Locking wheel nuts that aren't sh*t?

Locking wheel nuts that aren't sh*t?

Author
Discussion

jimxms

Original Poster:

1,633 posts

159 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
I'm just about to put an expensive wheel and tyre combo on my car and want to do something to at the very least deter thieves.

My wheel nut specs are M14x1.5 and I've already disregarded McGard. The reason? The keys strip ridiculously easy. I've had 3 strip on me whenever I've had a puncture. Also I can't seem to get ones with the 'sleeves' in my spec, and without this, you can just bang a socket over the nut and easily get it off.

So what locking nuts are there that don't use silly keys and are protected against having sockets banged on them?

Cheers

Josho

748 posts

96 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
Renault ones found on the MK2 Clio seem to be among the best I've found after removing loads.

BMW, VAG, Mercedes, Ford I can get off it seconds almost silently.

Dog Star

16,079 posts

167 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
Is there such a thing as a non-st locking wheel nut? Do any of them deter thieves? Have they ever deterred thieves? I've always regarded them in the same light as Krooklocks and coded stereos - a complete pain in the arse to the legitimate owner and no deterrent whatsoever to thieves. First thing I do with locking wheel nuts is chuck them in the bin and stick normal ones on.

ExPat2B

2,157 posts

199 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
The MCGard will only strip if you apply a force not at 90 deg to the wheel.

The standard wheel brace is notorious for this.

Replace with a a breaker bar and quality socket in the boot and you will never strip an MCGard bolt.

I have been swapping wheels every winter on 2 McGarded cars for 10 years, never had a single problem.

Couple more tips, tiny touch of copper slip on the bolts, and on the rear face to avoid galvanic welding to the hub, and don't let some gorrila with an airgun anywhere near them.

ExPat2B

2,157 posts

199 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
Dog Star said:
Is there such a thing as a non-st locking wheel nut? Do any of them deter thieves? Have they ever deterred thieves? I've always regarded them in the same light as Krooklocks and coded stereos - a complete pain in the arse to the legitimate owner and no deterrent whatsoever to thieves. First thing I do with locking wheel nuts is chuck them in the bin and stick normal ones on.
It means the thief will have to have a special tool or make noise. 90% of thieves are lazy and stupid and this will deter them( for example one idiot did 250 quids worth of damage my door trying to break in. It was a 15 year old car, there are 3 silent easy ways in ) . You can never do anything about the other 10%, but they are usually above nicking alloy wheels.

spookly

4,011 posts

94 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
I've never had any wheels stolen. Nor do I know of anyone who has.

So, to me, locking wheel nuts have only been a pain in the arse. I got a new Saab delivered fresh from the factory which had a front tyre fail after about 2 miles.... and they hadn't put the locking wheel nut key in.

Does this just happen in stty areas?

alorotom

11,907 posts

186 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
spookly said:
I've never had any wheels stolen. Nor do I know of anyone who has.

So, to me, locking wheel nuts have only been a pain in the arse. I got a new Saab delivered fresh from the factory which had a front tyre fail after about 2 miles.... and they hadn't put the locking wheel nut key in.

Does this just happen in stty areas?
The last wheel theft I know of personally was easily over 15yrs ago now ... so remove all lockers from our cars as a first port of call

jimxms

Original Poster:

1,633 posts

159 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
ExPat2B said:
The MCGard will only strip if you apply a force not at 90 deg to the wheel.

The standard wheel brace is notorious for this.

Replace with a a breaker bar and quality socket in the boot and you will never strip an MCGard bolt.

I have been swapping wheels every winter on 2 McGarded cars for 10 years, never had a single problem.

Couple more tips, tiny touch of copper slip on the bolts, and on the rear face to avoid galvanic welding to the hub, and don't let some gorrila with an airgun anywhere near them.
I think the airgun is the issue. I get my car serviced at the dealer and although they never admit it, I'm sure they use an airgun. The last time I had a puncture I had a proper (long) breaker bar in the boot and even with that I could not break the locks loose. I ended up holding the socket steady while someone applied all their weight to the breaker bar and instantly stripped the lock.

The nuts on my other car are made by Rays and are awesome as the key design is like a very large Allen key that goes inside the wheel nut. But alas are not available in M14

marmitemania

1,566 posts

141 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
Dog Star said:
Is there such a thing as a non-st locking wheel nut? Do any of them deter thieves? Have they ever deterred thieves? I've always regarded them in the same light as Krooklocks and coded stereos - a complete pain in the arse to the legitimate owner and no deterrent whatsoever to thieves. First thing I do with locking wheel nuts is chuck them in the bin and stick normal ones on.
I could have wrote this word for word. The first thing I do with any car I own is bin the locking wheel nuts. Unless you own the car from new and know how to treat these abominations they will already be on their way to failing, usually when you are stuck at the side of the road in the dark and rain.

