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[daveb]

Hi guys,

Sorry for absence - not been here for a while - very, very long story (not prison though).

I wonder if any of you are able to help.

When I bought my lovely burgundy Omega from an independent garage last July it never occurred to me that they should have given me a locking wheel nut socket. Doh!

Guess what! slow puncture for the last month or so but thought I had better get it repaired. Got to tyre place and no chance of them getting wheels off without it.

Went to local Vauxhall garage and they might just as well have said 'tough s**t'. Best they can do is drill them out for £140 +VAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My friendly local garage could do it, but they reckon on about 2 hours labour as well - £100 ish !!!!

I am more skint than a skint thing at the moment and wondered if by some small miracle anyone out there could lend me a locking wheel nut socket which matches the one I have posted an image of on photobucket. The link to the picture is at the bottom of this text.

I will happily pay for special delivery or other courier costs to get it to me and back to you safely if anyone can help, or even drive to where you are and borrow it for 10 minutes - hopefully not the Outer Hebrides !!

If it helps, my car is a Vreg, year 2000 Omega CD 2.5td saloon.

Any help or ideas greatly appreciated.

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n231/davebattrick/lockingwheel-nut.jpg

[Ghosts in my machine]

Vauxhall will sell you a key for £25ish if you have the car pass.

They'll also sell you a full set of new locking nuts with a key for the same price (only problem is the key won't fit the old ones)!

Mine were removed (far too easily) with the application of a special socket for removing locking wheel nuts and a little BFI. I don't think they cost too much, but do destroy the wheel nut (so make sure you have a new set or 4 normal ones (as I luckily did!)

Mind you, whats the point of putting locking nuts back on, the theiving little sods who nick alloys all have the removal tools!

[STMO123]

The preferred method of removal is to hammer an old UNDERSIZED socket on to them. My local garage did it in 5mins.  

[Kevin Wood]

I got a whole set off by just clouting an old socket of an appropriate size onto the locking nut and unscrewing them, thanks to the softness of the steel. No. 3 got stuck in the socket but I figured that having saved 100 quid on a "professional" removal, I could run to a second cheap socket to get number 4 off.

It did occur to me that a wheel thief would have done exactly the same.

On my other car, I had a key practically disintegrate because a tyre depot cowboy did it up with an air hammer. I refused to leave until they had removed all 4 locking nuts and replaced with non-locking.

I often wonder if they're worth the hassle.

Kevin

[daveb]

Hi chaps,

Thanks for such swift assistance.

I have to say, I do like the thought of hammering a slightly undersized socket over the nut. Each hammer will symbolically wipe the smile off the Vauxhall dealership idiot's smug little face. Tee Hee!

Also, it sounds like it would work!

Thanks.

Dave.

[Dave]

Do you Know someone who has a similar key,I found an Elite in the scrappy with 3 good wheels for £15 but had locking nuts,when i tryed my key it fitted straight on.

[Elite Pete]

Try these Dave found at Halfords

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_196491_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_71555_crumb_33958-31562-71551_parentcategoryrn_71555

or you could try the old socket trick

[Dave]

Try these Dave found at Halfords

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_196491_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_71555_crumb_33958-31562-71551_parentcategoryrn_71555

or you could try the old socket trick

Thats why Halfords is full of hoodies [smiley=grin.gif]

[Dave-C]

Are you in the RAC / AA? I know an RAC man, he carries a tool to get these buggers off..  So, why not call'em out on the pretext of a very low pressure tyre and get them to wizz 'em all off for a beer or two..

Just a suggestion...

Is that an original VX locker?  I insisted that they put new ones on mine when I had it on NetQ, they looked ragged and I didn't want this myther,

Hope you go on ok. let us know..  

DC

[TheBoy]

I took mine off, as the Vauxhall ones are pretty naff anyway.

The later ones have spinners on to stop the socket trick, so check first...

[Danny]

The preferred method of removal is to hammer an old UNDERSIZED socket on to them. My local garage did it in 5mins.  

that was my trick when i took the old wheels off my corsa last year, much cheaper, obviously the inevitable happened and after i'd bought replacement nuts for my new wheels for £35, my old key mysteriously turned up!!

[STMO123]

Once they are off, dont replace them with vauxhall ones, they are sh1te. I got a really good set from a motor factors for about £25.

[Andy B]

......

The later ones have spinners on to stop the socket trick, so check first...

So do the old style - have look at the link - it's just not a pronounced or as effective as the new style.

[TheBoy]

......

The later ones have spinners on to stop the socket trick, so check first...

So do the old style - have look at the link - it's just not a pronounced or as effective as the new style.

Not sure mine did. Still got them in the garage somewhere, I will check tomorrow...

[sounds2k]

those locking bolts are s**t ... seem to remember that VW fitted them to Golf GTI's too. If done up too tight the prongs can shear and/or enlarge the holes in the bolt.

The McGard ones seem to be good ...