Why Does BMW Use Lug Bolts?

Lug bolts are once more used in the Porsches of the present generation. Only when changing wheels is it truly a pain because you have to align the holes on your wheels with your hub. However, aligning a wheel’s holes with its studs also requires some effort. The only true advantage one offers over the other is that with our hubs or other european cars, you need to install a few lug bolts to hold the wheel in place, but with the other, you can leave the wheel hang freely on the studs while looking for your lug nuts. What motivated you to make this thread, if you don’t mind my asking?

I’ve been experimenting with various wheels. I dislike bolts because I’ve had 2 separate wheels fall off my car using bolts with tapered threads, once at the track and once on the road. As a result, I added longer studs to my automobiles, which not only made me feel safer but I’ve never had issues with studded cars.

Don’t inquire as to why my wheels twice came off.

Two entirely separate causes, one of which is my fault.

That is a perfectly reasonable worry. However, as long as you use the right bolt style (ball or cone seated) and the right thread length, lug bolts are often quite safe. It’s unfortunate that some folks also neglect to tighten their lug nuts. There are a ton of videos on youtube of people whose wheels came off during various races across the nation either because they failed to tighten them or for other reasons.

Also deceptive in that it gives the impression of security. Both a Honda Civic and a Mazda RX-7 had wheels come off!

Nothing will be able to assist you if you don’t use the device as it was intended or created.

I agree that all wheels need to be correctly torqued, but with longer studs, you have a better chance of stopping if you have any disturbance. Bolts, vibrates, and then swiftly shears off. I am aware from own experience.

Why do German cars typically have lug bolts installed on the wheels rather than the studs and nuts found on American and Japanese vehicles? Does it in any way lower production costs? I fail to see how bolts are superior to studs and nuts. On the other hand, if a bolt is cross threaded, you might have to replace the entire hub rather than just a single stud. Furthermore, we are all aware of how much easier it would be to simply slide the wheel onto the lug studs as opposed to trying to balance the wheel on the hub while threading in the bolts.

Interestingly, the M3 GTS has lug studs instead. This is likely because the car is designed for the track and its owners routinely change their wheels when they attend track days.

It has always been done that way, so they have continued to do it, which is most likely the result of tradition. But I rather prefer nuts and studs. Wheels are much simpler to put on and take off.

Over time, studs and bolts may crack or stretch. American vehicle studs are often installed from behind the hub, making them more challenging to change than bolts. My guess would be replacement ease.

Studs are great for routine maintenance, but they are a real pain to change out (like for spacers or broken studs).

Any day of the week, I’ll take the lug bolts over a rusty and compressed stud that requires hammering out with a liquid wrench and good luck.

Make careful to inspect your stud kits frequently if you guys get them. Three of my installed studs had recently gone a little bit loose and needed to be torqued once more. Additionally, as a precaution, if you are monitoring, I would recommend replacing the stud kit annually.

Equivalent to providing cocaine to an alcoholic to get him sober, compensating a heavy car with horsepower…

What Is the Difference Between Wheel Bolts and Wheel Studs?

The majority of street cars have either wheel studs or wheel bolts when they leave the manufacturer. (Center-lock wheels do exist, but they are typically only used on top-tier race vehicles and extremely fast street cars.) What precisely is the difference, then? Wyatt Knox, a Team O’Neil Rally School expert, created a little instructional video to teach you the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing bolts or studs, whether you’re racing your car or just using it for daily driving.

On many German-built cars, wheel bolts are considered standard equipment. They have a threaded stem that is joined to a tapered head that fits the wheel insert. The bolt secures everything in place as it travels from the wheel through the braking rotor hat and into the hub. The problem with bolts is that since there is no stud holding the brake rotors in place when the wheel is off, they can freely revolve. In order to put everything back together properly, you must realign the rotor with the hub inserts and the wheel.

Wheel studs and lugs vary in that the studs are installed in the hub and extend past the braking rotor hat as opposed to being one component that screws into the hub. Lugs, which are fastened onto the stud, are used to mount the wheels. As a result, mounting tires is made simpler because nothing needs to be lined up. However, Knox does caution that having studs that are too lengthy may cause problems if one of them bends or breaks.

However, that is only a brief justification. Watch Knox’s most recent video to learn more about the distinctions between wheel bolts and studs.

This material was downloaded from YouTube. At their website, you might be able to discover the same material in a different format or more details.

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It makes mounting the wheel more difficult and necessitates backing out the broken or seized bolt in order to perhaps retap the hub or replace it. If a stud is caught on a lug/stud automobile, you can simply remove it with a hammer after cracking the nut. When mounting a wheel, the Studs are a huge aid.

What Is the Difference Between Lug Bolts and Lug Nuts?

