Removal of damaged locking wheel nut

[digital-des]

Anyone tried to get a damaged locking nut off?   Fabia mk2
the garage put my nuts on too tight and when I tried to remove wheel nut with standard VW spanned it slipped off and broke the teeth on both nut and removal key.

ive seen various solutions including hammering a socket on , or welding nuts on.

anyone tried these? Thanks.

[Madvlad65]

Recently had the same problem.if you take car to Kwik fit/ ATS etc they have a special tool they use i got rid of the other locking wheel nuts and changed for normal nutts to avoid same problem

[mrgf]

Just so you know, many garages, mechanics, etc charge to remove locking wheel nuts and down here in the Smoke, it usually starts at around £30 for the first wheel as a call-out. They then charge a lesser amount for each additional wheel, if you need all the bolts out.

 They will charge this even if they cannot remove the lock as some are made to "Spin" And you cannot grip them easily. Skoda (VW, etc) will most likely have a set of proper bolt removal tools so will not have much trouble but I have no idea how much they will charge. I found a nice little set of tools just for this job and again, it will only work on "Solid" bolts, not the ones with spinny outer sleeves but it cost around £20 and was delivered the next day. There are cheaper versions (And much, much higher, too) but I would positly avoid too cheap a tool as they need a lot of hammering and torque, to use.

 

You will simply slip the closest size socket type tool from the set on to the damaged or tight bolt, hammer it on so it is quite tight, the use a ratchet to unscrew the bolt. The tool has a reverse-threaded inner and will get tighter as you unscrew the bolt, so it grips like an alligator grips a gazelle!

 

The set will also have a solid metal rod, which you then use to knock the bolt back out from inside the tool, perhaps whilst holding the tool in a vice or somewhere tight and steady. 

 

Just thought I would mention, I had an issue with my daughters Yaris and they used to fit McGard wheel bolts. I contacted them to ask about a new bolt and they said the warranty on the key was "Lifetime" So I had to send my old damaged one back but within a week or two, they sent me a brand new replacement, just by looking at the returned one! This cost less then a second hand set of bolts. It may not help you as you damaged both the key and the bolt but it IS worth noting!

I am unsure as to if this warranty is an industry standard but to replace a LOST key, they charge around £16-18. Delivered. This may need either the key code or a clear photo of a good, clean bolt.

[Wonky]

Something like these? Not tried them myself but may be worthwhile considering if they are a suitable size.

 

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/masterpro-wheel-nut-and-stud-removal-tool-set-538771521?type=shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjw1K75BRAEEiwAd41h1Mll_MbVKpc_aWViveVp-F9sxp7w9LN1FwEWGsjpMNw-DS3L-yyRjRoC0bQQAvD_BwE

Edited 6 August, 2020 by Wonky

[Madvlad65]

Yeah I was lucky son in law works in a garage so only cost was for the new normal nutts 🙂

[mrgf]

 Wonky, that is the sort of thing I meant but they have more then you most likely need. Be sure to get the size need and perhaps a size or two extra in common used sizes but unless you plan to use it often, it will cost too much. I would shop at around the £20 mark. I think mine were from amazon in a yellow box.  Blue Spot also do just a pair, in a blister pack (No plastic case to store them) So they will be good for a one-off job.  I highly rated their brake caliper repair tool kit but have no experience of the bolt removal one.

Edited 7 August, 2020 by mrgf

[Wonky]

Agreed. The set I quoted  was only to give an example really I thought £12:99 from a retailer that you could get immediately was a possibility to consider rather than pay £30 from a tyre depot.

Having used the kit you could sell it on and recover a few pounds too should you decide you are unlikely to need it again.

[mrgf]

I thought of either that or offer a local removal service, say in shop window or word of mouth, to anyone local who needed a wheel or a set of bolts removed. Just one job could pay for the tool.

[digital-des]

Just an update on solution .   None of the special tools worked as it was as tight as hell  , so as a last resort  i had to get a nut welded on to the locking nut , cost  £30 .

From now on , to avoid this happening again,  I will be removing the locking nuts before my car goes into the garage and putting a plain stud in temporarily.

( I must be one of those rare breed that expects to be able to change the wheel myself if i get a puncture, rather than callout the rescue vans ? )

[Mickmartin]

This is the reason I don't use locking wheel nuts....ever, And ive never had a wheel never mind a set of wheels stolen.

In the past I've hammered a old socket over the locking nut to remove and if that doesn't work get the blow torch out however its almost impossible not to mark the bolt holes of the wheels with heat.

 

 

[mrgf]

8 hours ago, Mickmartin said:

 

In the past I've hammered a old socket over the locking nut to remove

 

Thats what the tool set actually does, but with made for the job fittings.  I witnessed a local mechanic trying to remove a "locker" This way recently and he managed to split one socket in half and then, proceeded to get the next one well and truly stuck on the bolt, once removed. I don't know if he ever got it back off or just threw it away!😀

 

 

 

[UrbanPanzer]

Always had wheel locks on the 30+ cars I have owned and never had one "fail".

 

If they are fitted to the correct torque and not fitted / removed with an impact gun, should never pose an issue.

[mrgf]

Thats where having tyres changed/punctures fixed, etc comes in to it... Garages notoriously over tighten. I have to ask them to go a little easier on them!