Locking wheel nuts

[Ben (lurk75)]

Like an idiot when i bought the Golf i forgot to get the locking nut key socket. So i got my new tyres delivered this morning and was keen to get them fitted then remebered about the key.

What an arse!

I have lost my gator grip and they are studs so a chisel aint no good.

Have now got to wait until my friend brings his gator grip round wich is about 8pm. tyres not being fitted today then.

So im now grounded as examined my tyres and they are 6 points waitning to happen.

So remember always get the key or you be causing some damage!

[mikeoxford]

and dont buy em from halfords as there terrible

ive got through two keys when i thought enough was enough

[Jim]

I've got a set of locking nuts from Halfords. I snapped one of the keys one winter, which was a pain in the a**e as the car was going into the bodyshop the week after :(

What I didn't realise is that the keys are made from a material that becomes brittle when the key becomes cold which is why it cracked.

My advice to Mike and anyone else that has halfords keys is to warm them up before you use them. This will reduce the risk of the key cracking under the pressure of you trying to undo them. Also, the locking nuts themselves should not be tightened with an air gun like they use in garages. You should tighten the locking nuts a little tighter than finger tight. Anything more than this and your asking for trouble when using the key.

Jim

[mikeoxford]

halfords design hasnt changed either

they use extremely soft material for the keys

which in itself isnt a bad thing because you want to knacker the key before the bolt gettin fooked in your wheel!

ive had to go directly to the manufacturers in west mids where i live and buy two keys from them!

there not far from me

if you go direct they cost you ?3

if you mail order its about ?4 i think + postage, and plus recorded delivery charges if u send cash.

[mikeoxford]

the problem i had was rounding off the biting corners that bite the undoing surface.

even with a wheel wrench you couldnt push it in hard enough before the thing would slip out

the ONLY way we could do it was to use an airgun on the lock as you can hold it like an eletric drill, puishing really hard, keeping it at 90 degrees etc etc and they eventually came off.

[Stuart]

im sure it wouldnt be that difficult to use your brain (and cad) to redseign a normal bolt, to become a "locking" type.

machine the faces appropriately then match it to a "adjusted" socket. job done a nd thoughouly unique

[Ben (lurk75)]

it was in the boot :oops: :oops: :oops:

[MattyWoo]

HAHAHA u mean you didnt check in the boot?? thats the first place i check for everything, i left my phone and wallet there the other day somehow. :oops:

[Ben (lurk75)]

cheecky git.

the funniset thing was that i had got my mate to meet me after work with loads of tools to try and rip em off and said before we do will just look in the cubby holes and try to find it, there it wa in the spare wheel!

he wasnt impressed!!!

got em fitted for ?5 ea, so ?86 for the tyres ?10 to fit so that ?96 whereas the garage wanted ?130 for the pair fitted. Nice.