Left handed Lugs on a 68

[EdwardB]

So I've got a new toy to restore being a '68 Runner. So I am going to put some quarter skins on and thought I'd block and level the rear end of the car. Couldn't get the lugs off the wheels with my impact gun. I've been around some old Pontiacs that were left handed lugs and I tried the front wheel in "Righty Tighty" mode and sure enough found the whole car is lefty lugs. It has a Dana 60 rear end with the Mopar bolt pattern on flange. So can anybody tell me if this was a factory thing for '68s? I'm new to Mopar please forgive.

 

[Beekeeper]

Factory is left side studs left hand thread right side studs right hand thread

 

[Kern Dog]

I think that the last year that Ma Mopar used LEFT hand threads on the LEFT side was 1971.
Over the years, given the chance that these cars have had multiple owners, it is possible that many of these LEFT hand thread lug studs have been changed to RIGHT hand just to make it easier on everyone.
This engineering principle was sound but it wasn't needed. Rarely do left side lug nuts just rattle loose if they are torqued correctly from the start.

 

[33 IMP]

If you have LEFT HAND threads on the passenger side of the car (Assuming you are not in the UK or Australia) somebody has been messing with it. Likely driver side drums and axles on the passenger side.
At this point, I would change EVERYTHING to rh threads.
Mopar used lh threads on the left side of the car, going back to the 1920s. Back then it made sense, cause they used BOLTS into threads in the drums to hold the wheels on. When they went to studs, somewhere in the 50s, they just continued the practice. There is some controversy when they stopped. Sometime in the mid seventies is concensus.

 

[33 IMP]

I am lucky enough to have six mopars. Three have left hand BOLTS, two have left hand studs, and the one I often change wheels and tires on has right hand long studs all around.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

If you have LEFT HAND threads on the passenger side of the car (Assuming you are not in the UK or Australia) somebody has been messing with it. Likely driver side drums and axles on the passenger side.
At this point, I would change EVERYTHING to rh threads.
Mopar used lh threads on the left side of the car, going back to the 1920s. Back then it made sense, cause they used BOLTS into threads in the drums to hold the wheels on. When they went to studs, somewhere in the 50s, they just continued the practice. There is some controversy when they stopped. Sometime in the mid seventies is concensus.

1971

 

[chtampa]

They are just messing with you it whether the air gun operator is left handed or not.

 

[Cranky]

I think that the last year that Ma Mopar used LEFT hand threads on the LEFT side was 1971.
Over the years, given the chance that these cars have had multiple owners, it is possible that many of these LEFT hand thread lug studs have been changed to RIGHT hand just to make it easier on everyone.
This engineering principle was sound but it wasn't needed. Rarely do left side lug nuts just rattle loose if they are torqued correctly from the start.

My 72 Challenger had LH lugs on the left side. Bought the car in 74 with 40k miles on it....

 

[Kern Dog]

Ooops. That is right!

 

[33 IMP]

See, controversy! Some say A-body slant six sbp drum brake cars used lht thru 75.

 

[chtampa]

See, controversy! Some say A-body slant six sbp drum brake cars used lht thru 75.

Are you saying the problem is the left?

 

[super-bee_ski]

Bit me in the *** one day on my 70 superbee
Yup...the 1 brain Cell was too busy to remember!
Damn

 

[Bighouse]

They are just messing with you it whether the air gun operator is left handed or not.

And using the correct left handed impact…

 

[Jerry Hall]

You might as well change all to RH as LH pieces are getting hard to find.

 

[4speed68rt]

Mine only has lefties on the left front. I had to buy 2 complete sets of lug nuts to get enough "righties" for 3 wheels, because the sets came with half lefty and half rightys. I have plenty of spares now.

 

[GetX'd]

You're asking about a 68 - mine was a 68 GTX with LH on the Left Side. I changed them to all Rh about 10 years ago just to take the mystery out in the event I sold the car to someone not likely to know this bit of oddity about the old Mopars. When I sold the car - sure enough the guy had never heard of such a thing. But I advised I changed everything to RH on this car so nothing to worry about for him or whomever after. (That is of course unless another future owner was familiar with old Mopars and then the current guy didn't tell him what I had done....Lol)

 

[33 IMP]

Are you saying the problem is the left?

LOL, ALWAYS, yes.

 

[maxwedgechar]

It was my first Mopar lesson! Might've been the first or second day with my first car, a '61 Dodge Phoenix convertible. I "tried" taking the left front wheel off. I tightened so much I bent the wheel! Dad laughed at me and told me the Lefty left, Righty Right Mopar Rule #1!

 

[moparmarks]

My early built 73 W200 that my dad bought new has LH studs.

 

[Cranky]

A guy at work had a motor home that was on a Dodge chassis. IIRC, it was a 71 and it had lefts on the left and he broke 5 of the 8 lugs off before finally thinking something might be up. I got a good laugh when he came to me asking about it lol