So when I first went to move my '58 Coronet sedan from dad's garage to mine it had been sitting for several years. She needed a new battery and was sitting on tires that were in varying degrees of going flat. One that was on the rim stayed flat when I filled them. One thing I CAN do ( so I thought ) is change a tire. I was puzzled when I couldn't budge any of the nuts, if so the tiniest bit. I sprayed WD-40, and stepped on the tire iron with all my weight, I...snapped off the stud completely. Broke clean off the wheel. That seemed TOO strange. Why were the nuts frozen so badly? It took talking to a grzzled old mechanic to learn what some of you veterans already know, THE DAMN BOLTS ARE REVERSE THREADED. Crazy. Just for a couple years , '57 and '58? The story was that they did it at Dodge to save cost on the assembly line? Flip the car around? Any thoughts from people who know about this topic? I guess I could try that internet thingee...
I'm not sure exactly when they stopped, but it went until 70 or so?
You are certainly not the first, and won't be the last. I thought the theory was that the rotation of the wheel would keep the nuts tight.
Let's see what others say...
Also, I haven't tested the other side, but Its just the left side, right? That would support your theory.
Chrysler wasn't the only company to use left hand lug nuts on one side of the car.
BeerMy 64 Dart has them except for the drivers side rear after I broke off every stud and cussin like a sailor,who the hell put these lug nuts on soooo tight,then I light bulb,a very very dim light bulb,went off in my nappy head,forgot about reverse threads,front tire still has them,just gotta remember those little things
Oh, I will remember...
I learned the same lesson in 1991 when I got my first car a 70 coronet.
and me..... with my first Mopar this year.... Grrrrrr :-) One bolt off..
Before the light hit me....
Have had over 30 cars in my life - none of them has been REVERSE THREADED ..;-)
You learn stuff every day....
Have a good one!
Anders
Learned this on my first coronet. Left side is fine and the right side the threads are reversed or vice versa.
When I ordered my wheels and tire from Discount Tire Direct they came with lug nuts. They actually called me to ask if it had left hand threads. I thought that was pretty good service.