garyo
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:16 AM |
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Removing locking wheel nuts
This weekend I'm going to a friends to remove his locking wheel nuts for him - he's lost the key.
I'm not sure which variety of nuts they are yet. I've seen ones with external ridges being removed by hammering a socket over the top with
a lump hammer - Noisy and ruins your socket(s) but it works.
Any other ideas? I think this is one of those jobs that could waste half of my saturday and go nowhere :-(
Gary
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Howlor
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:37 AM |
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What car is it?
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JoelP
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:39 AM |
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buy a professional locking wheel nut removal tool, and charge him. Most tyre shops will have one too, my local place charges £10 per wheel because the
tool doesnt last long.
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garyo
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:53 AM |
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It's a Westfield. TSW Stealth alloys. Standard Cortina (front) / Sierra (rear) uprights, if I remember correctly.
I wasn't aware there was a tool out there. Perhaps I'll use this weekend to have a look at it then try to buy the right type of kit for
the job.
Gary
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Howlor
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 08:57 AM |
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If it's the 3 offset pin types it is fairly easy to make a tool up with some pins welded onto an old socket.
Steve
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iank
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 09:29 AM |
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local tyre/exhaust place removed all 4 for £5 (beer money I believe as no till was involved  ). Memo to self: don't buy another car without
checking the key is present 
Hammered a socket on, took about 2min for the lot.
Don't use your best set obviously Might be worth trying some molegrips if you can get them on, since they don't get put on with the
air ratchet you might be lucky.
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gazza285
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 09:38 AM |
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I just hammer on an old socket of approximately the same size (a little smaller obviously) and undo the nuts. Never failed yet.
DO NOT PUT ON KNOB OR BOLLOCKS!
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jon_boy
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 09:39 AM |
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buy a cheap socket from halfords or homebase, the ones that near enough melt when you try a bit of force on em, and just hammer em on!
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britishtrident
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 10:09 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Howlor
If it's the 3 offset pin types it is fairly easy to make a tool up with some pins welded onto an old socket.
Steve
You can do it without welding the pins on --- best to use the rollers from old needle roller bearings.
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romer
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 10:31 AM |
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This happened to me a number of years back with an old XR3I.
What I eventually did after trying many home made adaptors to try to undo them, was to go to a large car park with plenty of room. One wheel at a time
slacken off the three ordinary nuts on the wheel and slowly drive around in a circle applying lock on and off to put varying side loads on the wheel.
You'll be suprised how quick that one locking nut will then back of sufficiently enough to be removed using your fingers. DON'T FORGET TO
TIGHTEN THE THREE LOOSE ORDINARY NUTS, then repeat the procedure for the remaining wheels.
Worked dead easy.
Let us know how you get on.
Romer
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muzchap
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 11:36 AM |
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Romer - great idea 
But - hammering a cheap socket on is just as effective and much more satisfying
Be sure to remove all the crappy little bits of tin they surround the nut with - hammering the socket on will usually reveal these - just use long
nose pliers to remove them...
As everybody else said - best of luck
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If you believe you're not crazy, whilst everybody is telling you, you are - then they are definitely wrong!
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DorsetStrider
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 02:47 PM |
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When i lost the key to mine I used an angle grinder to cut up and old socket until it fit. Worked like a dream even if it did take about an hour to
fabricate.
Who the f**K tightened this up!
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garyo
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 05:31 PM |
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Cheers guys - some useful ideas in there. I'll report back after the weekend!
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ProjectX
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| posted on 10/3/06 at 10:10 PM |
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Hi, I have just got over this same problem!
Machine mart. £18 for a set of reverse spiral nut removers. Wheel nuts gone! Have paid for themselves already as have removed all the other
siezed/rusty/rounded and knackered nuts in seconds. Good luck tho
J
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garyo
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| posted on 13/3/06 at 08:53 AM |
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Well, they're off. An 18mm socket and lump hammer did the trick. The socket doesn't seem to have suffered from the trauma either!
Cheers
Gary
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