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Left hand lug nuts on Mopars ?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Unkl Ian, Feb 19, 2008.

  1. What year did Mopar start with the left hand lug nuts ?




    Stupid idea if there ever was one.:rolleyes:
     
  2. VonKool13
    Joined: Feb 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,039

    VonKool13
    Member

    Love them Volkswagon Mopars!!:p I know my '50 plymouth has 'em! Fun the first time you try and take the wheel off and you didn't know they were like that huh!!
     
  3. Scott
    Joined: Dec 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,764

    Scott
    Member

    I broke my first lugnut on my 68 plymouth
     
  4. Friend of mine just got an early '50s Mopar.

    Do I remember this correctly ?
    Right hand thread on the Passengers side.(Like everything else)
    Left hand thread on the Drivers side.
     

  5. Scott
    Joined: Dec 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,764

    Scott
    Member

    YEP
     
  6. What's the problem? I had the wheels on and off many times during my build, never bothered me none.
     
  7. My 36 ' Plymouth coupe had left handed lug bolts.
     
  8. Mercmad
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 1,383

    Mercmad
    BANNED
    from Brisvegas

    From the very beginning ,Dodge may have been different ,But Chrysler and Plymouth have always been left and right hand thread .
     
  9. noboD
    Joined: Jan 29, 2004
    Posts: 8,456

    noboD
    Member

    My '24 Dodge Brothers has lefts and rights. I think it started in '22 on DB.
     
  10. safari-wagon
    Joined: Jan 12, 2008
    Posts: 1,457

    safari-wagon
    Member

    Busted 2 studs & 1/2 my knuckles on an early 60s Doge going for the rims.
    The engineering was sound, to stop the lugs from loosening up due to inadequate tightening. The bad part was they never told anyone!
     
  11. James Curl
    Joined: Mar 28, 2006
    Posts: 370

    James Curl
    Member

    The bolts on Plymouths have a L or a R on the head of them. L for left hand threads and R for right hand. Some people cut the guide pins from the Plymouth hubs to use different wheels. Makes putting the wheel on and aligning the bolt holes with the holes in the wheel while trying to hold the wheel on the lip on the hub hard to do.
     
  12. curtiswyant
    Joined: Feb 6, 2005
    Posts: 461

    curtiswyant
    Member

    My '52 Dodge has "L" and "R" on the bolt heads too.
     
  13. Why would anyone have to tell you they changed something when they never changed it, it was designed that way when they first started building cars?

    It was only much later that they changed to all right threads.
     
  14. Old Gold
    Joined: Dec 31, 2007
    Posts: 438

    Old Gold
    Member

    My dad'd 62 Olds Super 88 also has right and left hand lugs.
     
  15. phat rat
    Joined: Mar 18, 2001
    Posts: 4,920

    phat rat
    Member

    You think left hand lug nuts are bad. I found a left hand spindle nut on a 59 Buick last summer. That was the reason the drum was still there, someone else had taken the cotter-key out but couldn't figure out how to get the nut off.
     
  16. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    International did the same thing... it was fairly common back in the day...
     
  17. Elfizzo
    Joined: Nov 12, 2007
    Posts: 12

    Elfizzo
    Member
    from Minnesota

    Ford had em 2. !984 Ford 1 ton pickup
     
  18. Von Rigg Fink
    Joined: Jun 11, 2007
    Posts: 13,418

    Von Rigg Fink
    Member
    from Garage

    ive got a 68 dodge Charger, its got em too..i always thought that the little pentastar on the lower fender on the side of the left hanned threaded studs was a reminder..always worked for me, aint broke one yet.
     
  19. InPrimer
    Joined: Mar 10, 2003
    Posts: 778

    InPrimer
    Member

    I did quite a few wheel changes in the early '60's just remember, when facing the wheel, doesn't matter what side of the car always turn the crossbar to the rear in other word Dr side spin to the back of the car (clockwise) on the Pass (counterclockwise)
     
  20. Weasel
    Joined: Dec 30, 2007
    Posts: 6,698

    Weasel
    Member

    1930s & 40s Willys and Hupmobiles too - oh yep and Alfa Romeo into the 1970s - seems like it was pretty common practice.
     
  21. Mudslinger
    Joined: Aug 3, 2005
    Posts: 1,964

    Mudslinger
    Member

    Dodge Dart break job. Been there.
    Had the impact on them going wtf?
    Guy I worked with yelled out wait a sec this is a F'ing Dodge!
    We looked and some had been broke off and replaced and it was all screwed over. Some were left to tighten some were right hahaha
     
  22. When I was young, I had a date to go to the beach with a girl and her parents. We had a flat and I offered to change the tire and used every muscle I had in my body to get the lugs loose, while the father stood there and laughed. finally he picked up the lug wrench and easily loosen the lugs by turning the other way.
     
  23. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,013

    belair
    Member

    My 55 Olds has them. I took a Sharpie and wrote on the wheel in big letters "LEFT HAND THREADS" so I would remember.
     
  24. JustDave
    Joined: Jan 22, 2007
    Posts: 92

    JustDave
    Member

    It was a small thing the engineers did for safety sake to cause the lugs to have a self-tightening action if I was taught correctly. This is the same principle used on knock-off wheel fasteners. Something about orbital rotation but I'm no engineer. I guess later on they figured it's wasn't worth the extra trouble just like everything else bottom-line. Costs a lot more to make pieces that don't interchange.
     
  25. Aman
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 2,522

    Aman
    Member
    from Texas

    My 63 Dodge Panel truck has them. I was funny watching my son try to take them off. After a while I told him to turn the 4 way the other way. He looked at me like I was crazy at first, then caught on.:D
     
  26. ALindustrial
    Joined: Aug 7, 2007
    Posts: 852

    ALindustrial
    Member

    my '70 has'em... and half of them are broken off too...
     
  27. G V Gordon
    Joined: Oct 29, 2002
    Posts: 5,713

    G V Gordon
    Member
    from Enid OK

    A lot of big GM cars had that set up in the 50s/60s. My Pontiac 8Lugs are L/R.

    You sure want to make tire shops aware before they turn some kid loose with an impact.
     
  28. R Pope
    Joined: Jan 23, 2006
    Posts: 3,309

    R Pope
    Member

    I've had the left rear wheel part company on Fords and Chevys, even big trucks, but never a problem with a Mopar or Cornbinder.
     
  29. Graham08
    Joined: Oct 2, 2007
    Posts: 146

    Graham08
    Member

    Racecar knock-off hubs are the same way, only it is the right side of the car that uses left hand threads. Knock forward to loosen, back to tighten.
     
  30. falconwagon62
    Joined: Mar 17, 2006
    Posts: 1,431

    falconwagon62
    Member

    My 1959 Rambler has Left hand lugs as well.......You CAN CHANGE the without a problem.....John
     

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