1 to 1 is how fasteners work when correct. If you have a half inch diameter steel lug stud it has to protrude a half inch or more out of the wheel stud hole so the steel lug nut can thread onto the stud a half inch or more. Anything less than a half inch of thread engagement and one of the fasteners has an advantage. I had to do a tech bulletin explaining this as owners would strip the threads out of our aluminum and magnesium engine case when they would put too short of a case bolt in the wrong place. Two engineers explained to too me and that it is a universal engineering rule. Steel screw or bolt into a steel case screw hole and it's 1 to 1 thread engagement. Steel screw or bolt into an aluminum case screw hole and the bolt has to be a minimum of twice the diameter of the steel screw or bolt or 2 to 1. It's 3 to 1 the steel screw or bolt's diameter of thread engagement. Take an oil pan's 3/8'th pan bolt and notice when in the right place there's a 3/8th gap between the under the bolt's head and the pan before installing it into a cast iron block. If it were an aluminum block and steel pan bolt the steel pan bolts would have a gap twice the length or 3/4" screw or bolt. Metric would be if you have a 6mm (10mm hex head) bolt into an aluminum (motorcycle engine) case the steel bolt must have a 12mm thread engagement. This is easy to see by putting all of the case screws into any case hole and taking a 12mm open end wrench and placing the open end wrench next to the bolt as I did in the bulleting I made. 1 to 1 steel fastener to steel (case, lug, nut, etc.,) 2 to 1 steel fastener to aluminum thread, and 3 to 1 steel fastener into magnesium case thread. Whenever you're stuck trying to figure out which bolt goes where if you follow these basic rules even if it's not the original correct fastener you won't go wrong and damage a thread or pull a thread out. Now if the OP's 1/2 inch lug studs are protruding less than and exact 1/2 inch and not getting a full 1/2 of thread engagement (1 to 1) this might be part of the issue, just saying.

Example of 6mm steel fasteners for an aluminum clutch cover and engine case with aluminum thread. Note they are all even at a 2 to 1 of 12mm. If I had a too short or wrong length in the wrong place I would easily be able to pull the thread out of the engine case especially when using a battery or pneumatic power tool.

length wasn't the issue.
the lug nuts I have do make contact correctly, however the seating surface for these wheels aren't where the lug nuts make contact.
it has a shoulder where a washer hits to hold the wheels on.
it was chewing on the lower surface, but not designed to hold there apparently based on the pictures I saw vs what I see on the rim.

just wanted to update.
it does appear that the different lug nuts fixed it.
Thanks for steering me in the right direction.