I bought a set of OEM Honda wheel locks (lock lugs.. whatever they are called today), and they are substantially shorter than the lugs that came on the 2012 sport. I also have a set of Honda OEM lugs from an older sport. These are shorter than the ones on my car and just a hair shorter than the locking lugs.
They are all the same thread pitch and all fit my wheels. As near as I can tell the thread count is the same, the only difference is the "head space" after the threads up into the lug. The larger ones, that came on my sport, just stick out past the wheels. Is this purely cosmetic or is there a reason my 2012 came with deeper lugs?

 

Longer lug bolts on the 2012?

 

Well, when I bought the locking lugs the person I bought them from had the 16 old lugs as well. This person had changed wheels and no longer had need for the old lugs or lock lugs.

I suppose the longer bolts could be the case, but you'd think it would have been a source of conversation somewhere...
By the way, the weight of the lock lugs is closer to that of the larger newer lugs than to that of the older smaller ones. By about two grams each...

 

That is true, I also have a 2012 Sport with OEM wheel locks and the locks are shorter than the stock lugs.

 

Seems to me you came to the right place to start the conversation. Welcome to the freakworld!!!

K_C_

 

Well, I may have answered my own question. I took one of the lugs off a wheel. Then took a piece of long, stiff,thin nylon (think uncooked spaghetti) and placed it in as deep as I could get towards the wheel next to the bolt threads. Then I marked that depth with a sharpie on the nylon. Then I took one each of the new lugs, old lugs, and lock lugs and stuck the nylon thread into the hole. None of them bottomed out close to the sharpie mark. Based on this, it seems to me that any of the three lugs I have has plenty of head space to accommodate the bolt.

I may swap over the the shorter lugs all the way around because they look more similar to the locking ones. Plus I save a little bit in rolling weight on the wheels...

Can anyone think of a downside to swapping to the shorter lugs?

 

Yeah... I just assumed someone would have caught it sooner.. Happy to contribute

Do you have only one lock on each wheel? Do you concern yourself at all with balancing? I actually have two locks per wheel opposite each other.

 

I only have one lock per wheel. I hadn't thought much about balance issues as I read on FF that the locks and stock lugs weigh the same. That is one reason I went with the OEM locks.

Doubtless having the 2 locks as you do is best. But since you actually weighed the locks and stock lugs and found a difference of only 2 grams, isn't that substantially the same weight, in this case? A gram is only about the wt of a paper clip. Is that enough to matter?

 

That close to the center of the wheel? I can't feel a difference when I drive- consider how much difference there is between that and the smallest weight they smash onto your rim when they balance the tires. And the weights, I think, are lead, which is heavier.

 

The stock large lugs weigh 49g, the wheel locks weigh 41g and the small lugs weigh 31g. I know that if the weight were further out towards the edge of the wheel it would make more of a difference.
Now I am actually thinking about going to the small ones because there is much less size difference. I can't see any reason not to right now.

 

Personally I like to see the lugs cover the bolt head, in a word - rust.

 

All of my lugs are closed ended. They all cover the end of the bolt. There's no chance of rust there. I had honestly not thought of that though before you mention it.

I did swap to the smaller, older, lugs. Save a few grams, get a little more streamlined, hmmm

It does look better too.