I'm not sure how much spacing I'm going to need with the new wheels with my 5 lug conversion. I might want to get what might be longer than needed wheel lugs and would then have to use steel lug nuts. Would the steel lug nuts be a problem?

I have them on my car. (had )

Porsche put steel lug bolts against stock 914/4 alloy wheels. And AFAIK, Porsche is the only company who ever used aluminum lug nuts.

I'd say go ahead.

I've been running them since 1994 on both Fuchs and BBS's. No problem.

I believe they're required for racing. I use them on Fuchs. You know the threads are good and it makes it easy to see if one is backing off.

I was told by a 356 restorer who is very familiar with Porsches that Porsche used the aluminum lug nuts on alloy wheels because the steel lug nuts being different metal, would loosen easily and wheels would/could fall off.

Urban legend or true?

required for racing by pca and most any sanctioning body.
we have also been using them on fuchs and cookies since the late 80's
you will be fine

What happened?

Still got it?

rich

Same here, been running them forever without any issues.

The only time i had them come lose was when i forgot to torque them before getting on the track.
Talk about dumb ass luck, got saved by the 100mm wheel studs.

That's what you get for skipping the coffee in the morning ...

They certainly won't come off if torqued properly, but they DO need to be Porsche-specific mating surfaces which are dished. You can buy generic steel nuts that have the wrong cut, usually straight and at some specific angle, and they are obviously bad for the wheels.

I clean and use just a smidge* of grease or silicon, not on the threads, but on the mating surfaces to keep them from galling the wheels. Too much lube and I find it radiating out from the nuts onto the wheel.

*Definition: (smidge) As close to a mono-molecular layer as I can manage. Similar to "skosh", "tad" or "dollup".

I imagine there might be others here who've forgotten to torque a wheel at some point in their lives... not me of course.

There are three common seats for wheel bolts/nuts: flat, cone, and ball. Porsche (and most german cars) use a ball seat.

I would get Febi steel lug nuts (I can get them for $1.50e) if you can live with the black finish. I forget what wheels you're running.

A while back I ordered some 72mm studs from Pelican.
They were non-Verbus, and looked to be an offshore product.
Different spline spacing didn't match the Verbus studs and I
didn't want to take the chance on damaging my aluminum hubs.