Replacement wheel nut removal tool?

rorylando45

Hi all,

A few months ago I bought a used car (Ford Fiesta) from a dealership. Just the other day I decided I wanted to change the front 2 tyres, as they were looking particularly worn to the point where they would probably fail an MOT.

I took the car to KwikFit and got a quote that I was happy with, the mechanic then went out to start changing the tyres and after a few mins he came back in and said he couldn't find my wheel nut remover anywhere. I checked with him and right enough it wasn't in the spare wheel well in the boot, nor in the glovebox or under any of the seats. All I can assume is that it was never included when I bought the car, something I (foolishly!) didn't check at the time.

I thought the mechanic might have some tool of his own which he could use to remove the wheel nuts, but he said that the wheel nuts were specific to this model of car (Ford Fiesta) and only a specific Ford Fiesta wheel nut removal tool would do the job. He advised to go to my local Ford Garage and ask them for a replacement, and I would need to do this before the tyres could be replaced.

I did go to my Ford Garage but the "Parts" department was closed for the day, only "Sales" was open.

Before I go back to them, does anyone have any advice or guidance on this? Is there somewhere online I can get a replacement tool? Can I change the Ford-specific wheel nuts to more generic ones so that any tool can get them off? And does anyone have any idea of how much one of these replacement tools might cost?

Sorry for the essay, thanks for any advice anyone may have on this!

Ebe_Scrooge

rorylando45 wrote: »

I took the car to KwikFit

That was your first mistake

Just shows how incompetent they are. Any decent mechanic will be able to get the nuts off, using either a generic tool or else brute force. If you've got a local indy nearby he'll be able to do it.

However, I'd be going back to the dealership in the first instance. A dealer will be able to look at the code and get the proper key for you. They normally charge a fair bit for this, but if they sold the car without the key I'd be pushing for a free replacement.

But if they won't play ball, I'd be getting a friendly mechanic to rip ( all four ) locking nuts off and replace them with standard ones. They're more trouble than they're worth, and unless you've got very fancy expensive wheels, they don't get nicked these days like they used to.

Strider590

The place I use has 3 large plastic tubs full of wheel nut keys, in fact they're usually spewing out across the floor of the "office", it's a grubby looking little place at the back of an industrial estate, all they do is sell tyres. When they're quiet you'll be 3rd in the queue, when they're busy you'll see the queue before you see the place itself.

They sell top brand tyres cheaper than you can get them online and have a team of no less than 6 guys, 4 removing your wheels, 2 fitting the new tyres.

I really don't know why people go anywhere near crapfit and similar tyre/exhaust/brakes/battery places.

All the fancy adverts and the flash signage has to be paid for somehow.

colino

First port of call, is search the car again. Loads of cars are traded-in and weird and wonderful, "safe places" are found for locking wheel nut keys, amongst others. Don't just look under the mats, lift the boot carpet and feel under the seats. Peer into the double skinned sections and inside battery/fuse-box/air filter covers.
If that fails, as above, go to a professional tyre fitting place. They are never beaten: Get them all taken off, throw them away and fit replacement ordinary bolts/wheels from a scrappy.

facade

The Kwik Fit guy did you a favour really, he probably can get them off, but it will cost you about £70. Ford will supply the correct key for a lot less than this.

They can't send you out without nuts, so they will supply & fit a new set of locking nuts at about £30, and charge about £40 to get the 4 old ones off.
There is a special tool for the round nuts with hardened rings, it doesn't last long so they charge about £10 per use.

AdrianC

Just to clarify the actual problem here - it's not a "wheel nut remover" for "special Ford Fiesta wheel nuts" that you need - it's a key for the locking wheel nuts, one per wheel, intended to stop passing scrotes from nicking your wheels and tyres.

There will be a number of possible keys that will fit, and the Ford dealer may be able to look up the code that you need from their computer or it may be written in your handbook. Without that key, there are various brute-force tools which can be used, but they will destroy the locking nut. That's, obviously, not the end of the world, since you can't - and don't want to - put them back on again... You can replace them with plain, non-locking, nuts or with a new set of locking ones.

Marktheshark

There is a set of 4 dog thread removers for about £15, they are single use hence the set of 4 and you need new bolts.

colino

There are the, "proper" keys, removal tools, ebay removal tools or oxy acetylene nutters. Some even come off by hammering on a good, wrong-sized socket. Your local professional tyre place will have no problem at all, and wont be using a naked flame.

tedted

Strider590 wrote: »

The place I use has 3 large plastic tubs full of wheel nut keys, in fact they're usually spewing out across the floor of the "office", it's a grubby looking little place at the back of an industrial estate, all they do is sell tyres. When they're quiet you'll be 3rd in the queue, when they're busy you'll see the queue before you see the place itself.

They sell top brand tyres cheaper than you can get them online and have a team of no less than 6 guys, 4 removing your wheels, 2 fitting the new tyres.

I really don't know why people go anywhere near crapfit and similar tyre/exhaust/brakes/battery places.

All the fancy adverts and the flash signage has to be paid for somehow.

so they keep all the wheel nut keys they forget to give back to their customers

Paradigm

Just take it to a Ford main dealer, they will have the correct key & no danger of any damage.

I had the same with a 03 plate Seat Leon, the Seat dealer removed the locking nuts & replaced with standard.... free of charge

Daz2009

Paradigm wrote: »

Just take it to a Ford main dealer, they will have the correct key & no danger of any damage.

I had the same with a 03 plate Seat Leon, the Seat dealer removed the locking nuts & replaced with standard.... free of charge

That's assuming it's an original Ford lock nut.It could just as easily be aftermarket