Finally decided to take off the steel wheels with the snow tyres on and put the alloys back on.

Both the passenger side locking nuts are solid. Tried long bars and the key just slips off so tried an impact wrench but still no joy.

Now soaking in WD40 but has anyone got any ideas on moving them please.

The nuts were all torqued up correctly and all the other nuts have loosened OK. I can only assume the salt and crap has sieized the locking ones.

The problem is the locking bolt tool, they are more secure (read crap) and slip off easily, my solution was to take the car to the dealer, use their master tool and then I bought the older splined locking bolts, which are IMO far superior.

I have tried and failed to remove a yeti locking nut. Bought a set of plain nuts and had a tyre guy with an air wrench change them for me. Perhaps I have been lucky but in 43 years driving I've never had a wheel stolen and have not heard first hand from anyone who has. I have had trouble with locking wheel nuts twice and have heard first hand from others that have too.

Simple answer-- ditch them!

It was a very long time ago but my mum when she was still with us, had her XR2 stolen and burnt out just to pinch the wheels.

Regard the above issue, once you have freed the bolts apply a light coating of copper slip.

TP

I do remember reading discussions about wheel security which would fit in with the XR timeframe but that is a generation ago now.

As gizmo68 says the best solution is to go back to the Main dealer, or a decent Tyre fitter. I had this problem on my Toyota Urbancruiser, just before I traded it for the Yeti, Main dealer really helped me out.

The trouble with my locking nuts was the "softer" metal used to form the locking nut imprint, it just was not strong enough.

Tony

When I was in the garage trade, many moons ago, if we were confronted with this problem we had a fairly hard alloy drift that we used to line up with the head of the offending stud and give it a few hard wallops with a man-sized hammer. This would 9 times out of ten 'shock' the stud in to submission without damaging the head.

As has been said previously if you manage to get it undone put a little copperslip or similar on the threads and don't over tighten.

Had this problem very recently, the vag type are notorious for this and after much thought I got them off.

Find a brick wall where you can park the offending wheel close and square to and position your jack against the wall ( a scissor type is best because it will jack square however I used a trolley type) , block of wood on to jack and then your torque ratchet or similar (with the locking key on). best with a torque ratchet or similar as these have a flat end to jack against. Pump jack out against the wheel until it has securely pressed the key into position and then ease off the bolt.

The biggest problem with the VAG type is they slip off too easily if they are remotely tight, doing the above solves the problem.

Edited 7 April, 201313 yr by servicepoint

Locking wheel nuts are actually very easy to circumvent for removal as all you need is some old sockets about the slightly smaller than the size of the the outer diameter of the locking wheel nut.

It needs to be such a tight fit that you need to properly hammer them onto the locking wheel nut once they are well and truly on there all you need to do is get a big wrecking bar and put some grunt behind it and they will come off.

I changed from the winter cushions to the straw mattress today too!

Mine came off with no problem but my winters are alloy. I just wonder if its a reaction between steel wheels and alloy bolts.

Another thought....do you use wheel cleaner? Some can be very harsh

Just my two peneth as they say.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

The socket option is a non starter as there is an outer ring on the bolt which turns.

Tried the drift method as well but it ends up destroying the bolt centre. Definitely a cheap rubbish bolt. I'll dump them all when its sorted and get the splined ones as previously mentioned.

Found a nail in one of the tyres as well so I'll take it down to the tyre place tomorrow and let them sort it.

You can split the spinning collars fairly easily with a chisel and hammer but the minute you start going down this route along with hammering on smaller sockets you run the risk of damaging the rim, ok if your on steels.

Try the jack method, pretty straight forward and effective.

If its got an outer ring that spins then its not a genuine vag part...... Buy cheap pay twice, as they say......

If its got an outer ring that spins then its not a genuine vag part...... Buy cheap pay twice, as they say......

Think you'll find they are, my current Yeti has them plus or mk6 golf and previous audi all have/ had them. There are 8 variations of pattern.

oh and there not cheap.

