Copper Nine Eight

I'm getting pretty mad. So I cannot get the hubcaps off without the key. I bought one of those Gator Grip sockets but it was to big to fit inside the hole. I tried tapping a socket on.. no luck. Has anybody had luck getting these off without a key... I'm trying to get new tires :/

2blu442

Provide us more details, what year/model of car? Can you post a picture of the wheel/hubcap?

John

Copper Nine Eight

1985 Delta 88 Royale Brougham. It's too dark right now to take pictures. Sorry. I will post pictures tomorrow!

ThePackRat

Would it be possible to take a flexible dremmel attachment & carefully make a "slot" in the lock bolt head(s) .....

So you could then try a decent sized flat blade screwdriver on them ?.

If you haven't already .....

Shoot some WD40 w/a thin nozzle in the lock bolt cavities.

While there are penetrant's that work much better than WD40 ... it might be best to stick with that in this case, as it's usually much safer if some should run onto the painted surfaces of the wheel covers (the flat/satin black areas).

I once made the mistake of using something more potent on a door lock years ago (might of been PB blaster ?).

The lock worked great from that point forward.

The permanently etched "line" running down my door just under the lock from that point forward .....

I could have done without.



PS -

Probably best to do any grinding prior to spraying any WD40

droldsmorland

Sunex 2840 9 Piece Hubcap and Wheel Lock Removal Kit

BangScreech4-4-2

Without the key? You mean the key for the locking lug nut? If that's the case, your best bet's an air chisel. Or a nuclear device.

MDchanic

If you're trying to buy new tires, you have no problem at all.

Every tire shop should have all the tools needed to remove locking hubcaps and locking lug nuts.
It's what they do.

- Eric

cherokeepeople

maybe he wants to just take the wheels in and have new tires mounted and balanced so he can put them back on himself to keep the tirejockeys from warping his rotors.i used to work in my dads shop and we constantly had to pull rotors and turn em after the local tire places put new tires on with impacts.

MDchanic

Fine, then maybe he can drive by and have them use their tool on his hubcaps so that he can buy their tires.

Or maybe, in return for the $800 or so that he is spending on a set of tires, they'll let him take the thing home for an hour, so that they can make the sale.

- Eric

BangScreech4-4-2

Well, maybe his tires are all flat, huh? Didja ever think of that? Didja?

MDchanic

Well, maybe he could fill them all with Fix-A-Flat, drive down there, get the hubcaps taken off, and then drive home before the tires went flat again.

- Eric

84oldshurst

Better yet, buy a new car, drive down there ask if they do all that, then drive back; sell the car. Use the money to just to buy new tires and roll them back to the car your trying to put them on.
P.s. This won't help getting your original tires off though...

ThePackRat

Letting off the throttle & bringing the *** end back on the actual intended lane of travel here ........

While I'm sure most shops have some sort of generic kits & such for locking lug nuts, locking wire wheel covers have not been options on cars for quite some time.

While any "Ma & Pa" shops left out there might have the toss nothing packrat mindset .....

I'd say good luck on the average shop holding on to such things.

The OP could certainly try calling &/or visiting a few places close to him .....

But he'll more than likely get the same response he would asking about a distributor machine.

The OP might have to accept things will need to get ugly.

Hopefully they double-checked for a number &/or color on the end of the lock stud(s).

Might want to take a nice clear up close photo or two as well.

If I knew where my keys were at the moment .....

I'd whip them out & see if we could match it up.

Copper Nine Eight

The funniest and most informative thread ever haha!