Replacing my stock wheel lug bolts with chrome

[johnnyrock70]

Looking for advice/suggestions on where to locate new chrome lug bolts for my 1953 Buick Special Riviera. I see Amazon has 12mmx1.25 or 12mmx1.50...are these correct? The threading on those look coarse. Mine are fine. Thank you

Edited April 18, 2019 by johnnyrock70
Error (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

Go to the nearest tire store or auto parts store.  Most have what you should need.

 

NAPA could also be a source.

Edited April 18, 2019 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[RivNut]

If they're on a '53, they're definitely not metric like you've mentioned.  I think you should be looking for 1/2" x 20 bolts.  Take one of you existing ones to your local hardware store and see where it fits into the bolt guide.  

 

I don't think I've ever seen chrome lug bolts.  You might wind up putting studs in and going with lug nuts.

Edited April 18, 2019 by RivNut (see edit history)

[1953mack]

2 hours ago, johnnyrock70 said:

Looking for advice/suggestions on where to locate new chrome lug bolts for my 1953 Buick Special Riviera. I see Amazon has 12mmx1.25 or 12mmx1.50...are these correct? The threading on those look coarse. Mine are fine. Thank you

 

If you don't want your wheels to fall off your brake drums while you're driving down the road, buy the correct 9/16-18 lug bolts. The chrome-plated ones were OEM on Buicks with the chrome-plated 1953-1954 Buick Skylark wire wheels and are advertised on Page 65 in CARS' catalog . . . http://www.oldbuickparts.com/pdf/cat360/36005.pdf 

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

[RivNut]

1/2 x 20 came later then. 😊

[1953mack]

 

Here's a cheaper alternative if you're looking for style points. Rather than spending $8.00 a pop, consider these push-on bolt covers for < $1.00 each that we used back in the 1950s for that Joe Cool street-racer look with painted red wheels and no wheel covers. The guys running Ford/Merc flathead engines found these popular for their manifold nuts too . . . available from J.C. Whitney and Roy Warshawsky Enterprises back then.

 

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Flathead-Ford-V8-Intake-Manifold-Chrome-Acorn-Nut-Covers-9-16-Nuts,1585.html

 

Kind of a hassle but worth the look. I found out that you needed to torque the lug bolts before you push these covers on and remove these covers before you remove the lug bolts. A dab of grease inside the cover helped.

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

Edited April 22, 2019 by 1953mack (see edit history)