solution to lug nut covers?

mkirsch wrote:
5000 miles is really pushing it with the wheel bearings. Recommended interval for pulling them down and repacking is 3000 miles or annually as far as I know. Should be in the owner's manual. You can stretch that if you trust the E-Z lube axles to not wreck the dust seal and fill your brake drum with grease.

Really, really telling on how most trailer OEMs go just enough in their
design margins vs their published ratings/limits/warranty/etc with this
comment...

Cars, trucks, etc are mostly cartridge front wheel bearings these days
that go for tens of thousands of miles before needing replacement (yes
most are not greasable)

Meaning...the trailer OEMs sized their bearing just big enough for their
published ratings...plus just a bit to last past warranty...

Personally dislike these El Cheapo lug nuts...worst is when they come
apart 'internally' and just spin...leaving the real lug nut inside...stuck
on the lug stud...

I've had to break these apart to get to the internal nut...hate, hate them...

mkirsch wrote:
5000 miles is really pushing it with the wheel bearings. Recommended interval for pulling them down and repacking is 3000 miles or annually as far as I know. Should be in the owner's manual. You can stretch that if you trust the E-Z lube axles to not wreck the dust seal and fill your brake drum with grease.

3000mi interval for re packing trailer bearings? Lol. Musnt have anything better to do......
Do you re pack them half way through a vacation in the campground?
Quality grease and proper bearing packing on a hub that is in good condition, that interval is at least 5x that maybe more.
And get some bearing buddies and extend that to 10x or more.
I took apart the hubs on my old snomachine trailer after almost 10 years of dragging it around the country, loaded. Idk, maybe 20kmi, probably more. A lot of 80 mph down the freeway at -10 or +100deg too.
Was going to just replace the hearings before overloading it and taking off to AK for a couple more years of torture. After cleaning up the bearings, I promptly repacked and re installed them. Virtually no wear compare to new.
I do like/use bearing buddy's though. You can blow out the seal in back with them, but that just tells you you're over full and a little mess. Doesn't mess up the seal.
Best to add a little grease right after a hard run when the grease inside is soft and moves around easy.

Thanks for all the replies. guess I will have the bearings and brakes checked / packed this fall and replace the lug nuts then.

5000 miles is really pushing it with the wheel bearings. Recommended interval for pulling them down and repacking is 3000 miles or annually as far as I know. Should be in the owner's manual. You can stretch that if you trust the E-Z lube axles to not wreck the dust seal and fill your brake drum with grease.

Solution? Lug nuts are cheap, replace them...or don't and just replace one at a time. Buy a pack of 5 and replace them as they c rap out?
If you can't fisher out the thread size any other way, take a lug nut to the hardware store and find the bolt that screws into it. Read thread dia and pitch.

McGuard and Gorilla make 1-piece lug nuts. When I worked at a tire shop I had an 18mm socket for removing the lugnuts that had lost their cover.
Sad, but my F150 also has the plated lugnuts.

Get some solid lugnuts



http://recstuff.com/parts-accesories/trailer-parts/1-2-20-chrome-trailer-lug-nut-lifetime-warranty-wont-rust/

Just get some McGard lug nuts of the correct size and style from Summit Racing. The McGards have a life time guarantee.

Yes those are just cheap caps to make the lug nuts shiny.
Yes that is why the inner nut doesn't fit your wrench.
You can replace them with real chrome lug nuts pretty cheap.
Never did like those things, but the factories are all about the mighty dollar.