How Do I Remove Locking Wheel Nuts Without The Key!

[citrophile]

Hi

 

Seem to have mislaid the special key for removing my locking wheelnuts (DOH!)

 

Do citreon dealers have a "universal" key so that they can remove any citroen locking nuts?

 

Thanks

 

Rob

 

[Johndouglas]

Do citreon dealers have a "universal" key

 

No they don't.   They may be able to access the key number on CitroenUK's computer, but a replacement will be horribly expensive.   Best bet is to visit a tyre depot.   Many of them have a tool to remove them.   On the other hand, you can buy one.   See http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-SX200-Locking-Wheel-Nut-Removal-Set-2pc-1-2-Sq-Drive-Brand-New-/321185455022

[qman3428]

Order a replacement from your main dealer, he should be able to determine which one from your registration details.

If you have damaged nuts then:- You drill a small hole alongside the stud and then split the nut with a chistle, if needed you can repeat this until it comes off. New, better designed locking nuts, are available on ebay.

[paul.h]

I make a point of writing the key number on the car handbook when I get a new (to me) car so if it is lost it may make it easier to get a new one. From memory, someone on here broke their key but one of the pins was still left and this was still enough to allow the wheel to be removed - maybe this would serve as a universal key.

[citrophile]

Finally solved this one..!!

C5 went in to local dealer for MOT yesterday (passed with no issues...yay) but said I had nail in one rear tyre. Told them I lost the wheel nut key and they said they could drill the two bolts out (one on each rear wheel) and charge an hour's labour (around £85). At first I hesitated but then thought I would have to do something about the nail in the tyre anyway so agreed for them to do it.

In the end they took over 2 hrs and had to keep the car overnight..!!

Still only charged me the hour though.

The moral here is make sure you don't lose the key, or even better, take the locking wheel bolts off altogether. After all, who's likely to steal standard Citroen alloys these days!

[paul.h]

A bit drastic, did you try the dealer and what about the 2 front wheels ? If you want to use this method get some decent drill bits up to the bolt thread diameter and have a go yourself.

[citrophile]

It was only the rear wheels. I lost it after I took the front ones off to do my turbo so had to refit those with 4 standard bolts!

 

They were a real pig to get off cos they had been over tightened last time I had a pair of rear tyres.

 

Still, all done now so no more hassles in future.

[paul.h]

I always make a point of using a torque wrench after somebody else has done up the wheels.

[bobtuck]

One of mine once totally seized in......no amount of force would shift it and simply proceeded to bend the little pins in the 'male' socket....a good hot, penetrating spot of mig weld to the 'male' socket and 'female' nut and bob's ya uncle!

[qman3428]

The issue is those stupid little pins, noticed mine were bending and bought a replacement set from ebay which have slots not pins. Wheels still locked, still need a key but easy to get off if you have it

[Bry]

Had the problm on a plureil i bought on E/B, Made a Key up, was a 20 mill socket then did a male female pattern with some plastic then had a freind  weld some round nails inside to match the pin slots had to cut slots on the out side of the socket to weld in the pins in place, Best to use a hand Impact driver to release the nuts unless you have an air impact  tool, rmoved all four but did wreck the pins and socket on the last one, trouble with a socket or a brace there is not enough preasure put on the nut and they ride off , so make sure you take the numbers of  the locking key and put indoors, saves a lot of time and money, another thing to check when buying another car  that you have the key

[paul.h]

Also see this post for some more methods http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/9999-locking-wheel-bolts/

[aspire_helen]

Hi, last week i could not remove a lockbolt because the key would not grip sufficiently. The key worked on the other 3 lockbolts, just the one head had worn/deformed, probably due to overzealous use of air wrenches by tyre fitters over its 13 year life. However, i took it to my friendly independent citroen specialist, who had just the right tool, and he removed it with 15mins using a Dynomec tool (i think, not sure). It is a two stage process. First, you hammer onto the bolt head a tool with 2 very hard/sharp chisels. Secondly, a hammer wrench action removes the bolt. Of course the bolt is rendered unusable. I bought a new set of Evo5 off ebay for £29 which are great. The key fits its bolts much better than the 4-pin original. I note that they come with a lifetime warranty PROVIDED THAT an air wrench is never used!!

[Porsche430]

Having worked on thousands of Citroen's over the years, came across many customers of have lost their key. I use an air hammer to remove the sheer head and put an angled "slot" into the remainder of the bolt. As long as the bolt isn't over tightened, should be able to zip it round with the air hammer and remove with a pair of long nose pliers. Don't use fingers as it get very hot!

 

Once had a customer with a DS3 who tried to drill the bolt out, ended up going squint and destroyed the wheel and hub! Haha! Locking wheel nut key was still in place too!

Edited January 20, 2015 by Porsche430

[ghostms]

i had that problem with open astra... main dealers dont have the replasments, and i do not advise looking for it on ebay, sure you will find similar or even the same... at least from the picture it will look the same...but i burned buying one...so do not advise doing it.

mechanic did it for me with a torch and some other tools. note torch and alloy does not go together so the cosmetics will get damaged...but you got to do what you got to do right... bad luck... was told once i bought a car...take them off and put normal bolts so you wont have that problem...i didnt...few month later i lost them and ....

[Smerflet]

The last time I had to buy a locking wheel nut tool from a Citroen Main dealer it was £59. I used it once to remove the remains of the bolt I'd messed-up trying this and that, then I replaced all locking nuts with another set of PSA originals off eBay for £20. I then sold the tool I used only once on ebay for £32.

 

Moral of the story for me: don't mess about with these. Just bite the bullet and pay for the proper Citroen tool. The only fly in the ointment was that the dealer wouldn't sell me one unless I had the full V5 in my name which, having just bought the car (with a moderately fast rear wheel puncture!) I hadn't got. Once I had the V5 away we went....

[milleplod]

Once you can get them off, bin them in favour of standard ones. What self-respecting scrote thief nicks alloys these days?!! :D

 

The first thing I do when buying a car is bin the things, I've been doing that for donkey's years, they're more trouble than they're worth!

 

Pete

Edited September 7, 2016 by milleplod

[coastline taxis]

We do exactly the same milipod. there just not worth having them on

[milleplod]

We do exactly the same milipod. there just not worth having them on

Brilliant minds etc etc! :D 

 

Till I find some standard bolts, my car's still got the lockers on. I just know what's going to happen when I do find some replacments...... :rolleyes:

 

Pete

[Rookie2]

Another coupleof tips. If one of the nuts is simply slipping in the tool, park the car alongside a wall. place a jack between the wall and a decent wheel nut spider with the tool in it, put some weight on the jack which will ram the tool onto the wheel nut.

 

I have removed quite a few locking wheel nuts  (Though not the citroen shallow ones) by mig welding a bolt onto the head of the locking wheel nut and when cooled down, just turning the bolt out with the locking nut attached. Spatter from the mig is minimal and you can use the aerosols of "Anti Spatter" to reduce it even more. Takes minutes to do (depending on how quickly the weld cools down).

If you are going to attempt to drill the locking nuts out, then you need some decent Dormer drills. I forget the exact spec of the drills but it is "NOT" the usual dormer coppied rubbish you see on ebay (though there are a couple of sellers who do supply the genuine thing)

 

If you are drilling the nuts out, please remember to cover the brake calipers, the hardened steel of the wheel nuts can cause havoc to brakes and discs if you get swarf cuttings in there.

[Lurcher]

Hi,  just go to www.lockingwheelnutsremoved.com and they will remove all four in 10 minutes with no damage, guaranteed.