Ekona Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 The more I think about it, the more I think they are. They were designed to stop people nicking your very expensive and brand-new alloy wheels, back when everything came on steel ones. These days every single car (give or take) has alloys, so unless you're running really desirable M or AMG wheels I reckon locking nuts are more hassle than they're worth. How many times do we see people on here with stuck nuts, or lost keys? Is the risk of having your standard wheels nicked that high that we need to give ourselves the ballache still? It's always a faff, trying to find the key and then transposing it across to various wheels when changing them, along with the risk of damaging the nuts themselves. I'm kinda thinking that unless you've got £3K worth of wheels on, you're better off running standard nuts all round. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliveBoy Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I take the opinion that if they want your wheels, they'll take your wheels. I'd rather someone stole my wheels and I had to replace them, than someone smashed my window in looking for the locking wheel nut key and then stole my wheels. Not used lockers for years now and never had an issue. I was put off when my mcguard key broke and a guy at my local tyre place got them off with no real issues, or special tools, despite the fact that mcguard nuts are supposed to be some of the best around. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioneabee Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I think i would risk assess it as to where you live and where you're likely to go - Nissan price for replacement wheels (excluding rubber) for the 370 is £1200 each Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tatooandy67 Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I think i would risk assess it as to where you live and where you're likely to go - Nissan price for replacement wheels (excluding rubber) for the 370 is £1200 each ^^^ this .....but unfortunately I think if your car is the target of thieving **** then regardless of how secure it may or may not be it will be taken, I once witnessed a few years ago a brand new evo 10 being loaded onto a flatbed in the middle of the day by official looking individuals in high vis etc. no one suspected anything untoward until later that day the owner of said car came knocking doors asking if anyone saw anything as his shiny new evo had been stolen, I doubt anyone would go to that length just for a set of wheels but criminals are a very determined breed and if they want to take it they most likely will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac@TarmacSportz Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I have only ever sold one set of locking nuts lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 i'll be taking the locking wheel nuts off the wheels on the track car and replacing them with standard. considering that we'll be tightening/changing wheels fairly regularly, its just a faff having to keep swapping on a locking wheel key. Nobody is going to want some ancient bmw wheels in need of a refurb anyways. On the zed i'll keep them on - wheels get changed a lot less regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Bradders- Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I have only ever sold one set of locking nuts lol Thats because you can pick them up for a tenner a set on ebay lol. I live in east london, i see cars everyday standing on bricks where local scum has taken the alloys, even if they can get a quick £40 of scrap they will do round here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 Excellent, I'm glad it's not just me then! I was only thinking about this as I thought I'd lost the key to the MR2 last night when I was packing for Donington this weekend, and in the middle of my panic wondering how I was going to get the wheels off to get the tyres changed that I realised just how utterly pointless is was having them on a track slag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundy Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 It's not hard to get a locking nut off. Considering snap on do universal tools etc or even just hammer a socket on it. They're pretty pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliveBoy Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Mcguard nuts have a "rotating hardened steel collar" on theirs so the reverse thread sockets and oversized sockets don't work, they just spin the collar.... Supposedly. I just mashed the top of the locker down to essentially crimp the collar in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIXXERUK Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 More hassle than they are worth imo, they became popular when the majority of cars had steel wheels so alloys were an expensive alternative I have personally never known anyone have their wheels stolen I am suprised they're not stolen for the tyres ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I thought they were literally there as a deterrent to the opportunist thief. Clearly if someone wants the wheels they can just go get the right tools, or order them, then come back at a later date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky-Ricky Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Put it this way, if they really want to steel your wheels do you really think a locking wheel nuts going to stop them? after all you can pick up tools to remove them anyway, same goes for car alarms...even the intelligent ones, if a professional thief want your car.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundy Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Slam your car, that will cause them problems 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliveBoy Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Everyone leaves their locking nut key in the car, normally in the dash, centre console or the wheel well with the other tools. It takes half a second to put someones window through and grab from one of those locations. You check your car over and think nothing has gone missing, the thief must have been disturbed. Two weeks later, after you've stopped watching the car like a hawk, you wake up and the car is on bricks. I'd rather they just stole the wheels so I only had to claim on my insurance once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIXXERUK Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 most alarms have knock and tilt sensors, it just isnt worth the hassle for wheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioneabee Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Everyone leaves their locking nut key in the car, normally in the dash, centre console or the wheel well with the other tools. It takes half a second to put someones window through and grab from one of those locations. You check your car over and think nothing has gone missing, the thief must have been disturbed. Two weeks later, after you've stopped watching the car like a hawk, you wake up and the car is on bricks. I'd rather they just stole the wheels so I only had to claim on my insurance once. talking of insurance then - if you remove the locking nuts ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundy Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Everyone leaves their locking nut key in the car, normally in the dash, centre console or the wheel well with the other tools. It takes half a second to put someones window through and grab from one of those locations. You check your car over and think nothing has gone missing, the thief must have been disturbed. Two weeks later, after you've stopped watching the car like a hawk, you wake up and the car is on bricks. I'd rather they just stole the wheels so I only had to claim on my insurance once. talking of insurance then - if you remove the locking nuts ???? Ever heard an insurance company ask if you have locking nuts fitted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIXXERUK Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Everyone leaves their locking nut key in the car, normally in the dash, centre console or the wheel well with the other tools. It takes half a second to put someones window through and grab from one of those locations. You check your car over and think nothing has gone missing, the thief must have been disturbed. Two weeks later, after you've stopped watching the car like a hawk, you wake up and the car is on bricks. I'd rather they just stole the wheels so I only had to claim on my insurance once. talking of insurance then - if you remove the locking nuts ???? hmm... they are not standard fit, an optional extra so would they even know if you had them ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliveBoy Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Everyone leaves their locking nut key in the car, normally in the dash, centre console or the wheel well with the other tools. It takes half a second to put someones window through and grab from one of those locations. You check your car over and think nothing has gone missing, the thief must have been disturbed. Two weeks later, after you've stopped watching the car like a hawk, you wake up and the car is on bricks. I'd rather they just stole the wheels so I only had to claim on my insurance once. talking of insurance then - if you remove the locking nuts ???? Never been asked on any of my policies if I have locking wheel nuts or not. I'd presume they're an extra measure, not a required one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hell presidente Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I take the opinion that if they want your wheels, they'll take your wheels. I'd rather someone stole my wheels and I had to replace them, than someone smashed my window in looking for the locking wheel nut key and then stole my wheels. Not used lockers for years now and never had an issue. This! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I think I'm 100% in agreement now I've read others views too, just need to be @rsed to get spare nuts to replace the lockers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 (edited) I have some spare 350 ones, if you want them? Edited October 10, 2014 by Ekona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky-Ricky Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Waits for all the scrotes to read that we are no longer fitting locking wheel nuts.............................................................. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIXXERUK Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Waits for all the scrotes to read that we are no longer fitting locking wheel nuts.............................................................. they can't read 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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