Replacement locking wheel nut set

[to3m]

I managed to shear my car's locking wheel nut key today (and one of the nuts) trying to get the wheels off my car (an LCI E90). It hammered back in easily enough, so no major problem in the end, and I got the wheels off - but the key is now even more of a mess than it was before, as are 2 of the corresponding nuts, so I suppose I need a new set.

(My understanding is that wheel theft is not really a problem these days, and so buying locking wheel nuts might be a waste of money, but I'm prepared to take that risk.)

I was going to just buy some from BMW, as I think it was £30 when I had this problem with my E46, and £30 seems to be about what you need to pay wherever you get them from. But this got me thinking: if I've had this problem with 2 BMWs, maybe the BMW locking wheel nuts are just a bit rubbish? So, better to buy OEM ones, or non-OEM ones?

Suggestions and/or recommendations sought.

[RUSSELLM]

A guy at work’s, had his BMW wheels stolen not so long back, and they had locking wheel nuts on

In terms of struggling to get the nuts off with the security socket, are the nuts getting tightened/torqued up to the correct settings originally ?

[helix402]

No problems with gen BMW locking bolts if done to 120Nm.

[bmwmike]

One of my squiggly type locking wheel nuts fell apart so I emailed the manufacturer and they sent me a free replacement set. They requested my old ones be posted back but essentially for the price of postage to Germany I got a new set that way. Worth a try...

[RUSSELLM]

helix402 said:

No problems with gen BMW locking bolts if done to 120Nm.

That’s what I was thinking.

I was wondering if someone had murdered his current bolts with an air gun... Or some bugger’s been stamping on the wrench.

[Pica-Pica]

to3m said:

I managed to shear my car's locking wheel nut key today.

Suggestions and/or recommendations sought.

Try using wheel bolts instead of nuts. Not seen wheel nuts on a car for decades.

[RUSSELLM]

I could swear my E90 was nuts. TVR certainly is. As is the current JLR range.


Last time I had bolts was on a Citroen C3

[helix402]

The E90 has wheel bolts unless it has a stud conversion “because race car”.

[E-bmw]

TBH I would go generic after-market lockers.

Reason:

Any scrote knows that with a couple of dozen "keys" they can have it away with any set of BM wheels on the planet.

No-one has EVERY type ever made by every after-market company going, so would need to utilise brute force.

[to3m]

RUSSELLM said:

helix402 said:

No problems with gen BMW locking bolts if done to 120Nm.

That’s what I was thinking.

I was wondering if someone had murdered his current bolts with an air gun... Or some bugger’s been stamping on the wrench.

I certainly had to do that to get them off - I had to literally stand on the wrench, both feet, and bounce up and down. Me + clothes + food I've eaten = 90 kg, the wrench is 460 mm. As the saying goes, you do the maths... please... I've forgotten how... but isn't that something like 90 * 0.46 = 41.5 kgf.m = 405 Nm?!?!

The burring was probably due to me not ensuring the key was tight enough inside the bolt before jumping up and down, but if they hadn't been on so tightly in the first place, there'd have been no need. So in future I think I'll try the bolts after every time somebody takes a wheel off. My car tends to go to the same few places to have work done on it, so eventually I'll find out who's doing it wrong.

Thanks to me misreading the wrench in the dark, they've gone back on at 126 Nm.

E-bmw said:

No-one has EVERY type ever made by every after-market company going, so would need to utilise brute force.

Interesting point! Not sure my normal wheels (MV3s, OK condition) are desirable enough to worry about it to this extent though?

There's a Sytner in Sheffield so based on helix402's trustworthy recommendation I'll probably get some ordinary BMW ones from there tomorrow.

[ladderino]

to3m said:

There's a Sytner in Sheffield so based on helix402's trustworthy recommendation I'll probably get some ordinary BMW ones from there tomorrow.

Seek out either Cotswold BMW or Harry Fairburn on various BMW forums - they will be much cheaper than your local dealer.

The BMW nuts are made by McGard, so it might be cheaper to just buy a new set of McGard nuts online. Their website will tell you which ones to get.

[Fore Left]

I don't bother with locking wheel nuts. The only person they ever seemed to inconvenience was me. If someone wants your wheels they'll take them locking wheel nuts or not.

[Mr Tidy]

I'm sure I read somewhere that there are only 12 or so BMW bolt key patterns, and most dealers hold one key for each so when you lose yours they can tell which one you need.

So if I was that bothered about security I'd say non-BMW might be more secure, so long as they are good quality. Or maybe if you are more bothered, do what I saw on a Z4M a while ago and fit 2 different locking bolts on each wheel!

But to be fair if someone wants your wheels, they'll get them!

Some years ago I bought a Mazda with locking bolts but no key. No problem said my motor trader mate, I've got a kit for getting locking bolts or nuts off - and sure enough it worked. He bought it on Ebay.

[anonymous-user]

Mr Tidy said:

I'm sure I read somewhere that there are only 12 or so BMW bolt key patterns, and most dealers hold one key for each so when you lose yours they can tell which one you need.

So if I was that bothered about security I'd say non-BMW might be more secure, so long as they are good quality. Or maybe if you are more bothered, do what I saw on a Z4M a while ago and fit 2 different locking bolts on each wheel!

But to be fair if someone wants your wheels, they'll get them!

Some years ago I bought a Mazda with locking bolts but no key. No problem said my motor trader mate, I've got a kit for getting locking bolts or nuts off - and sure enough it worked. He bought it on Ebay.

You’re right. I lost my 530’s locking wheel nut key. (Stupidly used it, left it on the bolt and drove off!)

Went to main dealer, service guy came out with full box of keys, tried them till he found correct one, sold me that and presumably then re ordered to make the set up again.

[anonymous-user]

Pica-Pica said:

to3m said:

I managed to shear my car's locking wheel nut key today.

Suggestions and/or recommendations sought.

Try using wheel bolts instead of nuts. Not seen wheel nuts on a car for decades.

Plenty of brands still use nuts on studs.