I am getting tired of the crimping/mushrooming of the SS sheetmetal around the stock lugnuts. Even with hand tools and hand tightening with the correct socket, they're still having issues. I'll probably replace them with something like the Gorilla or McGard units, soon.
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I am getting tired of the crimping/mushrooming of the SS sheetmetal around the stock lugnuts. Even with hand tools and hand tightening with the correct socket, they're still having issues. I'll probably replace them with something like the Gorilla or McGard units, soon.
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
Yep, this is exactly why I replaced mine. The McGards can take an impact wrench with no problem and maintain their chrome finish very well. They're also available in black if you want to match black or dark grey wheels, part number 64074.
Hojo
Member
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
Hojo
Member
Thanks. Will be very interested in your impressions of fit, finish and performance.They should, I will let you know. My set of TST 20s just showed up about an hour ago.
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
Hojo
Member
By the way, did the McGard 64073 lugs work with the new TST 20's?They should, I will let you know. My set of TST 20s just showed up about an hour ago.
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
Yes, no problems. TST's 19 and 20 wheels are spec'd to work with the OEM lug nuts, so any lug nut that matches the OEM specs will work.
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
I did a lot of measuring today with the Gorilla Guard and Gorilla X2 locking lug nuts. Short answer is, both of them work fine. Long answer follows:
The main concern with aftermarket lug nuts and locking lug nuts is making sure that there is sufficient clearance inside the nut so that when the lug nut is tightened fully, the force is all on the cone seat. If the lug nut is too short, the wheel stud will hit the inside of the lug nut as its tightened down and the nut will not apply any force to the cone seat. This interior distance is difficult to measure since you can't get any measuring device inside the lug nut.
So I thought that a good way to do it would be to count the number of turns that each lug nut needs to seat on the wheel at 129 ft-lbs of torque (Tesla specs) and compare that to how many turns the lug nut will thread onto the stud without a wheel in place. Since the threads are 14x1.5 mm (meaning 14mm diameter, 1.5 mm thread pitch), we can calculate the distance that the stud inserts into the lug nut by noting the number of turns.
I compared 5 different lug nuts and wheel locks:
1. Tesla OEM lug nuts
2. Tesla locking lug nuts from the Tesla online store or service center (these are manufactured by McGard).
3. McGard chrome finish bulge acorn style lug nuts (McGard part number 64073).
4. Gorilla Guard locking lug nuts (part number 61641).
5. Gorilla X2 locking lug nuts (part number 71641X).
Here's a picture of all 5:
From left to right, those are:
1. Gorilla X2 wheel locks (71641X)
2. Gorilla Guard wheel locks (64641)
3. McGard bulge acorn chrome lug nut (64073)
4. Tesla accessories wheel locks, available in Tesla online store (manufactured by McGard)
5. Tesla OEM lug nut
I then removed a wheel, and threaded each of these onto a stud and counted how many turns it took for the nut to come to a stop, and what it seated on (either the cone touching the wheel face, or the stud contacting the inside of the lug nut or wheel lock). I then computed the mm of distance that each stud inserts into the lug nut (mm = turns * 1.5). I then installed the wheel and counted the number of turns it took for each lug nut or wheel lock to torque to 129 ft-lbs, computed that distance of stud insertion, and then subtracted the mm values for no wheel and with wheel to get a stud clearance distance in mm.
For the "seats on" column, this is where the lug nut or wheel lock seats when no wheel is installed. As you can see, although the Gorilla Guard and Gorilla X2 wheel locks are slightly shorter than the Tesla OEM parts and therefore they seat on the stud with no wheel in place, they have enough clearance to safely fasten the wheel to the hub once a wheel is on. When the wheel is installed, they seat on the cone face as intended.
Here are some pictures of each lug nut or wheel lock fully threaded onto a stud:
Tesla OEM:
Tesla Wheel Lock (available in Tesla online store, manufactured by McGard):
McGard 64073:
Gorilla Guard 61641:
Gorilla X2 71641X:
Here are some final pictures of the wheel with 3 McGard 64073, 1 Gorilla Guard 61641, and 1 Gorilla X2 71641X installed. By the way, these are the T Sportline 20" turbine-style wheels. I did not check these measurements on a Tesla wheel, but the TST wheels are supposed to be fully compatible with the Tesla wheels:
On a separate but related note, wheel lock discussions online typically always devolve into the effectiveness of wheel locks. Most people believe that wheel locks will not stop professional and/or determined thieves. This may be somewhat correct, but I feel that discussion is moot because the wheel locks are so inexpensive.
