Damm Locking Wheel nuts

[brewdexta]

I had 2 wheel nuts removed a couple of weeks ago. I think the thief was too stupid to realise it had locking wheel nuts until he got to them. Tyree are new and cost about 150 a piece

 

[Fintray]

My neighbour had the same problem, was going to drive down to Norfolk so decided to set off early but came out and found he had a flat. Got jack and spare out of the boot but couldn't get the locking nut off, now somewhat ******* off he threw the spare back in the boot and called a local garage. The breakdown truck arrives and the guy gets the wheel off and puts on the spare. Neighbour goes to start the car but it wouldn't start so now really ****** off. Breakdown truck driver says put it on the back and we'll go to the garage, so car pulled onto truck. They set off and my neighbour starts looking at some paperwork as they drive along the track from our houses. Neighbour looks up from reading and thinks this guy is going a bit quick towards the last bend on the track and next thing the truck is in the ditch on its side. Now has to wait until another breakdown truck can attend to pull them out, it eventually arrives and they get pulled out (car is ok) and eventually get to the garage. Mechanic asks what the problem is and neighbour explains what happened he goes into the boot and resets the fuel pump shock sensor. Seemingly his car a Sierra with fuel injection was fitted with a sensor to switch off the fuel pump if it detected an impact which in this case was the spare wheel being thrown back into the boot. So now 6 hrs later my neighbour eventually sets off for Norfolk......

 

[AndyStobbs]

Keep going with your mig. The head is hollow IIRC on those, so eventually you get down to some workable area with axial strength rather than just torsional strength - poor description but you'll catch my drift.
Also sometimes, rather than welding nuts on, just keep building the weld outwards then either weld a nut on once you're proud of the hole, or smack a sacrificial socket onto the stump you have sticking out. Don't be tempted to weld a socket though - waste of sockets, they crack.

I sometimes end up welding bolts on rather than nuts, depending how deep the wheel face is.
Have got some of the collared nuts off with a 12 point socket, some you win some you lose on that.

 

[rich r]

I gave up trying to get the McGard type ones off my Subaru - the key was missing when I bought the car and I got a puncture after only 2 days. I could have got a new key from Subaru as I had the card with the id number, but it would take a week. So I called out Home Tyre - who removed all four locking nuts using a tool that hammers in and deforms to fit the groove, effectively making a key. Cost £70, but as I couldn't drive the car anywhere due to it deflating within minutes it wasn't a bad option.

 

[johnik]

sell the axle in one piece ?,i had the same prob on a SAAB,ended up cutting the wheel to pieces

 

[rikrobson]

I hate the bast*&d things

+1 for that. I buy new bolts/nuts on ebay for the car (if i hsave not got the correct tyoe) and throw thew lockers away.

 

[Rig Pig]

Just had this fun and games with my car, the tyre place must have kept / lost my wheel nut key when I had a couple of tyres fitted a year ago, made me look an Idiot at quick fit. Fortunately VAG wheelnut keys are easy to identify and available on good old eBay!

 

[pjp123]

Hi Just hammer a tight fit socket onto the nut .A couple of blows with a lump hammer also shocks the joint. then just use t-bar or ratchet....simples!!

Plenty of examples on Youtube

Did all my locking nuts on a Grand Cherokee when I lost the key. These also has the spinning outside. It was so easy to get them off once you know how, makes them pointless.

 

[roofman]

In some cases it might be easier to remove the disc dust cover and grind the flat part of the wheel stud at the back of the hub and punch it through with the nut still attatched

 

[T0rnado69]

as i don't have any SS electrodes, and most want to sell 20 or more rods.
im searching for some SS wire and will weld some blobs on it around the edge.
where the spinning collar and wheel nut are.
and try the 24mm socket first...

 

[premmington]

as i don't have any SS electrodes, and most want to sell 20 or more rods.
im searching for some SS wire and will weld some blobs on it around the edge.
where the spinning collar and wheel nut are.
and try the 24mm socket first...

Erode the chrome plating off the face of the wheel nut with a die grinder and then use normal A18 MIG wire.

Good welding (problem solving) is not all having expensive equipment it is more about chemistry and common sense!

 

[T0rnado69]

i did clean the centre of it up with a little grindstone in a dremel.
before trying to weld the nut on...
but i can die grind it up and try again....

 

[Jim Davey]

We sell little packs of dissimilar rods, I'll get you a quote if you like?

 

[T0rnado69]

hi jim, thanks for the offer, but i won a small roll of SS mig wire on the bay cheap.
that turned up today....
so thought il have another go at it.
before changing wire over, i decided to try what premmington said.
i cleaned the nut up with die grinder and put some blobs of weld around edge
and wacked a 24mm socket over it, got friend to hold wheel and used breaker bar.
and behold !!!



it finally decided to undo

will give other one a bash tomorrow.

 

[T0rnado69]

well the other one was easier then the first one.
and came undone fairly easy once i put a few blobs of weld around the outside edge
and smashed the 24mm socket over it.

so thanks everyone for all the ideas...

 

[AndyStobbs]

I did a set of Mcguard tuner bolts on Monday. In deep faced alloys with smallllll holes, that was not fun.

 

[premmington]

I have removed 17 locking wheel nuts this week.

And have a set of four Peugeot ones booked in for next Wednesday

I normally do about 10 a week on average!

I charge good money for it! T0rnado69 now knows why, it is not a simple as people would have you believe.

McGard locking bolts are not that bad. Modern Jaguar hyper dome wheels nuts are the only ones I refuse at our workshop.

 

[roofman]

I have removed 17 locking wheel nuts this week.

And have a set of four Peugeot ones booked in for next Wednesday

I normally do about 10 a week on average!

I charge good money for it! T0rnado69 now knows why, it is not a simple as people would have you believe.

McGard locking bolts are not that bad. Modern Jaguar hyper dome wheels nuts are the only ones I refuse at our workshop.

why?? and what options does the owner have to remove,is there a risk of damaging the wheels with that paticular type.

 

[T0rnado69]

i think mine was easier to do for me because
i had taken the wheel and suspension arm completely off the car.
and could lay the wheel flat across two horses.

didn't even use the SS wire....

cleaned it up with carbide burr in the die grinder and slapped some tacks on it.

though as i didn't have any copper tube wide enough, i used a piece of steel tube
and managed to tack weld the edge of it to the wheel nut on the first one.
whooppssss.....

so had to hack away at it with chisels, until i removed the lump.
as i couldn't get the socket down over the wheel nut.

made sure that didn't happen of the 2nd one lol

 

[premmington]

why?? and what options does the owner have to remove,is there a risk of damaging the wheels with that paticular type.

By the time you have used a die grinder to get the dome off (and slipped and marked the wheels).

You might as well take all the other wheel bolts out, let the pressure out of the tyre. Weaken the wheel around the offending nut with a 9" grinder, then smash the wheel to bits with a 7lb hammer. Remove nut with Stilsons. I know this sounds drastic, but changing a wheel bolt from behind is not nice, as they are GEN three carrier bearings.