Just got back from my local Chrysler dealership and I have good news. The Sebring lug nuts suggested by tbird6 fit like a champ. They are indeed one-piece chrome, they have the proper shank shaft design with the washer, and they are 12mm x 1.50 to match our stock lug nuts. You need to know that they will sit slightly more recessed into the wheel because their heads are just a touch shorter than the stock Jaguar heads. You also need to know that you'll have to replace your stock 19mm lug wrench in your trunk with a 21mm lug wrench since these Sebring lug nuts have a 21mm hex head on them.

My Chrysler dealer quoted $7.45 each but when he learned I would be ordering 20, he sold them to me wholesale at $5.00 each. They should arrive early next week.

The Gorilla lug nuts may also fit, they sell for $4.00 each here in my neck of the woods, but I can't find anyone around here who carries them in stock. I'm not willing to order a lug nut that I can't take out to my car and crank it down on the wheel first. I did that with the Sebring lug nut and that's why I went ahead and ordered them. My dealer only had 4 in stock. They're apparently made by Mitsubishi which makes sense because the Sebring uses a Mitsubishi engine and a great deal of other Japanese parts.

As tbird6 pointed out, the Chrysler part number is MB579290.

If anyone is interested in my stock Jaguar lug nuts, I'll sell all 20 of them for $20 plus whatever it costs to ship them to you. That will help defray a little of my costs to get the new lug nuts. But I'm glad it's finally settled. I've been looking for a solution since September....

 

Not looking to buy, but aren't 4 of the 20 locking nuts? Also, what have you done about locking nuts now you've changed?

 

Wrong assumption on your part. No locking lug nuts on this vehicle, and I don't want any. Never needed them in our neck of the woods.

 

Wow. I can hear people heading your way already

 

Glad they worked for you Jon89!! The price seems to have increased?? They were going for around $3.75-$4.00 each?? Yes you are correct that they are a Mitsubishi part. The MB I think means Mitsubishi??
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I have not changed any factory lug nuts yet on either my wife’s 2003 LS or my 2005 STR. Yes the log nuts look identical but I have not physically swapped them. I will now. I researched both cars extensively before purchase. This problem was flagged very early in the LS production. I only use a 6 point impact socket and NEVER the factory wrench. I have a few lug nuts with some distortion but not bad. My Jaguar did not come with wheel locks either. I have come to not want these as I had one strip out the keyed head and then had to destroy the lug nut to remove it on my old SHO. I was lucky that it did not damage the rim. The STR rims are too expensive for me to experiment on again. My main worry is when I have tire work done. I do my own tire rotation on the Lincoln but the Jag has staggered rims and directional tires, so no rotating at all.

Theft is an issue BUT I am pretty picky where I will park or leave the STR!!!
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That's right everyone knows that no one steals in NC!!

 

rockauto.com seems to have them for $2.89 a piece if ordering qty.10 or more

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php

choose part number search and enter MB579290

 

Wish I'd seen this before. Thanks for the post!

 

Mikey,

That's a great price and definitely the way to go if the lug nut is indeed the same solid chrome product that I'm getting. If I hadn't already ordered from the Chrysler dealership yesterday, I would order these from rockauto.com. Never used rockauto.com before but I've heard nothing but good things about them from folks on a Lexus forum that I utilize....

 

Turns out that Dorman also makes a solid replacement lug nut. Take a look.
Dorman Part #611117. So we have at least two ways to get the proper solid lug nuts to replace the crappy capped stock ones.
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That's good to know. I wonder if they are also 21mm hex heads. Who sells Dorman lug nuts?

 

It looks like they are the same as the Chrysler ones discussed already.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=16583

 

Update:

New Mitsubishi solid chrome lug nuts arrived earlier this week and I installed them on our S-Type yesterday evening. Perfect fit, and no problem going from a 19mm hex head (the factory lug nuts) to a 21mm hex head (the Mitsubishi lug nuts). For the car's new trunk-stored lug wrench I bought a 21mm half-inch-drive socket and an 18-inch-long half-inch-drive breaker bar from Autozone. Cost me just over $18.

What a difference - no more cheap stamped metal caps twisting, rattling, and falling off to deal with. The solid lug nuts are so much more substantial than the lousy two-piece acorn-style lug nuts. As I converted each wheel I just kept shaking my head that Jaguar would use nuts this poor on a car this nice. If you plan to keep your S-Type for the long run, this upgrade provides great bang-for-the-buck and you'll appreciate it every time you rotate your tires, do a brake job, or pull a wheel for any reason. Especially if you get them through rockauto.com....

 

Thanks for the feedback, I'll be ordering them shortly to install when I switch wheels in the spring.

Mike

 

We should get together and see if we could get a better price w/a "Group Buy". I wonder how many people would want to join in and replace their factory lugs? I'm sure if we had enough interest, Rockauto.com would give us a discount.

 

I would like to replace my lug nuts, however, I don't think I can remove the old ones. On two occasions, when I had a flat on my 04 x-type, the car needed towed because I couldn't remove the lug nuts when the outer cap broke off. The tow truck driver and the local Good Year store couldn't remove them either. Both times, towed to the dealer.

 

On getting a car I take them all off at home in fair weather then re-torque properly (in case they weren't). It at least shifts dirt and corrosion, and gives you a decent chance of getting them off when you need the spare. If I couldn't get any off I'd rather find out at home and then figure out whether I'm drilling it/them off or what, instead of being stranded.

I take wheels off when doing inspection, servicing etc which shifts any further dirt and corrosion.

I always used to put copper grease on threads but apparently that's wrong (for the S, at least).

 

Based on this thread, I went ahead and purchased the Dorman 611117 Lug nut from RockAuto - $67.78 for twenty (20) plus $13.45 shipping to the west coast for a grand total of $81.23.

On arrival I did notice that the length of shank to the shoulder/washer was longer than the standard Jaguar item however, a few measurements with a vernier caliper with the wheel removed revealed that this additional length would not cause the lug nut to bottom out and cause problems, so on they went.

Overall quality is good; compared to the OEM rubbish I pulled off they are in fact great. As Jon89 pointed out earlier, the head size is larger and I think they look more aggressive filling the wheel recess better.

I cannot comment on how durable the finish will be. Life for these lug nuts in CA will be like a day spa compared to other areas and their harsh winters, but for around $3.40 each they are good value for money and readily available.

 

RobGardnerBlack,

Do you have any before and after pics? I would like to see how much of a difference they make.