Removing locking wheels nuts without the key

Tips, tricks, questions and answers to tech questions
roadster
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:05 am
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 147 times

Re: Removing locking wheels nuts without the key

Post by roadster »

I had this problem with a second hand Nissan Note shortly after buying it. Ordered new nuts from a Nissan dealer and took it to them for the locking nuts to be removed. It didn't take them more than about ten minutes and I got the cost back from the seller who had lost the adapter. It did give the lie to the seller's claim that they carried out a full service before the sale!
Mussels
Posts: 4445
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:02 pm
Has thanked: 838 times
Been thanked: 1241 times

Re: Removing locking wheels nuts without the key

Post by Mussels »

Horse wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2024 2:29 pm
mangocrazy wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2024 2:01 pm Is ali wheel theft still a problem these days? I thought the scrotes had moved on to nicking more lucrative parts years ago.
There was a post on LinkedIn that someones sporty BMW was written off after its steering wheel was stolen!

https://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/threads/ ... A6.266767/


Apparently a common theft:

https://www.kent.police.uk/news/kent/la ... e%20window.
I bought my Transit Custom just after they came out and the complete lack of spare panels meant nearly new vans were being written off for fairly minor side damage. A few people were left gobsmacked by that one.
Scootabout
Posts: 583
Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2020 10:41 pm
Has thanked: 480 times
Been thanked: 310 times

Re: Removing locking wheels nuts without the key

Post by Scootabout »

Had the problem with a Passat a few years ago. The now-independent-ex-VW-mechanic I was using for servicing had gone on holiday and left his assistant to do a job involving wheel removal. He attempted to remove the nut by force and failed. When his boss returned he called in a favour from the VW main dealer, to which I drove the car and had it sorted in ten minutes.
Silly Car
Posts: 856
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:53 pm
Has thanked: 145 times
Been thanked: 497 times

Re: Removing locking wheels nuts without the key

Post by Silly Car »

Local back street garage would have the locking nuts / studs out of all four wheels in less than an hour’s labour. Most common method is to weld a hex nut onto the offending item and just undo it.

Or if not made from steel, hammer, punches and a sharp cold chisel, doesn’t take much longer than the welding trick with the car up in the air, PITA if you are scrabbling around on the floor