Wheel theft - has it ever happened to you?

[Garett]

Alright alright, calm down calm down no Scouser jokes here please.

Wheel theft seemed to be fairly prevalent in the 90's, these days it seem to be only the very expensive cars that have there wheels nicked (I seem to remember a pic of a Bentley on the deck and an Aston on bricks), but does it still happen to your average cars? Maybe because thieves are after the tyres more than anything?

Do locking wheels nuts actually work or are they just crap and designed to shear off at the most inconvenient time?

Just wondering if it still happens much...

[Autogasm]

Left a Renault Scenic parked outside work over a weekend and came back to find a window smashed and all five alloys stolen. I had just fitted four new tyres and the spare was unused too. The locking wheel nut was indeed in the car (Where else can you leave it!) and they even used the jack from the boot to get the wheels off. The most annoying thing is the thieving scum probably sold em for a £100 when they got back to the caravan site, and it cost me hundreds. I curse you all!!!

[jamiebae]

My uncle lives I'n Chelsea and had 2 sets nicked off his E46 330Ci and one off his E90 335Ci. Seems quite prevalent around there with stuff that's both valuable and re-sellable.

[XG332]

Get some proper nuts.


Who would have a key for those to hand, especially when there £3k a set (iirc)

[The Wookie]

Yep, about 5 years ago I had a brand new set of 17" alloys on my Focus parked outside my student house in Bath. Got woken up by a copper knocking on the door

Copper - "Where are the wheels on your car sunshine?"
Me - "Err... On my car?"
Copper - "Errr, no they're not?"

The copper thought I'd left my own car, with no wheels, half up on bricks, half on the deck...

Locking wheelnuts were useless

[djt100]

Not suffered myself, but couple of years ago taking the wheel of the misses VW to have a puncture fixed whilst i was at work, i managed to kick the locking wheel nut down the drain about 20ft away!, went to VW and they had a box with all the standard fit key's in, was going to buy a new key but guy in the garage,said not to bother , if someone want them they'll do more damage trying to get them.

[rockandrollmark]

C. Grimsley said:

Clever post I must say

Carl

For anyone in the business of relieving individuals of their property I hardly think this will be the revelation which you found it to be.

Back in the 90s when airbags were fairly new our family car was once found with all four road wheels, and the steering wheel missing!

[Efbe]

XG332 said:

Get some proper nuts.


Who would have a key for those to hand, especially when there £3k a set (iirc)

I could get those off in under 30 seconds. the other three wheels would take much less time.

[XG332]

Efbe said:

XG332 said:

Get some proper nuts.


Who would have a key for those to hand, especially when there £3k a set (iirc)

I could get those off in under 30 seconds. the other three wheels would take much less time.

Please explan.

[wackojacko]

XG332 said:

Efbe said:

XG332 said:

Get some proper nuts.


Who would have a key for those to hand, especially when there £3k a set (iirc)

I could get those off in under 30 seconds. the other three wheels would take much less time.

Please explan.

100mm Pipe spider clamp and 24v sds drill and bobs your uncle

[wackojacko]

or



how I know this is another story

[XG332]

wackojacko said:

XG332 said:

Efbe said:

XG332 said:

Get some proper nuts.


Who would have a key for those to hand, especially when there £3k a set (iirc)

I could get those off in under 30 seconds. the other three wheels would take much less time.

Please explan.

100mm Pipe spider clamp and 24v sds drill and bobs your uncle

Bearing in mind that road cars nuts usually done upto 70 - 90+ lb-ft, F1 can be well over 250 lb-ft and the guns pump out 1450 lb-ft.

http://www.paolipitstop.com/eng/dp2000_s.html
want, very much.

Edited by XG332 on Monday 7th February 22:19

[wackojacko]

XG332 said:

wackojacko said:

XG332 said:

Efbe said:

XG332 said:

Get some proper nuts.


Who would have a key for those to hand, especially when there £3k a set (iirc)

I could get those off in under 30 seconds. the other three wheels would take much less time.

Please explan.

100mm Pipe spider clamp and 24v sds drill and bobs your uncle

Bearing in mind that road cars nuts usually done upto 70 - 90+ lb-ft, F1 can be well over 250 lb-ft.

It works perfectly well on an RS500 Thunder saloon.

[Beyond Rational]

Some of these 'removal solutions' won't work on certain wheel designs, in which case, locking wheel nuts work as more than an opportunist theft preventer.

[XG332]

Sorry wrong link
make that 2800 NM or 2065 Lb-Ft!!!

http://www.paolipitstop.com/eng/dp3000.html

[wackojacko]

Beyond Rational said:

Some of these 'removal solutions' won't work on certain wheel designs, in which case, locking wheel nuts work as more than an opportunist theft preventer.

The removal solutions i've suggested are for single center wheel nuts, not standard road going four or five counter sunc Wheel nuts/bolts.

[Adz The Rat]

Never had it happen to me but I remember a mate having all 4 nicked off his MK1 XR2 some years back.
Locking wheel nuts are pretty useless, if they want them bad enough they will get them.

[The Wookie]

XG332 said:

wackojacko said:

XG332 said:

Efbe said:

XG332 said:

Get some proper nuts.


Who would have a key for those to hand, especially when there £3k a set (iirc)

I could get those off in under 30 seconds. the other three wheels would take much less time.

Please explan.

100mm Pipe spider clamp and 24v sds drill and bobs your uncle

Bearing in mind that road cars nuts usually done upto 70 - 90+ lb-ft, F1 can be well over 250 lb-ft and the guns pump out 1450 lb-ft.

http://www.paolipitstop.com/eng/dp2000_s.html
want, very much.

Edited by XG332 on Monday 7th February 22:19

Can't speak for the exact torque used, but on a Carrera Cup car they're done up using a 4 foot long torque wrench which a mechanic has to hang his weight on while someone puts all their weight on the brake pedal

[XG332]

That would be known as "FT"

[Efbe]

The Wookie said:

Can't speak for the exact torque used, but on a Carrera Cup car they're done up using a 4 foot long torque wrench which a mechanic has to hang his weight on while someone puts all their weight on the brake pedal

there is always a bigger wrench. or indeed a scaffy bar stuck on the end of it.

dont know if any of these would work on exactly this type, but... http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=locking+wheel+n...

if not, then plenty of other things would