A 4 pack of the Gorilla Guard 61641 is $19.04 at Amazon.
A 4 pack of the Gorilla X2 71641X is $23.90 at Amazon.
I can see debating the merits of wheel lock effectiveness if the locks were a substantial investment, but at $20.00, does it matter? Even if the only thing they ever do is stop a teenager and his friends from pulling a prank, it's probably worth it.
Plus, both the Gorilla Guard and the Gorilla X2 have a decent chance of stopping even pro thieves. The Gorilla Guard has the free-spinning external sleeve, so you can't hammer a socket over it, and the keys are quite unique. The Gorilla X2 has the top half that free-spins, so you can hammer a socket over it, but you can't get any torque to the lower portion. It's keys are even more unique than the Gorilla Guard's.
Which brings around the last thing: DON'T LOSE THE KEY! If you register your set with Gorilla, they can get you a replacement if you lose one, but if not, you might be in a real pickle.
The main concern with aftermarket lug nuts and locking lug nuts is making sure that there is sufficient clearance inside the nut so that when the lug nut is tightened fully, the force is all on the cone seat. If the lug nut is too short, the wheel stud will hit the inside of the lug nut as its tightened down and the nut will not apply any force to the cone seat. This interior distance is difficult to measure since you can't get any measuring device inside the lug nut.
So I thought that a good way to do it would be to count the number of turns that each lug nut needs to seat on the wheel at 129 ft-lbs of torque (Tesla specs) and compare that to how many turns the lug nut will thread onto the stud without a wheel in place. Since the threads are 14x1.5 mm (meaning 14mm diameter, 1.5 mm thread pitch), we can calculate the distance that the stud inserts into the lug nut by noting the number of turns.
I compared 5 different lug nuts and wheel locks:
1. Tesla OEM lug nuts
2. Tesla locking lug nuts from the Tesla online store or service center (these are manufactured by McGard).
3. McGard chrome finish bulge acorn style lug nuts (McGard part number 64073).
4. Gorilla Guard locking lug nuts (part number 61641).
5. Gorilla X2 locking lug nuts (part number 71641X).
Here's a picture of all 5:
From left to right, those are:
1. Gorilla X2 wheel locks (71641X)
2. Gorilla Guard wheel locks (64641)
3. McGard bulge acorn chrome lug nut (64073)
4. Tesla accessories wheel locks, available in Tesla online store (manufactured by McGard)
5. Tesla OEM lug nut
I then removed a wheel, and threaded each of these onto a stud and counted how many turns it took for the nut to come to a stop, and what it seated on (either the cone touching the wheel face, or the stud contacting the inside of the lug nut or wheel lock). I then computed the mm of distance that each stud inserts into the lug nut (mm = turns * 1.5). I then installed the wheel and counted the number of turns it took for each lug nut or wheel lock to torque to 129 ft-lbs, computed that distance of stud insertion, and then subtracted the mm values for no wheel and with wheel to get a stud clearance distance in mm.
| Lug Nut or Wheel Lock | No Wheel Turns | No Wheel mm | Seats On | TST 20 Wheel Turns | TST 20 Wheel mm | Interior Stud Clearance mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla OEM Lug Nut | 14 1/3 | 21 1/2 | Cone Face | 10 2/3 | 16 | 5 1/2 |
| Tesla Locking | 14 1/3 | 21 1/2 | Cone Face | 10 3/4 | 16 1/8 | 5 3/8 |
| McGard 64073 | 14 1/3 | 21 1/2 | Cone Face | 9 3/4 | 14 5/8 | 6 7/8 |
| Gorilla Guard 61641 | 14 1/4 | 21 3/8 | Stud | 11 1/3 | 17 | 4 3/8 |
| Gorilla X2 71641X | 14 1/4 | 21 3/8 | Stud | 11 1/8 | 16 2/3 | 4 2/3 |
For the "seats on" column, this is where the lug nut or wheel lock seats when no wheel is installed. As you can see, although the Gorilla Guard and Gorilla X2 wheel locks are slightly shorter than the Tesla OEM parts and therefore they seat on the stud with no wheel in place, they have enough clearance to safely fasten the wheel to the hub once a wheel is on. When the wheel is installed, they seat on the cone face as intended.
