M.J

Locking wheel nuts

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How do you guys deal with removing locking wheel nuts when the remover is missing?

I've bought a locking wheel nut remover tool like this but not had any luck with it.

Had a customer shouting down the phone at me today and telling me ''you'll be hearing from my solicitor'' due to a missing locking wheel nut socket :P

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These bloody things used to be the bain of my life...

Car sells, goes out and then you get the call saying they got a puncture and couldn't change the wheel etc etc etc.

Now when we get a new car in we check pre-sale it has the correct locking nut. If it does it is written as 'Present' on the pre delivery checklist and signed by the customer.

If it comes in with a missing nut we order some new ones pre-sale and get the garage to change them all over. Usually a socket and hammer will get them off if the extraction tool doesn't work!

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You need one of the removal tools that has some really soft sockets you bash over them and then remove.

about £100 we got it off snap on man but not a snap on part. 

Spare tips ebay. 

 

We we have started to take a picture of them at same time as photographing the car. 

Absolute pain and one of the worst things ever created. 

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31 minutes ago, Rory RSC said:

You need one of the removal tools that has some really soft sockets you bash over them and then remove.

about £100 we got it off snap on man but not a snap on part. 

Spare tips ebay. 

 

We we have started to take a picture of them at same time as photographing the car. 

Absolute pain and one of the worst things ever created. 

This. I think Euro Car Parts were doing a kit like this last time I was in there.

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Can any of you guys paste a google images link as to what the kit looks like.

Or can you see them here?

Edited by M.J

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25 minutes ago, M.J said:

Can any of you guys paste a google images link as to what the kit looks like.

Or can you see them here?

Just a suggestion MJ but most tyre shops are well kitted up to remove locking nuts. Let them buy the tools?

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2 minutes ago, metcars said:

Just a suggestion MJ but most tyre shops are well kitted up to remove locking nuts. Let them buy the tools?

My nearest tyre shop is a 20 mins away and being on my own i simply don't have the time to take the car to a tyre shop, wait there to get booked in and drive back if i can do it myself on site.

I usually get them off by hammering a slightly oversized socket over the locking nut but if there is a tool that actually does the job then i'll give it a try.

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with regards locking wheel nut removal every car is different and creates its own problems

each one has to be appraised individually as to how to approach

the worst are renault

the easiest are ford

the spiral sockets with the left hand internal thread you buy are superb for many cars but i cost one socket into each car and see it as a throaway if it pulls me out of the doo

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2 hours ago, M.J said:

My nearest tyre shop is a 20 mins away and being on my own i simply don't have the time to take the car to a tyre shop, wait there to get booked in and drive back if i can do it myself on site.

I usually get them off by hammering a slightly oversized socket over the locking nut but if there is a tool that actually does the job then i'll give it a try.

I'm on my own too, and I find that having a friendly tyre depot is a must, once they know you're a regular you'll get a better deal and jump the queue. I even sold a car to my tyre guy?:D

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5 hours ago, metcars said:

I'm on my own too, and I find that having a friendly tyre depot is a must, once they know you're a regular you'll get a better deal and jump the queue. I even sold a car to my tyre guy?:D

My closest tyre shop in National Tyres so chances of building up a friendly relationship are very slim, its like a bloody episode of the Walking dead in there, the staff are like zombies! Puts me half to sleep when i have to wait there and watch them take an eternity to change a tyre.

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No easy solution , to be fair the local Honda dealer helped us out a few months ago 'master key' free of charge removed the locking bolt and we but a new set. The Renault dealer not so friendly ..8 attempts to speak to him /left messages that never got returned ,I Asked the customer to drive to them on spec and see if they could help , he waited am hour ..they removed the lockers charged £20 !

I put on my invoices where the locking wheel bolt is in the car and show them at hand over point .. also reconfirming that its there, Do NOT Take it out of the car and keep it safe, leave it safe in the car its unique to their car. ....

 

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2 hours ago, M.J said:

My closest tyre shop in National Tyres so chances of building up a friendly relationship are very slim, its like a bloody episode of the Walking dead in there, the staff are like zombies! Puts me half to sleep when i have to wait there and watch them take an eternity to change a tyre.

OK, fair enough. The place I use is along a small independent place on a busy high street with lots of large dealerships so they are used to traders;)

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Some Manufacturers do a 'Master set'. If you tend to stock a few of one brand it can be very useful, I have VW one which gets me out of the mud with the four brands and some BMW's. It originally cost me about £60 plus VAT off my local friendly VW dealer, but paid for itself time and time again.

 

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The main issue is the spinning outer case, any socket will bash on providing thats not there, Hence the smart snap on kit that rory was on about. Only issue with them is the tips are expensive and you get about 3-4 goes out of them each.  

 

In the workshop (providing there steel lock nuts not alloy) we just tack a weld on the outer casing, wack a tight socket on and buss off with a air gun set to

MENTAL MODE. (HIGH  PRESSURE) 

Works every time, and takes 5 mins to get the lot off, then just by a lock set for tenner from ECP

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We have locking nut wheel key removers, if not then weld a bolt to it and wind it off. We don't replace them either just normal nuts/bolts bloody things are  a nightmare and who nicks wheels these days?

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I had a similar issue with a BMW 1 series we had sold, spoke to main dealers and was told to drive the car in with current log book and they will find matching one, as luck would have it they stocked the replacement I needed and now I make sure to check every car that comes in to avoid any issues in the future.

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Most locking nuts have the outer spinning case, we have just bought a snapon die grinder with tungsten tips, its so small and accurate it nips off the outer spinning section in seconds. Then jst wack the 18ml bergan gear socket on whats left. We are now not afraid of getting locking nuts off in the workshop

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Try these guys, www.lockingwheelnutsremoved.com .  They had all four locking wheel nuts off of my S-Type Jag in about 10 minutes and no damage either.

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My local tyre centre charge £20 to remove, why do people take them out of their car ???????

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Some unscrupulous traders would fling a Mickey Mouse one in the glovebox. It'd be the new owners problem come tyre change time.

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4 hours ago, Arfur Dealy said:

My local tyre centre charge £20 to remove, why do people take them out of their car ???????

i sometimes wonder if its the tyre bay themselves that forget to return them, box full of locking sockets round the back ?

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9 hours ago, have a word with the wife said:

i sometimes wonder if its the tyre bay themselves that forget to return them, box full of locking sockets round the back ?

We had a mechanic like that for a short while - was never his fault.

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We are based in London and we always take our cars to Locking Wheel Nut Removal this chap removes them in a matter of minutes with these tools that he makes himself. He's never failed to take one off, even when the key is shredded off inside it. Luckily he's only 2 shops down from us!

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“We” is actually “you” and “you” and “we” are in fact the locking wheel nut removal company yourselves. Why not just say that? 

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