Locking Nut Misery
Discussion
Unless you have very expensive wheels locking nuts are just a pain. Buy 4 new normal nuts and get rid of the locking ones, you don't want this to happen if you get a flat down some dark country lane.
A tyre fitter will be able to sort you out either by drilling or whacking an old socket over it. Mine charged me 20 quid to do four when my key socket fell to bits.
A tyre fitter will be able to sort you out either by drilling or whacking an old socket over it. Mine charged me 20 quid to do four when my key socket fell to bits.
Young girl at work had a flat the other day, obviously she did the only thing your average Iphone addled Ugg boot wearing airhead could do and rang a colleague to help, at 1am, the soft get went to help and no locking nut, he pumped the tyre up to see if it would hold air, it did and that that point she volunteered it had felt a bit funny all week !
Locking nuts are more trouble than they're worth IMO - that MIGHT come off easily but DON'T ask KwikFit to do it - get someone with some talent and a proper toolset.
If you must use locking nuts (and as I said, they're mostly a waste of time) then you need to replace them frequently. We're talking at most 2 years and 4-5 'uses' - because after that they start to degrade/round-off (esp if you let the air-wrench brigade at them).
Realistically what are they buying you tho? The market for most alloys isn't worth the time it takes to remove them - unless you're running very special wheels, in which case a thief will probably take the whole car anyway!
GL!!
p.s. is it just the pic or is that nut WAY cock-eyed on the hole!?
If you must use locking nuts (and as I said, they're mostly a waste of time) then you need to replace them frequently. We're talking at most 2 years and 4-5 'uses' - because after that they start to degrade/round-off (esp if you let the air-wrench brigade at them).
Realistically what are they buying you tho? The market for most alloys isn't worth the time it takes to remove them - unless you're running very special wheels, in which case a thief will probably take the whole car anyway!
GL!!
p.s. is it just the pic or is that nut WAY cock-eyed on the hole!?
Edited by 405dogvan on Saturday 19th January 14:37
Rob, I had an issue where a fast fit place wound them on with an air gun, got my local mechanic to chisel them off as he has it down to a fine art, he fitted some spare nuts he had to all four and I never bothered again, like a lot of anti theft measures, the scum get round them easily and they inconvenience, annoy or thwart the actual owner, like anti virus software seems to slow my pc down more than the virus.
Like you say, the chances of someone nicking your wheels is limited on stuff without really expensive wheels, the most at risk are older, high spec mainstream models where the wheels will fit on a cheaper one, especially stuff that younger people drive, Puntos and that kind of stuff as they have a market but there is also always the wildcard of someone wanting new tyres, even on mundane stuff it can be £600 to replace four tyres, never mind high performance ones, dont thinkit is as prevalent as it used to be.
Reminds me of an aquaintance of mine from about 1990, he had a bog spec Escort mk3 in beige, with RS Alloys, he was very proud, cardinal sin was trying to convince is us it was an RS model, Billy Bulls
t, we knew where he got the alloys and it was most definitely not a legitimate source, he paid £200, they were on for a month or two and he came out one morning to find his car on the floor, minus wheels, so he bought another set and I swear they were the same actual wheels.
Like you say, the chances of someone nicking your wheels is limited on stuff without really expensive wheels, the most at risk are older, high spec mainstream models where the wheels will fit on a cheaper one, especially stuff that younger people drive, Puntos and that kind of stuff as they have a market but there is also always the wildcard of someone wanting new tyres, even on mundane stuff it can be £600 to replace four tyres, never mind high performance ones, dont thinkit is as prevalent as it used to be.
Reminds me of an aquaintance of mine from about 1990, he had a bog spec Escort mk3 in beige, with RS Alloys, he was very proud, cardinal sin was trying to convince is us it was an RS model, Billy Bulls
t, we knew where he got the alloys and it was most definitely not a legitimate source, he paid £200, they were on for a month or two and he came out one morning to find his car on the floor, minus wheels, so he bought another set and I swear they were the same actual wheels.I HAD those exact locking nuts on My Skyline.....A real pain..the removal tool and nut were both very slightly rounded and so never engaged properly..
I binned them and bought new...
When having wheels removed I also insist that either the locking nut is done up by hand OR that I do it..
I binned them and bought new...
When having wheels removed I also insist that either the locking nut is done up by hand OR that I do it..
thats nice and exposed , first try battering a socket on it
if that fails then ebay and the like will sell you a set of sockets to remove them
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SX200-SEALEY-1-2-2PC-LOC...
if that fails then ebay and the like will sell you a set of sockets to remove them
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SX200-SEALEY-1-2-2PC-LOC...
I agree with the other posters on here that say locking nuts are more trouble than they are worth.
At least 3 times now with 3 different cars I have had to have a locking stud welded to a socket to get it off due to the locking but either breaking or worn.
I don't bother anymore.
Locking nuts didn't stop the bloke down the road having his Spanking new TT being sat on bricks one morning.
At least 3 times now with 3 different cars I have had to have a locking stud welded to a socket to get it off due to the locking but either breaking or worn.
I don't bother anymore.
Locking nuts didn't stop the bloke down the road having his Spanking new TT being sat on bricks one morning.
Grease the threads and make sure they are tightened to the correct torque. I also replace the locking nuts (bolts) with standard ones if the car needs any jobs doing that require the wheels to be moved and then replaced, just in case Guy the gorilla tightens them back up again. When you get the car back, replace the locking nuts and loosen / retighten the other nuts.
Edited by Funkateer on Friday 8th February 17:46
Funkateer said:
Grease the threads and make sure they are tightened to the correct torque.
Don't grease the threads, all torque figures are for dry threads, unless stated.In terms of the bearing, jack that wheel off the ground and give it a spin, you should be able to tell from there if the bearing is gone. It's also a good time to give the wheel a wobble from side and top and bottom
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