Alloy Theft & Locking Nuts

Seth Brundle

How many of you out there with alloys use locking nuts on your alloys. How many use 2 sets? Has anyone ever come across a case of alloys being stolen? It is quite a common crime in the UK, just amn't sure if it is here.

mike65

Yeah I've heard alloy theft is a favourite pastime of the UK underclass, but not aware of it being much of an issue here. I don't have locking studs as they would be worth more than the wheels they secured!

Mike.

Mocking Burd

I have one lock on each of my wheels (Fiesta). How do they undo them - do they get hold of master copies or something? Don't you have to bring a cert into your main dealer to get the correct nut?

Seth Brundle

read in a mag recently about how (in the UK) a thief cut up someones bootlid to get at the toolkit on the underside of the lid where the thief suspected the 'key nut' was.

Borzoi

Cautionary tale on alloy lock nuts follows:

Had a UK supplier over last week in a 18month old Saab 95 (Aero too, nice car) The car has factory alloys, factory lock nut. He's already replaced the tire set some months ago.

Anyway, he gets a real puncture just outside my place, I offer a hand changing the wheel. He produces the special adapter to undo the lock nut, will it take, will it hell. Much swearing, WD40 and a broken adaptor later we ring the AA.

AA comes out, he mooches around for 45mins, can't get the locknut off, can't find the puncture, so he puts a bit of air in and suggest we take it to the nearest garage and get it drilled off. Now my guy is upset at the thought of his ferry and six hour drive the following day, and no possibilty to fix a flat!

So, I've a Saab, and know the dealer I ring them, explan the situation, get it around. Using the dealer adaptor, and pneumatic tyre gun, they get the nut off, (all four wheels BTW) and replace four locknuts with standards and fit one new tire. Jobs oxo. Bill for €60 that will be passed on to Saab UK

So the moral of locknuts is:
Maintain them
Make sure you (or anyone who drives your car) can change em.

dcGT

I have 1 locknut on each wheel of the car. With the amount of 'fancy' and expensive alloys around Ireland nowadays, I fear it's only a matter of time before we follow the fate of the UK. 'Anti Jacking' or level sensors are becoming more popular over here too as an add-on to modular car alarm systems. Alarm goes off if you try to jack up the car.

DC.

dcGT

Mocking Burd wrote:

I have one lock on each of my wheels (Fiesta). How do they undo them - do they get hold of master copies or something? Don't you have to bring a cert into your main dealer to get the correct nut?

Do you mean how does the scumbag thief undo them? At best, they are simply deterred by the lock nuts. At worst, they will break into the car in search of the lock nut key. Usually, the 'key' is coded (written on the box or a piece of paper when you buy the locknuts). Then you go to whoever makes the locknut and order a replacement. I'm not certain about Ford OEM lock nuts though. Might be written in the user manual you get the with car, along with the code for the radio.

DC.

DoctorEdgeWild

I change my lock nuts every year with my tyres. Ive seen too many cars with cheapo lock nuts needing serious surgery just to get the wheels off. they only cos 30 bucks for 4 so once a year for safe wheels seems like good value to me.

BrianD

Was walking home on a Sunday night some weeks ago and noticed an 03 Vectra parked oddly on Dartmouth Rd. in Ranelagh. Looked again and saw that somebody had pinched his alloys (I assume he had alloys). Just left the jack in place. Poor guy!

DaveD

I have lock nuts on my wheels. In the early hours one morning my neighbour seen 2 lads at my car looking at the wheels and heard one say to the other "Ah ****, he has lock nuts on them". My neighbour let a roar at them and they ran but thankfully the lock nuts do seem to be a deterrant.

puntosporting

Interestingly enough my mate and i both have a set of locknuts not sure on the brand but the key works on both sets its identical to his key???
Not a very secure system just a minor deterent realy,its easy to get a key just buy the same set of locknuts as the car you would want to steal the rims off im sure the key would be the same!
I actualy was chatting to a lad working in a local tyre place in limerick and he was telling me on a certain brand of locknuts the keys are identical,but on a more expensive brand there are 3 or 4 different tpes of keys and locknuts so it reduces the odds by 3 or 4 to 1 of having an identical key!

jayok

I too got locknuts installed. Actually I specficially ask for them off the dealer so they are geniune parts - don't want the things shredding on me. Seems to be a large number of variations for the manufacturer (It's a Honda) as the dealer took my reg plate and the locknut serial number installed just in case (maybe he was just bullsh**ing me?).

Anyhow, I simply put them on to deter thieft. The cost of replacing these things are just too much (think alloys and tyres = €1,000+). I know someone could smash into the car and rob the key at which stage they'd probably get the alloys anyway. But is it really worth the hassle for the thieves? Probably not. Besides you could say that about your seats, airbags, etc.

Then again as I ramble, don't see much of a demand for my alloys and they would only fit the one car (a Civic Type-R) and are five stud, most cars in that class are 4 stud I believe.

JayoK

dcGT

DaveD wrote:

I have lock nuts on my wheels. In the early hours one morning my neighbour seen 2 lads at my car looking at the wheels and heard one say to the other "Ah ****, he has lock nuts on them". My neighbour let a roar at them and they ran but thankfully the lock nuts do seem to be a deterrant.

Exactly. If they want it, they will get it, but if two cars are parked beside eachother with the same wheels - one has locknuts, and the other doesn't - which is the scumbag going to go for? It's the same with any car security device.

DC.

fletch

My Uncle came out one morning to find his Pug 205 GTI sitting on the ground less all 4 of his expensive aftermarket alloys. Did damage to the suspension AFAIK
My Dad had genuine Ford locking wheel nuts, Ford lost the key during a service. We only noticed about 2months later, brought it to their attention, they denied all responsibility & were unable to get a duplicate key. Ended up having to drill the wheels off. (The punctured one had to be drilled off at the side of the road!) Morale of the story....keep the unlocking key in a safe place

Peace

dcGT wrote:

Exactly. If they want it, they will get it, but if two cars are parked beside eachother with the same wheels - one has locknuts, and the other doesn't - which is the scumbag going to go for? It's the same with any car security device.

DC.

Sounds like a perfect experiment for Brainiac...

WANTED:
2 identical cars parked beside eachother with the same wheels - one has locknuts, and the other doesn't ... plus a shotgun.

dcGT

Peace wrote:

Sounds like a perfect experiment for Brainiac...

WANTED:
2 identical cars parked beside eachother with the same wheels - one has locknuts, and the other doesn't ... plus a shotgun.

LOL... good idea. Isn't there a show like that somewhere where they set up scenarios to tempt car thieves and the like and then record the results for the local police to view? Now THAT'S entertainment

DC.

Peace

dcGT wrote:

LOL... good idea. Isn't there a show like that somewhere where they set up scenarios to tempt car thieves and the like and then record the results for the local police to view? Now THAT'S entertainment

DC.

I think its called rats or maybe rat trap... I've watched it a couple of times and it just makes my blood boil.

Blitzkrieger

Two sets of lock nuts sounds dodgy. I don't trust them to hold the wheel as well as a standard nut.