Probably dumb question about locking wheel nuts

Tomhann187

So, driving about today I had to swerve to avoid an oncoming car and hit a kerb in the process. I've got a bulge in my tyre now, so i popped in to Kwik Fit to see if they could replace it for me. They said that i needed the locking wheel nut key for them to be able to do it. I don't have it and I'm sure I had the the locking wheel nuts removed the last time i had tyres replaced (as I'd lost the key then and the garage said they could just get the nuts off and put a regular set on to save me losing another key!)

So, Kwik Fit said that for them to replace the one tyre for me, I'd need to pay £85+ vat to replace locking wheel nuts then £65 for a tyre. I just drove home and said I'd go back later as I'm sure i don't have locking wheel nuts, but now I'm doubting it.

So how can i tell if I have them?! On my tyres, all five bolts look the same...

Fat_Walt

If your wheel brace fits on all five bolts you ain't got locking nuts on.

Kwikfit fit are con merchants anyway but £85 is a lot cheaper than the £2500 fine you could get.

Lord_Baltimore

You might have plastic covers over each wheel bolt? These are designed to give the wheels a uniform appearance. If you have, you just pull them off and you'll see the locking wheel nut/bolt (if you have one) and the 'real' bolts, underneath.

Head_The_Ball

Do you have a wheel brace or wheel nut spanner? Perhaps in the car boot.

Use that or borrow one and see if it grips all five nuts. You don't actually have to turn the nut, just see if it would turn if you used sufficient force. Check for a dummy plastic cover on one nut. That will be the locking nut.

Get that tyre checked or changed asap. Don't drive on it if you can avoid that.

Have you got a spare in good condition? Use that.

If you must drive to a tyre place then go slowly and carefully.

Avoid Kwik Fit if you can. Halfords are a bit better (not by much) but ideally find a local independent tyre place.

Ebe_Scrooge

Locking wheel nuts are easy to see - instead of a standard hexagonal bolt head, it'll have some sort of pattern on the head, into which the key fits. If they're all standard hexagonal bolts then they're not locking nuts.


One caveat to beware of - on some cars there is a little aluminium or plastic cover that clips over the bolt head, so at first glance it may appear as if it's a normal one. But if there's no cover, and it really is the bolt itself you're seeing, and it's a standard hexagonal head, then KF are talking bovine excrement.


As an aside, I'm personally a big fan of replacing the locking nuts with standard ones - they're far more trouble than they're worth

Norman_Castle

Tomhann187 wrote: »

So, Kwik Fit said that for them to replace the one tyre for me, I'd need to pay £85+ vat to replace locking wheel nuts then £65 for a tyre.

£100+ to replace locking wheel nuts. Is that to replace them with another set of locking wheel nuts? A main dealer may have a key which will be cheaper.
Search the car. Empty the glove box and every pocket and remove everything in the boot and wheel well.
As above, phone local independent tyre fitters. You can get better than a quick fit fitter.

droopsnoot

Norman_Castle wrote: »

£100+ to replace locking wheel nuts. Is that to replace them with another set of locking wheel nuts?

Presumably that's to cover the time getting the old ones off, hopefully without damaging the wheels, which may be easy or very difficult depending on how the nuts sit in the wheels, so they'll have a standard price based on some kind of middle ground.

But yes, have a very good look first - if you can't see any difference, post a photo on here and someone will tell you quite quickly. And if you've paid someone already to remove the locking nuts and replace them with standard ones, and they haven't done that, go back to them with the receipt and ask them why not.