Ranger Mods

As some of you will know the Ranger and other Ford related wheel nuts are rubbish.

They are a nut that is threaded from front to back then with a chrome coated tin cover pressed over the top. This will be all down to the cost and multiple taps are not involved to make the product.

Once you have had the vehicle long enough and have had a few not so excellent tyre places, mechanics etc change your tyres then you may find the covers split, deform etc. This can mean your 19mm socket has to be forced on with a bit more than swearing or worse still the cover starts slipping then you have to break off the cover and use a smaller socket.

A safe bet, especially for those travelling is to replace them be it happens. Believe me they can really test your patience as was shown this week while I was visiting Ford. I thought lets quickly swap over the wheel nuts and about 40 mins later.

I purchased 24 wheel nuts from eBay. They are completely solid and chrome coated, $34 pickup in Ferntree Gully. They are slightly longer but overall I'm very happy with them and I can now use a rattle gun with a torsion bar knowing I will not stuff the nut nor over tighten.

3/4 appears to be the socket of choice and not 19mm which is factory so keep this in mind although with a hex drive you will generally get away with it.

Wheels nuts are torque to 135 nm for anyone not in the know.

Yes Stewart, found that out when I changed my wheels. Like you I very quickly replaced them with a set from ebay. I did manage to get 19mm ones though.

Glad I had trouble and found it early and not when changing a flat in the desert.

Hi Gerry,
Do you happen to still have the eBay URL for the wheel nuts you purchased?

Thanks,

Rick.

I'll have check on my pc when I am home Rick, it seems my purchase history doesn't go back far enough on my phone.

Rick, these are the ones I bought. You can get them in black if you do a search as well. Just make sure the thread size and pitch is correct.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/24PCS-M12x1 ... Sw6GJZ9tGH

Thanks Gerry. Do you know if they fit the OEM wheels?

Mine were https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3476085822

Gesneriad wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2018 12:56 pm Thanks Gerry. Do you know if they fit the OEM wheels?

Yes they do mate.

Hi Guys,
My new wheel nuts arrived today but now I have the problem of fitting them which of course is the reason the new ones were purchased. Do you have any hints on how to take the old ones off? I tried a 19mm socket but as I slowly pulled the handle I could feel the nut being squashed without undoing!

Should I just persist and hope for the best or use a rattle gun?

Thanks,

Rick.

Oh I forgot to mention that I rang my local Ford Service and they told me that wheel rotations are NOT part of the services and to change the wheel nuts would cost me $70.

Rick.

Worst case use a small cold chisel to peel them backwatds, you should then have enough to grab onto with 18mm.

Air cleaners are rarely on a service sheet also.

I would never pay for a wheel rotation, find a better dealer. Remember they should taking off the wheels.to check you pads and drums anyway.

I had problems getting a socket to fit the distorted nuts too. I ended up hammering a socket onto them and using a long bar. The rattle gun just made them worse.

What can I say, 2 months and the chrome coating on the wheel nuts are rubbish. Not to find something of quality with a warranty of sorts. I will email the seller anyway and see what happens.

Try these guys, not sure if they are any better but ive been looking to get some from them after looking around.

https://www.ebay.com.au/usr/wheelnutsdi ... 7675.l2559

Unfortunately they are the same as the other sellers item that I purchased and basically the same price when postage is taken into account.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FORD-RANGER ... 2923592417

vs.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Chrome-Whee ... 1871351442

Bugger! they are not far from me and looked good, hard to find quality stuff these days

I know a couple of guys who got their wheel nuts on ebay from Wheel Nuts Direct.

Neither has had chrome peeling issues.

They are guaranteed for 2 years.

https://m.ebay.com.au/itm/FORD-RANGER-C ... nav=SEARCH

Phew, you had me worried there. I've just checked all mine and when I had the new ROH "Beadlocker" wheels fitted by Bob Jane in Bathurst they used the wheel nuts that came with them -- as standard.