Colored Lug Nuts for your Leaf

If you're interested in getting some colored lug nuts for your Leaf, here is a little writeup about my experience...

I ended up purchasing a set of 20 Muteki 12 x 1.25 "closed end" red lug nuts from eBay seller tuneshop. They were priced at $61.75 for the set with a "Make an offer" option. I'm always game for some adventure, so I offered $56 for the lug nuts and it was accepted instantaneously when I sent it. So they obviously have a range of acceptable offers stored in eBay for the product....Try your luck and see "how low you can go"....I have no relationship with the tuneshop seller, but had a good experience purchasing from them...Be careful, because they sell nuts that are "open ended" where you can see the stud through the top, as well as the "closed end" studs that I ended up purchasing.

Here's a current eBay auction from this seller for Red Muteki Lug Nuts:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CR-MUTEKI-SPLINE-TUNER-LUG-NUTS-12X1-25-1-25-RED-/400136836185?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d2a039459

Here's a link to the Tuneshop eBay store that shows all of their lug nut products:
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/tuneshop/m.html?_nkw=lug+nuts&_sacat=&_odkw=lug+nuts+red&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3911.m270.l1313

Let's get started on a little description / writeup for what you need to look out for if you're interested in doing this lug nut modification...

Here's a photo of a stock OEM Leaf lugnut to get started:

First, these particular Muteki lug nuts sold by Tuneshop have a 60 degree taper where they attach to the threaded stud. This is important because the stock Leaf lug nuts also have this 60 degree taper, so it's a perfect fit. Make sure that any lug nuts you purchase also have this 60 degree taper.

Here's a photo of what the red lug nuts look like once they arrived via Priority mail. They come with a "key" or socket to install them with...

Here are the tools that I used to swap out the 20 lug nuts...Starting at the top, we have a 1/2" torque wrench. I used a setting of 80 foot-pounds when tightening the new nuts.

Second down is a 21mm socket. That is used in conjunction with the extension below (third down) to remove the stock OEM lug nuts.

Fourth down is a 13/16" socket. It is used with the supplied "key" (fifth down) to tighten or loosen the new red lug nuts. There are two choices on the end of the key, so you can use either a 3/4" or 13/16" socket (on the left side). The lug nut goes on the right side of the key and mates up for a nice tight grip.



Here are the installation instructions: I removed the old nuts and replaced each one with a hand-tightened red nut. Then I applied some nice even torque to the nuts in a star pattern to tighten them to 80 ft-lbs. It also says to re-torque the lug nuts after 100km. An impact wrench is not recommended, or any oil. They went on very smoothly...

Light was running out tonight for photos...Here is a shot of the entire car with the red lug nuts on the front and back wheels. They're not that easy to see from that distance, so below that photo is a closeup of the wheel showing the 5 red lug nuts.

The Muteki nuts seem to be of high quality, and they tightened up easily. The torque wrench setting of 80 pounds is recommended in the Leaf owners manual and it seemed to be about the right amount of torque.

So now I have a set of 20 OEM Leaf lug nuts that I have stashed in my garage. This was an easy project, and the old nuts came off with very little effort. I thought they might have been applied with a monster impact wrench and might be difficult to take off, but the torque wrench took the old nuts right off...

This eBay vendor has lug nuts in several different colors, so go crazy with your Leaf and dress it up!!!

Have fun...Randy

Now you just need red rims and you'll be set :lol:

How about blue lug nuts?
Found them, about $50 at Amazon, including free shipping.

garygid said:

How about blue lug nuts?
Found them, about $50 at Amazon, including free shipping.

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I have the same ones Randy is running only in Blue... most aftermarket wheels use a 60 deg taper as well:

I'll find a can of Cayenne spray paint and save about 50 bucks. :lol:

LEAFfan said:

I'll find a can of Cayenne spray paint and save about 50 bucks. :lol:

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And when your spray paint flakes off after using a socket and torque wrench on them I will just laugh right back... don't be a jerk.

I am only running them as the stock nuts are too large in diameter to fit in the lug sockets on my lightweight forged wheels.

Don't forget those anodized lug nuts are aluminum rather than steel - so they should be significantly lighter. Might save a couple pounds of weight total!

"To add speed, add lightness!"

drees said:

Don't forget those anodized lug nuts are aluminum rather than steel - so they should be significantly lighter. Might save a couple pounds of weight total!

"To add speed, add lightness!"

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The red Muteki lug nuts I installed are forged 1008 steel and weigh 36 grams apiece...They are a little lighter than the original lug nuts...

I have had no success in installing the lug nuts that are the same as Randy's. I tried to put one on, and I had a difficult time even turning the nut and it was not cross threaded. When I quit and finally removed the lug nut, it was almost too hot to handle. It is the same lug nuts made by Wheelmate products in Santa Fe Springs, CA.

I ran the threads with a tap 12mmx1.50 to clean the threads. No luck. I did a close up eyeball view of the two lug nuts threads and it seems that the OEM threads are just a smidgen finer thread than the blue ones I had purchased. I could not make the tap (12mmx1.5) fit into the OEM lug nut...I have noticed some lug nut sellers declare that the tuner lug nut will not fit onto the OEM lug nut. So I have $60 worth of blue lug nuts looking for a home....Maybe some help is in order...Thanks in advance for anything that will work...

Ho Ho...Just realized my problem....I need to have 12mmx1.25 lug nuts rather than 12mmx1.5. so I will order those 12x1.25 and try those...

Skywagon said:

LEAFfan said:

I'll find a can of Cayenne spray paint and save about 50 bucks. :lol:

Click to expand...

And when your spray paint flakes off after using a socket and torque wrench on them I will just laugh right back... don't be a jerk.

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Geesh, I was just joking (don't appreciate the name calling). Maybe you forgot that I leased. Why put more money into the car if I'm not even sure I'll keep it? I believe you took this the wrong way anyway, plus it wasn't directed to you since you have a Pearl LEAF, not Cayenne.