Lug nut socket

Sold in a set by Griot's Garage or individually by several online retailers. I use a small square of heavy-duty plastic from a bag or a dropcloth which works fine. The specialty sockets have plastic on the inside and the outside protecting both the lug and the wheel.

 

Ricambi sells the socket for the wheel lug bolts with an alloy liner to protect the chrome finish......made by Hills Engineering.

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?cPath=600_100037&products_id=261093

 

Do not get the sockets with the plastic inserts they break after one use. I use Groits with the alloy insert and they are great nice and large to provide a good grip and do not scratch the lug nuts.

 

+1, I have the Griots set as well.

 

They make a socket but the protector (padding) is on the outside of the socket to protect the wheel from marring or scratching. Contact RadUsadirect.com for wheel needs

 

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/protective+socket+set.do?sortby=ourPicks&page=2

With this set, you will have the proper socket for every car you will likely every own.
The protect the wheel as well as the bolt.

And if your bolts are already flaking chrome. Daniel at Ricambi America can fix you up with some nice Hill Engineering replacements for far less than what Ferrari charges, and they are first rate to boot.

 

The Ricambi socket ($85.00) is from Hill Engineering & has alloy inside to protect the chrome of the bolts. Also has special side cuts/machining to provide strength to achieve proper torque spec without ever marking your bolts. Any product designed by Hill Engineering is superior quality/design. Griots makes good car wash/detailing supplies & buckets but nowhere near the background and development/materials compared to Hill. The outside plastic coating has never been needed for me, but maybe that is due to the speed/performance shop that does my wheels/tires. I bring the socket with me when I drop my car off & it stays in my OEM Ferrari tool kit the rest of the time.

 

You can go the poor man route and use duct tape to line the interior of the socket.

 

Crud, I have one of the HE sockets still in the plastic bag. Bought one for my techs and one for me. Titanium wheel bolts I now have use an 18 mm socket.

 

Send me a PM if you want to sell the Hill Engineering CS-1 socket & how much you want including shipping.

 

My Titanium bolts are 17 mm Hex (for a Scud).
Not sure if they're more mar resistant or just harder to notice, since they're inside.

 

No doubt Hill makes superior products, I have many, including their oil filter wrench, lug bolts, clutch throw out bearing, and Bilstein shock gears. But I have had no issues with the Griot's socket set...but to each their own, if they want the absolute best, I am not stopping them, the Hill is certainly a nice peice of work.

 

If your lug bolts are already scratched and missing chrome, is there anyone re-finishing these bolts or is it just cheaper to buy new?

 

It is a toss up....you may find a shop that can refurbish them for a reasonable cost, but it is hard to say, you need to call around in your area. You need to make sure they do a good prep job and clean them up and remove any marks or scratches on the bolt face, before they start the plating process...and that can add to the cost.

I have had some plated and the faces of the bolts were damaged from the socket bottoming out on the bolt head and making circumferential damage on the face. I dont know the shop, I gave a bunch to a friend who also has a 355 and had them all done at the same time. It was only a bit less than new ones from Hill...I had already replaced several. But the initial quote was a lot more than Hill, until he found out we had over 30 bolts...then they came down on the price.