944 Wheel lock work principle

[Peter Green]

Hello! I'm new, just got a cheap white 1987 944, but boy what a brutal piece of metal! i love it.

Anyways, the prev owner (=reseller) didn't have the wheel lock keys (same old story).

I read the topics and people have succesfully picked those locks with some help of a locksmith. So i did try that too, and a local shop guy was very helpful but couldn't get it off, because he wasn't sure how exactly those locks come off. So he suggested i ask people on here.

How exactly does it come off? Does it spin off, or it pulls off? This isn't obvious because the whole lock is rotating with the key! Where do you apply the tension to take it off?

The greater detail the better. Maybe a scheme? Thanks so much.

p.s. i know this might be a wrong thing to wright in terms of security so i guess PM would be a way to keep sensitive information hidden. Although personnaly i don't worry that much of my wheels stolen


Peter

[Techno Duck]

Normally you insert the key, turn it and the lock pulls off. The factory wheel locks are not particuarly strong and a solid shot with a chisel or center punch is usualy allthat's needed to get them off.

[Peter Green]

I also don't consider just breaking them off as i need to have keys made for them Or i can just break them off and live without them right? Although i still prefer a more elegant solution.

Techno Duck, does the whole lock turn, or the inner part turns independently from the outer shell? Does it pop off, or you have to pull it? Thank you. I'm trying to be an effective transmitter of info to a locksmith who spends way too much off his time trying to get this thing off)

[Techno Duck]

The lock turns with the key about 90 degrees inside the housing, then the entire piece pulls straight off. Basically the key is your handle to pull it out.

[Peter Green]

Ok.. Thank you very much, i hope this will be sufficient for my locksmith

[krystar]

if u don't care about the lock itself, go sears or tool store and get a lug nut remover. it's basically a big nasty toothed harden steel bolt-out. whack it on there with a big ol sledge and then put a ratchet on and turn it off.

[Griffinroydonal]

I always use a metal cutoff wheel on a small grinder and just cut the lock across the face to a depth of 3/4 inch. The lock falls out and you just pull the rest off. This takes 30 seconds and you are on your way. I have bought several cars with no keys and just cut the locks. This is a lot cheaper than a locksmith but you must be careful to not scratch the rims with the metal cutting wheel.

[Peter Green]

That's rough! Allright. Maybe after all i'll do that to save the weight of one extra key in my pocket..

[grudk]

Funny, have the same problem with my Mini at the moment ...

Don't think the dealer ever gave me a 'key' (more of a male/female adaptor)...not in the toolkit. Wheel is bent and I can't drive the car to the dealer now...

So, here is the advice I got, similar to Krystar... 'buy sockets at sears - 4 of them, just smaller than your wheel locks. Hammer the socket onto the locks, and remove them.'

I'm going to replace with standard nuts as I don't want to deal with this nonsense again. Hardly any real security gain from these 'locks,' but I suppose it's good for dealer margin

[anotherblack944]

Been quite a few years but, as I recall it was just a matter of drilling off the ridge around the cylinder and then it falls right out. It just took a few minutes as the cover is pretty soft.

[Techno Duck]

Hammering a socket onto the factory lock is not possible, there is nothing to grab onto. The lock also covers almost the entire lug hole.

[SolReaver]

Trash the locks, or, if you are the fussy type, pick em and save them in the glove compartment. Rim theft is not as much of a concern as it was back in the day as the rims are reasonably priced currently so it is not likely someone will jack the rims, however the TIRES may be valuable. (or not)

I removed the locks and run straight lugs which makes it easier to work on the car and well you are going to be working on the car a lot. If you replace them with aftermarkets be careful as the lugs are a light alloy and replacing them with "standard" (non porsche) lugs might create a tiny imbalance. The "key" is nothing more than a piece of sheet metal, you can bend one up without too much fuss out of a piece of scrap using some pliers. I did it by the side of the road the last time I caught a flat with the 928 (same lugs and locks)

You turn the center piece with the key while holding the collar and the collar essentially comes off leaving you with a slightly taller lug nut that you then remove.

Clean and grease your lug nuts and check for junk in the sockets of the hub as well as where the hub contacts the rotor while you are there. Good luck. happy motoring. Welcome to the asylum.

[Tervuren]

I had the key, but had a lock that wouldn't come off. I think someone working on the car had tried to force it in the past, I drilled it out and said goodbye to the locks.

[John_AZ]

Originally Posted by Peter Green

Ok.. Thank you very much, i hope this will be sufficient for my locksmith

I went to a small locksmith-owner operator, and for $20 he picked the wheel lock and gave me 2 keys in less than 10 minutes.

[pinball_0]

If some one wants your rims and tires... they probable jack the whole car with a tow truck/dolly. It's faster, and most people don't question a tow truck.

So --- I forgo the wheel locks. I don't have gold rims or ultra high, expensive tires.


Still makes me cringe to think about it

But the petty thiefs, (kids and bums) steel easy stuff that is highly marketable, this stuff isn't as marketable and to jack up a car, lug wrench off the tires to get wheels... and they need blocks to support it after wheels gone - probably too much trouble unless your in a very poverty stricken area anyway where your whole car probably get stripped.

I'd worry more about the stereo, the GPS, and any other electronics.