So my lug bolts are ugly. I've cleaned them with a wirebrush to remove all coatings - then they rust. I've painted them with high-temp spray paint - they look great - but everytime I remove a wheel - they get scraped up and paint flakes off - then that part rusts.

Any solutions? Powder coating would flake off too as well - yes?

Click to view attachment

Chrome them.

Polish them

Chrome or polish with what? If chrome paint, does it stand up to lug wrenches - not getting flaked off?

Take them to a chrome shop and have the ends chromed. You could even silver zinc plate them. They'll stand up for a while. Even longer if you use a good tight fitting socket. If they rust I can't see how polishing them wil help unless you clearcoat or wax the hell out of them.

If i'm not mistaken, the factory had covers that one could slide over them ...

Thats correct Andy !

On my 4-bar- star style mag steelies that were standard on my 74 - 2.0 litre, the old ones were all smurfed up from the tire shops apparently trying to fit a proper socket over the plastic black cover ! Ripped and rounded into oblivion. I cleaned up the old bolts, had them dipped and bought new plastic black covers to fit over the ends.

Looks great and cost hardly anything at the time. Don't know if they are still available at the Porsche parts counter or not, but am sure there are vendors out there selling them.

Just don't forget they are on there and let someone with a carefree torque wrench near them again......

I agree with andy.

They also make"soft sockets"

The original finish was anodized. You could have them redone. Abit more durable than paint, but you'll likely want to use a soft socket like the others suggested to preserve them.

I got plastic/chrome covers for mine that looked great. Got them at the local Volvo dealership for under $15.00 for a full set.

Interesting - didn't know about soft sockets. I'll look into those - maybe the paint I used will withstand that - which would be great because the color perfectly matches the Mahles.

These work great:
Black Lug Nut Covers
Chrome Lug Nut Covers

--- bill

Or could just paint those lug nut covers. Do they stay on pretty good, no losing one every couple months or so because they fall off?

Original lug bolts for the alloy wheels are made of steel and silver cadmium plated. Anodizing is a process for aluminum not steel...so the lug bolts are not anodized... sorry Tod.

This pic below is Steve G's original bolts.

Those black plastic covers keep water in them, next to the bolt surface...and rust will collect under the cover.

I tried the soft socket...it was expensive at something like $25 bucks about 10 years ago. Its a plastic lined socket is all. It lasted awhile, but after torquing the bolts to 90-something ft lbs...the plastic liner eventually fractured in short order.

Craig Laughlin posted about the time my soft socket broke, of the old school hot rodders trick...just use a baggy covering the lug bolt, under a conventional socket...and it does a great job of protecting the lug bolt finish. Then toss the baggy. I have used this approach for many years and can attest that it works well. I won't be buying another soft socket.

Also, I think any sort of paint for a bearing surface such as a lug bolt, will only have a very limited lifespan. Get them plated for best results.

Also
Getting the covers off is a real PITA. The PO thought so too...I have gouges in my wheels where he was levering a screwdriver against them to remove the caps.

Great points about the covers - can definitely see how it will trap water/moisture.

Interesting tip about the baggy, I'll do another paint job on one of them and give it try. If it doesn't hold up, I'll find a plater (silver cadmium or zinc).

Thanks!

When I worked in a motorcycle shop in the 60' (before baggies), we just used a red shop towel. Never scratched a chrome bolt.

be careful with the soft sockets...they crack if you are not careful

A member on here posed the same question about 2 mos. ago. I suggested what I used. My lug bolts looked the same.
I used a bench buffer on each one and they came out looking like chrome.
For $60 + the price of the polish stick it was worth it, it just takes some time, and I did them one by one as time allowed. A year later they still look new/polished.


Good luck.

new covers are available at midamerica motorworks - back of catAlog, about $20 for set of 16

also a variety of new chrome bolts ,

I just went down to my garage and zinked this lug bolt!!

Yeah, that's the way to do it Jeff!

Jeff that looks great. How did you "zinc it?" Is that paint or a chemical process?

It is a chemical process!

You apply a low voltage charge to a piece of zinc and a neg charge to the item to be zinced and place in a solution of chemicals and let the magic happen!