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Uh oh! Did you lose the key to your locking lug nuts for your vehicle’s tires? Don’t fret—it’s not the end of the world. You can actually remove locking lug nuts without the key, and we are going to give you step-by-step directions to accomplish that.
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Losing anything can be pretty frustrating, but when it’s a key to something as important as the lug nuts on your tires, the stakes get higher. Not all lug nuts are the locking type, but if your car has locking lug nuts, you’re probably stressing about how to get the nuts off the tire. These little guys attach your tire to your car, so you will need to remove the lug nuts for routine maintenance such as tire changes or suspension work.
If you lost the key to locking lug nuts, don’t freak out. First, make sure you really lost the key. Take an extra look around—in that old toolbox, your car’s small storage areas—or call the person who sold you the car if you have to. You’ll want to be very sure that you don’t have the key before you move on to Plan B.
Still can’t find the locking lug nut key? Alright, then it is time for Plan B.
So, you are ready to take matters into your own hands. You might be wondering if there is a certain locking lug nut removal tool you will be able to use. In our experience, the tools you’ll need are probably already sitting in your garage.
Removing your lug nuts using the method we are about to show you will only take about three to five minutes per wheel. OK, ready to get to work?
Your main goal here is to hammer a socket onto the lug nut and manually yank it off. For that to be able to happen, you need to find the best-sized socket that barely fits the lug nut. We’re assuming your lug nuts are made out of softer metal than the socket, so basically, you’ll want to hammer the socket onto the lug nut until it’s snug. Make sure the socket you are using is 12-point, though, no matter the size you choose. A 12-point socket will be much better at gripping than a 6-point socket, and you’ll need all the bite you can get to remove the lug nuts.
Your average hammer should do a fine job at this.
Just whack that socket onto the lug nut as hard as you can until it’s really on there. Make sure you are hammering at a straight angle to be the most efficient (and to keep from destroying your socket).
A breaker bar is just a metal rod that can attach to sockets, so don’t worry about splurging on this item. Do not use a torque wrench as a breaker bar for this procedure. If you haven’t had the chance to use a breaker bar before, it’s best to understand how it works. Totally reliant on physics, this handy metal rod clocks in at about six to eight inches long. Because of its length, it allows you to enforce much more pressure on an object than if you were directly applying the pressure with your own two hands. So, with that being said, your breaker bar pretty much turns your immortal hands into those of a superhuman.
Before you yank the breaker bar too fast, though, be warned—too much quick force will grind your lug nuts into oblivion, rendering it almost impossible to get them off.
Be slow and steady with your cranking, and you’ll notice how easy it becomes to get the locking lug nut off the tire without the key.
You did it! (Hopefully.) Pat yourself on the back for a job well-done, then take a look at the wheel stud (the thing you now see after taking the lug nut off). Unfortunately, if it is damaged, you will have to replace it, which is a tiny bit more difficult than removing lug nuts without a key. However, if our studs seem to be OK, then you can go ahead and attach a new, non-locking lug nut. Refer to your vehicle’s instruction manual for the proper procedure to torque it down. After torquing it down, remember that you will want to drive about 10 miles, then torque it down again to ensure it is safely attached.
You really jammed that socket onto the lug nut, and now you need your socket back. To remove the lug nut from the socket, try one of these methods:
(Be warned: Not the safest.)After all that, you should be lug nut-free and ready to roll! Remember to always do this procedure before long trips—it’s not terribly time-consuming, but wouldn’t you rather do it in your driveway than on the side of the road somewhere in whatever weather conditions you encounter? For more useful car info, check out our Driving Tips page.
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(171,627)When you have nice, new rims on your car, you won’t be the only one admiring them.
Good-looking wheels draw the attention of car aficionados and thieves alike.
