Locking Wheel Bolts

[Guest Fitzy2365]

Friends.

I was having trouble removing the locking wheel bolts on my beloved C5.

I went to various garages (STS, Kwick Fit, F1 etc) but came to a bit of a stand still. Kwik Fit didnt have the tools, STS no longer offered the service and F1 wanted to charge £15 per hour per wheel. I think we know that they would have made an excuse and say that it took longer than usual.

Anyway, I digress, I was gradually coming to terms of paying exuberate amounts of money to get them off when I thought of quickly adapting the special socket that came with the bolts.

The problem I had was that the release side of the grooves/dimples on the bolt head were burred and no matter what the socket kept slipping off. I had my son try to undo the bolt while I applied pressure on the socket to try and keep it square. But even that was no good.

Tools Required -

PVC Tape

17mm Socket

Socket Wrench/bar

My brainwave was this - Wrap PVC insulation tape around the socket base until there is enough to make the socket fit in the wheel hole very snuggly without hindering the socket from turning. This will keep the socket straight within the wheel hole and squarely on the bolt head. This in turn will enable you to use both hands. One hand applies pressure to the top of the socket wrench and one hand to turn the wrench.

 

I managed to release ALL bolts within 10 minutes.

I hope this works for others.

[Guest kimosabe]

Good posting....If the above suggestion does not work for you try the following..

http://www.renaultalpineownersclub.com/Freeing%20bolts.htm

I tried the easy-outs a few years ago on a frozen wheel bolt and it worked for me..

[Guest shenden]

Friends.

I was having trouble removing the locking wheel bolts on my beloved C5.

I went to various garages (STS, Kwick Fit, F1 etc) but came to a bit of a stand still. Kwik Fit didnt have the tools, STS no longer offered the service and F1 wanted to charge £15 per hour per wheel. I think we know that they would have made an excuse and say that it took longer than usual.

Anyway, I digress, I was gradually coming to terms of paying exuberate amounts of money to get them off when I thought of quickly adapting the special socket that came with the bolts.

The problem I had was that the release side of the grooves/dimples on the bolt head were burred and no matter what the socket kept slipping off. I had my son try to undo the bolt while I applied pressure on the socket to try and keep it square. But even that was no good.

Tools Required -

PVC Tape

17mm Socket

Socket Wrench/bar

My brainwave was this - Wrap PVC insulation tape around the socket base until there is enough to make the socket fit in the wheel hole very snuggly without hindering the socket from turning. This will keep the socket straight within the wheel hole and squarely on the bolt head. This in turn will enable you to use both hands. One hand applies pressure to the top of the socket wrench and one hand to turn the wrench.

 

I managed to release ALL bolts within 10 minutes.

I hope this works for others.

 

 

When that happens to me as in a bolt or nut that the head is naffed i pop a old socket on it and then grasp the front of the socket over the nut with a pair of mold grips real tight so your griping the socket and the nut then ease slowly with your socket ratchet. Most times it works for me but some times you can demolish the socket as in split it so use an old one. In fact i use a long reach socket on the wheel nut and i put a jack or axle stand under the socket and exstention bar so as to support it and stop it going skew wiff and sliding off and nackering the nut. You can use a brick or wood any thing to just get a good support on the bar.

[Kertrats24]

I just had the same problem with my 09 C5 the locking bolts had been over tightened and sized in place I got the first out but one of the lugs in the key came losse and another broke off when I tried the next one my solution was to drill the weak soft lugs out with a 4mm bit (same size as the lugs )then I cut down a couple of old 4mm bits to replace the lugs I use this tool to get two more off but the final one was just to chewed up I'm guessing someone else had this trouble . So I pulled the car 4"from the kerb and fetched a 6foot builders level (a very strong one )put the key on the bolt the best I could and my longest wrench on that then got my son to jam the level between the kerb and the tyre got him to apply pressure to my wrench and slowly very slowly it came out .