7 hours ago, Urrell said:

Even more of a reason to leave it on the security bolt while taking wheel off or putting it back on as you have to use it at least four times when taking wheel off and putting it back on.

 

How do you keep the security key on the bolt? It hardly grips the bolt and separates at the soonest opportunity

8 hours ago, Urrell said:

Even more of a reason to leave it on the security bolt while taking wheel off or putting it back on as you have to use it at least four times when taking wheel off and putting it back on.

 

My job entails collating and recording information such as thefts from vehicles and I don't think I've come across a theft of alloys for many many years. Catalytic converters are a different matter, I've seen them go from discreet thefts from cars parked in long term car parks, to pulling up next to the car on the road in broad daylight with pedestrians about, crawl under the car with a cordless angle grinder and cut the cat off, with his mate stood by him with a baseball bat incase anyone tries to stop him.

40 minutes ago, Dale_Stevens said:

 

My job entails collating and recording information such as thefts from vehicles and I don't think I've come across a theft of alloys for many many years. Catalytic converters are a different matter, I've seen them go from discreet thefts from cars parked in long term car parks, to pulling up next to the car on the road in broad daylight with pedestrians about, crawl under the car with a cordless angle grinder and cut the cat off, with his mate stood by him with a baseball bat incase anyone tries to stop him.

Exactly this happened to my wife's Jazz - as she was walking up to it!

1 hour ago, Dale_Stevens said:

with his mate stood by him with a baseball bat incase anyone tries to stop him

Is that recorded as a crime involving an offensive weapon?

 

Surely as common in Sheffield as other parts of the UK when it is from desirable motors.

Plenty vehicles get their wheels nicked still in this day and age. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Warrior193 said:

Exactly this happened to my wife's Jazz - as she was walking up to it!

 

Honda Jazz are notorious for getting their cats stolen, so is the Toyota Auris.

8 minutes ago, Dale_Stevens said:

 

Honda Jazz are notorious for getting their cats stolen, so is the Toyota Auris.

A lot of Jap cars have no tilt sensor on the alarm, a lot of cars made for the Jap market don't have an alarm - they don't need one. They add one for exports but more as an afterthought.

 

I always losen the locker firts and tighten it last to try and minimise the stress on the bloody things having had several fail over the years. 

I think a slim lad can get under a Jazz whilst it's on its road wheels or am I on Fantasy Island again.

 

I think it might have been a (old) Jazz that my neighbour's daughter had until it had the cat taken from whilst she and her husband were holidaying in Devon or Cornwall.

 

1 hour ago, nta16 said:

Is that recorded as a crime involving an offensive weapon?

 

 

A baseball bat is probably more a 'weapon of offence' than offensive weapon, depending if it's used towards anyone or simply just held. But then if its used/threatened towards anyone then it could be a robbery. The circumstances will dictate, but otherwise it may just be a theft.

1 hour ago, VRS_White_Hatch said:

I always losen the locker firts and tighten it last to try and minimise the stress on the bloody things having had several fail over the years. 

 

As the first person to actually have a reason for why they adopt this procedure could you explain how it minimises the stress on the wheel bolts?

 

Also having had failures is it the bolt or the adaptor that gets damaged?

Bolts work by stretching (Hookes law). The pressure on the bolts is reduced when other bolts are holding as tight or tighter, so If I release the locker first the other bolts are sharing the load. Same when re fastening. The other 4 bolts are squeezing the wheel to the rim already so less pressure on the locker - and I don't fasten them quite as tight. When I've had lockers fail it's been the head that fails, in that you can't put sufficient force on them to undo the nut - what caused the failure who knows - but If it helps then it's worth it. You have 5 to tighten and undo so it's the same work anyway. 

On 07/12/2021 at 18:34, Dale_Stevens said:

 

My job entails collating and recording information such as thefts from vehicles and I don't think I've come across a theft of alloys for many many years. Catalytic converters are a different matter, I've seen them go from discreet thefts from cars parked in long term car parks, to pulling up next to the car on the road in broad daylight with pedestrians about, crawl under the car with a cordless angle grinder and cut the cat off, with his mate stood by him with a baseball bat incase anyone tries to stop him.

Where did I mention anything about theft of alloy wheels or catalytic converters?

On 07/12/2021 at 18:27, Dale_Stevens said:

 

How do you keep the security key on the bolt? It hardly grips the bolt and separates at the soonest opportunity

That's another thing I don't have a problem with.

