Where can I buy a replacement locking wheel nut key?

DazedAndConfuzed

Morning All,

When replacing the wheel my local garage very kindly kn@ckered the locking wheel nut key, they managed to get the wheels back on securely but the key's been ground down to the point it's pretty much useless now.

Any ideas where I can take the key to to buy a replacement? Is this even possible? Don't want to have to buy and fit a new set if I can avoid it.

Cheers

:beer:

shaun_from_Africa

Where did the locking nuts come from?

If they were fitted on a new motor then you should hopefully have a key number somewhere amongst your paperwork and if you contact the spares dept of a garage for the car make, they should be able to get one for you.

If they are aftermarket and there is any name or make on the key, then you should contact the manufacturers for advice.

Ebe_Scrooge

Depends on the car, but very often you'll need to go to a main dealer and pay through the nose.

I'd be going back to the garage and getting them to sort it out, if you're certain it's them who damaged the key in the first place.

To be honest, I'd think about getting rid of the locking bolts and replacing them with ordinary ones. They're more trouble than they're worth, and alloys don't get stolen these days like they used to when they were only fitted to expensive cars. Unless you've got very expensive wheels, it's worth thinking about.

colino

As above, go to a scrappy and get four replacement, "ordinary" wheel nuts/bolts and pay a guy at a tyre fitters to get your old lockable ones off.

DigForVictory

+1 for stern words with garage

+1 for get ordinary wheel nuts (but then my alloys are so dinged...) so long as it doesn't mess with "modification of vehicle" for insurance

or finally, try ebay?

Prothet_of_Doom

Getting the old one off isn't always as hard as you think.

Tighten up the other bolts, a bit too tight, which will release some of the back pressure on the locking one.

With a Hardened Steel Centre Punch and a hammer, you can usually get it to undo, Although I have seen someone weld a socket to a nut, but that was extreme

New Nuts or Bolts? Scrap Yard, Main Dealer or Ebay. (Or look in your boot. There are 4 original bolts in my boot from when a previous owner fitted locking bolts. )

Iceweasel

Just go to the main dealer - they have stocks of all the possible variants and will supply the correct key at little cost.

No need to get a whole new kit.

Even for a BMW the tool is just under a tenner.

The damage to the tools is caused by folks not using a torque wrench to tighten the nuts/bolts.

Almost everyone will make them far too tight with an ordinary wheelbrace, never mind the spotty yoofs at the garage/tyre-fitter place.

Mine need only 120Nm which feels like nowhere near tight enough.

iolanthe07

Iceweasel wrote: »

Just go to the main dealer - they have stocks of all the possible variants and will supply the correct key at little cost.

No need to get a whole new kit.

Even for a BMW the tool is just under a tenner.

The damage to the tools is caused by folks not using a torque wrench to tighten the nuts/bolts.

Almost everyone will make them far too tight with an ordinary wheelbrace, never mind the spotty yoofs at the garage/tyre-fitter place.

Mine need only 120Nm which feels like nowhere near tight enough.

You're absolutley correct. In 50+ years of motoring I have yet to come across a garage that tightens wheel nuts to the correct torque setting. That's why it is usually such a pain to undo them if you want to change a wheel.

grahamtabby

cold chissel the locking nut off and replace with standard ones. can't remember the last time i saw a car on bricks. unless you have very desirable wheels.

agrinnall

iolanthe07 wrote: »

You're absolutley correct. In 50+ years of motoring I have yet to come across a garage that tightens wheel nuts to the correct torque setting. That's why it is usually such a pain to undo them if you want to change a wheel.

Since starting to use winter tyres, and therefore needing to change the wheels twice a year, I haven't been able to find the wheel nut torque settings for either car I've owned (Panda and Fiesta) so it's not surprising that garages don't use a torque wrench when replacing wheels.

Iceweasel

Not difficult really.

If I ran an all makes indy garage I would have a chart like this on the wall:

http://www.continental.hu/www/download/abroncsok_hu_hu/themes/technical/literatures/torque-settings/torque-settings-en.pdf

And as for a one marque dealer - there is no excuse at all.