Wheel lock removal, the hard way...

[Pastel Blue]

This sucks... I did not realize until the car was nearly stripped , that those different shiny wheel nuts on each wheel were actually wheel locks. Of course, the car did not show up at my place with the key lock...

The good news, the two rear locks came off with some WD-40 and vice lock persuasion (good to ensure no damage to the rear axle lug nuts). The bad news, the two front locks will not come off, no matter what. I have spent a few hours trying everything I have at my disposal. Finally, today, I used a grinder, drill etc. and got the passenger side off, 3hours later...

I am left with this driver side one, that as you can see has been abused in my attempts to remove. Is my only option having it cut off with a torch (I don't have...)? I am not worried about the rotors, they have to be changed anyway, but the wheel is not something I want to mark up. I did put a few marks on the passenger side, so I am trying to avoid moving forward.

Suggestions welcome... Cheers

 

[Mister 4x4]

Get a throwaway socket that's roughly the same size, and hammer it onto what's left (12-point might work best for this). Then use the ratchet with a cheater bar (and lots of PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, etc. - penetrating oil) to get it off. Throw the socket away when done (unless you just want to keep it as a souvenir or something).

 

[Pastel Blue]

Tried that, the socket is in good shape, the wheel lock is of cheaper quality and rounded off fairly easily when I applied pressure with the cheater bar. Good advice though...

Get a throwaway socket that's roughly the same size, and hammer it onto what's left (12-point might work best for this). Then use the ratchet with a cheater bar (and lots of PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, etc. - penetrating oil) to get it off. Throw the socket away when done (unless you just want to keep it as a souvenir or something).

Tried that, the socket is in good shape, the wheel lock is of cheaper quality and rounded off fairly easily when I applied pressure with the cheater bar. Good advice though...

Get a throwaway socket that's roughly the same size, and hammer it onto what's left (12-point might work best for this). Then use the ratchet with a cheater bar (and lots of PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, etc. - penetrating oil) to get it off. Throw the socket away when done (unless you just want to keep it as a souvenir or something).

I will try that again tomorrow... After all the effort today, maybe another shot at this might work... Cheers

 

[rocket366]

Drill between the stud and nut top and bottom

where the threads are

chisel it off

wasted a wheel stud but job done

good luck

Paul

 

[Qcode351mach]

Mig welder --weld on a bolt--get on it right away the heat from welding will help..I've also used a propane torch then air chisel to spin off

 

[PADave]

You might have to take a dremel tool or similar and grind a nice groove in it almost all the way to the threads, then split it with a chisel.

 

[Pastel Blue]

Hey, some good ideas here, very doable from my end. I may try the propane torch (which I have been using to date) and then the air chisel idea first. Drilling between the threads in a couple spots then chiseling it off may work also. I could grind some excess material off first then go at it. Just trying to do it a little easier then what I went through today. We will get 'er done... Thanks.

 

[Mister 4x4]

You might have to take a dremel tool or similar and grind a nice groove in it almost all the way to the threads, then split it with a chisel.

That would be the next thing I would try.

 

[Don C]

A nut splitter:

http://www.sears.com/general-nut-splitter/p-00925434000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

The darn studs are cheap and easy to replace. Drill using small drill at first then bigger until you can break off. Beat and heat the two best tools in your box.

David

 

[judge]

They make a set of sockets for removing these nuts. Got mine at Sears. A set of three flip sockets that have a reverse twist broad thread like an easy-out. Probably cost $20.00 for set.

 

[Mister 4x4]

They make a set of sockets for removing these nuts. Got mine at Sears. A set of three flip sockets that have a reverse twist broad thread like an easy-out. Probably cost $20.00 for set.

Oh yeah - forgot about those. Man, since K-Mart merged with Sears, and without Bob Vila getting on the TV now and then talking about all the cool new tool Sears & Craftsman put out, I don't even think about them anymore (our local Sears is now nothing more than a K-Mart attached to the mall).

 

[Hemikiller]

Use the grinder and try to cut the nut a bit and use the chisel to split it. If that doesn't work, get a couple cut-off wheels for the grinder and remove stud, nut and all. a new one is $2 at the parts store.

 

[TommyK]

They make a set of sockets for removing these nuts. Got mine at Sears. A set of three flip sockets that have a reverse twist broad thread like an easy-out. Probably cost $20.00 for set.

^^This^^ is what I did when I drove away with the key still on the lug nut.:shootself:

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

easy peasy- cut the nut with a cutoff wheel right along the side of the stud until you are almost touching the wheel and chisel the remainder off, The portion still on the stud should unscrew after that, or you might have to make a second cut. Replace the wheel stud.

Also, that bearing grease is now contaminated, make sure and remove it all and clean it up good.

 

[Pastel Blue]

All done... drilled a couple holes in-between the stud and wheel lock used various sized chisels, elbow grease; done and over with... Now I can move on to stripping the paint.

This was not as easy it some might think, as wheel locks are much smaller in width on the outer half of the stud, vs. a normal wheel nut. Therefore, I could not use any lug nut removers that you buy for this job as they are designed for a full size wheel lug.

As the car is being restored, I did not have to worry about contaminating the wheel bearing grease, cutting into rotors etc. (these need to be replaced any way). I was only worried about the wheels, put a few minor scraps in them, but nothing serious.

In the end, it look a hellva lot of hard work, persistence, cut hands, a bruised hand from a hammer miss :bomb:

To bad the dealer I got the car from did not get the wheel lock key from the seller when he got the car. Lost two days 'dicken around with this.

Just a final thank-you to all, some great suggestions for all of us if and when the time comes in the future to address this pain in a_ _. Cheers

 

[Jim and Jutta]

I believe most large wheel/tire shops keep a wide assortment of wheel locks, if you take them one that you've removed they might lend you a key. Mine had wheel locks when I first bought it but no key, took it to the local Les Swab dealer and they had a key that fit.

 

[mickus]

Second; the mig.

 

[Mexican]

Yeah, that was done the hard way, last week my daughter had a flat and no key to the lock, i used a socket that was slightly smaller than the lock, drove it in with 2 small taps fo a hammer and proceded to unscrew it from the wheel, when we made it home i found 3 more old sockets the same size and got the 3 other locks, no damage done to the stud, installed regular nuts and no more worries::thumb::