Locking wheel nut snapped

[SamsterGTi]

Hi folks,

Can anyone help, I've broken a locking wheel key, rounded off the part that connects with all the bolts. Wheel nuts have been done up Way too tight so the key couldn't undo the them.
I would like to remove all four locking wheel nuts as I hate them.
Typically they are the hardest type to remove, McGard high security ones with the spinning collar.
So anyone in the West Midlands area has the right tool and experience I'd much appreciate it.
Many thanks,
Sam.

[Les4048]

The only way I could remove mine with no damage to the wheel was weld a bolt to it

[T-Cut]

If the bolt heads are still OK, try your local tyre depots. They may have a McGard master key set. Once off, the usual recommendation is to replace them with standard wheel bolts (eBay). If necessary, you can get replacement keys from McGard, Germany. They'll need a photo of the bolt socket or the key code/bag colour.

TC

[Salad-Dodger]

Had the same prob with my daughter's galaxy. Ended up welding a bolt to those but In my work I get to quite a few garages and most of them have a bucket of old bolt keys. Bit of a lottery, looking through all them but you may be lucky. Steve

[andrewinpopayan]

I hammered an old 1/2" drive extension into mine and then welded it. I then went down the scrappy, got 4 wheel bolts and dumped the rest of the locking bolts in the bin.

[hinged_bap]

who tightened it up ?. A garage had a wheel off mine recently and when I went to remove the bolts, a good quality 1/2" drive breaker bar ( with a 6 corner socket ) bent considerably before they went 'bang' and loosened. The supplied wrench used to change a wheel just wouldn't have coped imo. They're only supposed to be torqued to 110 lb/ft.

[Mg guy]

I've had the spinning collars before on my old car a big flat screwdriver to knock the spinning collar off. Ideally you want to try and snap the clollar on it in two. Then get a size smaller socket and hammer it on and it should come off. It takes a few minutes once you do the first one and find your rhythm.

[Jumper75]

who tightened it up ?. A garage had a wheel off mine recently and when I went to remove the bolts, a good quality 1/2" drive breaker bar ( with a 6 corner socket ) bent considerably before they went 'bang' and loosened. The supplied wrench used to change a wheel just wouldn't have coped imo. They're only supposed to be torqued to 110 lb/ft.

That's because they put them back on with the windy gun, set to maximum power. My garage did the same thing to me, I think they get some sort of satisfaction from it.

[SamsterGTi]

Hi folks,

So far, we've tried welding a bolt on, heating them up, hammering on a socket and generally having no success.
All my local tyre dealers say they can't do it.
My good friend JB and I are going to try and make a tool to drill them out.
I officially hate locking wheel nuts!
I recommend you remove them now while you can.
Sam.

[andrewinpopayan]

we've tried welding a bolt on

I hammered an old 1/2" socket into mine and used 130amps into a 3.5mm Oerlikon GP rod, all the way round and used a windy gun to crack the b*****d off, score me 1 to the bolt 0 . MF thought armagedon had arrived.

I put a wet toilet roll tube into the hole surrounding the bolt while I did the "biz" and undo it while it's still smoking.

[wooly12345]

Looks like you've exhausted the usual options....

I'd try and get a deep socket bigger than the destroyed bolt, blow torch and put the flame into the socket and wait till the bolt glows quickly hammer on a smaller socket, wrench on the socket, scaff bar as an extension and jump on the scaff....

If it doesn't come off with that I wouldn't spend hours building a tool i'd have a gander on this site:

http://www.dynomec.co.uk/locking-wheelnut-remover.html

Apparently gets McGuards off in 10 minutes flat....

Good luck

[minimutly]

Yes weld on a bolt with a stick welder, but then slacken off the other 4 bolts, take car for a spin, checking occasionally that the slackened bolts aren't going to fly off. This stresses the locking bolt and surrounding alloy, loosening its grip.
THEN, hit **** out of the bolt head, being careful not to bend it, and hopefully, it will give.
Had to do this on three out of four on my daughters zt, not an enjoyable couple of hours.
Tyre monkeys, I hate em, brainless morons.
Huw

[Les4048]

As has been said the only way with Mcgard is weld a bolt to it. You'll never bore it because it is so hard and neither will you get it off with sockets that cut their way onto the bolt as you turn as again it is too hard

[Jumper75]

I assume you've tried getting another original socket adapter from Mcgard?

[Les4048]

I assume you've tried getting another original socket adapter from Mcgard?

Good idea, there should be a number somewhere for this key. It wasn't in my service book so I was stuffed for getting one

[Jumper75]

Good idea, there should be a number somewhere for this key. It wasn't in my service book so I was stuffed for getting one

Maybe take a photo of the nut and send them an email.

