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brucet999
Active Member
I've just got to share my off-topic lug nut story.
I attended a NASCAR event at California Speedway some years ago and had an all-access pass. On the last day of qualifying I was in the pits area and saw a guy approach one of the pits and talk to someone in coveralls covered with corporate decals. Coveralls-guy handed the fan something and I saw him walk away with hands cupped, a look of joy on his face as if he had been handed a fragment of the True Cross. I said, "What have you got there?", and he said excitedly, "Lug nuts from Jeff Gordon's car!".
That's when I understood why NASCAR is a money machine.
I attended a NASCAR event at California Speedway some years ago and had an all-access pass. On the last day of qualifying I was in the pits area and saw a guy approach one of the pits and talk to someone in coveralls covered with corporate decals. Coveralls-guy handed the fan something and I saw him walk away with hands cupped, a look of joy on his face as if he had been handed a fragment of the True Cross. I said, "What have you got there?", and he said excitedly, "Lug nuts from Jeff Gordon's car!".
That's when I understood why NASCAR is a money machine.
Thumper
Active Member
Old timers on the forum will remember that in 2013 I said that the chrome clad nuts would fail. I have had many years of experience with chrome clad nuts. After a few on-off cycles the sheet metal cladding deforms and if left for a few more cycles, eventually peels off. The remaining steel core is now an oddball size, neither metric nor English. No socket fits it correctly and it can round off completely. The only real solution to prevent this, is chrome PLATED lug nuts. If I could find the correct size and cone side shape, I would buy some. These can last for years and years. Careful torquing by hand with a proper fitting 6 point socket can help but clad nuts are an abomination.
Cyclone
Cyclonic Member ((.oO))
What about these? In one thread today I someone mentioned these and saved them on my Amazon account just in case.
Amazon.com: Gorilla Automotive 61147CX Chrome 13/16 (14mm x 1.50 Thread Size) Hex Lug Nut, (Pack of 4): Automotive
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bollar
Disgruntled Member
taurusking
Member
They said so. I haven't checked my CC yet and they never sent an updated service invoice.
Wheels of Steel
Member
MrJones390
Space Boat
TaoJones
Beyond Driven
To clarify, had the OP purchased the ESA for $4,000 for miles 50,001-100,000, the almost-$1,000 in suspension work would have been covered, and he would then be out of ESA in a few weeks and on his own anyway, yes?
Sounds like he's $3,000 to the good, then. Which is to say self-insured for the duration now. Rather scary prospect with these cars, between the decidedly average reliability and the decidedly inconsistent SvC experiences.
As one of the ones with an as-yet unresolved service issue, i am really starting to regret Jerome's departure from his clearly vital and needed role. But hey, if anyone's earned an extended LOA, it's him, and more power to him.
And yeah, those lug nuts are just fine. Until they aren't - and they aren't aren't yet, clearly.
In a vacuum, maybe $70 has merit. But in the face of $1,000 in customer-paid work for which the wheels would indeed have to go back on the car *shakes head*, that's just... someone not thinking. Glad it was reversed but the poor communication continues - how does the OP *know* that fluids were flushed? Taking the word of that same SvC (that made multiple errors) into an out of warranty condition is just short of unacceptable. Fortunately, this experience sounds like the exception and not the rule, so there's some peace of mind there at least.
Now it's just a matter of budgeting for future annual services, tires, and suspension parts and labor as time passes. I'd like to believe that aside from those concerns, the car will last hundreds of thousands of miles more yet. In fact, it appears that the OP may have the first or one of the first quarter-million mile Model S worldwide soon. Well, "soon".
artsci
Sponsor
As a number of people have pointed out, we've been through this lug nut issue many times before. There are several good threads on the topic.
Tesla lugnuts
The lug nuts supplied with the 21" wheels have chrome caps that are easily prone to deformation and become can become a major problem. I replaced mine with the Gorilla lug nuts the first time I saw any deformation. You don't have to be a junkie DIY owner to know how to remove, replace, and torque lug nuts. A good torque wrench is a very good investment. IMHO every owner should have one.
- - - Updated - - -
As a number of people have pointed out, we've been through this lug nut issue may times before. There are several good threads on the topic.
Tesla lugnuts
The lug nuts supplied with the 21" wheels have chrome caps that are easily prone to deformation and become can become a major problem. I replaced mine with the Gorilla lug nuts the first time I saw any deformation. You don't have to be a junkie DIY owner to know how to remove, replace, and torque lug nuts. A good torque wrench is a very good investment. IMHO every owner should have one.
Tesla lugnuts
The lug nuts supplied with the 21" wheels have chrome caps that are easily prone to deformation and become can become a major problem. I replaced mine with the Gorilla lug nuts the first time I saw any deformation. You don't have to be a junkie DIY owner to know how to remove, replace, and torque lug nuts. A good torque wrench is a very good investment. IMHO every owner should have one.
- - - Updated - - -
As a number of people have pointed out, we've been through this lug nut issue may times before. There are several good threads on the topic.
Tesla lugnuts
The lug nuts supplied with the 21" wheels have chrome caps that are easily prone to deformation and become can become a major problem. I replaced mine with the Gorilla lug nuts the first time I saw any deformation. You don't have to be a junkie DIY owner to know how to remove, replace, and torque lug nuts. A good torque wrench is a very good investment. IMHO every owner should have one.
Cyclone
Cyclonic Member ((.oO))
I've never had a torque wrench before, but I'm not opposed if anybody has any inclination towards a decent (no need to be top end) one. I've changed tires on previous cars to spares, but only went to very finger tight, not to any specific rating.
And artsci, are you talking about the 21s because that is what you know (and have), or are the 21" and 19" lug nuts different. I have standard 19s on my car.
And artsci, are you talking about the 21s because that is what you know (and have), or are the 21" and 19" lug nuts different. I have standard 19s on my car.
