NOT classic related but rather urgent

That worked for a friend of mine...he welded a nut to it, then used a different sized wrench than normal, and got them out. At least it sounds like yours are possible for that technique. Some have a shroud that prevents welding. Sounds like the welding man didnt have enough current or something. A nut means you can also weld inside the threaded portion, making it stronger.

There is obviously a moral to this story somwhere??....lol, are you sure you have checked everywhere, ie ashtray, glovebox, under spare etc as people leave them in places like this in case they get a puncture on the roadside.

Neil

The cars been stripped bare looking for it - Ive evenhad the carpets out ;o(

Check all you documentation, if these are vauxhall locks you should have a card with the code on it, you can order a new key via the dealer.

Failing that you have to get a device that screws onto the wheel stud/nut with a reverse thread that has a bolt on the face of it, a skilled mechanic can wind it on and then undo the bolt, trashes your locking wheel stud/nut but its not much use anyway. Failing that you've got to drill it out without trashing the hub.

Any reason it can't be drilled and use a screw/stud extractor set?

Best Regards John McCabe

To reply by email replace 'nospam' with 'assen'

Tried a centre punch and a hammer? and knocked the stud around.

I would suggest the first thing you do is get the car away from the Vauxhall main dealers. Its quite likely that a good tyre fitter will have a key. There actually arent that many adapters and Omegas are dead common and the wheel is also used on Calibras and Vectras too I suspect. Failing that then make a cast of the key profile with plasticene from the top of the nut and fine a local engineering shop to make you one up. Fifty quid tops. There are at least two in walking distance of my house in west london...

Jonners

What a cracking idea! thanks for that - will try it today and update here

Happened to me too once so I made a rough cast with plasticene and machined up a tool in the workshop. However most people don't have my sort of machinery. Tyre fitters and general garages usually have boxes of those sorts of key knocking around and usually something fits even if it needs a bit of hammering on. I bet a main dealer could actually do it pretty fast but they'll tell you it's a huge problem and charge an arm and a leg.

Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines

Make one. Ten minutes work for any small shop with a lathe. Use plasticine to impression it and standard taper pins to make the "keys"

OTOH, if you do air-wrench these nuts tight, then even the real key won't remove them without itself breaking. Best way to get them off is to drill carefully down on two opposite sides parallel to the stud, then use a chisel to split the nut. If they weren't down a tunnel in the wheel, then just a hydraulic splitter from the side is easier.