Wheels are an easy mark for thieves. When you leave your car parked anywhere accessible, a thief can come remove your wheels with a simple set of tools like a lug nut wrench and a floor jack. In just a few minutes, they can make away with your wheels and tires, leaving you thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Wheel locks, or locking lug nuts, can be installed to prevent wheel theft. The lug nut or wheel stud is installed in the place of one of your original wheel nuts or studs on each wheel. The new locking lug nut has an abnormal shape that only fits with its wheel lock key. The wheel lock must be tightened and removed only with the specific wheel lock key, so a standard socket or lug nut wrench will not be able to remove the wheel locks.
How do you remove the wheel locks from your car? What happens if your wheel lock key breaks or is lost? Follow these instructions to remove your wheel locks from your car.
Materials Needed
Your car’s lug nut wrench
Warning: Never use power tools to remove the wheel lock from your car. The power tools exert too much force and can damage or strip the wheel lock of wheel lock key, rendering them useless.
Step 1: Make sure your vehicle is in park. Engage the parking brake for extra security.
Step 2: Align the key with the nut. Line up the splines on the wheel lock key and the wheel lock on the wheel.
This is achieved by placing the wheel lock key on the wheel lock and turning it slowly until the tabs or design lines up. The wheel lock key will drop into place on the wheel lock.
Step 3: Place your lug nut wrench on the wheel lock key. It is a six-point hexagonal head, and it should match the same size as the wheel nuts on your car.
Step 4: Turn the lug nut wrench counterclockwise. This will loosen the wheel lock and may require significant force to loosen the wheel lock from the wheel.
Step 5: Turn the wheel lock off by hand. Once the wheel lock is loosened, you should be able to turn the wheel lock off by hand easily.
If you are installing the wheel lock again, perform this procedure in reverse.
Materials Needed
In this procedure, you’ll use a universal wheel lock removal tool to take the wheel lock off. It will most likely damage the wheel lock which you won’t be able to reuse. Be sure you don’t have the wheel lock key somewhere before using the universal kit.
Step 1: Put car in park. Engage your car in park and apply the parking brake.
This prevents a rolling motion when you try to loosen the wheel lock.
Step 2: Find the right wheel lock removal tool. Test-fit the tool overtop of the wheel lock you need to remove.
It needs to fit snugly, and the teeth on the inside of the removal socket need to bite into the wheel lock.
Step 3: Hit the tool with a mallet. Firmly hit the end of the wheel lock removal tool with the rubber mallet.
You need the wheel lock removal tool to be firmly stuck on the wheel lock.The teeth inside the wheel lock removal tool are now digging into the wheel lock itself.
Step 4: Loosen the wheel lock. Loosen the wheel lock by turning the removal tool counterclockwise with your lug nut wrench.
Expect that it will take significant effort to loosen the wheel lock.
Step 5: Finish turning by hand. Once the wheel lock is loosened, you should be able to turn it off the rest of the way by hand.
The wheel lock will be stuck in the removal tool.
Step 6: Remove the lock from the tool. Put a punch or screwdriver through the hole in the wheel lock removal tool against the wheel lock and hit the punch with your mallet.
After a few hits with the hammer, the damaged wheel lock will pop out.
Step 7: Repeat for the remaining wheel locks. Perform the same process on any other wheel locks as needed.
If you are installing a new set of wheel locks, be sure to put the wheel lock key in a place you will be able to find it. The glove box, center console, or with your tire jack are good places for the wheel lock key. This way, the process will be as easy as possible. If you think you need a wheel bearings replacement or need help tightening the lug nuts, have one of YourMechanic’s mobile technicians give you a hand.
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A A car alarm that is not working at all or not working properly can be extremely annoying to you and your neighbors.
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There are many ways to remove stuck, rusty or stuck nuts or bolts. This article provides the most effective ways that will allow you to deal with this problem.
This list includes both simple options and those that use special tools, such as a nut splitter or welding machine. Be careful as some of the methods described may result in damage to parts or injury if you do not take proper safety precautions! nine0017
Use a hex wrench (hex wrench is best) under the stuck nut or bolt.
