Locking Wheelnut

Barnbyvilla

New Member
Messages
14
Whats the best way to get hold of s replacement locking wheelnut quickly? MoT due and I looked in the bits and bobs tray in the boot and I'm diffy the locking nut and need a reolacement asap. I'm also presuming the correct pattern can be identified from the VIN?
 

philw696

Member
Messages
28,172
As a Automotive Professional I second what Sam says get rid of them.
The time spent trying to find the lock nut remover in people's cars and finding things you don't want to is unbelievable.
I hate them.
Good customers always leave everything you need on the passenger seat when they drop the car off.
Good Luck.
 

Oneball

Member
Messages
11,882
Most locking wheel nuts are either dealer fit or added by an owner. I’d start with the supplying dealer and looking through your paperwork to see if there’s a card.
 

Jamin

Member
Messages
249
check out ebay, lots of reasonably priced tools to remove locking wheel nuts.
I recently lost the correct locking nut socket for my bmw but found a dealer who sent a replacement from a photo of the locked stud.
Makes you wonder why you bother using them really.
 

Oneball

Member
Messages
11,882
check out ebay, lots of reasonably priced tools to remove locking wheel nuts.
I recently lost the correct locking nut socket for my bmw but found a dealer who sent a replacement from a photo of the locked stud.
Makes you wonder why you bother using them really.
Depends on the locking nut; McGard ones are almost impossible to remove whether it’s with one of the removal tools, drilling or welding and there’s a really complex process to get a replacement key that involves both the type of key and a specific customer code and they’re only supplied from either Germany or the US.

My recommendation is don’t use any they’re a right **** when you have an issue!!
 

tweedless

Junior Member
Messages
77
Tyre centre couldn't believe it when I said I didn't have locking wheel nuts on my 21" Titano wheels.
He said you won't be happy when you come out and your cars on bricks.
I just thought, I don't exactly park/live in moss side!
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
51,409
Tyre centre couldn't believe it when I said I didn't have locking wheel nuts on my 21" Titano wheels.
He said you won't be happy when you come out and your cars on bricks.
I just thought, I don't exactly park/live in moss side!

Not had locking nuts for a while. I mean, when last did you see / hear of someone that had their wheels taken?

C
 

allandwf

Member
Messages
11,325
As a Automotive Professional I second what Sam says get rid of them.
The time spent trying to find the lock nut remover in people's cars and finding things you don't want to is unbelievable.
I hate them.
Good customers always leave everything you need on the passenger seat when they drop the car off.
Good Luck.
I always leave mine on the passenger seat, still didn't stop the last lot phoning to say the couldn't find locking wheel nut socket!
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
22,680
I always leave mine on the passenger seat, still didn't stop the last lot phoning to say the couldn't find locking wheel nut socket!
Sometimes they're unbelievable.

Not that long ago the local BMW dealer rang us to ask where the unlocking nut was for the wheels, I told them in the boot where it always is on a BMW. They told me it wasn't there, asked them to check which the said they had so I jumped on the car and drove down. Got the mechanic to walk me to the car, opened the boot released the little tool tray in the boot lid and sure enough there was the locking nut. I then looked at the mechanic and said where did you look? He had to admit he hadn't he had just asked the apprentice to do it and then he apologised.
I went back to the car park which was round the back of the dealership to get my car and saw said mechanic beating the sh1t out of what looked liked an apprentice - I guess it's a lesson learned :)
 

RodTungsten

Member
Messages
674
One of our local garages had a customer’s mullered locking wheelnut ( sheared courtesy of a ham-fisted well-known tyre ‘specialist’) - “could we help?” “Bring it round and we’ll take a look.” J*m*s came round with wheel attached to stub axle, disc etc. Drill no help so stuck it up on the mill and cut out the stud carefully with a slow end mill!
 

Gp79

Member
Messages
1,489
As above get rid of them.
Lost the locking wheel bolt tool on my Audi A6 found the right replacement on eBay for £15 so not exactly secure anyway.
Local tyre place charge £10+ vat a wheel to remove these when lost key, then additional to replace with normal bolts
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
35,457
Hate locking wheel nuts, a potential nightmare in the making. Nobody steals Maserati wheels as they only fit Maseratis.
 

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
10,057
Hate locking wheel nuts, a potential nightmare in the making. Nobody steals Maserati wheels as they only fit Maseratis.

People only steal readily re-sellable wheels. Years ago someone stole two wheels of my Ford Escort RS Turbo. They couldn’t get to the ones against the curb, but stole the two road-side ones, and dropped the car onto the brake disks. Real PITA
 

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
10,057
As a Automotive Professional I second what Sam says get rid of them.
The time spent trying to find the lock nut remover in people's cars and finding things you don't want to is unbelievable.
I hate them.
Good customers always leave everything you need on the passenger seat when they drop the car off.
Good Luck.

MrsMM has her Volvo lock nut remover in a little fluorescent bag (given to her by a tyre centre), which is helpful.

A bit like this:

1737711834293.png

"https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256588431076"