Missing Wheels

[johnboy]

Sorry to see those pics mate, you must be gutted, will keep eyes peeled.

[Ellz]

Posted on Driftworks for you as there good internet detective

[B15RUP]

So sorry to hear of this mate! Its F :tsktsk: D! I hope you get it sorted soon.

[Monster-Mat]

terrible mate, ive posted it in a couple of places....

[Boxbrownie]

If you've not already told your insurance Yemgi I'd prob not mention there weren't any locking nuts as they'll probably just try and aquirm out of paying - no point pushing the odds anymore in their favour! Thing is even with locking nuts they just use a universal not most of the time and hammer it over to remove it - it's all just extra cost for you at the end of the day.

Hope all is ok mate, that is a proper crapper though, I'm amazed they got under it as it was a low car!

The problem with having locking wheel nuts is the b******s will often break into the vehicle to hunt for the lock key socket, doing even more damage to door locks and alarm systems!

Hope you get a good conclusion matey.......

Best regards David

[Dan_Harris]

but hopefully upon breaking in someone would hear it?

[Kazi]

Some people are unbelievable....

I feel for you mate. I'd be well jacked off to! F****n scum bags!

[LexG]

Sorry to hear that mate! Must have been horrid to discover something like that, hope you manage to get your wheels back, will keep an eye out for you.

Is there any way to customize locking wheel nuts and socket so that they are "unique"? Would be worth it even if its a little hard work?

[Steviewevie]

Is there any way to customize locking wheel nuts and socket so that they are "unique"? Would be worth it even if its a little hard work?

Not sure if I'm understanding you correctly, but locking wheel nuts and their corresponding key usually are unique. That's not to say that if someone's really determined, they'll find a way to get them off. But that's the same with any theft prevention measure for just about any item. The fact that they're their is usually enough to put off all but the very most determined.

[LexG]

I was thinking down the lines that if someone bought a set of locking wheel nuts from somewhere, and then say, 10 or so other people did from the same place, at least some would match one another, surely every locking wheel nut made cant be different? Not to familiar with this subject I have to say!

[Steviewevie]

I was thinking down the lines that if someone bought a set of locking wheel nuts from somewhere, and then say, 10 or so other people did from the same place, at least some would match one another, surely every locking wheel nut made cant be different? Not to familiar with this subject I have to say!

I don't know for sure, but I thought they were meant to be a lot more secure than that. The OEM ones are a bit rubbish though IMHO, the rods on the key could easily snap off.

McGard say that their keys are computer-generated and allow for an "infinite" number of combinations. So I presume it's pretty much a random shape, so you're not going to be able to find someone who has the actual key for it.

[Mike_B]

They're 'supposed' to be secure - but the thing is there is only so much room on the key to have the bits that make up the 'unique' shape. I remember getting stuck somewhere with a colleague who had a flat tyre. The 'unique' locking key on my Mondeo went straight into the 'unique' locking nut on his Mondeo. The reg numbers were consecutive, and the two cars were bought from the same dealer at the same time, which might have had something to do with it.

Mind you, his key was identical to his Dad's Escort. It wouldn't start the car because the chip embedded in the key was obviously wrong, but the actual cut of the key was exactly the same. I think there was only 256 permutations of that type of key. Good ol' Ford...

[Steviewevie]

They're 'supposed' to be secure - but the thing is there is only so much room on the key to have the bits that make up the 'unique' shape. I remember getting stuck somewhere with a colleague who had a flat tyre. The 'unique' locking key on my Mondeo went straight into the 'unique' locking nut on his Mondeo. The reg numbers were consecutive, and the two cars were bought from the same dealer at the same time, which might have had something to do with it.

Mind you, his key was identical to his Dad's Escort. It wouldn't start the car because the chip embedded in the key was obviously wrong, but the actual cut of the key was exactly the same. I think there was only 256 permutations of that type of key. Good ol' Ford...

I read somewhere that Ford at one stage used only something like 9 out of many possible combinations of the keys available to them. So that's more of a problem with the manufacturer's ordering processes than the uniqueness of the keys.

I recommend something like the McGard nuts, they're very high quality, and if you're buying in the aftermarket then there's no way anyone else will have the same key as you.

Regarding the options for the shapes, have a look at what the McGard ones look like below - I well imagine that the possibilities really are infinite in terms of the shapes and sizes of the pieces of that groove.

[Steviewevie]

Thing is even with locking nuts they just use a universal not most of the time and hammer it over to remove it - it's all just extra cost for you at the end of the day.

That won't work with the McGard SL high-security nuts though, they have a rotating collar which won't let another nut get a grip on it. I'm starting to sound like a McGard salesman now though !

Yemgi, any news, have you managed to get your car back on the road with some other wheels, and did you manage to find out if there was any other damage to your car ?

[Asi]

so did you get this sorted mate. did the police catch the people who done it

[yemgi]

No the Police has been very friendly but absolutely useless. That was lucky I had a spare set of wheelsin the UK

[DJ Wozza]

New wheels do look good buddy :D