how do i remove wheel locks without a key?

[dickster]

finally got round to preparing the car for t/bar replacement, and i got stuck at the first hurdle - removing the wheels!

my insurance co lost the keys back in january when my car got stolen, so whats the best way to deal with this? i was thinking of drilling the locks.

any ideas/experience?



also, for all you guys with BIG garages and a LIFT!!



i have to open the rear lid to clear the workbench!

[john walker's workshop]

i use an airhammer with a pointed bit to destroy the outer lip, which allows the guts to be extracted. careful not to let the bit slip and chew the wheel! a big hammer and chisel would probably work also. WEAR EYE PROTECTION!

[dickster]

john

no air here, so would have to be hammer and chisel. is that preferable to drilling it out?

thanks, appreciated.

[singpilot]

Do it the way the wheel punks do it.

Vise Grips.

When that fails, they take the other 4 off, and pry the wheel off, breaking that wheel stud.

No more wheel locks for me.

[dvkk]

You could try to pick them. If you had a long thin tool like a straight dental pic, you could go in there and tickle the tumblers while pulling gently on the cylinder. Your smallest allen key might do the job too. Unsophisticated locks like those are fairly easy to pick. It just takes a little longer than in the movies.

[kcope]

A ground down hack saw blade makes a nice pick or metal strapping.

[john walker's workshop]

drilling might work, never tried it. they come off so easy with the air rig.

[dickster]

sorry, been on baby duties. thanks for the ideas. i'll try and pick first. then i'll try and get that top ring off. drilling as a last resort.

[jeff m]

They make a tool for this.
Think of an inside out stud exiracter. It's a socket with a series of cutting edges that dig in.
It effs the lock, but does not touch the wheel.

[jakermc]

Some have had success pounding a socket onto the end of the lock. Pound it on hard enough and you can use a ratchet to remove the lock. Got the locks off my Boxster S that way.

[Eric Coffey]

jeff m & jakermc:

This appears to be the old-style lock, wich is basically a tumbler on a tube that uses a special hollow lug nut. The tube rotates freelty, so a socket or reverse easy-out might not do any good.

If you don't have air, the Vice-Grip method works nicely. The tumbler is simply crimped/peened in place on the tube, so with a little time you should be able to deform the tube enough to get it off. Or simply use enough force to pull it straight off (bending the lock tab). You could try to rig up a slide hammer as well. Good luck!

[dickster]

cheers eric, the vice grips sounds easy......we'll see!

[sammygon1]

A socket just big enough to be hammered on works well. I have lost of success with that method.

[john walker's workshop]

the spinning outer shell is the problem. it's gotta go. the sockets and the inner toothed tool work well on solid mc gard locks.

[Vipergrün]

Yuck...I just went thru this after losing my keyed socket. I had the other type of *locking* lugs and used the shop used one of those sockets with the reverse teeth. Wicked looking thing inside. Anyway, I ditched the aluminum lugs all together in favor of the steel ones.....

Best of luck!

-B

[Hetmann]

I would hit t with a 4" grinder fitted with a cut off wheel. That should buzz right through the outer sleeve.

[msailer]

I used a pick and got the 4 locks off my brothers car in less than 2 minutes. If you are worried about damaging your wheels, go visit your local locksmith. These are the cheapest locks around and extremely easy to pick with a paper clip. Bend it so it looks like this, aka a lock pick.

========^-^-^

Rake the pick back and forth in the lock. Use the a small screwdriver to turn the lock, putting turning pressure on the cylinder while you rake the lock. You will get it to unlock very quickly.

[maxnine11]

maybe the above post should be deleted once the Dickster has read it

[dickster]

Anyway, I ditched the aluminum lugs all together in favor of the steel ones.....

i think i have the spinning type barrels, but what are you referring to - the wheel studs??

i have an angle grinder, but i thought it might make a mess of the wheels unless i covered them.

thanks for all the ideas. i'll let you know how i get on.

[dickster]

well, i tried the pick the lock method - no good (i'll never make a good thief).

soooo, i got out a centre punch (no chisel avail.), and hammered it into the small gap between the outer barrel, and the lock mechanism. turns out the lock part is very soft and it only took a couple of minutes to break it up enough to release the barrel.

job done