My daughter and son-in-law have a 2010 Toyota RAV4 that they just bought, but the original owner didn't have the key for the locking lug nuts. It's time for them to rotate the tires, and we're wondering what our options are for getting these lug nuts off?

Any ideas?

Are they the factory locks, you might check with a dealer. Years ago McGard locks were the best, if you lost the key you could freeze with Freon and smack with a hammer. Not sure if this is doable with your vehicle.

Go to a trusted mechanic. Offer him $100 to get the locking lugs off. Tell him its OK if he has to nick up the rims a little. He'll put a chisel attachment on his air chipper and have them off in about the time it takes to pull the vehicle in, set it up, raise it, lower it, and back it out.

My daughter “lost” the key for her CRV so when it was time to change over to winter tires I hammered an old socket wrench socket slightly larger than the key onto it and then loosened it that way. Worked surprisingly well.

There are special internally toothed/fluted sockets available that you hammer over the lock, then the teeth bite in to grasp the lock and you turn it with a breaker bar or ratchet. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=n...6&crid=32P9PN163VH9H

Any tire shop worth their salt should have one and would probably remove them for you for less than the cost of the tool.

Trying to find a compatible key from somewhere like a dealership or garage would be my first choice.

If that doesn't work out, a more brute force method is to get a damaged bolt removal socket just undersized enough to not fully fit over the locking nut, and then hammer it onto the nut with a hand sledge, which should then allow you to remove it. You'll just have to replace the damaged nuts with new lug nut.

(I've seen this is the method used by some roadside assistance/tow guys.)

The last three solutions to this problem tell me just how useful are locking lug nuts. I often wondered. Now I know.

I was curious about this myself so I decided to Google. I found two "master" key sets for unlocking lug nuts. One cost $68 and the other $85.

Not saying that this is a guarantee by any means. But I've surmized that there is probably a finite amount of possibilities for the "keys" to these things.

Go to the nearest tire shop like Les Schwab or Big O. They will have the tool you need. I recently bought a security key for my Tahoe from Big O for $10. They can replace your lugs nuts with a non-locking style if you want to go that route. They may also sell the keys at O'Reillys or Autozone.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
The last three solutions to this problem tell me just how useful are locking lug nuts. I often wondered. Now I know.

I've seen them removed with a hammer and punch. Faster than the actual wrench.

Try to pound a 15/16 12 point socket on the locking lug nut. Often this works.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
The last three solutions to this problem tell me just how useful are locking lug nuts. I often wondered. Now I know.

I've never known anyone around my area to have their rims stolen off a routine parked car. It happens, but it's not common in most areas.

(It's more likely to happen with abandoned vehicles in more remote areas being stripped for parts or scrap. Then there's the stereotypical "parked your car in the ghetto and came back an hour later to find it up on blocks with no wheels, no engine, and no muffler".)

But I've known quite a few people who lost or misplaced their locking lug nut keys and then needed to get their wheels off, either due to a flat or just routine maintenance.

Unless you have overly fancy custom rims and live in a rough area, they're more likely to be a hassle than a help.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
The last three solutions to this problem tell me just how useful are locking lug nuts. I often wondered. Now I know.

With the correct tools and enough time you can break into anything. But I do have to wonder if it is worth it to use these things given the aggrevation they can cause.

It seems to me that in years gone by tires and rims were much for standardized. So it made sense that for someone to swipe a single tire. These days with fewer cars having hubcaps and instead customer rims, someone wanting to swipe a single tire would have to spend time finding the correct one.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
The last three solutions to this problem tell me just how useful are locking lug nuts. I often wondered. Now I know.

They're still great for areas without privacy.

Using hammers, chisels, and specialty tools on street side parking or in a parking garage or something is far more suspicious looking than a regular lug wrench.

Just about anything can be defeated with privacy, time, and power tools.

Discount tire will remove them and sell you new ones.

Several years ago my log lock key stripped as I was trying to get the lugs off so I used a monkey wrench. For the lugs on my car the monkey wrench worked great and I had the lugs off in no time. Since that time I've never bothered with lug nut keys, while they provide a slim measure of security they are not worth the hassle if you lose the key.

Find a 12 point socket that will almost fit over the locks. Take a hammer and beat it on. Put a ratchet on the socket and remove the lock.

I would find the right size socket and go buy a cheap one because it will likly damage the socket.

Then buy a new set of locks and use this method to remove the locks on the other tires and replace them.

Just about any good tire shop should be able to help you out for a price.

When I was getting new tires for my daughter’s Highlander a month or so ago the key was nowhere to be found. Apparently when the dealership did a rotation during the last service they forgot to put it back. Fortunately the registration card was still there among the papers they put in the glove box when you buy a new car. I was able to register it and have a new one overnighted. You might want to check and see if yours is too.

quote:

Originally posted by comet24:
Find a 12 point socket that will almost fit over the locks. Take a hammer and beat it on. Put a ratchet on the socket and remove the lock.

I would find the right size socket and go buy a cheap one because it will likly damage the socket.

Then buy a new set of locks and use this method to remove the locks on the other tires and replace them.

Ding ding ding.

This is the easiest way and it also how the 'pros' do it when they steal rims. It takes no time at all and if you have rims people want to steal, they will have the necessary items to easily delete your wheel locks.

They are more trouble for joe blow owner who has to find and use the key every time he wants to work on his vehicle than they are for someone wanting your rims.

Cadillac Escalade wheels in the NoVa/DC area get stolen ALL THE TIME. The local cadillac dealers keep sets of Escalade rims on hand it's so common as well as a set of service lane rims so they can pop the wheels on the victim's vehicle so they don't get dragged onto the flatbed.

They all have/had wheel locks.