Lost Locking Nut

markchap

Hi All

Hope someone can help.

I've lost the wheel locking nut key thing to take the wheels off my car, stupidly the master 'code' was with it as well.

Ford said they could remove it for a labour charge of £49 p/hour and £25 for new nuts.

Is there any other cheaper way to do it myself or any other way?

Thanks
M

jobbingmusician

Maybe worth posting this on a Ford forum? I know that people regularly post something like this on the Smart forum (I drive a Smart) and there are solutions, but tbh the charge above doesn't sound too bad, as presumably it couldn't take them more than half an hour tops to sort this out? (Admission - I'm a girlie so regularly get ripped off by garages, though!)

Happy_saver_4

markchap wrote:

Hi All

Hope someone can help.

I've lost the wheel locking nut key thing to take the wheels off my car, stupidly the master 'code' was with it as well.

Ford said they could remove it for a labour charge of £49 p/hour and £25 for new nuts.

Is there any other cheaper way to do it myself or any other way?

M

Bet some of the local youngsters/hooligans can do it very quickly; give 'em a couple cans of cider. :rotfl: :rotfl:

bennymac

if you cant find master code then you cant get a replacement so that means drilling them all out which does take some time and lots of sharp drill bits.
some companies like draper etc do a special socket that you hammer on over the locking nuts but it really depends on how tight they are as to whether this works or not.
sorry i cant be more help

rizla01

I suggest that you look harder for the original locknut key!!

Or....

Phone a tyre company. They have tools to remove locking wheel nuts. Its called a nut splitter I beleive.

If you use a drill there is a danger that, unless you are very careful, you will damage the thread.

The best way IMHO, to remove the locking nut without the master is to get a small chisel (about 6inches long) with a blade width of half inch and chisel in the direction of undoing (anti clockwise) and at about 45 degrees until nut either turns or splits.

Slow HARD smacks with the hammer work better than nibling at it, BTW.

Pretty hard work on four of em but thats how a garage would do it. Shouldn't take more than half hour.

Depending on the type, do you think it may be possible to hammer the chisel into the end of the nut (the bit facing you) until it is firmly in place and then use a pair of grips with a long tube over the handle (for leverage)?
If so you should continue to hammer the end of the chisel while pulling down (two man job, in otherwords)

Most good car accessory shops will do locking wheel nuts for less than £25.00

Good luck anyway. Not a nice jobbie!

moonrakerz

The most common way to lose your locking wheel nut socket is at your local fast fit tyre shop.
You don't know they haven't given it back until you take your car in for a service X months later - or worse, when you get a puncture on a wet night in the middle of nowhere.
Always try and remember to check that they have put it back in your car !

JBsplit

its very very easy, if its the type with a thin collar around the outside that spins you will need to chisel this off first, then get a good socket that almost fits over the nut and smack it with a hammer so it jams on then all you need to do is undo it, to get the nut back out of the socket just knock it back out from the back of the socket, its easy and ive done it a million times as i work in the trade.

bazza1603

Hi,

If you live near to Cramlington PM me and I will remove them for some cider!.

Actually I dont drink!

regards

Barry

blue_haddock

You can actually buy a special socket from most good motor factors that is designed to remove locking wheel nuts - often refered to as a scouse socket!

The method i've used before is to get a slightly smaller imperial socket and hammer that onto the locking one then simply undo the imperial socket and remove both at the same time.

moonrakerz

Further to my post above - this happened today (part 2 did !)

About 12 months ago my wife had her Ford Ka serviced (by our local Ford agent), while it was in the garage we had a phone call saying the wheel nut key was not in the car. They needed to take the wheels off etc, etc. We said go ahead and do it - cost £25 to remove, £25 for new nuts and key. We blamed our local tyre shop who had put a couple of tyres on about 2 months previously, and had presumably forgotten to put the key back in the car.

Sorry Bathwick tyres !!! it was not your fault.

Today, the car went in for its next service, remembering last time I removed the wheel nut key from its usual place - the little "locker" in the back of the Ka - and put it on the seat along with the service book. When we went to collect the car we were told that the key in the car didn't fit the wheel nuts.
We said that that was impossible as they had put new wheel nuts on at the last service. They were adamant that it didn't fit, and that they had searched the car (as they said last time) for the key without success. They had tried to remove the nuts with their "special tool" but it was worn and didn't work. It would take a couple of weeks to get a new tool - if we took the car back they would remove the nuts (another £50 !!!) and finish the service then. We went home, without paying for the partial service.
As soon as we got home my son tried the key on his Focus, just in case, somehow, the keys had been swapped between the two cars - it didn't fit.

The next thing I did was look in the little locker where the key and handbook were stowed - guess what I found ?? another wheel nut key - that fitted !!!

The inescapeable conclusion is that on both occasions this "Ford specialist" couldn't find a wheel nut key stowed in one of the (only) two stowages on a very small car. Despite having told us on both occasions that they had "searched the car".

Are these people totally incompetent, or have they found another 'nice little earner' ??

Just wait 'till Monday !!!!!!!!