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  View original topic: left hand threaded wheel bolts
noslocars Thu Sep 29, 2011 10:54 am

I have an old trailer that has wheel bolts that are left hand threads. I am in need of some and can't find them anywhere. Anyone know where I can get some?

drscope Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:35 pm

Lug bolts or studs & nuts?

If studs & nuts, try your local junk yard for old Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth stuff. They all had left hand threads on the left side of the car. Very confusing.

julrich366 Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:50 pm

Try here if shipping isn't ridiculous if you can't find locally:
http://www.nutty.com/lefthandnut.shtml

notchback Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:42 pm

Last time I needed some, I went down to NAPA and bought them.

busdaddy Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:02 pm

notchback wrote: Last time I needed some, I went down to NAPA and bought them.
As did I, although knowing the size and pitch would make the transaction alot more painless.

noslocars Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:13 pm

They are not lug nuts, they are the lug bolts like vw's had originally. They are all left hand threads though and I have looked everywhere for them. Haven't found them locally or on the internet. The trailer is really old school. The bolts are 1/2 X 20 and are 1 3/8 long. I can just drill them out and put studs but if I can find the lug bolts I would just do that.

busdaddy Thu Sep 29, 2011 6:50 pm

From a quick Google expedition through the wilds of the vintage trailer world (wow, some of those Airstream guys make the stock nazi's here look like hack hippies :shock: ) it sounds like you're screwed, time for some studs.

noslocars Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:35 am

Can't believe there aren't any new ones out there. Looks like I will install studs. Thanks everyone.

Keith Fri Sep 30, 2011 8:00 pm

drscope wrote: Lug bolts or studs & nuts?

If studs & nuts, try your local junk yard for old Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth stuff. They all had left hand threads on the left side of the car. Very confusing.

You think THATS confusing. My '55 Plymouth has right and left hand threaded lug studs AND bolts. the fronts are nuts, the rears are bolts, so each wheel has its own specific bolt/nut and if you should be unfortunate enough to say loose a few bolts/nuts you cant simply go to each wheel and borrow one bolt/nut to get back home :x They did that until '68. The concept was a good one. It was designed so if the nut/bolt was loose it wouldnt come loose when you were driving. The centrifigal force kept it spinning in the "tighten" direction, but it was too confusing for most.

Oh and for most people who dont know about the left handed studs/nuts they find out the hard way usually. Especially if they are an idiot with a powerful impact wrench!! (definately NOT me but I've seen it before)

doubledoor64 Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:39 pm

notchback wrote: Last time I needed some, I went down to NAPA and bought them.

+2

fast Ed Sat Oct 01, 2011 10:32 am

drscope wrote:
If studs & nuts, try your local junk yard for old Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth stuff. They all had left hand threads on the left side of the car. Very confusing.


On the left side of the car only, and that was just through to the mid-1970s on some models. They finally wised up and decided that the wheels wouldn't fly off with right hand threads after that. LOL

Messed me up first time I tried to take the wheels off my first car, a 67 Dodge Dart.


cheers
Ed N.

rustyfastback Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:42 pm

I work at NAPA. I will check in the catalog tomorrow & get the part #. I know about 5 years ago I sold a few to someone with a older boat trailer.

noslocars Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:55 pm

Thanks I appreciate it.

rustyfastback Mon Oct 03, 2011 8:12 pm

Bad news NAPA does not carry the 1/2" left hand thread lug bolts any more. I think they went obsolete 2 years ago. I remember a couple of years ago when the manager sent a 50lb box of obsolete lug nuts, studs & bolts to the recycler. I wish I had better news.

noslocars Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:43 pm

Bummer, Thanks for looking for me. Looks like it's stud time. I guess it's probably safer in the long run.



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