If your car is fitted with locking wheel nuts, it will have an specialized socket tool that is able to fit over them and slot into a unique pattern on the locking wheel nut. It is typically stored in the glove box or in the boot storage panel but can be difficult to locate if it's gone missing.
What is a locking wheel nut?
Locking wheel nuts or lug nuts, are a great deterrent to would-be thieves as they are only removed with an exclusive key. Manufacturers of vehicles install them on vehicles with alloy wheels as a security measure to prevent theft. The locking wheel nuts work according to a basic principle. Each locking wheel nut is distinct and comes with an outer security pattern or indent. A matching locking wheel key can be inserted into each locking wheel nut. The key cannot be removed or rotated once it is placed. Your alloy wheels will stay firmly attached to the car.
The key that is fitted into the locking wheel nut tiny metal tool that can be cylindrical at one end (on the left side of the image above) or hexagonal at the other (on the right). Each manufacturer has their own design, and these keys are not compatible with any other model of car. If you think that you've lost your car's key, you should check with the manufacturer.
They can be tucked away in a variety of places however the most obvious place to store them is in your glove box. You can also find them in a pocket, bag or in a bin on the passenger or driver's seat. If you have bought an used car the previous owner might have kept the keys in one of these locations therefore it is always worth checking this site.
In addition to being kept in the boot, some automobiles have a storage compartment within their boots where they can store things like spare key for fiat 500 tyres or repair kits for tyres. Be sure to check these compartments in your car as keys to the locking wheel could be hidden there.
Locking lug nuts can be removed without the key, but it's not a simple task and will require an enormous amount of effort especially since they're extremely secure. This is why it's important to keep the key in a safe location, so that you can find it quickly and easily when you need to remove them.
How do I get rid of the lock wheel nut?
Modern cars are usually fitted with locking wheel nuts that protect the alloy wheels and tyres. To remove a wheel nut, you will need to use a specific tool that is usually part of the car or should be. You will also need an unlocking Key Fiat to open the bolt that holds the lug. The key is kept in the glovebox, or the place where the spare wheel and tyres are kept.
The wheel nut lock was developed to be difficult to remove by thieves. While they can easily remove the standard hexagonal lug bolts but the locking wheel nuts only be removed with a specific key and tool. This is done to make the car look less attractive to thieves, who might find it difficult to steal your tyres or wheels and be caught.
There are three main kinds of locking wheel nuts that are commonly used in the present. The most basic is a nut with a keyed head. the nut, which you can insert the key into. A different type features a rotating collar around the nut that makes it impossible to get a purchase on the lug nut using a wrench. Some vehicles have locking lugbolts that are designed to break off if you attempt to remove them using a wrench.
If you have lost the key to remove your wheel nuts or find it damaged in any way, don't panic. You can still remove the locking lug nuts using the tools and techniques offered by tyre manufacturers that offer mobile tyre fitters. The tyre technician will be capable of advising you on the best method to remove the locking lug nuts without damaging your alloys.
If you purchased your car second-hand, it is worth checking the seat pockets and the door bins to find keys since the previous owner could have hid it in the bins. It is also worthwhile contacting the dealership or manufacturer of your vehicle since they may be in a position to provide you with an alternative.
Where can I get a locking wheel nut?
Locking wheel nuts are designed to guard expensive alloy wheels from being stolen. The locking wheel nuts come with a different lock head shape as opposed to the standard nuts and bolts. This ensures that only keys that match the right pattern will be able to remove the wheel nuts. The keys are kept in the glove compartment or in the spare wheel storage area of the boot. It is crucial to know the location where the wheel nut is to ensure that it can be easily and quickly located by technicians when they are taking the vehicle for service or repair. If the technician can't find the tool, they'll have to search the vehicle which can take a long time and delay the completion of work.
In the event of an emergency, it's a good idea to know the location of the wheel tool to remove the nut. Tyre shops and breakdown services often have these tools included in their kits. They can utilize them to unblock the locking nut without owner having to wait for the key to arrive. These tools are typically small tools made of metal that are shaped as an cylinder and the other like an hexagon. Each type of car has a different pattern.
If the tool to remove wheel nuts is not located in the glove box or spare wheel area it may be somewhere obvious such as under the seats or in the door bins. If the wheel nut removal tool was stolen by the previous owner It is worth looking into the glove box and spare wheel area. It is possible that it was deposited with a tyre shop or garage when the vehicle was being serviced and it is a good idea to ask whether they have located it.
Contact your dealer if you are unable to locate the wheel nut tool. They should be able to provide you with a new key for the specific wheel nut, as each manufacturer offers a limited number of patterns. It may be necessary to provide them with a picture of the locking wheel nut so that they can match it with a suitable key.
How do I replace a Locking Wheel Nut?
It is always a good idea to keep your locking wheel nuts somewhere safe so that you can access it when you have to change your tyres. If you have lost your locking wheel nut key, there is no need to panic. Each fiat 500x key has a unique code that can be used by the car manufacturer to order a new one. This code is usually located in the owner's manual or service book. It may be printed on the lock nut storage bag or box (if your car included one).).
If you've lost your car keys the first thing you should do is to look in any small storage spaces like the glove box, under the seats, or in the door bins. If you recently bought an older vehicle you should check the boot storage compartments. They are typically used to store tyre-repair kits and spare wheels.
You can also contact the dealership you purchased your car from if you're unable to find it. You may be able to get a copy through the mail. If this isn't working you'll require a special socket with a reversed thread on the inside. This socket will pierce into the locking nut to grip it hard enough to pull it out. You can purchase these from many car parts stores however, Halfords offer a wide range of them.
There are also tools you can use to remove the lug nuts without having a key. If you own a tyre fitting kit or an impact wrench these tools include a tool that can be fitted over the bolt locking it and slots into the flange pattern. These will allow you to loosen the locking nut, but you will still have to remove the zinc plated covers off each lug nut to gain access to the head of the lock nut.
You can also buy a drift punch or bar which will fit over the head of the lock nut and allow you to hammer it on to achieve a more precise friction fit. This will require more strength than an breaker bar, but it can be the quickest method to take off the locking lug nut.