tangonater

Just wondering if it makes sense (or hurts) to use "never seize" grease on the lug nuts before they get torqued?

ronjenx

I wire brush the threads and contact cone/hole before installation. Never had a problem with backing out, or removing them.

I do put never seize on the inside diameter of the wheel's center hole. I have had corrosion there make wheel removal very difficult.

pearl-drum-man

X2. IIRC, aluminum wheels mounted on steel rotors can react and bond pretty tight. I learned that the hard way on my TJ. Never had trouble with lugs, therefore never used anti-seize on them. In addition, there seems to be a lot of debate on using it on the threads/lugs.

RedneckJeep

I actually recommend anti-seize on lug nuts. NOT on the nuts holding on wheel spacers though. They need Locktite. The threads are not what holds the lug nuts tight. The bevel on the nut and wheel is what keeps them tight. Anti Seize is a good idea, because most modern lug nuts are chrome plated.......inside and out. Sometimes, the chrome flakes off and becomes a problem and causes the nut to seize on the stud. With anti seize, this all but eliminated.

pearl-drum-man

FWIW, the lug nuts on both the TJ (I had) and the JK I have now are capped, not plated. You find this out when the guy at the tire shop blasts them relentlessly with the air gun, and the caps become loose/fall off. A simple crimp with a set of pliers and tap back on w/ hammer and they are good as new.

ronjenx

I have not anti-seized the lug nuts and never had a problem because my wheels are removed periodically for rotation/inspection. However, the close tolerance between the wheel's center hole, and the center of the axle, is subject to seizing due to corrosion in a short time. A little anti-seize here prevents this.

A little anti-seize on the threads only will do no harm, but seems unnecessary.
Anti-seize should not be placed on the contact surface between the nut and wheel. You want plenty of friction here. It probably won't hurt, but is not a best practice.

Don't apply anti-seize where the wheel contacts the rotor. Not only is it not necessary, but can contribute to transverse movement of the wheel, which in turn, can cause the lug nuts to loosen.

Ryanc

Would that not mess up your torque, 95ftlb on bar metal. What would your torque be then?

dmhines

My front lug nuts were a Beetch to get off recently ... I put them back on the other day with Anti-Sieze. I still need to do the back ...

tangonater

RyanC,
I had that question myself. I was not sure if greased lugs torqued to 95 ft/lbs were in any danger of getting loose vs non greased.

ronjenx

Technically, applying anti-seize does mess up the torque. What it actually does is increse the axial load in the stud. Not as much, though, as hammering the nuts on with an impact gun, which most tires shops do, anyway.
Bottom line, it's OK to apply to threads only, but not necessary.