I want to replace the lug bolts for my new wheels but I'm unsure how to check the measurements. They're conical lug bolts instead of the ball-end that come with the OEM wheels. I have a full set of the correct size so I can measure them to order the right ones, but what's the correct way to measure? Is it just the length of the threaded part?
The reason I want to replace them is the ones that were included with my wheels are painted black. When I changed out for my winter wheels this past fall, the paint had seized up with the wheel on several of them and I had to exert a lot of force on my breaker bar that I thought it might snap. I don't want this to happen again...which I suspect can be solved with a no-seize compound, but I'm concerned that the amount of torque I had to apply to them may have weakened them and don't want to risk anything.