[Hogwarzt]

Hi folks,

So far, we've tried welding a bolt on, heating them up, hammering on a socket and generally having no success.
All my local tyre dealers say they can't do it.
My good friend JB and I are going to try and make a tool to drill them out.
I officially hate locking wheel nuts!
I recommend you remove them now while you can.
Sam.

They can be removed by using HSS drills.
Rich

[BigAde]

I can sympathise - I had exactly the same problem. I bought two replacement keys from McGard at £13 each and a week for delivery, but the things are made of cheese and IMHO are not fit for purpose.

I failed myself with an impact driver, locking wheel nut removal kits, AA call out etc etc
I then tried lots of local garages - of those that were willing to work on it, they wanted me to leave the car (and a blank cheque) and with no guarantee of anything other than a big bill.

I decided I couldn't risk getting stranded with a puncture on a wheel I couldn't remove, so bit the bullet and went to this bloke in Reading.
http://www.lockingwheelnutremoval.com/index.shtml
It cost £50 and a two hour each way drive, but he guarantees to remove them or no charge.
It took him less than 20 minutes to do all of mine and I was on my way again.

It's probably a two hour drive from you, but could be worth a shot.

[stevestrat]

Maybe take a photo of the nut and send them an email.Couldn't see them going for that, could be anybody's car you've taken a photo of.

I had McGard on a Volvo, would never entertain them again.

[hamster19]

Locking wheel nuts are not needed any more, specially with the cheapie wheels and tyres I have :}

[Salad-Dodger]

As I said in my previous post. My Daughter had the same lock nut as yours. The ones with the free collar.
It all depends on how far they are recessed but if you want to weld to them you will first have to weld up the free ring, then weld a bolt to it, and when I mean "a bolt" I mean a BIG bolt, or it will just break off as soon as you turn it.
I mig welded a bolt to all of them on that car and got them off in about half an hour. You can cover the exposed part of the wheels with tape before the welding takes place but a good weld is essential. Try grinding a grove at the end of the bolt to give you a bit of room for a good weld access.
If you were in my area I'd do it for you! Good luck

[minimutly]

Take the car to an engineering/ fabrication outfit. Ask them to weld an m12 bolt to them (an old wheel bolt is ideal), using a stick welder.
Take the car for a spin, with the rest of the bolts slackened off at least two turns.
Return to workshop, jack up the wheel, hit the bolts as hard as you can, then use a tbar to remove.
It's very doable, but you need some "feel" for it.

[RodgerD]

I assume you've tried getting another original socket adapter from Mcgard?

Probably round off the new key, that's what happened when I tried removing a wheel bolt. I ended up using a SDS drill in stop mode to chisel the sucker off. If I had a welder I'd now go for welding a 12.9 nut on the head and then use a breaker bar or a windy gun.

Nothing wrong with Mcgard wheel bolts if they aren't over tightened, just don't let the tyre shops tighten them up with a windy gun, 12" bar just slightly over nipping up is all that is required. I'd use them if I has expensive wheels and not stock Rover wheels.

[SamsterGTi]

Hi folks,

Can anyone help, I've broken a locking wheel key, rounded off the part that connects with all the bolts. Wheel nuts have been done up Way too tight so the key couldn't undo the them.
I would like to remove all four locking wheel nuts as I hate them.
Typically they are the hardest type to remove, McGard high security ones with the spinning collar.
So anyone in the West Midlands area has the right tool and experience I'd much appreciate it.
Many thanks,
Sam.

Hi all,

Thank you to all who have replied.
The latest news is they are off and in the bin.
We tried welding to them, knocking off the outer ring, knocking on a socket and drilling. All with little effect.
So in the end the car went to a specialist in Hollywood (it's in Birmingham ;-) ) who used "the" tool to get 2 off and he drilled the 3rd one (I'd already got one off before the key rounded off).
1 minute on each of the first 2, 1 and half hours drilling the 3rd and £60 lighter but I'm a very happy man!

Less worried and stressed by such a nightmare situation, throw your locking wheel nuts away now.

Sam.

[Jumper75]

Hi all,

Thank you to all who have replied.
The latest news is they are off and in the bin.
We tried welding to them, knocking off the outer ring, knocking on a socket and drilling. All with little effect.
So in the end the car went to a specialist in Hollywood (it's in Birmingham ;-) ) who used "the" tool to get 2 off and he drilled the 3rd one (I'd already got one off before the key rounded off).
1 minute on each of the first 2, 1 and half hours drilling the 3rd and £60 lighter but I'm a very happy man!

Less worried and stressed by such a nightmare situation, throw your locking wheel nuts away now.

Sam.

That's quite a good price for that work. I also agree you probably don't need locking nuts, the average streetpunk has so little regard for rovers they won't embarass themselves by stealing anything from it.