There are a few alternatives available to automakers when considering how to keep wheels firmly fastened to a vehicle. Probably, you’re familiar with lug nuts. These substantial nuts, which often come in sets of four or five per wheel, aid in keeping your rims fastened to your vehicle. The lug bolt is a second, less usual fastening. The purpose of a lug bolt is the same as that of a lug nut, however a limited variety of cars utilize lug bolts instead.

What criteria ultimately determine whether to use lug nuts or lug bolts? Here, we’ll talk about the two possibilities and examine their main distinctions.

What benefits do wheel studs offer?

When mounting the wheel, studs that protrude from the hub provide a simple method of wheel alignment. To assist with this problem, BMW offers a mounting pin to help locate wheels during reinstallation; see our page on this HERE.

Longer studs enable the use of spacers of various widths without requiring a change in stud length. However, in order to achieve adequate thread engagement while utilizing bolts, the bolt length would need to be adjusted to take the width of the spacer into consideration.

It may be safer to wear the area between the stud and nut rather than the bolt and hub if you frequently mount and remove wheels (primarily for track use, changing wheel / tire setup). Cross-threading is more likely to occur if you switch wheels frequently. Make sure the bolt in the hub is not cross threaded; the remedy is far more difficult and expensive than, say, stripping a nut over a stud.

When utilizing nuts, studs have more uniform torque. There is always the same amount of thread at the contact between the threads on nuts and studs. This enables uniform torque values for every stud.

In contrast, higher torque is required to overcome friction while installing bolts into wheel hubs because of this friction. In other words, greater torque is needed to insert the bolt as more bolt threads become engaged with the hub. This may be the cause of uneven stretching when using a bolt configuration over a stud. Overstretching a bolt can cause fatigue and bolt shearing. On our post HERE, we discuss the significance of using the correct torque levels and stretching bolts.

elegant man

1. To replace a cross-threaded stud, just press the old one out and press the new one in. With the bolt system, you have to replace the entire spinning hub if the hole becomes crossthreaded.

2. It is simpler to change the wheel while driving. Anyone other than a skilled adult man will likely struggle to keep the wheel/tire combo in place while the bolts are being started.

Are all lug bolts on a BMW the same?

The lug bolts that came with the 2022 BMW i4 are same, however aftermarket ones come in different kinds, seat types, materials, and even lengths. Most customers who want to modify their wheels end up using aftermarket 2022 BWM i4 lug bolts instead of the factory-installed ones. Actually, one of the simplest and quickest ways to improve wheels is to replace the lug bolts. You can improve the appearance of the vehicle and make it more unique and personalized by fitting new style aftermarket lug bolts. Additionally, lighter 2022 BMW i4 lug bolts minimize unsprung weight, which speeds up your car and cuts down on fuel use. The purpose of the locking lug bolts is to prevent theft of the wheels. They enhance the security of your most expensive wheels. To fit new wheels, you may want to purchase new 2022 BMW i4 lug bolts, but it’s crucial to make sure you have the proper hardware.

Are there lug nuts or bolts on BMWs?

Therefore, as is common knowledge, our bms use bolts to secure the wheels to the hubs. Wheel studs are the standard because my previous automobiles were Japanese brands and I worked on both local and imported vehicles. BMW, however, opted to use wheel bolts rather than the more customary lug nuts and studs.

Is there a particular reason BMW made this decision? Do the majority of other European companies utilize wheel bolts of similar style? For how long has BMW been using wheel bolts? For instance, at least since the 1960s?

I see that conversion kits are available, and many people purchase them to switch to lug studs and lug nuts.

Are the wheel bolts BMW utilizes as an OEM method better or worse than other options?

For use without requiring separate wheel nuts every time, what range of spacer sizes are available?

I actually don’t mind the wheel bolts. Without the wheel pin device, I have no trouble putting the wheel on. However, I now want to add spacers. My wheel bolts will now be too short, which will make it more difficult to install the spacer and wheel together without the lug pin holder. I purchased the spacers from a buddy. I just find that annoying.

I’ve thought of getting a wheel stid conversion kit as a result. I find it a little easier to mount the wheels and spacers. To give the appearance a bit more life, I can also acquire a great pair of lug nuts. It was just a thought, I guess. However, from what I could see, there isn’t much discussion of wheel bolts versus wheel lug studs.

I’ll also publish a poll. Do you use wheel studs instead of oem style bolts, whether they are extended or stock length?

Since bolts are what comes standard, I’m confident the majority of people will run them. However, if you now run bolts but intend to switch to wheel studs, you might consider voting for them.

Most of the cars in my driveway and the toys in the barn are fastened together with bolts. Only the “bow ties” I adore have studs. Personally, I love center spline wheels and prefer neither.

studs all day every day, particularly if you switch wheels frequently. They will also make handling spacers simpler.

Ordering 8 ordinary wheel bolts so I can get rid of those dumb locking ones is what I really keep meaning to do. Who will steal my wife’s ten-year-old, hideous stock wheels, for instance?