This type here, they have been using this type for about 4 years

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-GENUINE-VW-AUDI-LOCKING-WHEEL-BOLT-SET-/190817321438?pt=UK_Cars_Parts_Vehicles_Wheels_tyre_Trims_Trims_ET&hash=item2c6d9941de

Edited 7 April, 201313 yr by servicepoint

8 variations of pattern? Strange that because at work we have a few black boxes with, approx 25 different master vag keys in it, that is used to take customers locking wheel nuts off when, 1 the customer has lost his lwb key and 2. When the car needs a service and the tech carnt be bothered to find the lwb in the car.also what is the purpose of the rotating collar ? Does it aid the fitment of the lwb? And surely when you fit the grey plastic cap over the top of the lwb , then surely it would spin round? Dosent seem to make any sense?

I actually wonder at the usefullness of locking wheel nuts anyway. You can buy a universal removing "key" for less than £20!!

8 variations of pattern? Strange that because at work we have a few black boxes with, approx 25 different master vag keys in it, that is used to take customers locking wheel nuts off when, 1 the customer has lost his lwb key and 2. When the car needs a service and the tech carnt be bothered to find the lwb in the car.also what is the purpose of the rotating collar ? Does it aid the fitment of the lwb? And surely when you fit the grey plastic cap over the top of the lwb , then surely it would spin round? Dosent seem to make any sense?

There are 8 variations of this type, identified by letters. The purpose of the spinning collar is for security, to prevent people hammering on smaller sockets.

The black cap for the locking nut is of different shape to the others and will not go on any other bolt other than the locking one.

see here.. notice the different shape.

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=130880951813&index=0&nav=SEARCH&nid=92573314057

also here..

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=190821380469&index=2&nav=SEARCH&nid=92573314057

I notice you have a Yeti picture, I assume you have one, what type of locking nuts did you get with it?

Edited 7 April, 201313 yr by servicepoint

I actually wonder at the usefullness of locking wheel nuts anyway. You can buy a universal removing "key" for less than £20!!

Believe me it won't remove this type, not the one out of halfords anyway. The Dynomec type will, at around £175 if you can prove your trade, its the type some of the AA and RAC vans have.

Edited 7 April, 201313 yr by servicepoint

The ones I've seen aren't the Halfrauds type, but available from "Difflock" and professional quality.

The ones I've seen aren't the Halfrauds type, but available from "Difflock" and professional quality.

Just checked, this type works like the halfords one, reverse thread, it wont remove the VAG type due to the spinning collar

It was a very long time ago but my mum when she was still with us, had her XR2 stolen and burnt out just to pinch the wheels.

Regard the above issue, once you have freed the bolts apply a light coating of copper slip.

TP

I have found that when swapping wheels that they tend to 'stick' to the hub and require a good bash to release them. Would copper slip/ease be the answer on the hubs? Or anything else that one can use?

Well fortunately the tyre people managed with the help of a big air impact gun to get them off OK using the key. Its left the key and the two bolts heads a bit mangled so I have ordered some of the earlier splined type. We had these on the old Fabia VRs and never had any problems. From memory the actual contact length is much deeper than these later ones so hopefully shouldn't have the problem again.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Skoda-Universal-Locking-Wheel-Nut-Set-CFA071004-/261010782986?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3cc5747b0a

Incidentally, I'm very impressed with the Goodyear snow tyres we have. Two winters now and about 8000 miles on there is hardly any discernible wear despite some high speed use for trips down to the Pyrennes.

I have found that when swapping wheels that they tend to 'stick' to the hub and require a good bash to release them. Would copper slip/ease be the answer on the hubs? Or anything else that one can use?

Yes copper slip can be used to reduce this issue also; basic problem of dissimilar metal corrosion, made worse by winter rain mixed with road salt.

TP

Edited 8 April, 201313 yr by The Plumber

Anyone know where I can quickly get, mail order ,genuine replacement non-locking wheel bolts and covers so I can dump the locking ones.

 

Just tried to change to my winter tyres myself and the wheel bolts are very tight cannot get enough pressure inwards to keep the locking wheel nut adaptor in place.

So will have to do as usual and get the tyre specialist to swap the,

 

Having gone to the trouble of getting a spare wheel would have been really annoyed if I couldnt have removed the wheel bolts myself..

Have a look in the Classifieds as there is a set of the earlier (much better) locking bolts