Benoit

Hello guys.

The main question is in the title :

"Is it safe to put a steel wheel lug nut on an aluminium wheel"

I'm not fluent into the finesses of Tuning. But I know from mountainbiking and plane industry, that some very different metals or composites coming together at a point are going to work against each other. Steel is rather solid and sturdy in regard to aluminium. I'm afraid it could cause metal fatigue.

Also, do you have informations about durability of aluminium wheel lug nuts. Isi it safe to use them on a daily driver ?

Benoit

Question was resolved on a french forum.

Aluminium lugs are, effectively, binding a user with lots of problem. They need to be of quality, what is already a problem because of the ripoffs of popular brands going around. They are sensible to your usual tire center bolt guns and require a very precise torque. Too much, and they will start to melt, too few, and they will break loose after a while.

It is more recommended to go with steel lug nuts. They are more sturdy and more stable. But they will tend to disform the bedding of your wheel if you put too much torque on them. Because, yes, they are harder. Funny fact.... "Normal" alumuminium wheels are rather bulky made, with a lot of metal everywhere for beeing sure those things hold on those kind of abuses. It's also a thing to have some of them having steel sections for bedding the lug nuts, making them ridiculously resistant to bad practices. But don't believe you could do this on your forged three piece ultralight aluminium wheel. For those ones, monitor the torque and you will be fine.

If performance oriented driving is your thing, Titanium wheel lug nuts are also a thing you could go for. But they are rather expensive, and also subjects to chinese ripoffs.

ivanj

Benoit - excellent discussion! Everyone should own a torque wrench! Another consideration:

Since one is using steel and aluminum, the contact between the two causes electrolytic corrosion which is a cousin of rust. This corrosion occurs when two unlike metals touch or are torqued over a long period of time although it begins instantly. (Ever have trouble taking a wheel off a rim?) This condition is exacerbated by brake dust and the junk on the roads.

For wheels and bolts, one palliative is to put a very thin layer of anti-seize between the two metals. Another is to get a very thin plastic washer to put between the nut and the wheel surface. In both cases torque to spec. Check the torque setting after 100 miles. (I take no responsibility of the uses or misuse of these techniques.)

ivanj
NB
It has always amazed that auto design engineers are not taught about this phenomenon. They continue to use unlike metals, say in exhausts, cooling systems, transmissions and so on. Sometimes this can be helped by using special formulas of e.g. cooling fluid. This type of corrosion is another reason to change fluids at regular intervals....