so i go to change my front brakes today, and tried 5 different sockets only to realize some jackass put locking lugs on stock wheels. the only problem with that is the key for the lugs wasnt with the car when i bought it from the dealer. anyone know where i might be able to get a key for them or know anything i can use to get them off. i was at pepboys and asked them how much to take them off. they told me $85+ tax this is the labor charge only. that was befor i told them all 16 needed taken off. they stood behind the 85 but i would still have to fork out the money for new lugs. so i asked how much to do brakes all the way around. they said $430 + the 85 for taking off the lugs + new lugs. so i need some serious help here. IDEAS PLEASE!!!!!

 

theres special sockets that can take locks off...guy at my work takes factory locking lugs off all the time...ill ask him tomorrow what theyre called..

 

GET A PICTURE OF THEM.... you got several options ALOT CHEAPER!


1st if they are like this
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/d8b0236d.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/84541a2b.jpg

then take the car to DISCOUNT TIRE and ask them to remove the lug nuts. thats the lugs they use there on all there wheels that need them. [8D]

they should gladly remove them free OR sell you a socket to remove them yourself. hell they might just give it to ya if your nice enough

but if its different style then just go to your local wheel shops and see if they have a socket to fit yours. they usualy carry several locking keys. hell there is only so many locking lugnuts



2nd of all if you cannt find out if they are truely locking locking lugs.... most likely no one would put all 16 lugs as locking nuts!!!!!! so they are probably tuner lugs. get a picture of them and post it up or email the picture to me. addiction2bass@yahoo.com

it could be pretty easy to remove them if they are o stock wheels.


you got a grinder and some vis grips? simply grind 2 flat spots top and bottom of the lugs and then with the vis grips lock onto those suckers and crank them over afew times to loosen them then just take them off by hand

OR even a pipe wrench. you only gotta break them loose just be sure to get some stock lug nuts before ya rip them off.

 

I lost my lock one time and i took it to a muffler place, they used a hammer and a screwdriver and somehow got them off (you wont be able to use those lugs again lol) and you can buy new one at any auto store. i know murrays and pepboys have them for maybe 20 bucks

 

There is a special socket for removing locking lugnuts. Its got sharp "reverse threads" inside it. You stick it over the lock, put an impact on it and go to town!!! The reverse threads dig into the socket, but since they are reverse thread they only bite in so far before the lock starts loosening on the stud. We did that afew times at the tireshop...but 16 of them??? likely they are tuner lugs like has been posted. Either that or the sap who sold you the car was paranoid about someone stealing his steelies

 

i will try to get pics tomorrow, but i do believe they are tuner lugs, but i went to 3 different part stores and no one had the socket for them. while at each i looked into the socket that you thread on to pull them off and they either didnt have the one i needed or swore up and down that you needed air tools to use it. my compressor is out of comission right now so that kinda sucks. they do look similar to the ones in the pics but the grooves go all the way to the top of the lug, there isnt that smooth round area at the top. thanks for the imput i appreciate it. will get pics tomorrow.

 

does you wheel lock look like this one?
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s...l/100_0201.jpg
if so i didnt have a key for it either so i had to use a 17mm socket works pretty good on it to take it off. so i guess you could find a socket from autozone that fits around it to take it off. If not at sears auto center what they do is they use a hammer to jam a high impact socket onto to wheel lock and use the gun to take it off but i think they charge like 60 bucks. so just a suggestion.

 

well find a friend thats got alittle air compressor.... or do you have a welder?

you could also get some short good thickness hardened bolts and weld the bolt onto the tip of the lugs and use a regular socket wrench to pull them off.

theres several ways to get around it...

those striped head sockets defiantly need a air gun to work really good YOU MIGHT be able to sledge hammer the socket onto the lugs head BUT its very hard to try and manualy remove them with a hand wrench....

if you need to make a run to HOME DEPO rental place or tool rental and rent a air compressor.......

 

sorry it took so long to get back about this, i tried taking some pics during the day and they didnt turn out worth a crap, and i've been buisy at night until tonight. here are a few not so good pics but you can kinda see how the grooves go all the way to the end of the lug instead of most of the way like the other pics posted in this thread.

 

those look like typical DISCOUNT TIRE tuner lugs just like i posted.....
if you dont have a local discount tire PM me your adress and ill ship you my socket BUT id need the socket back so please ship it back to me....