MountainD
Technical Excellence Contributor
I wouldn't. They don't have the same strength rating as the typical nuts as they have fewer thread engagements. One of the great attributes of these rims is the tremendous loads that a single rim can sustain--so if you are offroading and you come down a ledge at an angle onto one tire distributing the majority of the load, the rim can handle it. That load is transmitted unequally along the 5 studs--you can imagine the tensile load being transmitted to which ever stud is on top first while the lowers experience compression.You can also use Discovery steel spare wheel nuts. The are nice because they have a flange so the socket doesn't damage the finish on the wheel. Pic from the Expedition Exchange website. View attachment 11813
So no, that nut is for a spare tire.
That said, I have never broken or stripped out a nut/thread. I would just say that it isn't a good idea in general due to this reason. YMMV.
"They have a rated strength of 2200KG, which working out as 8800KG for the whole vehicle seems a little extreme, but from the viewpoint of an expedition vehicle they can take a fully loaded Defender comfortably on one wheel - a possible situation you may find yourself in on tricky terrain. "