[maddmike]

Finally getting some Tecnicos for my QV. As we all know when it comes to spending money, once you get one thing you end up with three more.

Someone was selling a new never used Centerline titanium stud conversion kit so I figured "why not?". I figured it will look clean with the silver Tecnicos I bought and enable me to run 5mm spacers that I picked up with them.

I used to run titanium lug bolts on my old Porsche 911 but never converted to studs. I ran both street and track with those without any issue. After I purchased these, I started looking on the other forums and there are of course a bunch of people saying that they are a waste of money (so is buying a $90k car that is worth $40k in three years), some people saying that they are the worst thing ever and will explode and kill everyone in a 1/4 mile radius. Other say to be careful, use the correct torque, lube them/don't lube them, use brake cleaner on the threads, and never use air tools on them.

On the Porsche I always used anti seize per the recommendation but I don't see that recommendation from Centerline In addition, some people say to use threadlocker for the part that inserts into the hub while other say not to do that as it is impossible to extract of broken.

Overall, it gets quite confusing. Anyone have these on their Giulia and have any issues with them?

 

[lockem]

I have the titanium lug bolts on my Q4. They save about 1 pound of weight total. The heads are a little bigger than OEM, so the weight savings is not in proportion to the density of titanium versus steel. Can I tell that I lost 1/4 pound of unsprung mass per wheel? I think not. I changed rotors, wheels and tires at the same time and got a huge boost in performance, but I don't think the lug bolts were a measurable part of the total.

I put antiseize on them and reduced tightening torque to 75ft-lbs. The lug bolt tightening guide I found online indicated that with antiseize on this size bolts torque should be reduced from 90ft-lbs to 60ft-lbs. 60ft-lbs just seemed inadequate to me, so I averaged it. I have had no problems with loosening or stretching. I have had problems with tire install guys insisting on 90ft-lbs.

Can I tell that they look way better than the OEM lugs? YOU BET! They look good new and do not corrode/rust so that they still look good years later.

Please note that the titanium stud-nut conversion kit weighs about the same as the OEM lug bolts, while a steel conversion will weigh more than the OEM lug bolts.

 

[lockem]

Oh yeah, grade 5 titanium has about 90% of the strength of grade 8 steel. I do not know the grade of the steel in the OEM lug bolts. The Centerline fasteners are grade 5 titanium.

Aluminum lug nuts have been used by some folks and are at best problematic.

 

[Chicago]

I just did the same thing, need to have them installed. It is NOT advised to put on Anti-seize....

You want to use Loctite instead. They should have the blue in there, supplied by Centerline. If not, you can purchase Loctite blue 243 which does not require heat for removal, although if you're putting on a full stud kit, no need for removal unless the threads get damaged.

I called Centerline as I was also confused about this, and they verified this and also recommended the Blue Loctite 243.

 

[lockem]

Disclaimer: research this yourself and use at your own risk (just like any mod)

Given that Porsche recommends antiseize on the titanium HW, Alfa puts oil on the OEM lugs (in spite of specifying clean-dry lugs), and all of my titanium and aluminum bicycle fasteners require antiseize I will continue using the antiseize.

Oh yeah, after I torque my lugs, drive 50 miles and re-check, they don't budge--not even a little bit.

Now threadlock on the "fixed" end of the studs is something entirely different; I have no comment if antiseize is good or not.

The theory:
Threads are a spiral ramp. Their purpose is to put tension on the core of the fastener, that tension being applied to the shoulder of the fastener. To work they need the ramp and shoulder to slide smoothly and not gall or seize. Some grades of steel and bronze are resistant to galling, but most alloys of stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, copper, and brass all have a fairly strong tendency to gall. When galling happens the fastener ramp or shoulder will exhibit an abnormally large amount of friction so that the tension in the fastener will not be in the right proportion to the tightening torque, causing the fastener to appear to loosen over time (clue: it was loose to begin with).

Note that even when steel lugs are used, the shoulder engages an aluminum wheel. I have seen them gall pretty badly.

Threadlock is needed under a few conditions:
The fastener cannot be torqued to the right value for its design.
The item being fastened has an unusually large bending moment (i.e. brake calipers).

 

[Chicago]

I should have been clear; Loctite is only to be used on the fixed end.

 

[maddmike]

I should have been clear; Loctite is only to be used on the fixed end.

Yes, obviously we are only talking about thread locker (Locktite) on the part that inserts into the hub (the fixed end). I think per the instructions, that is pretty clear so that you don't pul out the studs when removing your wheels making a worse mess than having used lug bolts in the first place. Anti-seize on the threads is a whole other issue. As stated, Porsche recommends it with their OEM titanium lug bolts. I would think that friction and galling work the same in both Stuttgart and Turin.

Disclaimer: research this yourself and use at your own risk (just like any mod)

Given that Porsche recommends antiseize on the titanium HW, Alfa puts oil on the OEM lugs (in spite of specifying clean-dry lugs), and all of my titanium and aluminum bicycle fasteners require antiseize I will continue using the antiseize.

Oh yeah, after I torque my lugs, drive 50 miles and re-check, they don't budge--not even a little bit.

Now threadlock on the "fixed" end of the studs is something entirely different; I have no comment if antiseize is good or not.

The theory:
Threads are a spiral ramp. Their purpose is to put tension on the core of the fastener, that tension being applied to the shoulder of the fastener. To work they need the ramp and shoulder to slide smoothly and not gall or seize. Some grades of steel and bronze are resistant to galling, but most alloys of stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, copper, and brass all have a fairly strong tendency to gall. When galling happens the fastener ramp or shoulder will exhibit an abnormally large amount of friction so that the tension in the fastener will not be in the right proportion to the tightening torque, causing the fastener to appear to loosen over time (clue: it was loose to begin with).

Note that even when steel lugs are used, the shoulder engages an aluminum wheel. I have seen them gall pretty badly.

Threadlock is needed under a few conditions:
The fastener cannot be torqued to the right value for its design.
The item being fastened has an unusually large bending moment (i.e. brake calipers).

What do you torque them to?

 

[lockem]

What do you torque them to?

See post #2.
75 ft-lbs.