Shank Lug Nuts Safety Tips

A thorough understanding of this article will greatly diminish the possibility of wheel loss due to improper lug nut installation.


The shank length of the nut is too long in the image above. The end of the nut bottoms out against the rotor or drum surface before the nut clamping surface properly mates to the clamping surface of the wheel.


On Mag Shank style application, the diameter on the lug nut is too small. The most common cause is using a passenger car lug nut on a truck wheel. The total clearance between the lug nut shank and the wheel hole should not exceed 1/64 inch.


Mag Shank style application must be used with a washer. If not the shoulder of the nut will dig into the softer aluminum preventing proper clamping of the wheel.


Aluminum wheels that have specific washer recess should use a washer that was designed specially for that recess. The washer should fit snug and be the same shape. Do not put a round washer in a oval hole or vice versa. Wheels without a washer recess must use a washer that overlaps the hole at least 1/8 in all around and is a least 5/32 of an inch thick.