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

As most of you know my 85 911 and 86 El Camino are my daily drivers.

My wife has "her" car, a 2017 Macan she order to her specifications. My name is on the title, but it is her car. I have done two oil changes, and that is all. For the more complex scheduled services she takes it to the dealer. It has only been worked by the dealer and myself. The vehicle has been faultless.

Yesterday when she was at lunch with one of her girlfriends she texted me, and said her tire pressure monitor showed the right rear was 15 pounds low. She got home and I used a gauge to check, and it was at 22 PSI and supposed to be 39 PSI. Crap, a slow leak. Leaving the car with the average tire shop, even good ones is not optimal. The car is pristine, super clean, not one scratch or door ding, with 22,000 miles on it. I have had tires put on the El Camino and get in to tire monkey nasty steering wheel. With a plastic steering wheel on the Elky, it was easy cleanup, but I did not want that for her leather steering wheel.

OK, I have a lift, and I can get the tire off and take it in to a local tire chain, Hibdons. They will dismount the tire, patch the hole, and mount it again no charge. So I get the Macan in the air, and wait, what, there are tire locks, one lug per wheel is a special lock splined lug and needs a special adapter. OK, whip out the manual, and it is supposed to have a key next to the spare tire. No adapter key, just an empty hole where it should be. Crap. So I drive to the dealer and they say they have to have the car there to match up the key with their master set. Double crap.

So back home, put back on the two lugs I had take off, and put the car on the ground, and off to the dealer. They whip out the master set, and low and behold, not a full set, one lock is missing. Guess what the one I needed! Yep, and that lock is on backorder! They went to the mechanics, and found me a lock adapter that fits our lugs.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1671577412.jpg

So I had to pay 44 bucks for a new one, and they gave me one that had been used. So damn what, it is not a 100 point show car. So back home, put the Macan on the lift again, take the wheel off, and take it to the tire shop. I got all done and back in the house about 4:40.

I can only guess that when they rotated the tires at the dealership some new mechanic kept our lock. I had better things to do that throw a fit, but I did express my great displeasure with the situation. They all know me from the Porsche club, and we bought the Macan from them, and I have been around forever.

The really great wonderful news is the car in in my garage, and we are not in rural Arkansas on the side of the road, in the rain, trying to change a flat and stuck without an adapter to get the wheel off.

I went to pick up the wheel and tire today, and all is perfect, and free. Again I have been a Hibdons customer for many decades, and they had me as a long time customer. It was very handy to have my El Camino to go get the tire. I mounted the tire back on the car, and lowerd it off of the lift. I had to look up the torque requirement, and it is 118 pound feet! Wow.

I had to dig out my biggest torque wrench and crank it down. It only goes to 140 pound feet. I had to put on a glove and push down HARD to get them torqued.

The flat repair was free, and my labor was free, so just the multiple trips to the dealership, and the tire store. Both are about 2.75 miles away, so no major journey. Oh and a 44 dollar adapter that was stolen from the car. The real kick is I can buy a "master set" from Porsche for just 85$ but just one adapter is 44 with the taxes. Such a bargain.

We are very lucky it was a slow leak, and just here in town. With my impact wrench getting the old lugs off was super easy once I had the adapter. I am not sure the average strength human can get the lugs off with the little lug wrench Porsche provides. It would sure be a real challenge. With a lift, and pneumatic impact wrench, gloves and a nice heated garage is was still an effort. I can't imagine trying that on the side of a road.

So my point of posting this is, if you have a modern vehicle with wheel locks, go be 100% certain you have the adapter to get the lugs off. In the future, I will remove the adapter before she goes back for some service I don't want to do. I am also going to order a long pull handle 3/4 drive and a 19 mm deep socket to put in the car. It has a decent looking jack, and even chocks to prevent the car from rolling.

I had no idea the Macan had locking lug bolts. Go see if your vehicle does and if you have the adapter. The VIN is not enough to order an adapter. They have to match it up to the lug. And, as I said, I am going to get a better longer wrench to get those lugs off.
The space saver spare and the compressor are in like new shape. I did not test the compressor, I may do that in the near future.

and that my friend is a classic PITA!

Get rid of the locking lug nuts and order 4 OEM plain lug nuts. Our 993 with its fancy wheels goes without the lockers, they are in a little bag in the frunk along with the key.

