Filed under: Aftermarket, Time Warp, Trends, Tuners, Chevrolet
One-lug aftermarket wheels for the masses
Once known as knock-offs for their distinctive retainers, pin-drive wheels are making a comeback amongst the tuner set. One Lug Wheels added its setup to the dolled-up Tjin Edition/Turtle Wax Chevy Cobalt. The car has received attention in a myriad of areas, but what really caught our eye were the lug-less wheels. Real racing cars - versus bestickered street driven spectacles - use wheels with a single central retainer to facilitate quick changes. The One Lug Wheels system appears to be like similar systems. There's a hub adapter that is secured to the lugs, which then allows the fitment of the appropriate wheels. The clean look of the wheel is the only street-bound benefit. The whole system adds unsprung weight, and probably increases the sideload on the wheelbearings. Not only that, the safety margin that multiple fasteners deliver is negated in favor of a stylish wheelnut. If you're comfortable with those tradeoffs and like the uncluttered wheel center, One Lug Wheels will soon be offering its wheels and mounting system to the buying public. Even if you're not into the tuner scene, how slick would it be to put knock off Halibrands on your Bullitt Mustang? With its retro-cred, the knockoff wheel has the potential to appeal to wrench turners young and old.
[Source: TunerZine]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
denton 7:06PM (4/11/2008)
i think the one lug nut is ugly. period
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CarbonBlack 7:24PM (4/11/2008)
it's not all about looks, Performance should almost always chosen over looks.
Tecmec 7:39PM (4/11/2008)
@CarbonBlack
In which case, the one-lug system is still retarded
Cornholio 8:16PM (4/11/2008)
"In which case, the one-lug system is still retarded"
+1.
Increased unsprung weight = bad.
And wait 'til some wonk only torques this thing to 80 lb-ft or so....
geekmorgan 12:36PM (4/16/2008)
Good for you, autoblog for pointing out why this is a dumb product that will lower the performance of your car.
Torrent 7:06PM (4/11/2008)
ooh.
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Mushy 7:19PM (4/11/2008)
Companies such as Toora have been making one-nut wheels for road cars, for yeeeeeears
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Franz 7:33PM (4/11/2008)
Personally, I'd never put them on my car but IMO those wheels with the flat black finish, gold rivets and single lug nut look bitchin'.
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rouse42 7:35PM (4/11/2008)
without a locking pin there's gonna be an issue of safety when these are avail to the general public.
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Stuka 7:36PM (4/11/2008)
The other disadvantage is they get torqued to about 250ft lbs. So pulling them on and off without an impact gun that can break them loose sucks. Then you need a good torque wrench to put them back on. Unless you are rich and have an impact that has a torque sensor on it.
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Derek 9:36AM (4/12/2008)
Their website does list an installation tool as included, and a locking pin. A simple clicker wrench with a 2-3 foot handle would do the job. Of course, I still don't see why I would want to spend money on this when I have never timed a tire change in my life.
BlackbirdHighway 8:39PM (4/11/2008)
They look extremely easy to steal.
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Mike 9:25PM (4/11/2008)
Center lug wheels are for quick on/off at the track, not for street cars...never mind fake ones putting unplanned stress in all the wrong places. These are an accident waiting to happen...
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mammy 9:29PM (4/11/2008)
It looks cool on race cars, but not street cars.
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John 10:22PM (4/11/2008)
My thoughts exactly on those big stupid wings on street cars.
RCL1221 9:38PM (4/11/2008)
this wuz cool... until i read it added weight :(
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tankd0g 9:39PM (4/11/2008)
Nice lawsuit waiting to happen. Can't be any worse than anodized aluminum lug nuts I guess. Snap-crackle-pop!
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Derek 10:37PM (4/11/2008)
It might be cool if it weren't an adapter that is just bolted onto the existing lugs. Just as bad as the fake disc brake inserts some people buy to cover up drums and look "cool" by restricting cool airflow to their brakes...
I'll bet there isn't a weight penalty IF the system were designed as a single bolt system from the ground up. But, again, the torque values needed make it just plain inconvenient for a street car where a 5 minute tire change is just fine.
Wheelbearing loading will only be affected if the overall wheel offset is changed though.
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why not the LS2LS7? 11:13PM (4/11/2008)
'Wheelbearing loading will only be affected if the overall wheel offset is changed though.'
And the adapter is infinitely stuff, which it isn't. But yeah, there's a good chance the change in loading isn't material.
Derek 9:17AM (4/12/2008)
The adapter is either steel or aluminum, the rim is aluminum. So the adapter is at least as stiff as the rim. The net change in stiffness is then zero or slightly positive if the offset from the tire tread to the original mounting surface is unchanged.