Here are some pictures of each lug nut or wheel lock fully threaded onto a stud:
Tesla OEM:
Tesla Wheel Lock (available in Tesla online store, manufactured by McGard):
McGard 64073:
Gorilla Guard 61641:
Gorilla X2 71641X:
Here are some final pictures of the wheel with 3 McGard 64073, 1 Gorilla Guard 61641, and 1 Gorilla X2 71641X installed. By the way, these are the T Sportline 20" turbine-style wheels. I did not check these measurements on a Tesla wheel, but the TST wheels are supposed to be fully compatible with the Tesla wheels:
On a separate but related note, wheel lock discussions online typically always devolve into the effectiveness of wheel locks. Most people believe that wheel locks will not stop professional and/or determined thieves. This may be somewhat correct, but I feel that discussion is moot because the wheel locks are so inexpensive.
A 4 pack of the Gorilla Guard 61641 is $19.04 at Amazon.
A 4 pack of the Gorilla X2 71641X is $23.90 at Amazon.
I can see debating the merits of wheel lock effectiveness if the locks were a substantial investment, but at $20.00, does it matter? Even if the only thing they ever do is stop a teenager and his friends from pulling a prank, it's probably worth it.
Plus, both the Gorilla Guard and the Gorilla X2 have a decent chance of stopping even pro thieves. The Gorilla Guard has the free-spinning external sleeve, so you can't hammer a socket over it, and the keys are quite unique. The Gorilla X2 has the top half that free-spins, so you can hammer a socket over it, but you can't get any torque to the lower portion. It's keys are even more unique than the Gorilla Guard's.
Which brings around the last thing: DON'T LOSE THE KEY! If you register your set with Gorilla, they can get you a replacement if you lose one, but if not, you might be in a real pickle.
Dithermaster
Member
I got a set of the Tesla locks for my birthday and installed them this weekend on my 21" staggered Turbine wheels. They look fine but stick out a little more than the factory lugs, which you can hardly notice on the rear wheels but looks a bit odd on the front wheels. Probably nobody but me will notice it once they become less shiny and match the "we have winter in Wisconsin" look of the others. Had I noticed this thread before I might have suggested the Gorilla ones instead.
Hey Chris,
I just bought these and tried to install them today and the threads don't match?! I have the 14 X 1.5....did you have an issues here?
I just bought these and tried to install them today and the threads don't match?! I have the 14 X 1.5....did you have an issues here?
I just bought the gorilla guard 14 X 1.5 and the threads aren't matching? Is this the right size?
I did a lot of measuring today with the Gorilla Guard and Gorilla X2 locking lug nuts. Short answer is, both of them work fine. Long answer follows:
The main concern with aftermarket lug nuts and locking lug nuts is making sure that there is sufficient clearance inside the nut so that when the lug nut is tightened fully, the force is all on the cone seat. If the lug nut is too short, the wheel stud will hit the inside of the lug nut as its tightened down and the nut will not apply any force to the cone seat. This interior distance is difficult to measure since you can't get any measuring device inside the lug nut.
So I thought that a good way to do it would be to count the number of turns that each lug nut needs to seat on the wheel at 129 ft-lbs of torque (Tesla specs) and compare that to how many turns the lug nut will thread onto the stud without a wheel in place. Since the threads are 14x1.5 mm (meaning 14mm diameter, 1.5 mm thread pitch), we can calculate the distance that the stud inserts into the lug nut by noting the number of turns.
I compared 5 different lug nuts and wheel locks:
1. Tesla OEM lug nuts
2. Tesla locking lug nuts from the Tesla online store or service center (these are manufactured by McGard).
3. McGard chrome finish bulge acorn style lug nuts (McGard part number 64073).
4. Gorilla Guard locking lug nuts (part number 61641).
5. Gorilla X2 locking lug nuts (part number 71641X).
Here's a picture of all 5:
From left to right, those are:
1. Gorilla X2 wheel locks (71641X)
2. Gorilla Guard wheel locks (64641)
3. McGard bulge acorn chrome lug nut (64073)
4. Tesla accessories wheel locks, available in Tesla online store (manufactured by McGard)
5. Tesla OEM lug nut
I then removed a wheel, and threaded each of these onto a stud and counted how many turns it took for the nut to come to a stop, and what it seated on (either the cone touching the wheel face, or the stud contacting the inside of the lug nut or wheel lock). I then computed the mm of distance that each stud inserts into the lug nut (mm = turns * 1.5). I then installed the wheel and counted the number of turns it took for each lug nut or wheel lock to torque to 129 ft-lbs, computed that distance of stud insertion, and then subtracted the mm values for no wheel and with wheel to get a stud clearance distance in mm.
