Public Service Announcement

[Zippy]

Tire changing season is almost here... that means you will be needing your wheel lock key!!!!
The best place for your wheel lock key is in your glove box or by your spare tire... not your tool box ... AT HOME!
Over the years working for my dad, we had 1-2 customers yearly forget there wheel lock key at home...

Had to weld a nut onto these wheel locks the other day as the wheel lock was no where in sight.
Do all mechanics out there a solid and leave your wheel lock key in your car!!!!!

2008020081

[RedSN]

Also: do not forget the lock nut socket on the wheel before going for a test drive.

[FoxRod]

Hate wheel locks, one of mine got stripped so I had to sacrifice a 22mm socket to get it off, steal my wheels...:facepalm:

edit: btw No Damage to my BBS's :)

20082

[ZR]

While tool to remove lost / left at home wheel locks works on many wheels, just as many where the socket itself is too thick to reach down into the nut recess leaving you with no option but to either chisel the wheel off or mig a nut to it. In case of the one Ross posted above, took welding four or five nuts before one stayed on well enough to spin the nut off. Welding through center of the nut only is anything but ideal we did manage to save the rims without damage.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/OP_6Qq4xWdhRcS6tOLTc4lpkznSaxs10_SIu88Jwn3aRyvJDvq rapkv9XvcBifKUln5TeYpaRec-zbD1Tbg7KQ

[RedSN]

Is stealing wheels really a thing? Do we really need lock nuts?
I ditched the lock nuts off the Mustang. Too much of a pain at track days.
Truck came with them, and I don’t think I have the OEM lug nuts.


edit: nice welding Ross.

[True Blue]

Wheel locks are the first thing to go when I purchase a new vehicle. Too much of a PITA, for what it's worth.

[CDNfyrfytr]

Funny you posted this! I changed wheels on both vehicles last week, always keep the key in the vehicle so I’m good. My neighbour on the other hand, not so much. He just called me asking to borrow the key for my wife’s car as his wife has the same car and lost the key. He’s doing a brake job and couldn’t get the wheels off! Good thing for him I wasn’t at work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LX89]

I got rid of them a long time ago.
I don't think anyone is going to steal 10 hole wheels.

Got rid of them on another vehicle as well.

[Zippy]

edit: nice welding Ross.

I wish I could take credit, but that's Dad.
However... I did teach him everything he knows. :highfive:

[IanGTCS]

I lost the key for my Mustang, pretty sure at my dad's place when I went to change the tires over one spring. Ended up borrowing the key from the dealer to get them all off and replaced with normal nuts. Ditched them on my Soul as well, there was one that never stayed tight for some reason.

[CON VERT]

They put them on my new Caddy & forgot to put the Key in the glove box and now they are closed & management cannot find the Key, go figure !

[ZR]

For fuck sakes.

[1BAD92LX]

It’s my service advisors job to ask the customer to find their key. A lot of customers don’t even know what it is.
I don’t bother looking for it, being a dealership we have a master set. And clean those hubs!!

[Stephen06GT]

A short story about a missing lock nut key. When I bought Ol Paint ten year ago the key for the lock nuts was missing. My neighbour was the service manager at Summit Dodge at the time and he was able to get them off for me,so that problem was solved. However, I still didn't have a key. I contacted McGard's and they said "No problem, just take a straight on photo of the lock nut and e-mail it to us". A week or so later I got a new key in the mail (I think they charged me 10 bucks at the time). So, if you are not in a big rush to get your wheels off, that is another option for you to try.

Stephen

[ZR]

^ Solid info.

[CON VERT]

Best part on my new Rig is that they stick out so far I can get a set of vise grips on them Useless IMHO !

[ZR]

If keys long gone GL, sockets we have will wind em off.

[Stephen06GT]

A short story about a missing lock nut key. When I bought Ol Paint ten year ago the key for the lock nuts was missing. My neighbour was the service manager at Summit Dodge at the time and he was able to get them off for me,so that problem was solved. However, I still didn't have a key. I contacted McGard's and they said "No problem, just take a straight on photo of the lock nut and e-mail it to us". A week or so later I got a new key in the mail (I think they charged me 10 bucks at the time). So, if you are not in a big rush to get your wheels off, that is another option for you to try.

Stephen

Oh I forgot to mention, even though I got the key for the lock nuts, I never put them back on. The lock nuts and the key have been sitting in the bottom drawer of my tool cabinet for the past ten years.

[YZFMax]

The first thing I do with all my cars is ditch the lock nuts. I've had my share of them breaking in the past, learned long ago they offer no value.

[Quicksilver]

Before I traded the '17 Mustang last summer I had a flat tire. Took it in to the local tire place and left it there. They called me a bit later : "where's the lock key". I found it later under the seat, but at that moment I had no idea. They said to me not to worry and when I picked the car up they gave me the keyed lug nut in my hand, seemingly undamaged, and had put a regular lug nut on the wheel. Apparently there is a universal key available only to tire shops.
T
his may be a myth, or mis-information, but they got the job done!

[Frankie]

I have the master in my box at home:

https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/3-pc-lug-nut-remover-socket-set/A-p8211633e

[83 5.0]

Is stealing wheels really a thing? Do we really need lock nuts?
I ditched the lock nuts off the Mustang. Too much of a pain at track days.
Truck came with them, and I don’t think I have the OEM lug nuts.


edit: nice welding Ross.

I ditched them on my wifes 2012 VW Eos, a few years ago, VW used a bolt type (not a nut) and even with an impact gun they were always a sloppy fit and felt like they were going to strip. No one wants a set of EOS rims.

[CON VERT]

If keys long gone GL, sockets we have will wind em off.

I told that jackass that I wanted the nuts that came off too ! guess that's why they lost the Key
UPDATE :
! they now claim that it was left in the vehicle in the glove box along with the nuts that came off ! there is only one glove box and it AIN'T there !