quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
When I got them back, complete with new tires, I went out and bought a good click torque wrench and tightened them properly.

I do that every time I come back from the tire shop (I get free rotation every 5k miles because I bought the tires there). Even though they set their impact wrenches down, and use a torque stick for final tightening, I still find some too tight. At least I can get them loose, though. I back them off until they are only slightly snug, then torque them.

Locking lug nuts are pointless. They serve zero purpose. If you want to steal wheels, locking lugs do nothing to hamper the efforts of a thief.

To remove locking lugs, get a socket set with 12 point (or more) sockets. Find the socket that barely fits over the locking lug. Go down one size and tap it on with a hammer I say tap, but it’s more of a pound that shit on. Take a breaker bar and slowly loosen it. Do not use an impact gun. It’ll just shear off the edges.
That’s how the pieces of shit that steal wheels get around the locking lugs.

See pictures below.

quote:

Originally posted by comet24:
Get a 12 point socket that is just barely too small to fit over the locking lock nut. Them pound it on with a hammer. Grab a breaker bar or impact gun and take it off.

I learned this trick when I had a car with such lugnuts and no security key thing to get them off.

Worked fine on all four.

I would suggest using a socket you don't care about.

And that's what finally did it for me. I should have just done that in the first place, but I was trying to save my sockets. The JB Weld approach was a joke...I let it sit for 24 hours, and it twisted right off. 2 minutes with a small sledge and a 12-point socket and all is well now. All 4 security nuts and the buggered security socket are in the garbage. I'd still enjoy tar and feathering the person responsible for their implementation, though.

quote:

Originally posted by iron chef:
Are you sure the locking wheel-nuts came OEM from Mazda? Sounds like something a dealer would add on to charge a premium for like pin-stripes, window tint, VIN etching, and undercoat.

The socket said Mazda on it and had a factory part number, so either Mazda put them on at the factory or supplied the parts to their dealers. Either way, I blame them.

Back in 2004 when I was living in the 'burbs outside of Boston, I had the wheels stolen off my brand new Honda Civic while it was parked right in front of the house. Came out to go work, the wheels were gone and the car was propped up on a collection of crap including jagged rocks. In addition to the wheels, the assholes did an additional $3K in damage to my vehicle I hadn't even owned for a month.

There are special internally fluted (slang: twist or turbo) sockets that bite into the locking nuts. A moot point for the OP now that he's gotten them off, but I need them fairly often in my shop, due to the key being lost. For other owners of cars with locking nuts, if you KNOW I'll have to remove the wheels, PLEASE leave the key out for me to find, or tell me where it is, so I don't have to rifle through your stuff. I want no hint or suggestion of any impropriety (i.e., stealing). When I return the car, I put the key in with the invoice for it to be given to them personally.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:

quote:

Or, "Screw the guys who steal wheels and drive the need for security lug nuts in the first place."

That's the thing, though...I've been a cop in this county for 10 years and never once have I worked a case of stolen wheels. Stolen cars, sure. Stuff stolen out of cars, sure. Slashed tires, sure...but never wheels stolen off a car. It's not a thing (and even if it was, I'd highly doubt econobox mazda factory rims would be high on their target list). There is no need...it's a (horrible) solution looking for a problem.

It happens around these parts on occasion. Every few weeks or so I'll see a car left high and dry on blocks. A coworker had two factory upgrade wheels stolen off of his early 90s Accord last fall. I've yet to have any problems with factory wheels, but I had one BBS aftermarket wheel taken off of a car I once had and probably would've lost it and the remaining three had it not been for a neighbor coming home late and spooking off the cretin. Felt lucky that I lost none, but sure enough a set of wheel locks went onto that car shortly afterwards. I kept the key socket hidden in the same spot within the car and never had any concerns with it or the lock nuts themselves, whether I was doing work or I had a mechanic doing the same. But wheel theft was never a problem again right up until that car was finally sold off.

As for factory Mazda wheels: given what I know about Mazda 6 factory wheels from the headaches we've had with those and potholes on my wife's old car, it gets expensive having to replace those at $350 a pop. I'm sure some scumbag someplace with a lug wrench, a jack and some concrete blocks thinks the same about his Mazda.

If it’s not to much trouble(finding replacements), I usually remove the locking nuts & replace. I’m about never parked in a location where theft is a worry, just how I roll.

My Fiesta ST came with locking lug nuts installed on the car when I picked it up. This is Metro Detroit after all and the 17 inch rims that come on the ST seem to be a desired wheel. Something a bit odd because the 4 x 108 mounting pattern is NOT widely used. Anyhow I still use the lock nuts just to provide a small bit of security for the color matched 16 inch rims I use for driving the car.

As for wheel stud Torque, Ford Motor specifies a 100 ft.lbs. torque value and I have found my dealer is very attentive about mounting the wheels with the correct torque. I also have a Firestone dealer that will actually require their Tech's to use a Torque Wrench when the customer requests that. Which is a request I always make without fail. I'll also note that I carry a Milwaukee M12 Stubby Impact Wrench in my car that I have actually tested and that will produce 95 ft.lbs. when set on maximum with a 2 second hold on the hammer. I also carry a 24 inch torque wrench in the car in the event of a flat and will use that to finalize the torque when changing out my winter wheels.

As for why I am so fussy about the torque my wheels are mounted with, that is twofold. One because Aluminum rims can be damaged by over torquing the mounting, this can cause the seats to deform and result in a "loose" mount and severe vibration at speed. The second reason is that back in 1988/9 my brother went to Discount Tire to get new tires for the car. When he checked he didn't have one single tool to get the wheels loose and actually bent the wrench that came with the car. He called me and I went over with my 300 ft.lbs. Torque wrench and the lug nuts tested out at 275 ft.lbs.

Sum it up and like everyone else in this thread I've been there done that. My response is to insist that my wheels be mounted properly and to check for that, sometimes in the parking lot where the car was serviced.

It can happen anywhere.