Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Greetings! I've got 4 beautifully chromed octagon center lock wheel nuts and I am desperate to prevent dents, scratches, et cetera from steel sockets and spanners.

I've had a good go at Baltic birch plywood spanners (just not enough density/hardness to resist crushing), I've tried an oversized octagonal socket with 3-d printed plastic liners and cnc routed hardwood liners (all not dense enough).

Now I'm thinking about aluminum and brass . . .

Anyone found any great solutions for this? Probably most don't think there's a problem (but I do!).

Thanks as always for your insights!

Randy

I used black Gorilla tape a couple layers thick on the inside of my spanner and my socket and haven?t marked them up, Although I do have to use a rag and solvent to get some of the goofiness off that?s left,Gordon Sauer

Thanks, Gordon. I've thought of tape, alright. If it's not too thick, then there's not too much deforming. But I wondered/assumed the tape would be cut through and then there's no protection. Glad it works for you!

I'm working with aluminum today, see if that makes a sufficiently dense liner.

Randy

How about borrowing Sarto's idea of using a leather liner as on his knockoff spinner tool:



I understand your concern about marring your chromed nuts. But I would note that my original octagonal wheel nuts (now sold on to another) survived quite nicely, without chipping the chrome, for the past ~50 years just using the original wrench and hammer by being careful to rotate the wrench to take up any slack before striking the hammer.

I bought a special aluminium anodised cnc machined Socket with a hole for a Tommy Bar from someone on the forum. I sold my +2S130 so now i use the special Socket as a paper weight
Alan

Looking at from the other side, it's probably down to the quality of the chrome. Old school chrome on wheel nuts and knock-offs seem to have chrome that feels thick when handled. Hard to describe but I think you'll know what I mean. A suitable socket that fits well and a beefy impact driver should minimize the risk, with a torque wrench backing it up. Does anyone use this method? Doubt if you'd want to keep those in the car though.

alan.barker wrote:I bought a special aluminium anodised cnc machined Socket with a hole for a Tommy Bar from someone on the forum. I sold my +2S130 so now i use the special Socket as a paper weight
Alan

well, in case you want to swap paper weights (half Vegantune rod, abused 3 eared nut etc...), I could put your octogonal socket with tommy bar hole to use...

Here's the special socket never been used
Make me an offer
Alan

alan.barker wrote:Make me an offer
Alan

I was thinking of stuff that have had an actual road life, patina and all, but I had to store loads of parts in a rush so it'll take me a while (or luck) to locate them and send you photos. I'm definitely interested though... had been considering buying one for a little while now.

Nic

I just put it for sale in the for sale section
Alan

I have been adding brass banding



to my OTC 1905



this takes up the 1/8"

cheap enough, one for the shop, one for each car

Wow. I use an OTC octagon socket as well! Cut it down to make it shorter, and welded it onto a plate and a square section tube, at a slight angle. Makes a great octagon wheel nut wrench. But I've been using tabs of aluminum glued into the wrench to take up the slack.

This suggestion of copper from hanger strapping is a great one. Thanks so much!

Randy