Start rocking the bolt, tightening it, then loosening it - this may be enough to rip the rust off it. Try to avoid allen keys and sockets, as they can slip off and strip off the bolt head. It is better to use a universal clamp, as in the picture above. It is perfect if the fastener has already rounded edges.
If your efforts don't move the bolt, don't despair, there are several other ways.
Take a wire brush and clean the bolt of rust and dirt. Then apply a penetrating lubricant to the fasteners (for example, WD-40) and wait 20-25 minutes, then it is better to repeat the procedure again. Then try using the wrench again. "Swing" fasteners by turning the key from side to side.
Sometimes, instead of lubrication, the bolt is simply “tapped”: using a key or a small hammer, the fasteners are tapped on each of the faces, corrosion can be chipped. nine0017
The next step is to use the lever to loosen the stuck bolt.
Be careful, rusty bolts and low-quality tools can break in the process. A long lever will allow you to apply more force, as you can rest against it, which will multiply the applied force many times over. The best way to do this is to use a long handle socket wrench without a ratchet.
Another option is to use a wrench and fit the tube onto the handle as an extension. In this case, be very careful: the pipe may fly off the handle and injure you. Keep an eye on the bolt, at this stage it may start to twist and break. nine0017
Another method is to heat the bolt with a portable burner. In this case, one side of the hardware will expand from the heat and destroy the rust. Be careful, this method can ruin the heat treatment on stronger bolts. Do not use this method near flammables or rubber gaskets/grommets
Heat it as high as you can without melting the bolt. Then let it cool or pour warm water over it to cool it down. When the bolt has cooled, try turning it again with a wrench.
With any luck, the heat will destroy the rusty gasket on the bolt, making it easier for you. nine0017
The last attempt to unscrew the nut and bolt without harm is to treat the fastener with another penetrating agent. Try using a 50/50 mixture of automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Work a few times for an hour and try turning with the wrench.
If you still can't get the bolt out at this point, you'll have to resort to drastic measures. nine0017
If we are working with a bolt, we will have to drill it out and cut the thread for a new bolt. To do this, you need to select a drill according to the size of the hole, drill it and remove the bolt thread. Then you need to screw in the tap to recreate the thread. If you need an exact size hole, bore the bolt a size larger and buy a coiled coil. It is screwed into a threaded hole with an inner diameter for the bolt you need.
Fortunately, the nut is much easier to remove this way.
nine0017
If you have access to the nut, you can use a nut splitter. This tool can be found at most auto parts stores.
The nut splitter is pushed over the stuck nut, then the screw on the side of the spacer is tightened, which forces the wedge into the side of the nut. Continue turning the nut splitter screw until the nut makes an audible pop and you punch through the nut. Loosen the screw and clean the bolt from the cracked nut. Try adding a penetrating lubricant to the exposed threads of the bolt and then use one of the other methods above to remove the bolt. After removing the nut, the bolt will be much easier to remove. nine0017
Unfortunately, this method destroys the nut and sometimes the bolt itself, depending on its condition.
The last step if the nut splitter doesn't work is to use a grinder to cut the head off the bolt. Just grind the head of the hardware until the nut is gone and pull the bolt out.
This is a great way, just be extremely careful as the grinder is quite a dangerous tool, the disc rotates very fast (8000+ rpm) and does not have an anti-shock mechanism. The sanding disc may break and scatter in all directions. In addition, grinding produces a huge amount of sparks and heat. Be careful! nine0017
Alternatively, you can simply cut off the bolt head or nut with a grinder.
You just broke off the head of the bolt you were trying to remove, causing the bolt to get stuck and there is no way to remove it. Luckily, there is one last way before drilling and tapping.
Purchase an extractor to remove broken bolts and nuts. The meaning of the device is that a hole is made in a broken bolt, the diameter of which should not exceed the diameter of the thread of the broken bolt. The extractor itself is screwed into this hole, which has a reverse thread. When you screw a reverse thread into the body of a broken bolt, you simultaneously unscrew its broken body.