22 minutes ago, Urrell said:

Where did I mention anything about theft of alloy wheels or catalytic converters?

 

You didn't. Why?

 

But we are talking about security wheel bolts which are to prevent the wheel being stolen, but I've haven't heard of anyone getting their alloys stolen in years. hats why I plan to do away with mine and replace with normal bolts.

I will give Urrell his due, he must have excellent eyesight, he can see what pattern of locking bolts are on my wife's Fabia Mk3 and Dale's Yeti, or do all Yetis have the same pattern, seems a bit unsecure, he would strain his eyes seeing them on my car though.

 

So are we taking VRS_White_Hatch's Hookes law, or dispute it as I've now put it.   (whoops, almost put a smiley)

 

Edited 11 December, 20214 yr by nta16
spelling

1 hour ago, Dale_Stevens said:

But we are talking about security wheel bolts which are to prevent the wheel being stolen, but I've haven't heard of anyone getting their alloys stolen in years. That's why I plan to do away with mine and replace with normal bolts.

Phew, that's two of us then that think this way. I did mention this earlier in round 1, but then the conversation veered wildly about. I haven't seen a car jacked up and wheels missing ever, I must have lived a sheltered life 😉 

On 08/12/2021 at 00:17, VRS_White_Hatch said:

Bolts work by stretching (Hookes law). The pressure on the bolts is reduced when other bolts are holding as tight or tighter, so If I release the locker first the other bolts are sharing the load. Same when re fastening. The other 4 bolts are squeezing the wheel to the rim already so less pressure on the locker - and I don't fasten them quite as tight. When I've had lockers fail it's been the head that fails, in that you can't put sufficient force on them to undo the nut - what caused the failure who knows - but If it helps then it's worth it. You have 5 to tighten and undo so it's the same work anyway. 

Thats the funniest thing I have read on a forum for a very long time 🤣

16 hours ago, nta16 said:

I will give Urrell his due, he must have excellent eyesight, he can see what pattern of locking bolts are on my wife's Fabia Mk3 and Dale's Yeti, or do all Yetis have the same pattern, seems a bit unsecu

I am well into my 70s but can see what is the security bolt cap very easily without getting on my knees or putting my glasses on.
This was this morning after over a hundred miles at 70 up the A1 last night in atrocious weather but still easily seen.
 

Yes but can you accept with this image, depending on what screen and zoom you use, you have magnification and contrast, and if those caps are black in real life a lot of light on the wheel, plus your wheels are reasonably clean, not much brake dust or mud and muck on them.

 

Was that photo taken from standing up with the car on the ground as it looks to me as it's taken from a lower angle or zoomed in perhaps but I'm not David Bailey.

 

The wheels on my wife's car are a lot cleaner than usual I'll get the old digital camera out put in the batteries it eats at an alarming rate and take a photo from my five foot eye level.

 

Edited 12 December, 20214 yr by nta16

59 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Was that photo taken from standing up with the car on the ground as it looks to me as it's taken from a lower angle

Standing up with car on the ground and sun shining from other side of car

17 minutes ago, Urrell said:

Standing up with car on the ground and sun shining from other side of car

Hence the greatly zoomed-in or cropped  and/or enlarged and contrast compensation.  Just doing my entry.

 

5 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Hence the greatly zoomed-in or cropped  and/or enlarged and contrast compensation.  Just doing my entry.

That's the view I got standing beside the car, does your eyesight need checking?
I did not expect that to be the end, you can have the last word.

Raw unmolested photo standing 4 foot back for angle of sight, sun behind camera so no flash, wheel unusually clean and free of brake dust and other stuff.  A reasonable representation of what is actually seen (except it's in good focus).

 

 

7 minutes ago, Urrell said:

you can have the last word

Good, thank you, that's the end then for you and me on this subject - all are relieved.

 

Nasty rusty disc!

Aside from nobody has arms 4 foot long to remove the wheel caps does it actually matter if you cannot visually make out the locking bolt cap from the others? They are all removed with the same tool.

 

I am partially sighted and do a lot of work by feel, I can see the difference between the caps on the vehicle but I never even try to differentiate them, I whip all the caps off in a fraction of a second using the C clip tool without even looking, one of them will resist, I have to force the tool into place, that is the locking cap not that I care, it gets chucked in the alu chicken packaging tray with the other caps & bolts.

 

Once the caps are off its clear which wheel bolt is the locking one where you need the adaptor, if they all looked similar at that point I could understand the angst.