Not Again!!! Wheel Locks!

[Barney Paull-Edwards]

Snap-on now make a tool/socket that bites into buggered nuts and winds them out.Really works, took mine out.Can get part number tomorrow if you need it.

[Ferret]

Mine lives in the tool kit under the boot lid.

Is that with the standard issue wheel-replacing bricks and your mancunian 'car keys'? :P

*running and ducking for cover*

[nirvana19]

AGH when I bought my car I soon discovered that I didn't have the wheel lock key and the p/o couldn't find it. It was not a fun time as I couldn't remove my wheels (obviously) and was fearing the destruction of my wheels, but eventually he found it.

Now I looked in my center console (where I always keep it so I'd never lose it) and its not there! I've looked all over the inside of the car and in every weird place I could think of. Looked through my tools and house (even though I can't imagine any way of it getting there). I'm starting to fear that I might not find it.

Anyone know how the hell to get those things off?? I've heard of smashing something into the wheel locks and trying to force them off. I also hear most shops won't help.. AHHHHHHHHH

[JD525IA]

getting four deep sockets that are slightly smaller than one that would slip over a wheel lock, and hammering it on hard, then using a drive ratchet to remove it? Of course, the locks and sockets are stuck together evermore.

JD

[nirvana19]

Snap-on now make a tool/socket that bites into buggered nuts and winds them out.Really works, took mine out.Can get part number tomorrow if you need it.

I would certainly appreciate that. I've dug through many previously unexplored parts of the car finding all sorts of interesting things including 18 magnum condoms stashed inside the rear center armrest, however the is still eluding me. I want to go about it in the least destructive way possible, though if I can't find one of those I guess I'll have to try to hammering method.

[nizmainiac]

Snap-on now make a tool/socket that bites into buggered nuts and winds them out.Really works, took mine out.Can get part number tomorrow if you need it.

i think they're called turbo off sockets i've also used them in the past on several cars including my own and they're really good

[pgrindstaff]

Can you not just drill it out or are they drill proof?

[whiskychaser]

AGH when I bought my car I soon discovered that I didn't have the wheel lock key and the p/o couldn't find it. It was not a fun time as I couldn't remove my wheels (obviously) and was fearing the destruction of my wheels, but eventually he found it.

Now I looked in my center console (where I always keep it so I'd never lose it) and its not there! I've looked all over the inside of the car and in every weird place I could think of. Looked through my tools and house (even though I can't imagine any way of it getting there). I'm starting to fear that I might not find it.

Anyone know how the hell to get those things off?? I've heard of smashing something into the wheel locks and trying to force them off. I also hear most shops won't help.. AHHHHHHHHH
Mine lives in the tool kit under the boot lid. Maybe yours is hiding there too?

[Tiger]

Easiest way to get it off... is standard 12 points deep socket slightly smaller than the lock... as long you can get the socket on it... whack it in with a good heavy hammer and then use a breaker bar to remove it.

Use normal socket... chrome type... do not use impact socket (no bite).

[nirvana19]

Mine lives in the tool kit under the boot lid. Maybe yours is hiding there too?

Already checked there too (no way it would've gotten there but I checked anyway). I really can't imagine what happened, it just seemingly "disappeared" from the center console. Hopefully I'll have one of those "oh I remember..." moments but as of now, nil.

Hmm I googled turbo-off but nothing came up, I'll go ask around a hardware store. I think I have an idea of what everyones talking about but I spent half an hour online trying to identify what those things are called but couldn't find anything.. you think they'd stock em at a regular hardware store? For those in the US, Sears perhaps?

[billy]

is it a bmw wheel lock? the ones that look like a cog ie round with lots of random teeth

if so pop by the dealer and they will remove it, there arent that many combinations, so they should have one that fits

[AngryPopTart]

LoL! I remember this happening to me when I bought a '64 Galaxie. I used an air-powered impact chisel; digging it into the end of the lock and then putting the impact at an angle so it just hammered the lock counter clockwise until I could spin it off by hand. Thank goodness they didn't cross-thread it when they put it on. lol!

[whiskychaser]

Is that with the standard issue wheel-replacing bricks and your mancunian 'car keys'? :P

*running and ducking for cover*
Cheek. Nearly missed that. I'm not a manc. But e34.535i.sport has got to be the expert:D My turn to run and duck for cover

[filmy540i/6]

Most tire & wheel retailers have a socket that removes old (read: don't have a key for them) wheel locks. It would be a five-minute ordeal. And they'll even sell you new locks.

Not a problem.

[Tiger]

That is still the defacto standard at most garage... is really destructive on wheels once the chisel slipped.

[Tiger]

No... no one will sell thoe specilized socket at normal store. Then forget about wheel lock... everyone can steel wheels.

Online source you can get... Snap on truck, yes, tools truck yes.

[e34.535i.sport]

Cheek. Nearly missed that. I'm not a manc. But e34.535i.sport has got to be the expert:D My turn to run and duck for cover

:D ...And I nearly missed that one! I'm too busy bullet-dodging where I am to worry about alloy wheels... But at least i'm not a Manc! (No offence intended to our Mancunian friends) :D

P.S They don't even give you the courtesy of bricks here anymore... Recently a friend of a friend had their wheels stolen and the thieves just dropped the car straight onto the floor! Lousy cheap b*stards.

[Ferret]

:D ...And I nearly missed that one! I'm too busy bullet-dodging where I am to worry about alloy wheels... But at least i'm not a Manc! (No offence intended to our Mancunian friends) :D

P.S They don't even give you the courtesy of bricks here anymore... Recently a friend of a friend had their wheels stolen and the thieves just dropped the car straight onto the floor! Lousy cheap b*stards.

******* ****!

What kind of service is that!? I'd be asking for a refund... taken with a breaker bar, or maybe a torque wrench prefereably.

[nirvana19]

No... no one will sell thoe specilized socket at normal store. Then forget about wheel lock... everyone can steel wheels.

Online source you can get... Snap on truck, yes, tools truck yes.

Sears actually sells a flip socket set as I discovered for removing rounded bolt and specifically wheel locks with the key broken or missing. Haven't tried it yet but it seems to be similar to the snap-on ones that people were describing. Will chime in after I try it, gotta get my cooling system sorted first.

[e34.535i.sport]

******* ****!

What kind of service is that!? I'd be asking for a refund... taken with a breaker bar, or maybe a torque wrench prefereably.

LOL! :D

[Ross]

My friend is the one who actually manufactures those for Snappy.
A 12 point socket a hair smaller than the bolt applied with a good bash will sometimes work in a pinch. It did for me anyway before I got my free set of Snapppys.

[nirvana19]

God damn, I bought the set from sears (basically the same as the snap-on one). Says impact graded.. yeahh right using my impact I put it on the lock, and the damn thing won't budge. I think its because its not much smaller than 17 mm and the design of the wheel won't let the thing move far enough in. So basically now, sears wheel lock removed basically worn down, wheel lock just barely scratched and hasn't budged at all.

so

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

damn things not even on THAT tight, last time those lugs were off was when I did my control arms, put em on by hand (not shop impact).

EDIT: GOT ONE OFF. BASICALLY DESTROYED THE SEARS SOCKET THING BUT IT CAME OFF. THE REST... still working on it.

[Ross]

The set I have has some with a smooth bore socket that tapers and some with a slow sharp left hand thread that bites the lock or stripped bolt. The threaded ones would seem more effective. What does Sears sell?
Have you tried just hammering a 12 point socket over the thing?

[Morgenster]

I don't know what types of wheellocks you're all describing but the ones that were on my parts car came off with some drilling. The drilbit was toast afterwards but it worked fine.