locking lug nut madness

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crw

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May 31, 2005
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Pocatello, ID
For the second time I've bought a used car which has locking lug nuts (or rather, rounded lug nuts that require a special bit to get them off) and there is no bit available anywhere in the car.

-rant on-
How in the world can anyone drive around with these dumb things and NOT have the bit available, in the car? Why do people use these stupid things anyway? I live in Idaho, not a ghetto!
-rant off-

So, the last time I went to the tire shop and they looked at me as if I had just landed from Mars when I asked them to get them off. I've since stopped going there. What tool do you recommend to get these off? I'm hoping for something cheap. Thanks,
 
Some tire stores have a collection of the "Keys" needed to get those #$%* things off. Call around, rather than drive around.

In the distant past, I made keys on a couple of occasions with an old socket and a bench grinder, to help people who were stranded with those cursed things. Make sure you throw them really far away, once you get them off.
 
All thieves need is one of those LUG OFF sockets anyway to get around the locking nut,so all it does is slow somebody down.
 
And they don't slow them down much at all. I take them off all the time at work. Took them off on a car I just purchased that was missing they key. I think some customers would cry if they knew how little the actually did. Does nothing for thieves and just frustrates someone who is actually working on the car
 
Yeah, it's probably time to get familiar with a new tire shop. There is a new place in town, maybe I'll try them.
 
You can also weld a regular lug nut onto the end of the locker.

Dealers put them on the new cars to keep rim theft down when the cars sit unguarded overnight, then overbill the buyer for the "feature".

The key usually resides in a little clear plastic blow mold case with "four spare lugnuts", something people find ugly and discard or ???
 
One good point that was made with that video and another I saw... use a 12-toothed socket and not a six-toothed one. I think I'll try this, just for fun. In both videos it was a 19mm 12-toothed socket.
 
These methods won't work with my locking lug nuts. They are locks that are protected by an outer sleeve that rotates around the area the key fits in. The key fits inside the rotating ring. If you hammer a socket on them or use one of gripping tools, all that will happen is the sleeve will spin.

The only way I can think of to remove them without the key is to weld the rotating assembly to the inner part that is keyed, then use one of the methods above. Unless the thief takes the entire car to a shop with a welder he is SOL.
 
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Any tire store that can not immediately remove a locking lug nut with out a key is a tire store to pass up.

A tire/wheel thief that is even slowed down by a locking lug nut is a rank amateur.

Many tow truck drivers can also defeat a locking lug nut without a key.

Before you ask for help, try to defeat the lug nut yourself. You might enjoy the process. There is help and tools available if you just look around.
 
Originally Posted By: jhs914
These methods won't work with my locking lug nuts. They are locks that are protected by an outer sleeve that rotates around the area the key fits in. The key fits inside the rotating ring. If you hammer a socket on them or use one of gripping tools, all that will happen is the sleeve will spin.

The only way I can think of to remove them without the key is to weld the rotating assembly to the inner part that is keyed, then use one of the methods above. Unless the thief takes the entire car to a shop with a welder he is SOL.


that method works on yours too. Just gotta hit the socket harder than his little taps. Basically blow the outer ring off as its just pot metal
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: jhs914
These methods won't work with my locking lug nuts. They are locks that are protected by an outer sleeve that rotates around the area the key fits in. The key fits inside the rotating ring. If you hammer a socket on them or use one of gripping tools, all that will happen is the sleeve will spin.

The only way I can think of to remove them without the key is to weld the rotating assembly to the inner part that is keyed, then use one of the methods above. Unless the thief takes the entire car to a shop with a welder he is SOL.


that method works on yours too. Just gotta hit the socket harder than his little taps. Basically blow the outer ring off as its just pot metal
So I suppose you have done this since you assert it as true. Gorilla says they are made from hardened steel. I guess I should believe a internet forum poster over the manufacturer.
 
Originally Posted By: jhs914
These methods won't work with my locking lug nuts. They are locks that are protected by an outer sleeve that rotates around the area the key fits in. The key fits inside the rotating ring. If you hammer a socket on them or use one of gripping tools, all that will happen is the sleeve will spin.

The only way I can think of to remove them without the key is to weld the rotating assembly to the inner part that is keyed, then use one of the methods above. Unless the thief takes the entire car to a shop with a welder he is SOL.


Rip the outer sleeve off
 
My daughter used to drive a '98 Monte Carlo that came with one locking lug nut per wheel and no key came with it. I simply took a cheap lifetime warranty socket purchased from a certain super-cheap chain discount store (Cough, cough!), put in on a one-foot extension and pounded it on the lug nut. It cracked the socket, but it fit on it tight enough to take off each lug nut.
 
Originally Posted By: jhs914
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: jhs914
These methods won't work with my locking lug nuts. They are locks that are protected by an outer sleeve that rotates around the area the key fits in. The key fits inside the rotating ring. If you hammer a socket on them or use one of gripping tools, all that will happen is the sleeve will spin.

The only way I can think of to remove them without the key is to weld the rotating assembly to the inner part that is keyed, then use one of the methods above. Unless the thief takes the entire car to a shop with a welder he is SOL.


that method works on yours too. Just gotta hit the socket harder than his little taps. Basically blow the outer ring off as its just pot metal
So I suppose you have done this since you assert it as true. Gorilla says they are made from hardened steel. I guess I should believe a internet forum poster over the manufacturer.
The ones I have killed came off easy. Bring yours here. I guarantee I'll have it off in a jiffy
smile.gif
 
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