J4CKO

41,284 posts

199 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
I remove them and take the risk as the risk of them being stolen is massively lower than the clear and present danger of being stuck in the rain at the side of a road with a stripped locking wheel nut or missing the key.

Am sure wheels sometimes still get nicked, but it seems to be nowhere near as prevalent as it was in the 90s, going in a pub in Manchester back then and coming back to a car at all, or one with wheels and a stereo was a minor miracle, cars generally come with alloys and a stereo as standard nowadays, I dont think the current toerags know how to steal a stereo and what to do with it then if they did, no market really, they arent worth much new and second hand nobody really wants them.

Wheel wise, unless it is something very desirable I cant see it happening, and even then its is possibly more effective just parking the car so they cant get to the wheels on one side, i think if they do get nicked it has been a case of someone following you, I just dont think that gangs of lads still cruise round looking for Ford RS turbo wheels any more.

spookly

4,011 posts

94 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
For most locking wheel nut designs you can also buy special adaptors which will easily get the locking nut off anyway.

Do you really think that would be wheel thieves can't use ebay? Locking wheel nut removers


V40Vinnie

863 posts

118 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
I know of one person that made 5 sided (Pentagonal) wheel nuts for his car and then made his own adapter but this was someone with the tools to do so

jimxms

Original Poster:

1,633 posts

159 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
spookly said:
For most locking wheel nut designs you can also buy special adaptors which will easily get the locking nut off anyway.

Do you really think that would be wheel thieves can't use ebay? Locking wheel nut removers
This is why I am trying to find something that has the free spinning shoulder design as I've yet to see those get removed without a welder.

I realise that wheel theft is more of an 80's thing but these wheels I'm putting on will probably attract a lot of magpies

Jimmyarm

1,962 posts

177 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
jimxms said:
This is why I am trying to find something that has the free spinning shoulder design as I've yet to see those get removed without a welder.

I realise that wheel theft is more of an 80's thing but these wheels I'm putting on will probably attract a lot of magpies
A welder ?

The shoulders really dont make that much difference if you have half a brain and a sharp chisel.

If you want the best combination of security and reliability fit the VW style lock nuts in every hole, then any would be thef would have to tap a socket onto every bolt hehe

Those rarely strip keys, BMW ones are similar but the keys are a bit weaker

V8RX7

26,763 posts

262 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
spookly said:
I've never had any wheels stolen. Nor do I know of anyone who has.

Does this just happen in stty areas?
Apparently not

https://goo.gl/images/sd4yDl

https://goo.gl/images/B1NzZr

https://goo.gl/images/rmr0rP

jimxms

Original Poster:

1,633 posts

159 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
Jimmyarm said:
jimxms said:
This is why I am trying to find something that has the free spinning shoulder design as I've yet to see those get removed without a welder.

I realise that wheel theft is more of an 80's thing but these wheels I'm putting on will probably attract a lot of magpies
A welder ?
Weld the shoulder to the centre of the nut so it doesn't spin, then use more traditional methods to get it off. Sure you could also chisel the shoulder off but you'd need a bit of clearance around the shoulder to do that.

Megaflow

9,347 posts

224 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
Where do you plan on keeping the key? Almost certainly in the car, so if the thieves can't get past the locking nuts and really want your wheels, they are just going to break in for the key.

jimxms

Original Poster:

1,633 posts

159 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
Megaflow said:
Where do you plan on keeping the key? Almost certainly in the car, so if the thieves can't get past the locking nuts and really want your wheels, they are just going to break in for the key.
Then I'd hope that someone would notice a car with its alarm going off and some little scrotes trying to thieve the wheels

Cold

15,207 posts

89 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
jimxms said:
Then I'd hope that someone would notice a car with its alarm going off and some little scrotes trying to thieve the wheels
They might do, yes. But that will only lead to a noise abatement fine from the local council to go with your missing wheels and broken window.

spookly

4,011 posts

94 months

Wednesday 26th October 2016
quotequote all
V8RX7 said:
spookly said:
I've never had any wheels stolen. Nor do I know of anyone who has.

Does this just happen in stty areas?
Apparently not

https://goo.gl/images/sd4yDl

https://goo.gl/images/B1NzZr

https://goo.gl/images/rmr0rP
Might still be a stty area. Also, probably had high quality locking nuts on, especially after being done before. Wheels still seem to be missing.

So.... the point of locking nuts is?

Even with the locking wheel nuts with slipping shoulders it'll only delay getting your wheels nicked. if they want them they'll have them.