Locking wheel nuts - Beware

[mikep]

I went to put my winter tyres on the Beastie last weekend and managed to break the security key on one of the security bolts. Green flag tried and failed to remove it, so I took the problem to my local Skoda dealer. They used their key and failed to remove the bolt and effectively said ' your on your own mate'. So at that point I get a bit twitchy, if I get a puncture I'm stuffed and the car is off the road.

On Saturday I took the car to a tyre placed own by a mate, who told me confidently that they would get it off in 10 minutes.

2 1/2 hours later he emerged with said offending bolt and 40mm of weld fixed to the business end. The damn thing had taken 7 attempts to weld a nut or spigot to it before it finally decided to move. I'll post a picture of the bolt later tonight so you can see the extent of the problem.

The moral of this story, throw the damn things away and replace them with standard bolts and use copper slip on the bolts when you change wheels or tyres.

Before you ask, I had changed the wheels last March when the winter wheels last came off and used my torque wrench to set them to the Skoda recommended level. The other bolts came off with ease.

You have been warned!

[Llanigraham]

Dumped mine at the last service!!

[mikep]

A very sensible man!

[JCP]

Dumped them as I was unable to get the key to grip sufficiently to allow removal with my extending wheelnut wrench-only an airgun will combine inward pressure to hold the key on the nut while generating enough torque to undo. They are a useless Item.

[Truthseeker]

Many thanks mikep - always was dubious about them.

 

Will be first thing on my list "when" the FL arrives.

[briwy]

I had this last year when swapping the winter wheels.  The Yeti lockable bolts on ours were  a joke. My local tyre man eventually managed to get it off.

The problem is that the splines aren/t deep enough and the key just slips out.

I got a set of new VW ones off eBay for £20 with twice the depth of spline and no trouble since.

[Steph64]

Took mine off last week, they were copper slipped and came off ok but paranoia was setting in- think I might put them on only when I'm visiting a big (or small) city :-)

[Gizmo]

The older 'ABC' style are MUCH better as they have a full spline on them, although the biggest problem comes from over tightening them!

[Splooter]

I got a set of new VW ones off eBay for £20 with twice the depth of spline and no trouble since.

 

Any chance of a link to the type you bought ?

 

The ones on my last car (Octavia) were problematic so I bought a different type, but still a genuine Skoda part. They were fine, and cost about £25-30 IIRC, but I had to go back and get different bolt covers afterwards as the the old ones were far too big.

[Trevorminor]

Never had a problem even swapping twice a year summer/winter/summer on either the Yeti or Roomster that both have similar locking bolts.  NOT YET!

 

I'm off on Wednesday so I will check them all just in case :wonder: .  Sounds like if they cause a problem, then it's a mega problem.

[oldstan]

Took mine off last week, they were copper slipped and came off ok but paranoia was setting in- think I might put them on only when I'm visiting a big (or small) city :-)

 

Ditto.  My wheels are changed over twice a year to change winter tyres over and the mating surfaces and the threads always get a sliver of copper grease.  I use an extending wheel brace to tighten and have yet to have any trouble with the nuts or the locking nut.

[gadgetman]

The rubbish pattern nuts are rubbish.

The old pin version are much better

[servicepoint]

I posted on a previous thread how to remove them.

Edited 2 December, 2013 by servicepoint

[Billcbf1000]

Saw this, but never tried so can't vouch for it

[Gnomeface]

An impact hammer is always a good tool where tight nuts are involved (no comments please) and the Dynomec does include one;  pricey, though, at around £165-£170.

[Agerbundsen]

Dealer removed mine on delivery - at my request. 'Nuf said.

[Expatman]

The real question is - are wheels less likely to be stolen with 'locking' nuts? I can't help but think that a determined thief would carry a set of appropriate keys to fit the locking nuts of the cars he was stealing wheels from! Unless every Yeti has a different keyed nut then it's a bit pointless.

[Merlinman]

Careful with the Copper Slip on wheel bolts

[JCP]

The real question is - are wheels less likely to be stolen with 'locking' nuts? I can't help but think that a determined thief would carry a set of appropriate keys to fit the locking nuts of the cars he was stealing wheels from! Unless every Yeti has a different keyed nut then it's a bit pointless.

[ukcruiser]

Does the covers over the nuts, detract enough on their own? 

 

Al. 

[jeep]

Had them on and off several times now, but copper greased them all last time. Are the recommended torque wrench settings being used? They seem quite moderate for the size of nut.

[servicepoint]

The real question is - are wheels less likely to be stolen with 'locking' nuts? I can't help but think that a determined thief would carry a set of appropriate keys to fit the locking nuts of the cars he was stealing wheels from! Unless every Yeti has a different keyed nut then it's a bit pointless.

There are quite a few variations of the locking bolt. iirc there are 24.

[briwy]

Any chance of a link to the type you bought ?

 

The ones on my last car (Octavia) were problematic so I bought a different type, but still a genuine Skoda part. They were fine, and cost about £25-30 IIRC, but I had to go back and get different bolt covers afterwards as the the old ones were far too big.

 

These are the ones I got.  Actually said VW on the packet when they came so I guess they are a standard VAG part.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Skoda-Universal-Locking-Wheel-Nut-Set-CFA071004-/261010782986?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:3160

 

What are fitted seem to vary, my old Octavia had these deeper splined ones on as standard as does our VW California.

 

Incidentally, an impact remover didn't work on ours when one was stuck, it simply bounced out.

[philbes]

I bought a March 2012 FL Octavia vRS in June 2013.  The wheels were fitted with locking wheel bolts which have a very shallow engagement with the 'key'.  With every car I have bought in the last 20 years with locking wheel bolts there has also been supplied an 'extra' 4 standard bolts - but not with the Octavia.  Should there have been?

 

I have now fitted my winter tyres and wheels.  The 'winter' wheels have tapered seat bolts not radiused seat bolts like the standard Skoda Neptune wheels.  As the new wheels came with 20 bolts I have not bothered with locking bolts - the bolts are in deep recesses in the wheel and it is impossible to see whether there are locking bolts or not without squatting down and putting your head close to the wheels.

 

I will buy 4 standard wheel bolts for the Neptunes and ditch the locking bolts.

[Hairball]

Although I have not had a problem with my nuts sticking when changing over from summer to winter boots (and vice verse) If I recall correctly, when your nuts have the covers on you cannot easily tell if one of your nuts is locking or not.

 

Given that one or two on here have had problems removing there nuts (not just Skoda but also other people have had issues with nuts getting stuck)  I think I may well junk the locking one for a regular one, along with the associated head cover of course. I will do this when its time to put the summer boots back on or when I need a service.