I think its a neat idea but I just don't think there will be enough material behind those extended threads to make a difference. I hope you prove me wrong somehow. Also, unless you get crazy good hookups, it may be way cheaper to pay someone to install the longer studs for you. I plan to DIY if I end up keeping the ZE40X's.
Volk ZE40X on 2025 GX550 OT
- Thread starter kulahi
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Fortunately, I can get first articles for relatively inexpensive. It just gets bundled in with other prototyping work I send to my machining vendor.
I actually asked Westcott if they would replace studs for me and they said no to doing to rear as they would have to pull axles. I don't know if that's actually necessary as I haven't taken a close look myself but they turned the work away.
Thats weird. Replacing wheel studs should not require removing the rear axle. I have the service manual and it looks pretty easy. Toyota even makes a tool for it (SST 09650-17011). Here are the steps:
Oh sweet! I’ll take look tonight
Pretty much all Volks/Rays have a "drill" of 29-15mm, so no you wont be able to get ET lug nuts on any of them. They are definitely behind the competition in this regard. Or perhaps they see it as too much of a compromise? More likely they dont care to change it because they cant keep their wheels in stock despite it. Typical Japanese "if it aint broke, dont fix it" mentality.
So for people who have Volk Racing wheels mounted, I'm assuming their vehicles either have extended studs or they are taking a risk using regular lug nuts, correct?
Sorry for all the questions as I'm contemplating on what to do with these wheels since I cannot cancel the order. I'm using Method 305s now and would prefer a lighter package, but I would rather not deal with the modification headache.
Yeah, based on what NSFW302 is saying, the specs, and all the people failing to mention thread engagement, it would seem that most people either don't know or don't care. My research on these wheels was primarily around what tire would fit and I incorrectly assumed that ET lug nuts would fit. Anyway, we all know what happens when you assume.
I’m putting the car up tonight and will be able to give a definitive answer on if extended studs are doable with just some basic hand tools
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Never thought this post would evolve into such a great discussion.
Doesn’t seem that hard for Volk to alter, take the +20 offset face and machine another +15 off the back of the center hub and give everyone the ideal +35, that should at the same time increase thread engagement.
Thanks for the mention!
I’ve sold plenty of Volks for GX550/LC250 clients since their release.
All of them have zero issues with thread engagement. Wheels with widths of 8, 8.5 & 9”and offsets ranging from 20 to 52, in which all fit perfectly fine with OEM lug studs.
Given the wheel has a lug diameter of 15mm(which they should), all you need are conical lug nuts with a size pitch of M14-1.50.
Hope this helps! Happy to offer deals on Volks if anyone is interested.
Hi @IntrinoX. In case you are not caught up with the full conversation, we have a member here, @nsfw302 , that says he has a set of ZE40x's and the OEM studs only allow 5 threads of engagement, which I would consider less than ideal. Are you suggesting then that there is something wrong with his setup? Im curious what your thoughts are.
Ahh yes, sorry. I skimmed through it really quickly.
5 threads as in 5 full turns? If so, is more than enough. I’m on 5 myself for over 80k miles on my 460 with zero issues.
For peace of mind (I wouldn’t), changing out to longer studs is another option, just not too sure of knurling specs, etc.
5 full turns is only 7.5mm, barely over 1/2 the stud diameter of 14mm. It may or may not be an issue in terms of mechanical load (I can torque to 100ft-lbs) but places like Discount Tire will not service your vehicle. They require 8 turns by hand. They refused to mount the wheels to my car.
This was discussed earlier. These are Extended Thread / ET lug nuts. The journal of Extended Thread does not fit in the bore of these RAYS wheels. The journal of the extended thread is about .620” for most M14 ET lug nuts while the wheel bore diameter is .585”. Max Major Diameter for an internal M14x1.5 thread is .567”. So you’re left radially with .006” wall thickness radially if you were to attempt an ET lug nut. For the design I posted earlier, I pushed the journal diameter to .582 and would spec a tad undersized thread to gain .015” for radial wall thickness. I don’t think this is the answer tho.
Yup, conventional wisdom dictates that the thread engagement should be at least as much as the diameter of the stud. For a 14mm stud, thats 14mm of thread engagement. With a thread pitch of 1.5mm, we get 14mm/1.5mm = 9.3 turns.
Admittedly, I don't know the exact calculations that go into this figure, but FWIW it is also in the NHRA rule book on page 5: https://www.nhraracer.com/Files/Tech/2025 NHRA Rulebook.pdf
Could you be fine with 5 threads? Yes. Is it your ass if something happens to the people and property around you? Also yes.
Admittedly, I don't know the exact calculations that go into this figure, but FWIW it is also in the NHRA rule book on page 5: https://www.nhraracer.com/Files/Tech/2025 NHRA Rulebook.pdf
Could you be fine with 5 threads? Yes. Is it your ass if something happens to the people and property around you? Also yes.
I can't believe a retailer is telling us 5 threads is okay lol
I think its just not very common knowledge. This forum discussion has almost 1000 views but you and I are the only real contributors.
Are you sure you don't want to just pay to have the extended studs installed? I bet a shop would only charge you 2-3 hours of labor tops. I have no doubt you'll be able to recover 100% of your purchase price since these wheels are a hot commodity, but you should call around for quotes before you give up. I can probably do them for you if you come to West LA, but my rate and hours would be much higher since this is just a fun hobby for me.
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