Do you drive a modern high end vehicle? Read this!

[JackDidley]

First thing I did when I got my Cayman was get rid of the locks. Same thing on 2 previous Corvettes. My C6 does not have them. Around here nobody steals wheels.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by speeder

It would be very unusual these days unless the vehicle has been stolen and was stripped for all valuable items. Stealing just the wheels I have not heard of in a very long time. Not that it could not happen but seems to be a rare occurrence and wheel locks are a PIA.

It happens all of the time all over the place. But yes, lots of cars are stolen too.

Originally Posted by rcooled

I once had a tire shop steal my unused spare on a factory alloy wheel (E46 BMW) and replace it with a nearly-bald retread on a steel wheel. When I raised hell, they replaced the wheel & tire and gave me free alignments for as long as I owned the car.

I knew a guy years ago, that had been a bad boy when he was younger. He and a bunch of his buddies were into mustangs. Apparently, the spare tires from T-birds were compact alloy spares. They fit on mustangs and were great for drag racing. So people would go to test drive a T-bird and dump the spare on the test drive with a waiting buddy and then take the car back.

Originally Posted by fintstone

I bet one of the employees was building a set of four from various cars for his own.

Absolutely, or selling, or getting for a buddy.

35+ years ago, I bought a Ford Ranger with lock nuts. The same guy was able to tell me the secret to getting them off. 15/16 Craftsman 6 point standard depth (not deep-well) socket. Pound the socket onto the nut with a hammer and remove with a breaker bar. It worked exactly as described.

[porsche tech]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Wow...140 ft. pounds? Also, look like a lug design that makes it tough to align the wheel...weird.

Since the advent of the 996 and 986 Porsche has used lug bolts instead of lug nuts. Audi and VW use them too. And you’re correct…major pain in the backside with no studs to hang the wheel on. Like Glen was saying, can’t imagine what a pain it is to do on the side of the road (with your suit on)…especially when you don’t have the key!!!

[911 Rod]

I worry more about have the cats stolen from my truck than the wheels.
Both would suck.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by porsche tech

Since the advent of the 996 and 986 Porsche has used lug bolts instead of lug nuts. Audi and VW use them too. And you’re correct…major pain in the backside with no studs to hang the wheel on. Like Glen was saying, can’t imagine what a pain it is to do on the side of the road (with your suit on)…especially when you don’t have the key!!!

Sure sounds PITA to me. One solution might be is to carry a round piece of something steel to stick in one of the holes that you could hang a wheel on as an alignment tool.

Stupnagel engineering if you ask me...which, of course, they don't.

[herr_oberst]

[porsche tech]

Cayenne came with a chrome shaft with a threaded end to screw in one of the lug holes so you could hang the wheel/tire on it. Still a PITA. Ever try to pick up a Cayenne wheel and tire?

[herr_oberst]

I wonder if Glen bought his own wheel lock key back from the dealer for 44 bucks?

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

There ya go...also evidence of conspiracy between car makers and tool makers. I can hear it now: "Let's design this so mechanics will have to buy yet another specialty tool." Hey, we've all been there where we thought that. I have a set of VIM triple square metric sockets I may have used 3 times.

Also, you could be right...Glen buying his own wheel lock key back...sheesh!

[look 171]

Man, wheel lock sucks. I took them off all my cars and replaced with normal. No more having to look for it and it is never found until three weeks later. The tires guys wouldn't steal them becasue it isn't needed.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I just posted about this in my people being nicer thread.

Local tire shop who does all my cars mounted new tires on the Cayenne a few months ago. Went to put my snows on and couldn't find the special anti-theft socket. Searched the truck. Went down there, they looked, couldn't find it, said to get another one and they'll cover it. Dealership had one left (discontinued), got it, brought the invoice to the tire shop and they gave me cash and $10 over to cover hassle, all with a smile.

The socket I got from the dealer is like the one in your pic but was only $21, $17 with my discount. I wonder if they double charged you by mistake.

I like the socket because of the GTS wheels and I park in Boston a lot.

[HobieMarty]

When I got my SHO I noticed a different looking lug nut on each wheel, one per wheel and there was a clip on the lug wrench that would have held the "key" for the locking lug nut. I took the car to the local Ford dealer to get a lug nut "Key" and the service manager brought out his set and he didn't have a match. He did however look up the code for the keyless entry thing that is on the driver's door, no charge, and all the mechanics came out to have a look at the car as no one had ever seen a V8 SHO before. Anyhoo, I ended up taking the car to a tire shop that I used and they cut the locking lugs off and replaced them with a normal lug nut for only a few bucks.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Nickshu]

First thing I do when I get a new Porsche is buy 4 standard lug nuts and get rid of the wheel lock lug nuts.

[sugarwood]

118 lbs is probably a good push with a 25" breaker bar

[sugarwood]

Why the breaker bar? Is your wife really going to change the tire on the side of the road?

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Nickshu

First thing I do when I get a new Porsche is buy 4 standard lug nuts and get rid of the wheel lock lug nuts.

First thing I do when I buy a brand new Porsche is wake up from the dream I'm having and remember that I don't have the means to get a new Porsche!

[fintstone]

A few years back I was staying at a nice hotel in Albuquerque and noticed an SUV on some massive flashy wheels/tires (22s?) when I went in for the night. When I came out early the next morning, it was on blocks. It was not even parked in a secluded spot and the area was well lit and right off a busy street.

I had a '65 Mustang with nice wheels and tires that was stolen in Denver in '78 a few weeks after I bought it. It was on blocks when recovered (and stripped). I moved away a few months later (after putting the car back together) and then back to Denver a few years later and the same car was stolen again. After reporting it missing, I drove my wife's car to work and found it broken down along the way with the hood up. I had installed a manual choke and they could not keep it running without knowing to adjust it.

I think the locking nuts scare away the nonpros that just want a quick set of nice wheels.

[Baz]

Don't think I have any on my 850. Lug nut torque is around 65 lbs.....

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

Why the breaker bar? Is your wife really going to change the tire on the side of the road?

My daughter can. When she first got her license, we spent time in the driveway...she's 5'4, was around 110 pounds then...BUT she was able to open the trunk, remove spare & scissors jack, use a 24" breaker bar and the proper size socket. Some years later, she made a call to thank me for doing that.

[sc_rufctr]

I've still got the original lock nuts on my old MB (1992). They've got a Mercedes star stamped into them. There's a funny squiggle shape in the socket that mates with the lug nut on the wheel. They work really well but I doubt I'd be able to find another if I ever lost the socket.