Swapping 18" to 20" - lug nut size?
05-17-2022, 02:48 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
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Swapping 18" to 20" - lug nut size?
Long time, no post. Have a question.
Recently, I noticed my factory 18" wheels on my 2012 FX4 were looking a bit worn out. Lots of dings, scratches, scaling, etc. I looked around online, and found a set of 20" FX4 takeoffs from a 2014. Great condition, hardly any sings of wear and tear. The tires on them (factory Scorpions) were pretty worn out, but the seller also had some other tires that were gently used. I bought them as well and dropped everything off at a tire shop today. I asked to have the tires installed on the rims, balance each, and I'd come back in a day or two.
The guy at the tire shop asked me if the seller included lug nuts. I said no, and that I would use what's currently on my truck. He looked and said they won't work on the 20" as I have an aftermarket lug nut, and I should be running the Ford OEM lug nut for safety reasons. He said the aftermarket lug nuts I'm using are too small.
For some backstory, about 5 years ago I was doing a tire rotation and one of the OEM lug nuts fell apart when I went to remove it. The outer shell piece (is that what it's called?) just shredded like foil, and the inner nut was mangled. After a couple of hours and help from a neighbor, we got it off by drilling a hole into it and using a punch to work it loose. The stud was damaged in the process and had to be replaced. Not wanting to go through that again, I went to a Ford dealer and asked what they recommended for a one-piece, steel replacement lug nut. They sold me a set of Gorilla lug nuts, 14mm x 2.00 thread size, and that's what I've been using ever since.The guy at the tire shop told me they should never have sold them to me, and he'd put the tires on the rims but wouldn't put them on my truck.
So, my question is...have I been using incorrect lug nuts this whole time? Are they unsafe? Will I need to buy OEM lug nuts for the 20" rims? Or is there a proper sized aftermarket lug nut so I can avoid the headache that is the OEM two-piece lug nut?
For reference, though I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about, here's the type of rim I have currently:
This what I bought:
And this is the lug nut I'm currently using:
Recently, I noticed my factory 18" wheels on my 2012 FX4 were looking a bit worn out. Lots of dings, scratches, scaling, etc. I looked around online, and found a set of 20" FX4 takeoffs from a 2014. Great condition, hardly any sings of wear and tear. The tires on them (factory Scorpions) were pretty worn out, but the seller also had some other tires that were gently used. I bought them as well and dropped everything off at a tire shop today. I asked to have the tires installed on the rims, balance each, and I'd come back in a day or two.
The guy at the tire shop asked me if the seller included lug nuts. I said no, and that I would use what's currently on my truck. He looked and said they won't work on the 20" as I have an aftermarket lug nut, and I should be running the Ford OEM lug nut for safety reasons. He said the aftermarket lug nuts I'm using are too small.
For some backstory, about 5 years ago I was doing a tire rotation and one of the OEM lug nuts fell apart when I went to remove it. The outer shell piece (is that what it's called?) just shredded like foil, and the inner nut was mangled. After a couple of hours and help from a neighbor, we got it off by drilling a hole into it and using a punch to work it loose. The stud was damaged in the process and had to be replaced. Not wanting to go through that again, I went to a Ford dealer and asked what they recommended for a one-piece, steel replacement lug nut. They sold me a set of Gorilla lug nuts, 14mm x 2.00 thread size, and that's what I've been using ever since.The guy at the tire shop told me they should never have sold them to me, and he'd put the tires on the rims but wouldn't put them on my truck.
So, my question is...have I been using incorrect lug nuts this whole time? Are they unsafe? Will I need to buy OEM lug nuts for the 20" rims? Or is there a proper sized aftermarket lug nut so I can avoid the headache that is the OEM two-piece lug nut?
For reference, though I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about, here's the type of rim I have currently:
This what I bought:
And this is the lug nut I'm currently using:
05-17-2022, 08:36 AM
#2
Senior Member
The factory lug nuts fail and have to be replaced. That is a well known issue. Virtually everyone with a F150 over 6-7 years old has replaced them with aftermarket.
I'm not sure why the lug nuts you have now won't work with 20" wheels. My guess is that the guy at the tire shop is wrong, I know he is wrong about needing the factory lug nuts and that doesn't give my much confidence that he knows anything about what he is doing. The only possible issue I can think of is that the stud will protrude farther through the 20" wheel and you need a longer nut to fully tighten. But that is just a guess.
I'm not sure why the lug nuts you have now won't work with 20" wheels. My guess is that the guy at the tire shop is wrong, I know he is wrong about needing the factory lug nuts and that doesn't give my much confidence that he knows anything about what he is doing. The only possible issue I can think of is that the stud will protrude farther through the 20" wheel and you need a longer nut to fully tighten. But that is just a guess.
The following users liked this post:
Butters_33 (05-17-2022)
05-17-2022, 10:42 AM
#3
Senior Member
Butters_33 ... The guy at the tire shop ... said they (Gorilla lug nuts) won't work on the 20" as I have an aftermarket lug nut, and I should be running the Ford OEM lug nut for safety reasons. He said the aftermarket lug nuts I'm using are too small....
SALEEN F-150 wheel (23")...
.
The correct Gorilla lug nuts are....
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Using your existing Gorilla lug nuts ... Will your wheels fall-off, will you have issues, etc., etc., etc.? More than likely and probably not. After all, you've been using them for 5-years with the 18" rims -AND- the 20" rims (since they're also FoMoCo) have the exact same lug nut seats.
EDIT: OEM, stock lug nut for comparison...
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*Part # 4L3Z-1012-A
Gorilla lug nuts side-by-side comparison...
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Last edited by gDMJoe; 05-17-2022 at 12:58 PM.
The following 2 users liked this post by gDMJoe:
Butters_33 (05-17-2022),
Jimmy2Trucks (01-13-2023)
05-18-2022, 04:05 PM
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Thanks @marshallr and @gDMJoe I put the 20's on yesterday and had no issue using the same Gorilla lug nuts I've been using for years. While the seat is smaller than on OEM lug nuts, they're still solid and tight at 150 ft.lbs. But I will talk to a friend of mine, who's a parts person, and see about getting a set of the Gorilla lug nuts with the wider seat.