Lug Nut or Wheel Lock No Wheel Turns No Wheel mm Seats On TST 20 Wheel Turns TST 20 Wheel mm Interior Stud Clearance mm Tesla OEM Lug Nut 14 1/3 21 1/2 Cone Face 10 2/3 16 5 1/2 Tesla Locking 14 1/3 21 1/2 Cone Face 10 3/4 16 1/8 5 3/8 McGard 64073 14 1/3 21 1/2 Cone Face 9 3/4 14 5/8 6 7/8 Gorilla Guard 61641 14 1/4 21 3/8 Stud 11 1/3 17 4 3/8 Gorilla X2 71641X 14 1/4 21 3/8 Stud 11 1/8 16 2/3 4 2/3
For the "seats on" column, this is where the lug nut or wheel lock seats when no wheel is installed. As you can see, although the Gorilla Guard and Gorilla X2 wheel locks are slightly shorter than the Tesla OEM parts and therefore they seat on the stud with no wheel in place, they have enough clearance to safely fasten the wheel to the hub once a wheel is on. When the wheel is installed, they seat on the cone face as intended.
Here are some pictures of each lug nut or wheel lock fully threaded onto a stud:
Tesla OEM:
Tesla Wheel Lock (available in Tesla online store, manufactured by McGard):
McGard 64073:
Gorilla Guard 61641:
Gorilla X2 71641X:
Here are some final pictures of the wheel with 3 McGard 64073, 1 Gorilla Guard 61641, and 1 Gorilla X2 71641X installed. By the way, these are the T Sportline 20" turbine-style wheels. I did not check these measurements on a Tesla wheel, but the TST wheels are supposed to be fully compatible with the Tesla wheels:
On a separate but related note, wheel lock discussions online typically always devolve into the effectiveness of wheel locks. Most people believe that wheel locks will not stop professional and/or determined thieves. This may be somewhat correct, but I feel that discussion is moot because the wheel locks are so inexpensive.
A 4 pack of the Gorilla Guard 61641 is $19.04 at Amazon.
A 4 pack of the Gorilla X2 71641X is $23.90 at Amazon.
I can see debating the merits of wheel lock effectiveness if the locks were a substantial investment, but at $20.00, does it matter? Even if the only thing they ever do is stop a teenager and his friends from pulling a prank, it's probably worth it.
Plus, both the Gorilla Guard and the Gorilla X2 have a decent chance of stopping even pro thieves. The Gorilla Guard has the free-spinning external sleeve, so you can't hammer a socket over it, and the keys are quite unique. The Gorilla X2 has the top half that free-spins, so you can hammer a socket over it, but you can't get any torque to the lower portion. It's keys are even more unique than the Gorilla Guard's.
Which brings around the last thing: DON'T LOSE THE KEY! If you register your set with Gorilla, they can get you a replacement if you lose one, but if not, you might be in a real pickle.
I had zero issues with mine fitting. Have you tried them with the wheel off, just to see what's going on? You're not using an impact driver, I hope
It will not even twist on with my fingers. wont thread even a couple of turns... very odd
I had zero issues with mine fitting. Have you tried them with the wheel off, just to see what's going on? You're not using an impact driver, I hope
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
I wonder if you got a package that is mismarked, or has different actual lug nuts inside it than it is supposed to. The studs on Tesla Model S wheels are definitely 14x1.5.
Make sure you have the correct part number for the Gorilla Guard locks: 61641 (https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Auto...1474429509&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=gorila+61641).
I had 1 dud, the initial threads weren't great but I got it on with no problem with a little force. ..the other 3 are great and went on like w charm!
For one of my cars, not the current Tesla. I bought 5 sets of mcguard and put one of each in each wheel. A flat meant figuring out 5 keys on each wheel but it was a good deterrent. Anyone wanting to take all 4 of my wheels would need to consider those precious extra time vs going to the next guy.
Pretty sure these are all easily defeated which is why the below locks were invented.
This thread was incredibly helpful in assisting me in deciding which lock to get for the car. Thanks to this thread, and especially SomeJoe's very detailed posts, I ended up going with the Gorilla Guard X2 wheel locks and am very glad that I did. I am quite obsessive about the car and it would have bothered me to no end if the locks did not blend in well with the other lug nuts or especially if they stuck out significantly further. I agonized over pictures and measurements for hours before ordering the X2 locks and I am very glad I did. The X2 locks are almost identical in size to the stock lug nuts and as a result do not stick out further (or less) than the stock lug nuts but the same. Furthermore, the top view of profile of the locking nut is similar to that of the stock lugnuts so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb in the way that the McGard locks do with their flat patterned heads in which the pattern id on the face of the head instead of on the sides like the Gorilla locks. Anyway, I am quite pleased with them. Thank you to the contributors to this thread for making that happen.
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