Hey everyone,

Looking for some ideas on removing my wheel locks. I've taken it to tire centers and they say that they can't do anything. So, I come to you, the great community of 914club, for help.

I will try to post some pictures, but I haven't done this before...

Thanks,
Don

Weld a nut to the end of them and off they will come

Excellent idea! I was thinking of drilling them and doing the E-Z out thing, but I like that much better.

Here is another crappy pic from my cell phone - just to show my car.

Oh, and one more thought - why would anyone put wheel locks on a set of Riviera's?

It would be hard to get the tip of a welder in there.

Paul

Are you trying to save the wheels?

get a 1/2 drive socket... that is approx the right size...

get a 5 lb sledge, and beat the Fuc**r on. then get your breaker bar and turn anticlockwise......


works all the time at the junkyard....

I would like to save the wheels, because I have nothing to replace them with at the current time.

Hmm, I don't know about using the sledge technique, but I'll keep it in mind. Knowing my luck I would stumble mid-swing and hit a fender.

I appreciate all the input. If I can get it in there with my welder, I'm going to try that - but it's gonna be tight!

QUOTE (splashfx @ Sep 12 2005, 10:00 AM)

Oh, and one more thought - why would anyone put wheel locks on a set of Riviera's?

Hold the train there mensas

Those look like standard FLAPS wheel locks.

Go down to your local FLAPS, ask to see various wheel locks. The set they will have a "key" in them. Buy a set and then return them after you get the wheel off.

I wouldn't mind buying a set "if" I can find a key that will fit. I assumed that there were a very large number of keys (but I know that I should assume that every assumption I make is wrong. ). It's worth a shot and would save a ton of time and effort.

thanks

I had same problem (Riviera's too!). Couldn't find a "key" so took the car to a local tire shop, hoping they might have a key collection.
Didn't have one but the guy in the shop got a wide blade screwdriver with a square shank, stuck the blade in and used vice grips to turn the lock nut. Broke one screwdriver (Snap On!), got another and did all 4 wheels. Probably got a new driver on warranty.

Those look like the McGard wheel locks popular in the 70s and 80s. Make some calls and see if a tire store in yer area still has a collection of the keys....NASCAR Nation should have tons of those things still being used....bet Billy Bob the local car thief has a string of them on a ring of bailing wire....

Aaron has the best idea for removal w/o a key. If ya can't swing a mallet to hit a socket ya shouldn't be owning a 914......a BFH is an important tool.



Webpage

if you use a nut you can weld on inside of the nut! Hit opening with anti-spatter first, It will be fine

I had lost the key to the wheel locks on my C5 and I took it to a local tire shop and they got all four of them off by using some special tool they had just for these problems. Yours are a different type of wheel lock but might be worth running by or calling a couple of shops to see what they can do.

By the way I found the key in my son's toy chest acouple of weeks later.

You may actually be able to buy just the key from McGuard.

When we bought a used Honda with the wheel locks, the owner didn't know where the key was. I contacted Mcguard, and sent them tracings and pictures of the lock. I had a matching key in a few days.

QUOTE (tommy914 @ Sep 12 2005, 03:07 PM)

You may actually be able to buy just the key from McGuard. When we bought a used Honda with the wheel locks, the owner didn't know where the key was. I contacted Mcguard, and sent them tracings and pictures of the lock. I had a matching key in a few days.

ill use that when i need to steal some nice rims off a car with wheel locks

my fellow jeep people use the sledge technique all the time...

if you want the safe way, mail me your address...i have that exact kind of key for those locks...it's used on my 31inch spare tire.

QUOTE (tdgray @ Sep 12 2005, 03:13 PM)

Hold the train there mensas

'Mensans'

heh


M

QUOTE (redshift @ Sep 12 2005, 07:14 PM)

QUOTE (tdgray @ Sep 12 2005, 03:13 PM) Hold the train there mensas  :o 'Mensans' heh M

Thanks Miles.

What's the plural of


?

I started working on it last night (but I didn't have much time). I'm going to get back on it tonight and I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for all the great input!!!

I would go on one of those State Prision love chat forums. You know, the ones were the inmates connect with the hot babes. I think its called "Penial Envey".

Just ask in the general forum section for how you get the locks off. I'm sure you'll get an answer.

I lost the key to my Mustang wheel locks a while back, I ended up finding a socket that would pound on.. but on those recessed ones in the rivs look hard to do that with. You'd probably have to use a thin walled socket and then it'd probably break. I think welding on a nut is probably your best bet.

I have never replied to any thing posted by Miles[out of fear] but this just begs for a response.

NICE...

JT

Hey, I had a thought....how about a low-yield nuke.....no?

I knew a kid that had the same problem. . .

Here's an idea, try drilling it out. Use a larger bit till you get to about the diameter of the bolt shank. Then use a larger bit to drill out just the head.

sj914 you're so right! I drilled a pilot hole, and then progressively used bigger bits and popped the head off the bolt. Piece of cake!

hell anbody can do it the right way, it takes talent to use the BFH......

QUOTE (d914 @ Sep 16 2005, 04:53 PM)

hell anbody can do it the right way, it takes talent to use the BFH......

Ya'know - I tried that first, 'cause it sounded like the quickest way out, but it didn't work for me - and I busted a socket in the process...

Just about any tire shop can get them off on about 2 seconds.
Elliot

QUOTE (Elliot Cannon @ Sep 16 2005, 08:06 PM)

Just about any tire shop can get them off on about 2 seconds. Elliot

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Sep 12 2005, 12:44 PM)

get a 1/2 drive socket... that is approx the right size... get a 5 lb sledge, and beat the Fuc**r on. then get your breaker bar and turn anticlockwise...... works all the time at the junkyard....

Use this method all the time on cars Im parting out.

I'd a done the weld it way

The bolt would be hot and ready to come out all in one step.
Drilling seems like a nightmare.

Glad you got it.
Sounds like there is somebody with more patience than me after all


KT