neveridle

my first post on this forum and hopfully someone will have a good solution. Just picked up a 1968 Cutlass that has later year chrome rally wheels on it. I was getting ready to go through the brakes and realized that it has wheel locks on it and I have NO KEY for them, Can anyone tell me from experience what the best approach would be to get these wheel locks off without destroying the studs or wheels? Thanks, neveridle

RetroRanger

i would see if they are the common mcgard ones if yes mcgard will sell you a new key

when my key broke i thought a tire shop must have a special socket to get these off, i was half right tire warehouse hammered a size smaller regular socket on and impacted the thing off

RetroRanger

http://www.mcgard.com/index.php/cust...art-online-now

TripDeuces

The problem with this approach is without the key card you'll never know which key you need.
Find a dealer ship that sells McGard wheel locks with their wheel upgrade packages. They will have (hopefully) a set of the McGard wheel lock sockets. It's a plastic box with approximately 8 of the lock lug sockets in it.
I used to work at Toyota and they have them in the parts department or service dept.

geoff442

Use a 1/2 inch drive socket, find the right size socket you can beat on with a hammer, it has to be just the right size. Use and impact gun it should come off, I've done it many times. If you have to use a ratchet use a long handle. It takes a little to get tha lock out of the socket when you get it off, and the socket will take a beating. I've I used both twelve and six point sockets depending on the situation. Check YouTube there's a few demos there.

CRUZN 66

Purchase a lug nut removal tool such as this one:

billmerbach

We sell the pilot performance one at advance I believe it's 1199

joe_padavano

Which always makes one wonder about the value of wheel locks...

stevengerard

Yep, A socket a bit tinier than the wheel lock itself or a good larger pair of vise-grips, I have removed them both ways. The socket works best though its not always easy to remove the lug-nut from the socket.

neveridle

Hey Thanks alot everyone for the fantastic ideas. I really appreciate all the help! neveridle

HWYSTR455

If you tighten all the other lugs, before you try to remove the lock, it will help.

Throw all the locks in the trash once you get them off. Worthless.

.

billmerbach

You ain't kidding....reminds me of what a wise friend always tells me if someone wants something bad enough they will get it whether it's locked or not

Funkwagon455

Of course this is true, then again sometimes a small amount of deterrent is enough to keep honest folks honest. In the case of a determined and experienced thief, a full set of locks may not stop them from committing the act but it is certain to cost time and likely make some noise in the process. Those two things will make even an experienced thief re-evaluate. I have twenty Gorilla locks on both my daily and the '70 wagon. If someone is that hungry, and that good,,,well I suppose they need them much more than I do.

neveridle

Hello Everyone, I managed to get all the wheel locks off today.I tightened the other 4 lug nuts up first like HWYSTR455 suggested and then like goeff442 suggested I used a slightly smaller socket and beat it over the lock and the lock backed right off with a breaker bar. WoHoo!!! Thanks again for all the ideas and help!!! I really appreciate it!!! neveridle