Locking wheel nuts that aren't sh*t?

[jimxms]

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

[jimxms]

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

[jimxms]

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

[jimxms]

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.

[jimxms]

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

[jimxms]

I wouldn't go as far as to say they are a massive waste of time. Last year I replaced all the locking nuts on my Lexus with standard ones after having endless troubles. A few months later I was driving back from London after visiting family and noticed the car making a scratching noise when braking. My wife and kids couldn't hear it but I could. So I pulled off the motorway, checked around the car and noticed that on two of the wheels several of the nuts were missing and the others had been loosened. We must have disturbed the mid-theft. These wheels were just oem Lexus wheels but recently refurbished with a grand or so of new rubber on them.

As for my original question, I've come across some Japanese locking nuts which I'm going to import and hope they aren't sh*t:




They seem to meet my criteria of not using a weak a$$ key system and they have a free spinning shoulder around the top.