Alloy Wheel Lock Nut - Can’t Remove!

[Eamonn]

Happy New Year all!

I have time to post this while waiting on the hard shoulder of a busy motorway late at night on New Year’s Day.

I picked up a puncture on the way home with my family and pulled in to the hard shoulder, where I removed the spare wheel and got to work removing the offending wheel. However, it is impossible to remove the locknut using the adapter provided!!! I cannot get enough purchase on the nut to loosen it, and it feels like I will round off the nut corners if I continue to try.

So, I’ve just ordered a taxi to come out and take my family home while I wait for a tow truck to come and get me.

I’m staggered that VW have used such a stupidly flawed system; in order to protect a 16” standard wheel from theft they have rendered it impossible for me to change a tyre!!!

Am I the only one to suffer from this?

 

[Loz]

You really need a breaker bar with a right angle and one person to hold it on whilst the other leans on the bar.

 

[bigmac77]

Agree with Loz, but also I removed all my locking wheels nuts as I thought it pretty unlikely that anyone would steal my 16” wheels and replaced them with standard wheel nuts. It makes life easier.

 

[Eamonn]

I’m just really surprised that it’s not possible to change a tyre *unless* you have brought specialist equipment. The spare tyre, jack and other equipment are redundant if it’s not possible to remove the lock nut.

Well done VW. Impressively stupid.

 

[calikev]

Not being able to undo the locking wheel nut is the least of your problems wait until you find the wheel stuck to the hub

 

[flying banana]

Looks like you have chewed the head of the puzzle but there. I carry a breaker bar and also make sure my nuts arent seized. You may get that off at home with help from some heat and mole grips. I tend also not to do up the locking bolts as tight as the rest of them. Good luck.

 

[Aidy P]

I had the same problem with mine. Had to get a garage to use a tiny drill to get mine off in the end.
Replaced them with a new set from VW. Bought all the kit...breaker bars, torque wrench. Guess what ... it happened again, after I suspect a garage over tightened them when I had brake pads replaced.

 

[WelshGas]

No problem with my Locking Bolts with the supplied Wheel Brace and adapter, but they should not be torqued to the same degree as the normal bolts.

 

[Lightning]

All wheel bolts should be torqued according to manufacturers requirements. To suggest otherwise is potentially dangerous.

 

[Broch Hunter]

Not being able to undo the locking wheel nut is the least of your problems wait until you find the wheel stuck to the hub

A very good point. Just before Christmas when switching to winter wheels I found all four wheels were well and truly ‘stuck’ on the hubs of my one week old Cali. I was really pleased my local friendly tyre dealer was doing this on a ramp rather than me finding the problem when faced with a puncture by the side of the road using the standard scissor jack. I understand the problems of dissimilar corrosion (It doesn’t just happen with the Cali roof!) but was surprised at the level of corrosion on a new vehicle.

The tyre people buffed up and copper greased the hub/wheel interface so should be ok now. The comment from my local VW dealer was that they often find this problem when wheels are first taken off, they then do what my friendly tyre people did. If so, I question why this isn’t part of the PDI???

 

[Lightning]

All wheel bolts should be torqued according to manufacturers requirements. To suggest otherwise is potentially dangerous.

Actually, it’s completely idiotic.

 

[WelshGas]

All wheel bolts should be torqued according to manufacturers requirements. To suggest otherwise is potentially dangerous.

And All tyre shops follow that religiously. In your dreams, and the vehicle manufacturers know that.
So I torque the Locking bolt to 10% below. Not had a problem since I started using Locking Nuts/Bolts many years ago and my local garage agrees. Never had a problem and never lost a bolt or wheel and able to change wheels myself if necessary using the supplied jack and wheel brace.

 

[Lightning]

And All tyre shops follow that religiously. In your dreams, and the vehicle manufacturers know that.
So I torque the Locking bolt to 10% below. Not had a problem since I started using Locking Nuts/Bolts many years ago and my local garage agrees. Never had a problem and never lost a bolt or wheel and able to change wheels myself if necessary using the supplied jack and wheel brace.

The system is designed with redundancy against single failures. By not following the recommendations you are intentionally introducing a single failure.
The manufacturer isn’t responsible if their instructions aren’t adhered to.
It’s astonishing that you think you know better than the people who designed it.
Get the right tools for the job and torque it properly.
My first job when I was 16 was as a car mechanic. I torqued all the wheel bolts in a car, and it still fell off on the motorway. I still don’t know why. Fortunately he watched me do it. I’m a Chartered Engineer now with many years experience of things not working as expected....

 

[jts46]

I was given to torque settings by VW for the road wheels 180 or 140 @Lightning which do you suggest i use?

 

[Lightning]

I did ask VW and they are the figures i was given

Well that’s the acceptable range then, providing they are correct for your vehicle. Anywhere between 140 and 180 Elephants is acceptable. Don’t torque them to 140-10%, of the Elephants available.

 

[jts46]

I'll do 140 elephants then or widgets or lions

 

[Loz]

It's 180Nm

 

[B J G]

I was given to torque settings by VW for the road wheels 180 or 140 @Lightning which do you suggest i use?

180N-mtrs or 140 lbsft

 

[WelshGas]

Well that’s the acceptable range then, providing they are correct for your vehicle. Anywhere between 140 and 180 Elephants is acceptable. Don’t torque them to 140-10%, of the Elephants available.

So 4 at 180 Elephants and 1 at 162 would be Ok!

 

[Lightning]

I guess that would be the royal “We,” judging from the actual comments on the thread referred to.

No because one is actually in elephants and the other one is giraffes.

 

[Lightning]

No because one is actually in elephants and the other one is giraffes.

Response was meant for WG last comment.

 

[vmaxkiddy]

The correct torque loading for large diameter bolts is 2 white knuckles and a grunt, for smaller diameters the bolt should be tightened until it shears, then back it off half a turn.

 

[jts46]

Or use a brummie spanner

 

[SimonB]

I had the same problem with VW locking wheel bolts. I had bought a spare one which meant that when you get that puncture in the early hours, when it's raining, etc you will always be able to find it. VW don't make it easy to identify which pattern you have so I had to buy 2 complete sets. Putting on the Winter wheels one of the unlocking bolts was damaged, then the spare was also becoming rounded.
I spoke to a local car firm who said that Halfords sell the kits to take them off for under £30 and unless your alloys were really expensive it was hardly worth using locking wheel bolts. I just use 5 standard bolts for each wheel now.
There are a few previous threads on this;

Ocean wheel nut size (And replacing nuts)

Hoping for some guidance. Only had my 18 plate ocean for a couple of months but got quite a bad puncture yesterday. As seems to be common, the locking wheel nut key keeps slipping and wont grip enough to remove the nut - even had the AA out and they can’t get it to budge. The AA managed to...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...ter-lost-by-ats-euromaster.22131/#post-253494 Post#9 by @briwy gives a supplier of more robust locking bolts

Simon

 

[WelshGas]

Response was meant for WG last comment.

Your minds going. Delusions of grandeur, as if anyone takes notice.