Locking wheel nut removal
Lost the key, or the nut is rounded off — the wheel still has to come off.
The locking wheel nut key is the small adapter that lives in the boot, the glovebox or nowhere at all. Without it the wheel cannot come off, which means no tyre change, no brake work and a failed MOT when the tester cannot remove a wheel.
There is a right way to do this. A specialist extractor socket bites into the nut and winds it off without touching the alloy around it. Drilling or chiselling takes the nut off and the rim with it.
How you know you need it
- The key is lost, or was never handed over when you bought the car
- The key itself has rounded out and no longer grips
- Someone has over-tightened the nut with an impact gun and chewed the pattern
- You have a puncture and cannot get the wheel off at the roadside
What we actually do
- 1 We identify the nut type before touching it
- 2 An extractor socket is driven on so it grips the body of the nut
- 3 The nut is wound off slowly — heat and patience rather than force
- 4 We fit a standard nut, and can supply a new locking set if you want one
Questions about this job
Will it damage my alloy?
Done with the right extractor, no. The socket grips the nut itself, not the rim. It is rushing with the wrong tool that marks wheels.
How long does it take?
Allow about forty-five minutes for one. A nut that has been over-tightened by an impact gun can take longer, which is why we confirm this one by phone rather than booking it blind.
Should I replace the locking set?
Up to you. Plenty of people go back to standard nuts after this. If you keep locking nuts, keep the key in the car.
Locking wheel nut removal — in Westhampton
118 Mill Lane, Westhampton, Westshire, WX1 4AB. Open seven days, Sunday included.