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A locking wheel nut is a special type of wheel bolt used in modern cars. The locking nut’s primary purpose is security; it avoids your alloys getting stolen. The key is like a regular house key, it’s design is unique and is not standardised, therefore, not everyone can get your specific locking nut.
If a thief tries to steal your alloy wheels, they will need your specific key to get that last bolt off.
Locking nuts can pose issues when it comes to alloy wheel refurbishment. The locking nut key is needed to take your wheels off your car to allow your alloy wheels to be refurbished.
It is very common for car owners to have misplaced the locking nut key. If you have lost your locking wheel nut key, the only way to remove your wheel is by breaking the actual locking nut in your car.
Breaking the locking nut key can be a hard and arduous process and it can also cause damage to your wheels, which will mean you need to refurbish the alloy wheel in order to get a clean look after.
There are a few methods to break the locking nut key, as follows:
1. Larger Socket
Use a socket that is a slightly tight fit on the actual locking nut bolt. Hammer the socket in until it is a super tight fit, then turn the socket using a ratchet to release the locking nut bolt. For example, if your bolts are 17mm, you may be able to use an 18mm or 19mm bolt to get a tight fit on the locking nut. Remember, locking nuts are usually larger than the standard nuts, so you need to be looking at a larger socket. Some locking nuts are perfectly round or so large that a larger socket won’t fit in the bolt hole, this means that this method does not always work. You can ask most local tyre shops for this service, however, it can be costly with some shops charging £50 per wheel. More likely, a local tyre shop will charge £15-£30 per wheel, so you can end up spending £60-£120 for all wheels.
2. Welding
This is quite difficult as you need a welder and welding skills to get this done. Some local shops might be able to help you. A normal bolt can be welded on top of the actual locking wheel nut bolt. The welded bolt can then be removed as usual. Again this is a difficult task and most welders probably won’t bother doing it or they will charge heavily.
3. Using a locking wheel nut removal tool
A locking wheel nut removal tool is usually available at most car parts shops like here: https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/masterpro-locking-wheel-nut-and-stud-removal-tool-set-538771521 These tools have sharp teeth inside the bolt which bite on to the locking wheel nut giving a strong grip. The bolt is the removed as usual. The success rates of using these tools are not always the best, they can also be difficult to use. It’s also common to actually damage the remover tool whilst using. For an untrained person this can be useful, but is usually best used by a professional.
4. Purchase a locking wheel nut key from the manufacturer
most manufacturers actually only have 15-20 different designs, which means that they are able to sell a replacement key for your design. However, most manufacturers would only stock the designs for the latest generation of cars, so if your car is 15 years old and the manufacturer changed the locking nut key designs five years ago you might be out of luck. It is always worth calling up a local dealership that also has a servicing department, and ask them if they have any in stock for you to buy. BMW charge around £20-£30 for a locking nut key. This might not always be possible given that there may not be a local dealership near you and that not all dealerships will actually sell it.
Once you’ve managed to get the locking nuts off, any service can now be done. Such as a tyre change or alloy wheel refurbishment. It’s always a good idea to replace the locking nuts by buying a new set. Halfords sell aftermarket locking wheel nuts suitable for most cars, however, it is always recommended to get it from the manufacturer. Halfords costs roughly £30 for example here: https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-accessories/locking-wheel-nuts/mcgard-locking-wheel-bolts-27179su-277269.html McGard is a good brand for locking wheel nuts.
For any further assistance on locking wheel nuts or general Alloy Wheel Refurbishment in Harlow, give us a call on 07944 999 585, we’re always on hand and happy to help.