Say someone was an idiot.....

[PastyBoy]

....and in prepration from a trackday made sure that his new car powered impact wrench worked.
Found the answer to be yes but upon putting the wheels back on left the locking key on the nut.
The next day he drives to work probably sending the key flying off into a hedge never to be seen again.

Now he's stuck with 4 wheels he cannot remove

YES I AM THAT IDIOT!

Is there a way to track down the required key say from a dealer etc?
I'm pretty sure the original box for the lockers is still in the boot if it'd have a serial number of summin.

Alternatively can i just ring the RAC and tell them i have a puncture and let them do their stuff?
Then call them the next 3 days to do the other 3 wheels?

 

[Dan1720v]

If its the OEM one they should be able to order a new one from the reg.

 

[Nath.]

If they are genuine ones your main dealer can help you. There are probably only about 24 or 36 different keys and they should have a set with all of them in it. When they find the correct one there will be a part number stamped on it and they can order one for you.

Make sure you take a spare arm and leg with you because you will need them to pay for the new key.

 

[Slimy]

When I bought one from the dealer it only cost me a tenner. They brought the set out to the car and made sure it was the right one, sold me the one out of the set and ordered one in to keep their set complete. I have a feeling there was only about 14 different keys in the set, although there may be different sets. They're certainly not as 'varied' as ignition keys.

Even the most secure locking wheel nuts can be removed with some 'enthusiasm', it just depends on whether you want to be buying a new set or whether you want to keep them.

 

[LMJ]

Phil Atherley on here hammered 19mm sockets onto the bolts, and they came out!... I'd try that if you're not scared, and almost certain of breaking them.

 

[PastyBoy]

Ah ok mabye i'll put a call in to the local dealer then.

The lockers are Sportrader ones which have a rotating collar and the 3 holes in the head rather than anything more comlpex.

They sound original?

Even the most secure locking wheel nuts can be removed with some 'enthusiasm', it just depends on whether you want to be buying a new set or whether you want to keep them.

Phil Atherley on here hammered 19mm sockets onto the bolts, and they came out!... I'd try that if you're not scared, and almost certain of breaking them.

Not concerned with them breaking - i clearly can't be trusted with them - and as the car is garaged when it's not in the work secure car park theres little chance of someone stealing the wheels if held on with 4 normal bolts

hmmm anyone got a 19mm socket i can borrow?
I promise absolutley nothing untoward will happen to them (maybe)

 

[LMJ]

Erm... buy one? From a cheap hardware store? Infact buy a couple... you'll almost certainly break them.

 

[PastyBoy]

Erm... buy one? From a cheap hardware store? Infact buy a couple... you'll almost certainly break them.

yeah i wasn't really expecting anyone to lend me one

Dear Santa
can i please have some 19mm sockets and a large hammer please
Thanks

 

[suj]

Take a pic of that they look like, you could get away with one of the Irwin Bolt Extractors

http://www.irwin.com/tools/browse/screw-bolt-extractors/bolt-extractors

Can get them from machine mart, they are reverse threaded, so you bash them on (hammer) then loosen how you'd loosen a wheel bolt normally, they will dig into the nut and will get to a point where they will grip and come off...helped on my locking nuts, but it had a centre that poked out that I managed to get one of them to grip on

 

[ather`s]

as said i lost 3, 19mm sockets as i had them spare and couldnt get the locking wheel bolts out of the sockets when i got them off! wasnt bothered as i have more and i couldnt belive how easy they came off. my locking bolts were a different type that didnt have the 3 studs, i forget the name but people said they were the worst to get off! think it was my lucky day!

 

[PastyBoy]

They look a bit like these

but done have the hexagonal covers

 

[Dan1720v]

A locking wheel nut remover should do that. However, just nip up the other 3 bolts before doing it. Releases some of the tension on the locker.

 

[Caffienated]

Those locking wheel nut removers aren't that hard to find. Just off base may be even cheaper than machine mart if you can wait for internet delivery. Most decent car shops will have some, possibly out of sight, for those who ask nicely.

Oversize sockets hammered on can work, but given that you shouldn't use regular sockets with impact wrenches anyway, I'd wear goggles if going that route. You never know for sure that the socket isn't gonna crack or shatter, and hammering it over something it doesn't fit just makes it worse. I know lots of people who have done this successfully tho. I think an impact socket probably would be too tough for the hammering over bit to work properly. They're more expensive anyway!

Obviously, unless you manage to get a replacement key at reasonable price you're gonna wreck your locking nuts with any brute force removal method, so really you should judge the cost of a spare key against the cost of a new set of locking nuts plus however you get them off...

 

[jon_boi_91]

air chisel ftw !