GottaHaveIt

I don't no the importance of this with most but I took my 05 GT intoday for its 20,000 kilo service, and when they rotated the tires and were putting back on the Ford supplied lock nuts one split & broke off [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif[/img] so it was mentioned that they may damage the wheel trying to get it off [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/crying.gif[/img] Well you good people put them on and were laste to rotate the tires so do what you have to do and if you samage the wheel let me see it & maybe compensate or REPLACE it ! BTW the lock nut had a hair line fracture that unless exerayed you'd never have know, also it only showed when it snapped , I Stongley suggested to them thjat if this is a potential pitfall that I personally would have only removed the locks by hand and NOT an impact gun, due to the vibration and all will take its toll if the is a defect in a lot of nuts. Ed at least I got to come home in a 06 Focus with their name on it Real Chick Magnet [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img] Ed

ford4v429

did the locknut or the key break?
either way, they really shouldnt use an impact on the locks( I'd bet it says that on the package somewhere).
if they screw up your wheel, thats their problem. if they broke the lock with an impact, they should replace it- personally I think I'd wrap something around to protect wheel finish and weld a nut to it to remove it...then they can replace the whole set (they should anyway if they used impact- socket key could be cracked too)

if they try something like that though, be CERTAIN they connect ground solidly to the wheel/another lug on same wheel...dont want grounding thru bearings to destroy axles or even motor/tranny...Ive seen guys accidentally brush welder against lathe chuck or slide and destroy spindle bearings or ballscrews. lots of folks dont think about current path when hooking up ground clamps. I sure hope they dont try grabbing it with anything...too easy to scratch a wheel.



I didnt buy wheel locks because most of the ones ive seen with external keying could be removed with a 'master' - piece of tube with single tooth...the ones with 'face' keys would look to be harder to cheat, but those Ive bought before got rusty in the grooves, so I figure why bother...

I had been thinking about puttin a couple lefthand lugs in instead- but again, theyd just overtorque and ruin wheels anyway- or worse yet leave it with wheel held by couple nuts...

I got a cnc mill in the garage and *might* go ahead and engrave the wheels, but then gotta touchup the clearcoat...no matter what if some crackhead wants em bad enough, they'll get them. thats what insurance and cameras are for [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

Stoenr

They just steal the whole car these days anyway.
My cars not out of view long enough to steal my wheels.
Like fordv said, thats what insurance and camaras are for.

Anycar I had that came with wheel locks I removed them right away. I do my own work on the car, that includes rotations every oil change, I dont want to be bothered with a troublesome key.

Redfire05

I had the same issue. I do my own rotations and I cracked the locking part of nut with the nut key. Ford could not get the locking lug (what was left of it) off without ruining my rim and the lug. They told me that the nuts should never have broken and since it was inside my basic warranty they replaced everything at no cost to me. I told them to take all the locking lugs off and put regular ones on. They are about $2 each. So total cost to me was $8 plus tax. Of course they had to have my car overnight because they had to order a new rim and lug stud - so it was not driveable. I have never broken a lug nut by hand tighting it myself. So it sounds like to me that these locking lug nuts have some design flaws.

tkogt

speaking from experience( i run a repair shop)

if you have a bad lug nut the best way to remove it without damageing the wheel is to drill through the bad nut and stud.

start with a small bit and slowly work up to a bit thats bigger than the stud.
when you get to a bit thats bigger thatn the stud it damaged stud will just fall off.

you will have to replace whats left of the stud and get a new nut
less than $10 for parts in most cases.

way cheeper than a new wheel!!!


jay

Redfire05

You are talking about a Ford dealership here. Your method requires patience and thought. Not something that I find common when a service shop is rushing cars in/out of repair bays.
I also heard that a second nut could have been welded to the broken nut and they could have got it off that way. However they may have hear the rim during welding - again if they were not patient.
Oh well, as long as I did not have to pay for it - there lose.