That helps, but is just part of the process. I have no idea what the torque required to R&R the lugs from a new 911 is. Of course the center mount nuts are just huge numbers and require a 3 foot wrench.

Could you remove the standard lugs on a modern Porsche or other high end vehicle.

Rant on:
There is no such thing as a frunk. It is just a trunk! In a Boxster, Cayman, or 914 what do you call the rear trunk? Is it a runk or rrunk? No it is just a trunk like the one in the front!
End Rant.

118# isn't out of the ordinary on the new wheels and lug nuts, though some of the earlier softer alloy wheels were less. Some only 75#.

My Boxster S and my 996 C4 the first project on both was to remove the wheel security lug bolts and replace with regular . If you think you are stopping a wheel thief with that security lug bolt I have some dry swamp land to sell you 😋 .

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

By "long pull handle" you mean a breaker bar? Good idea...I've carried the proper socket and a breaker bar in everything I drive for years. Only 1/2" drive though. 3/4" drive seems overkill to me, even at 140 foot pounds. A 25" one should give more than enough leverage...

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-25-in-breaker-bar-62729.html?_br_psugg_q=1%2F2+inch+drive+breaker+ba r

Up to you on the security lugs, but I agree they don't stop a determined wheel thief. Those boys just carry a set of Bolt outs...

I may be getting old. But why do things have to be such a PITA.

At least you didn't have to register online, wait for a confirmation email that never arrives, phone the help centre in Mumbai...

new to me 718 has them, but I noticed the key floating around in the fr.......er the front luggage compartment. Will put normal lugs in first time the wheels are off.

My 930 had them as well, little keyed rings underneath the normal alloy lug nuts. Took a shop a few hours to get them off (in the early 90s), had the tool but the pins were not up to the torque. Still a few nicks on the lug seats on my fuchs.


I think for most people, in most places these cause much more harm than good. The medicine is worse than the sickness.

my 1986 944 turbo had wheel locks from the factory.

this isnt a new thing.

I have had several instances of shops trying to keep my locking lug nut adapter and even my car's factory tools. I usually check before leaving and demand them back.

I suspect that is where a lot of the tools/tool kits on Ebay come from.

Once I went to pick up a car that was being painted after a person hit me at a stop light. When I went to pick it up, it had a small scrape and one of the turn signals on the other side of the car was broken. I pointed that out and they told me it came in that way. They adamantly assured me it did not and acted as if was trying to commit fraud. I asked if they did not take pictures if cars when they came in. They said they did normally take photos but did not this particular day.

I whipped out my phone and showed them some very clear photos of the car on the wrecker and in front of their building waiting repair...with no damage. They still claimed I was wrong. I called my insurance agency, and they made them fix it. What dirt bags. Take lots of photos of your car after an accident (and before they start to work on it).

I replace the wheel locks with standard nuts or bolts on all my vehicles. This is not a modern car problem. Wheel locks came on my 97 993 from the PO and also on my 2000-teen VWs. You can even buy a kit for doing this for VW.

Do thieves even steal wheels any longer? I don’t recall the last time I’ve heard about anybody having the wheels on their car stolen.

I hate wheel locks. That's all.

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.

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

I paid $500 for my daughters well used 2008 Mazda 3. I about died laughing when I realized it had one wheel lock per wheel. Off they came and the correct lug bolts went on.

Every day.

https://www.kiiitv.com/article/news/local/all-four-tires-stolen-from-truck-in-broad-daylight-outside-south-texas-movie-theater/503-2b5b68f7-71c0-4acd-96f7-22bdbd6823e7

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/tow-trucker-uses-tiktok-to-warn-drivers-about-car-rim-theft/65-e2f29202-e597-4155-b764-e2476845b0be

https://wjla.com/news/local/dc-wheel-theft-crime-tires-car-washington-police-district-carjacking-mpd-florida-man-visiting-friends-chop-shop-rims-stolen-vehicle-string-thefts-continues

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/tires-and-wheel-stolen-off-familys-suv-parked-at-dtws-big-blue-deck

I hate wheel locks, and always pull them and replace with regular wheel bolts.

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.

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

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!!!

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

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.

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?

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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