Wheel locks - worth it? Brands to buy?

DogFather

DogFather

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Wife is working at Wake Med in Cary for a few months - should I put wheel locks on her car? Any brands to avoid or favor?

I've seen a few tire shops defeat them with little trouble.

She has her CCL but leaves the pistol at home. Tried to explain that is futile but some battles are best avoided.
 
Just like gun laws… locks keep honest men honest.

Worked at a high perf car store back in the day…. If using a single lock per tire, just take the other lug nuts off, then wiggle the tire and you could generally take the lock off with your fingers. If all lug nuts are locking, it take a little more time, but generally could get them off most cars that used standard torque, by using vise grips. Heavy duty trucks that used high torque setting could be a challenge… but there are ways.
 
It’s been a while since I have been there, but Wake Med in Cary, was in a decent area… but may have changed. When I lived down in that area, back in the day, they knew me by name … from the number of visits I made there for kidney stones.
 
I still have them on my car because when i worked up in detroit on the night shift, somehow wheel thieves knew exactly when the security company was in between parking lot patrols...
yes, they're to keep honest people honest - but they're also good for saying "hey, the car next to me doesn't have wheel locks and all you need is a 4 way lug wrench to get theirs". Just like everything else, it's 90% about making yourself obviously more trouble than the other potential victims.

If you're going to get them, don't go totally cheap by buying ones that say "do not use impact wrench'. Even if it's printed right on the lug, shops are going to use an impact wrench and shear the head off. I had that happen at a dealer and i checked my wheels on the way out. The lug was spinning freely and couldn't be threaded off... they insisted it was broken when they found it. I called the manager over, had them repeat that. Then I asked the manager how they took my wheel off if it couldn't be taken off when it came in. called chevy about that particular authorized shop. pretty sure i got somebody fired.
 
Ive been in the car business for years and years and while locking lug nuts do prevent theft they also come with their own set of problems for their owners. McGard is a company that makes the most common locking lug nuts but like someone mentioned, they cannot or should not be used with an air impact because they will shear off the tool and damage the lug nut itself. But all shops will use an air gun no matter what. Then you have the problem after rotating your tires, the shop then forgets to put the tool back in your car. Now, months later, your stuck on the side of the road and your special socket is missing ? My last shop was large and busy and we would do maybe 30-40 tire rotations per day. Every day , I walk thru the shop at closing and find at least 3 customers locking lug nuts sitting on a work bench. Thats 3 people per day that got their lives hurt.
 
Given the standard auto security that comes with cars these days, if a crook is going to steel the car then wheel locks ain't gonna help.

She's better off keeping the interior clear of anything that looks worth stealing, not leaving her keys in the car, and locking the vehicle and setting the alarm with the fob.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Given the standard auto security that comes with cars these days, if a crook is going to steel the car then wheel locks ain't gonna help.

She's better off keeping the interior clear of anything that looks worth stealing, not leaving her keys in the car, and locking the vehicle and setting the alarm with the fob.
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They are talking Bout those "keyed" lug nuts to prevent wheel theft.

They are a pain for normal tire slingers and "key kits" are all over the internet for jackass thieves who actually want your wheels... I have used a chisel and then vice grips to remove them in a minute back in the day.

I just had normal lug nuts put on my dodge during "new tire time" recently. Which given what I paid for stock size tires, means I will be left on blocks shortly🙄
 
Trevillian said:
They are talking Bout those "keyed" lug nuts to prevent wheel theft.

They are a pain for normal tire slingers and "key kits" are all over the internet for jackass thieves who actually want your wheels... I have used a chisel and then vice grips to remove them in a minute back in the day.

I just had normal lug nuts put on my dodge during "new tire time" recently. Which given what I paid for stock size tires, means I will be left on blocks shortly🙄
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Ahhh...I was thinking wheel clamps! My bad!

Locking lug nuts aren't worth spit. They're the first thing I replace on any car I buy, if they come with the vehicle. I don't even save them "in case I sell the car later". Straight to the trash.

I suppose they MIGHT marginally slow someone down...if you could get a set of 20, each uniquely keyed, for the whole vehicle.

Then you have to deal with the annoyance of needing 20 different keyed lug sockets yourself.

Nope... not worth it at all.
 
Im in the 'no' camp unless there's just a good deal on them and they're cheaper than 'normal' ones.
I have some that require the special socket due to their narrow style, but I know that those sockets can be found on the same aisle as the lug nuts etc
 
Lager said:
Ive been in the car business for years and years and while locking lug nuts do prevent theft they also come with their own set of problems for their owners. McGard is a company that makes the most common locking lug nuts but like someone mentioned, they cannot or should not be used with an air impact because they will shear off the tool and damage the lug nut itself. But all shops will use an air gun no matter what. Then you have the problem after rotating your tires, the shop then forgets to put the tool back in your car. Now, months later, your stuck on the side of the road and your special socket is missing ? My last shop was large and busy and we would do maybe 30-40 tire rotations per day. Every day , I walk thru the shop at closing and find at least 3 customers locking lug nuts sitting on a work bench. Thats 3 people per day that got their lives hurt.
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Plenty of blame for your guys, but where were the customers' brains at leaving the shop without checking for the thing that could make or break them on the side of the road? That's how I found out my lugnut was broken - they "forgot" to give it to me, and when they "found" it on the work bench i checked it against all 4 lug nuts to make sure they didn't "forget" anything else.
Being suspicious is a survival skill, not just a personality trait.
 
Pop N Shots said:
It’s been a while since I have been there, but Wake Med in Cary, was in a decent area… but may have changed. When I lived down in that area, back in the day, they knew me by name … from the number of visits I made there for kidney stones.
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Cary is nuts!

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DrScaryGuy said:
Plenty of blame for your guys, but where were the customers' brains at leaving the shop without checking for the thing that could make or break them on the side of the road? That's how I found out my lugnut was broken - they "forgot" to give it to me, and when they "found" it on the work bench i checked it against all 4 lug nuts to make sure they didn't "forget" anything else.
Being suspicious is a survival skill, not just a personality trait.
Click to expand...
Lots of blame on my guys, I agree. But considering customers brains ? We would write up or service about 120 to 150 cars per day and I betting that 90% of them don't even know they have locking lug nuts on their vehicles. When a tech could not find the special socket I would then have to track the customer down and ask them and that's where I came up the 90%. Back about 10 years ago I was a Honda tech and I got tired to trying to find the customers socket so I bought my own master sets from McGard.. They don't sell these master sets to just anyone and they will only fit Honda vehicles. I still have those master sets which means I can actually go out and steal any Honda wheel I want if I was so inclined. But I'm allergic to prison so they now sit in my tool box taking up space.
 
Lager said:
...betting that 90% of them don't even know they have locking lug nuts on their vehicles. ... they now sit in my tool box taking up space.
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mine is kept in the passenger side door panel, wrapped in paper towel to keep it quiet. when i drop my car off at a shop, i put it in the shifter channel so the techs can't miss it.
write 10mm on them and they'll disappear.
 
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