We often glorify wheels on both the website and as a community as they are arguably the best exterior mod that enthusiasts love to do. We can find ourselves visualizing what wheels we’d love to put on our cars, and for many of us who have a problem, we often change our wheels. In the Subaru platform in the world of WRX, STI, BRZ models and beyond, common wheels will include forged models such as the timeless Volk TE-37, The Advan GT, and you have more affordable options such as the line of Work Emotion wheels, as well as the ever-popular Enkei NT-03 and RPF1 examples. But then you have to get decent tires to go along with your wheels. And yes, many of you are also guilty of spending $4k+ on TE-37’s while cheaping out on tires.

Point being, wheels are an investment and can be one of the most expensive mods that you can perform to your vehicle depending on what type of wheel choice you get. But there is one key factor here that we must also invest in, that can be often overlooked, and that is also spending the money on a quality set of lug nuts.

Kics R40 20-Piece Lug Nuts Neo Chrome 12x1.25

 

One of the parts that we sell in abundance here at RallySport Direct, is lug nuts. Because yes, you do know how to properly accessorize your vehicle’s outfit by choosing the right set of lug nuts to not only suit the theme of your exterior, but to also add an extra layer of safety and security.

 

 

THAT’S RIGHT. MAKE IT HARDER FOR THESE TO RUN OFF WITH YOUR RIMS

Lug Key for the Muteki SR35 Close-Ended Lug Nuts 12x1.25

Most Lug nut sets that we carry will more than likely have their own lug key required to remove the lug nuts. You should keep this lug key stowed away somewhere safely but also hidden in your vehicle. Now that it’s 2025, there are so many cordless impact guns that can quickly buzz off your lug nuts to make off with your wheels, while leaving your chassis resting on bricks if you’re lucky, otherwise many heartless thieves will leave your chassis sitting on the ground. Lug nuts that have their own special lug ley make it more difficult for thieves to remove your wheels and at least gives you more time to act accordingly to protect your car and your investment.

 

 

SO MANY STYLES TO SUIT YOUR TASTE

Project KICS Leggdura Racing Lug Nuts 12x1.25 Purple

 

There are a variety of different colors available from neutral, neochrome, and anodized that will complement your wheels. For example, those purple KICS lug nuts above would look pretty sick with a set of bronze, polished, or gun metal wheels. If you have blue powder-coated accents in your engine bay, blue lug nuts would add that awesome contrast. Or if you have red powder-coated calipers, red lug nuts would also be a great way to at a little extra matching correlation to your exterior.

 

 

OCD AND DON’T WANT TO SCRATCH YOUR WHEELS? THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

KICS R40 Iconix Lug Nut Set w/Black Center Caps M12x1.25

 

For example, many KICS lug nut sets like the ones pictured above, will have a rotating seat. This means that as you torque down on your lug nuts, the seat will remain stationary and not dig into the finish of your wheels. Granted no one will ever see this area once your wheels are mounted. But if you have a set of Advan GT wheels in Mag Blue, you’re gonna want to go the extra mile to protect the quality of your wheels for the extra dollar you spent on them.

 

 

YES, MULTI-PIECE LUG NUTS ARE A THING, AND THERE IS A REASON

KICS Kyokugen Lug Nuts w/Aluminum Cap 12x1.25 Black/Blue

 

With KICS lug nuts, they sell inserts for some models, caps, and complete shells for others like these for example:

KICS Leggdura Racing Dangan Shell Set Gold

 

And there is a purpose for this design. That is to protect the wheel stud if you have purchased a set of open-ended lug nuts. Now there are two reasons why someone would strip a lug nut while damaging the wheel stud. One reason is the rust and corrosion buildup on the wheel stud being exposed to the elements, and your wheels have not been removed in a very long time. The other reason is that you’re lazy and are forcing lug nuts with the wrong thread pitch onto your studs. But let’s focus on the rust. If you live in an area that experiences harsh winters and salty roads, having a close-ended lug nut is a good idea. Most of you will have these anyways. But if you purchased one of KICS lug nut sets that have an open-end, make sure you get a set of caps or shells to protect your wheel studs from corrosion. Plus, they look cool.

 

 

WHY WOULD YOU ORDER OPEN-ENDED LUG NUS?

Muteki Open-Ended Lug Nuts 12x1.25 Blue

The main reason why one would purchase open-ended lug nuts is if you have extended wheel studs installed. Many will get extended wheel studs to either fit spacers, or ARP who makes the strongest automotive hardware known to mankind, also makes extended wheel studs for those of you who are making substantial amounts of horsepower and torque and need stronger wheel studs that won’t sheer off during a hard launch which is common. If you have extended wheel studs, make sure that you always order lug nuts that are open-ended.

 

 

MAKE SURE YOU ORDER THE RIGHT DANG THREAD PITCH

Now the most common Subaru lug nut thread pitches are 12x1.25mm, and 12x1.50mm. Although RSD is a Subaru-centric website, we also carry mods and upgrades to various other makes and models. Now again Subaru typically uses a 12x1.25mm thread pitch, but other JDM models such as the Mitsubishi Evolution, The MazdaSpeed 3, as well as the MKIV Supra will use a 12.150 thread pitch. So before ordering any lug nut set, please make sure you know your lug nut thread pitch on your vehicle.

 

This infamous video of an FD RX-7 at an autocross shows the wheels falling off. Now more than likely the lug nuts were loose. However, the notes on the video state that the wrong lug nuts were installed. If you force the wrong thread pitch of lug nut on your wheel studs, or if the lug nuts are loose the same results will happen. Because every time you turn, you are putting your vehicle’s weight and lateral forces on the wheels. If you have the wrong set of lug nuts on your wheels, then the weight of your chassis will completely strip the threads off your wheel studs very quickly. In the case of this RX-7 in the video, the driver must race through a slalom of cones right at the beginning. He goes right, then a sharp left, right again, and when he turns left the wheels exit the chat. If he had loose lug nuts, they would quickly spin off the wheel studs. If he had the wrong lug nuts installed, the fast shifting in the chassis weight would absolutely strip those lug nuts off the wheel studs.

 

 

LASTLY, MAKE SURE YOU PROPERLY TORQUE YOUR WHEELS DOWN BROTHER

Because that is the point of having nuts. The general consensus is between 86-95 ft. lbs. of torque. This is very important to pay attention to because of a few reasons. One, most of the aftermarket lug nuts are going to be made of aerospace-grade aluminum. However, too much torque can strip the threads on the wheel studs. If you don’t torque the wheels tight enough, your lug nuts will come loose which can obviously be deadly while driving. So, make sure you get a decent torque wrench even if it’s from Harbor Freight, and torque your wheels down with the proper torque setting.

 

 

FINAL WORD: HAVE FUN

Because adding a little more color and security to your Subaru is a nice touch that you can appreciate to go along with the expensive aftermarket wheels, or the stock wheels on your Subaru. You can spend the well-worth money on some project KICS, but Mutekis are budget-friendly, look awesome, and will get the job done. Just make sure you get the right thread pitch, and if you have longer wheel studs make sure you get the open-ended option.

 

 

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