Back end slide

[Gazdkw]

Booked in for Monday afternoon for the uniroyal rainsport 5 and 4 wheel alignment

[Gazdkw]

Some words of advice.

If you can, get rid of the locking wheel nuts the first chance you get.

Tyre place rounded the key. I spent 3 hours getting the spinning collars off last night. Mate of mine has a tool to get them off once the collars are removed.

Garage wanted £80+vat an hour and they couldn't tell me how long it would take.

The key for those locking wheel nuts is utter rubbish

[Puffster]

Depends what your local scrotes are like but personally I don't bother with locking wheel nuts on cars over 8 years old, more pain than use.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Gazdkw

Some words of advice.

If you can, get rid of the locking wheel nuts the first chance you get.

Tyre place rounded the key. I spent 3 hours getting the spinning collars off last night. Mate of mine has a tool to get them off once the collars are removed.

Garage wanted £80+vat an hour and they couldn't tell me how long it would take.

The key for those locking wheel nuts is utter rubbish

Well, with respect, that was their problem... they rounded the locking key, not you. Or it could have been rounded in the past. This is how I see it;

-I bet they (tyre place) rounded the locking key because they were taking the locking wheel nut of with an impact gun without loosening it by hand first.

- They tightened the locking key fully into position with an impact gun, which overtightens it way above what the torque spec is, which likely rounded it.

- Someone overtightened it in the past, rounding it and left it alone. Can't blame the locking key. Its the person that put it on or took it off that's the problem.

I've had locking wheel nuts for years and never had an issue. They don't just round themselves.

[Tatsfield]

But they are a magnet for incompetent tyre fitters!

[Kev0607]

I guess if someone really wanted to take the alloys, they wouldn't be bothered about the locking key. They'd just take the car nowadays! Its a catch 22 really.

I still prefer to have locking nuts though. Like I said, I don't blame the locking key, I blame incompetence somewhere down the line.

Don't be under the illusion that just having lug nuts and no locking key will solve your problems. If the lug nuts are overtightened with an impact gun, they can round too.

I'm not having a go at the OP. It was unfortunate that he had to go to all the effort he did, but someone goosed up somewhere down the line and it bit him in the face, sadly.

[Gazdkw]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

Well, with respect, that was their problem... they rounded the locking key, not you. Or it could have been rounded in the past. This is how I see it;

-I bet they (tyre place) rounded the locking key because they were taking the locking wheel nut of with an impact gun without loosening it by hand first.

- They tightened the locking key fully into position with an impact gun, which overtightens it way above what the torque spec is, which likely rounded it.

- Someone overtightened it in the past, rounding it and left it alone. Can't blame the locking key. Its the person that put it on or took it off that's the problem.

I've had locking wheel nuts for years and never had an issue. They don't just round themselves.

I partially agree.....

I have used the key numerous times and not had a problem. But, I have always felt like it's going to go at any time, i have just applied as much pressure towards the wheel as I could whilst gently trying to crack the bolt loose. The keys are soft IMO.

The life of the key will also depend on the amount of times its used, regardless of how careful you are.

In this instance I know the tyre company did it because I had the backs off 6 months or so to do the rear trailing arm bushes. Key was fine then and not been used since....

However, I didn't have the energy to argue with him seems he blamed someone else before I'd even said anything.

Anyways, I have got them all out now

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Gazdkw

I partially agree.....

I have used the key numerous times and not had a problem. But, I have always felt like it's going to go at any time, i have just applied as much pressure towards the wheel as I could whilst gently trying to crack the bolt loose. The keys are soft IMO.

The life of the key will also depend on the amount of times its used, regardless of how careful you are.

In this instance I know the tyre company did it because I had the backs off 6 months or so to do the rear trailing arm bushes. Key was fine then and not been used since....

However, I didn't have the energy to argue with him seems he blamed someone else before I'd even said anything.

Anyways, I have got them all out now

Yes, the teeth inside that grip onto the locking nut can get worn inside over time. I always, if it feels a bit loose, make sure that the key is snugly in place 100% before tightening it or loosening it.

Most of these tyre places work at 100mph. It doesn't surprise me that they rounded it. After I had tyres replaced a while back, I had to stand on a breaker bar to get the lug nuts loose with a scaffolding tube on one end of it for extra leverage... They put my lug nuts on with an air impact gun.

[Gazdkw]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

Yes, the teeth inside that grip onto the locking nut can get worn inside over time. I always, if it feels a bit loose, make sure that the key is snugly in place 100% before tightening it or loosening it.

Most of these tyre places work at 100mph. It doesn't surprise me that they rounded it. After I had tyres replaced a while back, I had to stand on a breaker bar to get the lug nuts loose with a scaffolding tube on one end of it for extra leverage... They put my lug nuts on with an air impact gun.

Not surprised at all.

I won't have this problem again as I am replacing with standard bolts

[apersson850]

There is a reason I exchange my wheels myself...
Being in Sweden, it's done at least twice a year, shifting between summer and winter tires.
No problem with locking screws. But I know how to handle them.