How to protect chrome on octagon wheel nuts?

[Sea Ranch]

Greetings! I've got 4 beautifully chromed octagon center lock wheel nuts and I am desperate to prevent dents, scratches, et cetera from steel sockets and spanners.

I've had a good go at Baltic birch plywood spanners (just not enough density/hardness to resist crushing), I've tried an oversized octagonal socket with 3-d printed plastic liners and cnc routed hardwood liners (all not dense enough).

Now I'm thinking about aluminum and brass . . .

Anyone found any great solutions for this? Probably most don't think there's a problem (but I do!).

Thanks as always for your insights!

Randy

[Gordon Sauer]

I used black Gorilla tape a couple layers thick on the inside of my spanner and my socket and haven?t marked them up, Although I do have to use a rag and solvent to get some of the goofiness off that?s left,Gordon Sauer

[Sea Ranch]

Thanks, Gordon. I've thought of tape, alright. If it's not too thick, then there's not too much deforming. But I wondered/assumed the tape would be cut through and then there's no protection. Glad it works for you!

I'm working with aluminum today, see if that makes a sufficiently dense liner.

Randy

[1owner69Elan]

How about borrowing Sarto's idea of using a leather liner as on his knockoff spinner tool:

I understand your concern about marring your chromed nuts. But I would note that my original octagonal wheel nuts (now sold on to another) survived quite nicely, without chipping the chrome, for the past ~50 years just using the original wrench and hammer by being careful to rotate the wrench to take up any slack before striking the hammer.

[alan.barker]

I bought a special aluminium anodised cnc machined Socket with a hole for a Tommy Bar from someone on the forum. I sold my +2S130 so now i use the special Socket as a paper weight
Alan

[derek uk]

Looking at from the other side, it's probably down to the quality of the chrome. Old school chrome on wheel nuts and knock-offs seem to have chrome that feels thick when handled. Hard to describe but I think you'll know what I mean. A suitable socket that fits well and a beefy impact driver should minimize the risk, with a torque wrench backing it up. Does anyone use this method? Doubt if you'd want to keep those in the car though.

[nmauduit]

I bought a special aluminium anodised cnc machined Socket with a hole for a Tommy Bar from someone on the forum. I sold my +2S130 so now i use the special Socket as a paper weight
Alan

well, in case you want to swap paper weights (half Vegantune rod, abused 3 eared nut etc...), I could put your octogonal socket with tommy bar hole to use...

[alan.barker]

Here's the special socket never been used
Make me an offer
Alan

[nmauduit]

Make me an offer
Alan

I was thinking of stuff that have had an actual road life, patina and all, but I had to store loads of parts in a rush so it'll take me a while (or luck) to locate them and send you photos. I'm definitely interested though... had been considering buying one for a little while now.

Nic

[alan.barker]

I just put it for sale in the for sale section
Alan

[h20hamelan]

I have been adding brass banding

Screen Shot 2021-06-15 at 7.17.18 PM.png (187.35 KiB) Viewed 634 times

to my OTC 1905

this takes up the 1/8"

cheap enough, one for the shop, one for each car

[Sea Ranch]

Wow. I use an OTC octagon socket as well! Cut it down to make it shorter, and welded it onto a plate and a square section tube, at a slight angle. Makes a great octagon wheel nut wrench. But I've been using tabs of aluminum glued into the wrench to take up the slack.

This suggestion of copper from hanger strapping is a great one. Thanks so much!

Randy