend on loctite quite that
much!" My 49 is so rarely driven that I have no problem leaving it set
up for bolts. If I were actually going to put any miles on it, the FIRST
thing I'd do would be to lose the tapered rear axles anyway. You
shouldn't have to break out a BFPuller just to change rear brake shoes...

Steve wrote:
> > I HAVE seen "conversion studs" that thread into the hub LH, with red
> > locktite, and take RH nuts.I've also seen the hubs drilled and studs
> > pulled in. (In fact I've done it). It is the simplest way to get away
> > from LH Lug Bolts on early Mopars and Hudsons. (I think they were left
> > hand - I put studs in the Terraplane instead of bolts anyway)
>
> My first reaction is "eww!, I don't want to depend on loctite quite that
> much!" My 49 is so rarely driven that I have no problem leaving it set
> up for bolts. If I were actually going to put any miles on it, the FIRST
> thing I'd do would be to lose the tapered rear axles anyway. You
> shouldn't have to break out a BFPuller just to change rear brake shoes...

yeah, those are problematic on Studes too. Apparently when you pump a
lot of HP through them they tend to split just inside the hub...

nate

On Tue, 25 Oct 2005 15:33:50 -0500, Steve > wrote:

>
>> I HAVE seen "conversion studs" that thread into the hub LH, with red
>> locktite, and take RH nuts.I've also seen the hubs drilled and studs
>> pulled in. (In fact I've done it). It is the simplest way to get away
>> from LH Lug Bolts on early Mopars and Hudsons. (I think they were left
>> hand - I put studs in the Terraplane instead of bolts anyway)
>
>My first reaction is "eww!, I don't want to depend on loctite quite that
>much!" My 49 is so rarely driven that I have no problem leaving it set
>up for bolts. If I were actually going to put any miles on it, the FIRST
>thing I'd do would be to lose the tapered rear axles anyway. You
>shouldn't have to break out a BFPuller just to change rear brake shoes...


I put a '63 rear end in my '53. Almost a bolt in, except for the drive
shaft.

wrote:


>
> I put a '63 rear end in my '53. Almost a bolt in, except for the drive
> shaft.

It SHOULD be a bolt-in... they're both the same basic rear-end design
which went on to become the "8-3/4" of the muscle-car era. IIRC, given
the right housing width you can just swap axles, not the whole housing.

On Wed, 26 Oct 2005 11:06:15 -0500, Steve > wrote:

wrote:
>
>
>>
>> I put a '63 rear end in my '53. Almost a bolt in, except for the drive
>> shaft.
>
>It SHOULD be a bolt-in... they're both the same basic rear-end design
>which went on to become the "8-3/4" of the muscle-car era. IIRC, given
>the right housing width you can just swap axles, not the whole housing.

The 53 had the old sliding trunnion "U" joints and the tapered shaft
axles, as well as "center plane" brakes. Car also had driveshaft
parking brake. Replacement had normal integral flange axles, Bendix
brakes, cross and roller type "U" joints, and provisions for parking
brake on the rear. I think it took me about 3 hours to switch it over,
on jack stands - then I had a driveshaft made by a local shop. Shaft
was not true- shook something awfull - so I had to true it up myself -
weekend before I left for the East Coast with it - so I could not take
the shaft back to the "butchers" that made it for me.

Wish I still had that car - 1953 Coronet Sierra wagon - Hemi with
Overdrive. Was the only one registered in Canada, and it apparently
returned to California last year with a 6 figure price tag.

N8N wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> looking to mount some wheels on my old Studebaker - they used the same
> lugs as Chrysler did. (1/2-20 RH and LH.) I am using for now at least
> a mix and match set of wheels, two Ford and two MoPar. Apparently the
> Ford wheels used a lug nut with a 13/16" hex and I am hesitant to use
> the smaller 3/4" hex Stude/MoPar lugs on them in case that might cause
> a problem. In my friend's garage I found *five* chrome lug nuts,
> 1/2-20LH. That solved my immediate problem, but I would like to run
> the same hex size on all wheels so I only have to carry one lug wrench.
> I'm trying to find five more of these nuts and am coming up dry! Year
> One has them for $25 for five, Summit Racing sells Gorilla lug nuts for
> under $5 for four, but when I tried to order them they want to charge
> me *more* in shipping and handling than they are worth! Jeg's doesn't
> carry them apparently. Anyone know where I can get these for less than
> an arm and a leg, or is there a parts store chain that carries Gorilla
> products?
>
> thanks!
>
> nate

Just as a follow up, I never did find an inexpensive source for them,
but I just won 20 of them on eBay for under $20 with shipping. So I
will probably never need to look for any of them ever again

nate

wrote:

> On Wed, 26 Oct 2005 11:06:15 -0500, Steve > wrote:
>
>
wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>I put a '63 rear end in my '53. Almost a bolt in, except for the drive
>>>shaft.
>>
>>It SHOULD be a bolt-in... they're both the same basic rear-end design
>>which went on to become the "8-3/4" of the muscle-car era. IIRC, given
>>the right housing width you can just swap axles, not the whole housing.
>
>
> The 53 had the old sliding trunnion "U" joints and the tapered shaft
> axles, as well as "center plane" brakes. Car also had driveshaft
> parking brake.

The driveshaft P-brake and ball/trunion U-joints were used through '62.

Replacement had normal integral flange axles, Bendix
> brakes, cross and roller type "U" joints, and provisions for parking
> brake on the rear. I think it took me about 3 hours to switch it over,

Sounds about right- not a HUGE project, but not quite bolt-in either. I
didn't mean to type that it should literally be a bolt-in, I left out
the word "almost," as I was meaning to agree with you entirely.

I was thinking the "Leftorium" but NAPA will work.

Bush

On 24 Oct 2005 14:56:52 -0700, "N8N" > wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>looking to mount some wheels on my old Studebaker - they used the same
>lugs as Chrysler did. (1/2-20 RH and LH.) I am using for now at least
>a mix and match set of wheels, two Ford and two MoPar. Apparently the
>Ford wheels used a lug nut with a 13/16" hex and I am hesitant to use
>the smaller 3/4" hex Stude/MoPar lugs on them in case that might cause
>a problem. In my friend's garage I found *five* chrome lug nuts,
>1/2-20LH. That solved my immediate problem, but I would like to run
>the same hex size on all wheels so I only have to carry one lug wrench.
> I'm trying to find five more of these nuts and am coming up dry! Year
>One has them for $25 for five, Summit Racing sells Gorilla lug nuts for
>under $5 for four, but when I tried to order them they want to charge
>me *more* in shipping and handling than they are worth! Jeg's doesn't
>carry them apparently. Anyone know where I can get these for less than
>an arm and a leg, or is there a parts store chain that carries Gorilla
>products?
>
>thanks!
>
>nate