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[rcaws]

Guys,

If you need to remove locking wheel nuts but your key is either A: Lost B: Broken and the stealers cant sort you out becuase they are numpteys!!!!

Dont take it to the garage where you will get it back with dings all over your alloys.

Get a Halfrauds 19mm chrome vadium socket and an extension bar, and a big hammer! beat the socket VERY hard untill it completly covers the nut, then get your wrench and the wheel wrench suplied with the vehicle, slip the later over the former and bingo they come of no problem.

Hope this is of assitance to anyone who faced the same problem as me today!!  

[TheBoy]

Guys,

If you need to remove locking wheel nuts but your key is either A: Lost B: Broken and the stealers cant sort you out becuase they are numpteys!!!!

Dont take it to the garage where you will get it back with dings all over your alloys.

Get a Halfrauds 19mm chrome vadium socket and an extension bar, and a big hammer! beat the socket VERY hard untill it completly covers the nut, then get your wrench and the wheel wrench suplied with the vehicle, slip the later over the former and bingo they come of no problem.

Hope this is of assitance to anyone who faced the same problem as me today!!  

Fairly common method.  However, better locking nuts have 'spinners' to prevent this.

[Kevin Wood]

Yep. Been there, done that, thanks to numpty tyre fitters who left the key on my boot lid and sent me on my way

Needed a replacement socket to do the last one but 2 old sockets beats some of the prices I was quoted to get them off.

Don't let a tyre outfit overtighten them either. Happened to me before as well. Thought wheel nuts were 'kin tight so I loosened one of the non-locking ones. Took 200ft.lb. Figured it must have siezed. Tightened to same position. 200 ft.lb. Locking key was already fubar when I looked at it. Got one nut off before it stopped playing. Took to k**k f*t. in desperation, as they were closest and I had a puncture. Offered to try with breaker bar (already done that, thanks). Sorry, mate. Nothing we can do. Took to independant tryre fitter. Couple of minutes with a windy wrench and 2 more were off. Turn up compressor, try again, hit with sammy, try again. Heat with the oxy torch, more windy wrench and off it came. Total cost 10 quid  

Kevin

[rcaws]

  and there i was feeling really pleased with myself  

was quoted 50 a wheel.................. [smiley=shocked.gif]

rich

[Timbuk]

and there i was feeling really pleased with myself  

was quoted 50 a wheel.................. [smiley=shocked.gif]

rich

How much  

[Kevin Wood]

and there i was feeling really pleased with myself  

was quoted 50 a wheel.................. [smiley=shocked.gif]

rich

How much  

Yep, me too. Hence the option of mullering a couple of 1/2" drive sockets was a no-brainer!

Kevin

[Tony H]

TIP when taking your car in for a puncture repair give the monkey the wheel brace that comes with the car to tighten the locking nut with and stand over his shoulder to make sure he uses it, and NOT the windy gun

[ians]

very wise.  I'm about to have to take mine back to the tyre shop (just got new rubber) to have the bolts loosened.   I don't know if I'm more embarrassed or furious, but I refuse to break myself or my tools releasing the bolts.  Bloody idiots.   Don't windy guns have some concept of torque setting?    

[DaveL]

They should tighten up so far and then tweek up to the correct value. I know my loocal ATS does and I do not need to stand by their shoulder. I suppose you get people who are interested in customers property and some that are not.

Not happy with the service then vote with the feet. Walk away that is not give them a kicking.

[Kevin Wood]

Problem is, they do them up with a windy gun, THEN check with a torque wrench, which immediately goes "click" so that's OK, then. If they knew how a torque wrench, or even a nut and bolt, for that matter, works it would be obvious to them that if they didn't have to tighten it with the torque wrench it was already overtightened.  

Kevin

[rcaws]

All 4 nuts where vastly overtightened, and i have only had the front tyres changed whilst she has been in my care. Yep £50.00 per wheel to remove them, which seems like the going rate as Kevin has had the same experience.

Must say though well impressed with the halfrauds sockets, used the same 19mm for all 4 nuts, and it still works! did muller an extension bar though, but considering the alternative.........

Just find it frustrating that so many supposed experts, are infact incompetent idiots. it seems to me they get rewarded for doing a job as quickly as possible therfore getting a higher volume done rather than doing less but a proper job. And does it really take much more time to use a tourqe wrench than an air gun, i mean we have got to be talking a matter of mins  
 

rich

[x25xe]

I am lucky enough to be able to take just the wheel(s) along to the fitting centre of choice, leaving the car at home on stands.  That way, they don't even think about checking the tracking etc!

[JamesV6CDX]

I am lucky enough to be able to take just the wheel(s) along to the fitting centre of choice, leaving the car at home on stands.  That way, they don't even think about checking the tracking etc!

Whenever my car goes in for tyres, I always loosen and retorque my own wheels when I get home

Usually they overtighten them, but once, they were worryingly loose - so much so I could undo with JUST an extension bar - no rathcet!

Needless to say, I avioded them in future!

[TheBoy]

Just find it frustrating that so many supposed experts, are infact incompetent idiots.

Hence I don't use Vauxhall dealers...

[Kevin Wood]

That way, they don't even think about checking the tracking etc!

Ooh... Don't start me off on that one

Kevin