dreaded wheel locks...Argh!!!

[speedo]

Help! Ijust bought a 1973 911 T project car and finally got the 2.4 w/webers running. My goal was to assess the engine and trans before commiting to the RS conversion. A non-rust shell was a thumbs up to start with....but after figuring out 1) the wiring gremlins,2) the fuel pump demons,3) how to set the engine compartment on fire while learning about stuck weber floats,4) and to finally get the beast running and wanting to get it out on the road for a final "shakedown" before the grand disassembly process starts....I thought brakes would be helpful. So with the rear of the car in the air to get the wheels off to blead the brakes, I find the fifth lug nut is much too light , and wait it's in two pieces! I've never seen a wheel lock that fits into the countersunk recess and is flush with the surface of the Fuchs. I can't get to it because it is flush...and has a cloverleaf sort of pattern with two different size ovals. Bummer...guess no road test today! Ok, so I call local auto parts shops, and they've never heard of this kind of a lock. I call the Porsche dealer's parts guy and he's never heard of it either. I told him I thought I might try to tack- weld an old spark plug socket to the surface and try to unscrew it...then he tells me that when I call the fire dept and tell them that my magnesium wheels were on fire that they might try only to save my house. Whaduidu guys..any suggestions? Will the ****s go up in flames that easily?

[Joeaksa]

How about a picture? If its flush with the wheel, welding is not a good option.

I would think about getting a set of left hand twist drill bits and start drilling. The rotation of the drill bit tends to unscrew the lug nut. Put two of the normal nuts on the wheel beforehand and tighten then good, so that when the locking nut loosens, the weight of the wheel will not be on it and it should come off...

Joe

[JWest]

Just to let you know why you should never call the dealer again - your wheels are aluminum unless you have the rare Mahle "gas burners". If you have Fuchs, they are forged aluminum.

Porsche lug nuts are aluminum. I have seen two piece locks like you describe (but with pins instead of oval grooves). These are also aluminum so you can't weld a steel socket to them.

If they are not too tight, you may be able to get them off with very carefull work with a small chisel. Try to rotate the nut to loosen it. Use lots of penetrating oil and put the other lugs on as Joe said.

[Joeaksa]

James brings up a good point here.

Might try to loosen the puppy with a chisel as he mentioned then if the grooves are deep enough you might get a set of punches, possibly 1/8th inch in dia, and wedge them in the grooves and use a screwdriver or pry bar between them to unscrew the unit.

Being very careful and working slow might just save the wheel!

Joe

[Zeke]

Can you get a pair of needle nose vise grips in there? You could then gently turn the pliers with a screw driver in between the jaws.

[Hetmann]

You might be able to cut a slot in the center with a cutting wheel mounted on a dremel tool. Then you could wedge a big screw driver in there that you could turn with a wrench.

[boyo]

If you're desparate, load it up on a trailer and take it to a local wheel place to see if they have the key for the lock.

-Boyo

[targa911man]

That sounds an awful lot like the pattern on the lock lug on my Jeep. You might want to check with a Jeep parts dealer.

[Targa Dude]

Speedo,
This is what I would do if I was in your perdicament..

I have those type of wheel locks on my car so I have a pretty good Idea..

Find a NUT that will thead onto the Lug. Not sure what that thread is off hand. anyway I would measure the circumfrence
of the keying slots to establish the radius.
Then I would drill a couple of .125 diameter holes in the Nut matching the radius.
Thread nut onto the Lug, slide in a couple 416 stainless steel dowel pins into the drilled holes that should fall into the keying slots. carefully place a deep socket over the nut and back it out.


Good Luck... Jorge (Targa Dude)

[n8marx]

I dealt with a similar predicament the following way when the hex portion of three of my aluminum lugnuts twisted off leaving the spherical portion behind.

Based on the advice of fellow Pelicans I used a 3/4" hole saw bit and my cordless drill to cut away the nut. The hole saw bit slips over the stud and drills away the nut. If you go slowly the outer portion of the nut will break away just as you break through leaving only the threads on the stud. Go slowly so you don't cut into the wheel. A small chisel and a few light taps with a hammer will the rotate the remaining threads right off. Time required to do this was about 20 minutes total for three nuts.

Worked for me, should work for you too.

[joeycatt]

Had the same problem with a Corvette. Some "concerned citizen" had put 20 wheel locks (yes - 20....one on each of 5 studs, on all 4 wheels) on a set of BBS wheels - countersunk, just like you describe... and the car came with NO KEY.

Take the car to a tool place, where they'll let you take deep-well sockets out to "test try" on the lock. You want to find one that just slips over the lock. Then buy the next size down (I chose 12 point), and take a dremel tool (or other small grinder) and remove selected "points" until it fits onto the lock nut.
It's trial and error - but with some patience, you can do it.
It took me about an hour to make the tool - and then only 15 minutes to get all the locks off and throw them in the trash!

Good luck.

[john walker's workshop]

snap-on and others sell a socket with curved teeth inside that is hammered over the lugnut. the teeth bite in and you rotate it off. saved my ass a few times. wear goggles if you chisel a lugnut. chips can fly off and blind you.

[JMPRO]

After being stuck on the side of the road w/ a flat tire and no key to my locks {somehow the key mysteriously dissappeared from the glove box}, i took off the remaining locks and threw them as far as i could. Locks, i don't need no stinking locks. Can anybody tell me the last time wheels were stolden off a porsche.
Jerry

[Targa Dude]

Hey Jerry,

I don't know, the answer and I really don't ever want to find out.
Thats why I have Locks on my FISKE rims..

When I ordered my locks I ordered extra keys too.


Jorge (Targa Dude)

[89911]

Originally posted by speedo
...then he tells me that when I call the fire dept and tell them that my magnesium wheels were on fire that they might try only to save my house. Whaduidu guys..any suggestions? Will the ****s go up in flames that easily?

Your fire company has got to know that fuchs are forged aluminum!

[Teutonics]

I don't know if this will work or not (may not be deep enough), but has anyone tried that "As Seen On TV" Gator Grip socket? That thing looks like it would conform to almost shape with the sliding pins.

Just a thought......