God damn Wheel locks!

[Newf]

Jesus god damn christ!

Ok, I change and rotate my tires on all my cars myself by hand.

But, I go to put the steelies on today for winter, and I can't for the life of me get any of the wheel locks off. Now, I've taken two rims off before on one side, trying out different steelies for the winter. Never had a problem before. Simple, just smack the wrench a few times with a hammer nice and easy, and they come right off.

today, I spent an hour or more trying to get them off on ANY side? The damn wheel lock would slip, and slip and slip, I couldn't get any strength behind it all.

Now, it's supposed to snow tomorrow and most of this week and I'm screwed. Letting the dealer take my rims off usually result in beat up rims even when they are easy to get off. I can't imagine the damage they'd do to these now.

I thought I'd just stop, before I killed my back completely, and hope tomorrow it's not raining or snowing ( although it's supposed to ) and try again.

ahhhhhh! I hate wheel locks!

 

[dominoy2k1]

i think if you just take it to tireshop it proly be better, air tool might give it that little push, ya know..

 

[Newf]

here's what happens when I take my car to ANY garage with an air gun

Some red neck idiot sticks the gun in......hits the button, and I loose half the paint around where the lug is. I went through this every god damn time someone touched my rims with the mp3. I had every rim replaced, and said if you ever touch my rim with an air gun again..........

 

[Newf]

even just putting the wheel lock key onto the lug, it's like it has troubles.....do these things wear quickly? Strip easy? I've only used it twice before. Always had nice wheels but this is the 1st time I have had wheel locks.

 

[dominoy2k1]

s*** well i have taken the wheels of the mp3 alot of times and never had aproblem, is the lock/lugnut stripped or cracked maybe?

 

[Newf]

nope, lugs are perfect. I'm hoping....and praying it's just wet enough today to make it slip.

I need a damn garage.

Oh, and the rest of the lugs are easy to get off. Just the damn wheel locks.

 

[t3ase]

I cannot for the life of me get my wheel locks off, either. I've had the dealership take them off once before for me but I'm just going to have to get a new set. I think it's that the key just isn't deep enough to hold contact unless you have the car in the air and you're directly over the lug. Yanno?

 

[Newf]

yeah, thats what I'm thinking as well. Looking at the key, the thing isn't deep at all.

Funny how I had no troubles taking them off before though

 

[INiTiAL33]

i rotate and change my wheels every winter/summer too...... have had your porblem before too newf..... one word... WD-40...

just spray it on the wheel locks ( towards the inside where the thread is... ) let it soak for a couple minutes then go at it again.... it should work like a charm.

 

[Newf]

yeah, I tried that....still nutin. The problem is the key just keeps slipping

I'm going to try again tomorrow.

 

[t3ase]

You're more than likely going to have to impact it to get them off. I hate to say it, but we've tried EVERYTHING we can think of to get those fuckers off but to no avail.

 

[Newf]

I wonder, does the metal in the key expand and conract with temp? Last time I took the wheels off it was warm

If I can't get them off tomorrow (or whenever it stops raining) I'll bring it to the dealer and see if they can loosen the locks just enough to get the off, and I'll take the rest off myself

They ain't butchering my wheels this time.

 

[Newf]

are all the wheel locks the same pattern?

The other speed is at my dealer, so if it is my key, I'll get the key from them on monday.

 

[mp5user]

I know it won't help you now, but I foresaw such issues with the wheel locks and had the dealer replace them with standard nuts before I first picked up the car The wheel locks are tucked away safely in a ziplock bag. I hope I don't live in a place that might require wheel locks.

Fred

 

[PaulMP3]

wierd, maybe they wheel lock key isn't cut corectly..

mine come off with no problems. I take them off often. Just make sure the key is in the grooves properly b4 putting the wrench to them.

 

[girth]

Same story as Paul for me. I've taken mine off multiple times and they've come off like butter. I know this is a dumb question but are you putting the key on the nut first, then putting the wrench on the key? That's the easiest way.

The locking nuts that come with the speed are stupid -- they stick out so far that anybody can get a vice-grip wrench on them and take them off that way too. So if all else fails try that. Otherwise, yeah, just taking it to a tire shop to get the locking nuts taken off might be the easiest way.

 

[Newf]

yeah, I'm putting the key on first, then the wrench over the key

Like I said, I have had two of these rims off before. Strange they won't move now. None of them

I tried again today. No way their coming off by hand. Damn key keeps slipping.

To the dealer I go tomorrow

 

[Heathen23]

I have this exact same problem with my locks. I do put the key on first then the wrench but it almost always slips and they are eventually going to strip. They key is clearly too shallow and slips out as soon as your start to torque it everytime.

 

[good0177]

I feel you man. I was painting my calipers and had no trouble with three of the four wheels. Then, when I went to take off the fourth wheel, all four regular lugs came off no prob. then the last lug ( the dreadful lock) just wouldn't budge. I worked on if forever. I had to drive to Tires Plus and get an air wrench on it. Came right off. Just made me pissed and made me wonder if I had a flat, I would be SOL. So, no locks for me anymore. Also, a friend of mine stripped his key, so be careful. It sucks to have to drill those bitches out. Good luck. Peace.

 

[Newf]

yeah, these locks are not going back on. I can't imagine what would happen if I got a flat somewhere.