Question about wheel lock

I assume you're talking about locking lug nuts?

They come with a 'key' that goes over the lock and accepts a wrench. DON'T LOSE IT!!! Sometimes they can get the rim locks off...sometimes...

If I understand your question and you're asking about tires not steering wheel-----A wheel lock, aka anti theft wheel lug, replaces one of your OEM lugs. It requires a special key to tighten and to remove. It's not a key such as you would put in your door but basically a special socket that goes between the lug wrench and the special lug. Without it you can't remove the "anti-theft lug. MLD

I will dissent on one item - they aren't terribly hard to remove without the tool. Normally one is used on each wheel and they can be removed almost as fast by a thief as a regular lug nut can. My favorite tire store educated me when I had to help a friend: select a 6-point socket that doesn't quite fit over the locking nut. Drive it on with a hammer, peeling back part of the lock surface. Put a ratchet in the socket and remove the assembly with a ratchet. Thieves will discard the socket (they probably stole it too!) while you will spend a few minutes with a vise and drift to separate the parts. Wear leather gloves - experience talking there :-(

I guess the locks keep opportunists at bay.

Mike

So any verdict on locking wheel nuts (and my apologies to O.P., I realize this is likely off-topic), maybe they are more trouble than they're worth?

On nice rims, I will use two sets of locking lugs, two different keys per wheel.. it does slow them thieves down. They'll make too much noise and racket, and waste too much time, and this is an old trick told to me by others... so pass it on...

I also have some $39 color video cameras watching... they steal gas, too.

forget them - they're useless against anyone that knows about these things:

They don't always work!

Yeah, can be. However:

I have an '85 Corolla GTS. When it was new I used to park it in Hartford, Boston, New York (daytime ONLY!) and never had a problem with it.

I misplaced the 'key', and had them removed and replaced with lugnuts. Less than THREE WEEKS, my wheels were GONE!

so the method used to remove your locks couldn't /possibly/ have been used to remove your wheels by thieves? b.s. you just got robbed. stupid wheel locks wouldn't stop me for more than 3 seconds if i wanted to play that game. best defense against theft is to pay attention to where you park the car. park and walk if necessary. or pack heat and do a stakeout.

ote:

Thanks everyone. I guess that I don't need wheel locks anymore if they cannot effectively protect my car.

It was right out in front of the house on a populated street. Of course, they stole the whole car and stripped it later.

And you should have seen what the tech went through to get the locks off the car. It too FORTY-FIVE minutes, NOT 3, with a special tool, and an air impact wrench. I was watching. It isn't anywhere near as easy as you allude to!

Even with those lock removers, it takes a LOT to remove a wheel lock, and the average theif wants to get in and out and done in less than 15 minutes. They aren't going to fart around trying to get the wheels off. Of course, your interior will be gutted and the radio gone, but the wheels will still be there.

OK, but I'm getting a set for my Scion and a set for my Supra. It WILL slow them down and they don't want to be slowed down.

An alarm doesn't help, either, but you'll get 15% off your insurance for one. I get mine at Salvation Army (when they have them) for $9-20. Good ones, too...AudioVox (Toyota and Honda used to use the as "Factory" before the Anti-theft keys, etc).

Can they defeat it? Yup. Will it stop them? Maybe, maybe not. Do I feel better? Yup!

The other thing to do is hide a key switch (the round kind, like on soda machines) somewhere only you know where it is, and use it to power the starter solenoid off. After my Corolla got stolen I had an alarm, and wired a Sub-sonic alarm into that, got a Club (install it on the wheel so the key slot is facing TOWARDS the dash!), a kill switch and locked the hood with aircraft cable and a big honkin' lock. They don't want to spend that much time...so they'll get it with a Flatbed!!!

Oh, yeah. And position the end of the club so you can't move the gearshift lever!

If they have the socket and hammer, it won't add five seconds to the time... maybe two or three seconds per wheel. It's quicker than driving a nail because the nail might bend ;-) All the lug nuts can still be off by the time the thieves get the wheel raised.

It will deter opportunists, just not people looking for wheels.

Mike

I did it by the roadside almost as quickly as I could select the correct socket. The socket went on with about three whacks of the four lb hammer and the deed was as good as done. Getting the socket off the lock was the tough part.

It's possible some are hardened, and those couldn't be removed that way.

Mike

indeed.

And, if they jam the socket on the first wheel lock, and can't get it off?

what makes you think that it's hard to carry 4 sockets that cost say $5 each when you want to steal a set of $1,000 wheels? you simply carry the tools for the job. better yet, carry /one/ socket of the type i identified earlier.

bottom line, you don't seem to get it - if someone wants to steal your stuff, they will. you don't need to understand how or why, simply that they will. it's a matter of recognizing this reality and attempting avoidance, not clutching at straws about whether someone is going to flummoxed by trivia.

Don't seem to get it? I had the same car stolen once and broken into again a week after I got it put back together! Yes, I know if someone really wants something, NOTHING is going to deter them. They even managed to break in the second time without setting the alarm off. I am guessing they knew what they were doing and went for it. However, the second time all they managed to make off with was the stereo from the dash. With the Club, the wheel locks, etc it was too difficult for them to bother with anything else. (and talk about BALLS! It was 1 in the afternoon on the 4th of July!)

No, if someone is determined, there going to get what they want. But if you have a car loaded with a lot of anti-theft gear, more often than not they're going to look elsewhere.

I'm willing to take that bet.

Of course, there is one deterrent that will GUARANTEE they will never bother you again! A full clip! BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM!

it works like this: you bring your car for a tire change and leave with the shop but do not leave the wrench with them. the mechanic get pissed and your car does not get worked on OR they use a power tool to rip the lock off (and the wheel stud alog with it) and you get pissed.

in short if anyone wants your $500 shiny rims they will get them wheel locks or not.

just speculating as i never had any of that shit on my cars