I Hate Toyota (dealers That Is)

[Big_Sid]

The *****s managed to bust one of the three pins off the locking wheel nut key for my Gen 7's factory fit 16" five spokes. Of course I didn't know this until about 3 months after the event when I had ATS change me a tyre. They managed to get the nut off, but told me i'd better get the key replaced.

Phoned Toyota, who told me that all the keys are different and I needed to give them the code from inside the locking wheel nut box. No code. Rang Toyota back for a quote on a new set of locking nuts - £40 (for four nuts??).

Oh course they would have to get the wheels off anyway and couldn't guarantee not breaking the key in the process which would mean costly labour charges while some YTS monkey chiselled the nuts off (probably wrecking my alloys in the process).

I thought, stuff this...i'll "CAREFULLY" take them off myself and put the standard non-locking nuts back on. This was going fine, until the second wheel, when the second pin snapped off the !Removed! key.

So now I have two wheels with locking nuts and no key, a third wheel with a loose locking nut which I cannot undo nor tighten (great) and a fourth wheel with five normal nuts.

Joy!

Anyone know the easiest way to rid myself of these ******* locking nuts at the least expense?

Cheers - Sid

[littlewener]

The only way that i know of mate is to chisel them off

Its not good but its the only way

[Big_Sid]

How do they actually chisel them off?

Also, are Toyota right in saying that all the keys are different? My nuts have three holes like the points of a triangle...they all seem to be the same distance apart too.

[littlewener]

Yes there is a lot of different one. they will all have a slightly different spacing and so will not fit on

The two ways that i know to get them off is

Chisel into the nuts and then unscrew them using a screwdriver or the like

or

Buy another set of locking wheel nuts, get the locking key and hammer it on. will bend the key so will not work with the new nuts you have

someone will probably be along soon with more information

[razza]

I had the same issue with my old 306, when retightening them after changing the tryes a garage used the electric gun, did them far too tight :censor: . Had a blow out on the M4, went to change it and couldn't get it undone, the AA man came and had a go which resulted in the pins breaking off, nut still in tight. :ffs:

Where abouts are you? I used a place round the corner, they headed the nut up to a high temp then freed the nuts, no damage to alloys, needless to say got them to fit normal nuts in their place. cost about £20-40 including new nuts (was a while back, but don't think it was too pricey.)

Best bet is phone round a few places that do wheel refurbs, normally have the kit.

[T600]

Is car still under warranty? If so, then the wheel nut lock should also be under warranty?

[Big_Sid]

Hi,

I'm in the midlands, just north of Birmingham. I found quite a few other posts about similar problems actually.

The problem I've got is that I have 3 locking nuts to get off not just one...so it would mean busting the **** outta three sockets or keys etc to get them all off.

The heat idea sounds nice though, my old man had a dodgy old Austin Maestro years ago (remember them :-)) and snapped one of the wheel bolts. Garage used a heated rod to get the half of the bolt out of the hub.

I might go and examine the locking nuts and see what ways I can attack them. I'm just a bit worried about the last one I tried before I broke the key completely. Its loosened, but not loose enough to undo by hand. I hope my wheel doesn't fall off....there are another 4 nuts holding it...hope they can do the trick for now *gulp*.

[blackcat]

What I did was to find some old sockets & hammer them onto the nut,making sure that the socket very tight fit. Ruined the socket but hey,saved the wheel. Worked!!!

you can always get cheap sockets fom a car booty.

Tried the chisel method once,ended up marking the alloy.

[littlewener]

The only other thing is if the nut is loose but not that loose, could you get a set of long nose pliers in there and try to turn it off

Am guessin you already tried it but thought i'd post on the off chance

[GT4 BOOSTER]

buy an impact socket for £5 , you will have them off in no time.

[daktari]

buy an impact socket for £5 , you will have them off in no time.

←

Chap in our workshop has a set of what i can only describe as an impact socket with a tapered left hand thread inside. You hammer it on to a stud/nut/stubborn whatever and justunscrew it. Brilliant . He got them off eBay. I`ve not been able to find any though..... Yet. :D

[daktari]

BINGO.... Ebay.

Obviously i wasn`t looking hard enough.

[T600]

Nice one Daktari.

After seeing your first post I was just looking on Google to find out more about these.

Found a post on another Forum that says you can buy these tools at Halfords too; don't know if that's true, but makes me wonder what the point of having locking wheel nuts is if these tools are so readily available. Should solve the problem that Big_Sid has though.

EDIT - high bidder is presumably another Celica owner. You should organise a group buy - EDIT

[blackcat]

yes,Ive heard about these sockets too but I thought they didnt exist as I was told by machinemart salesman that they were shelved due to car theifs easily nicking wheels.

I would love to buy em but Celica Tom needs them more!

[daktari]

Nice one Daktari.

After seeing your first post I was just looking on Google to find out more about these. 

Found a post on another Forum that says you can buy these tools at Halfords too; don't know if that's true, but makes me wonder what the point of having locking wheel nuts is if these tools are so readily available.  Should solve the problem that Big_Sid has though.

EDIT - high bidder is presumably another Celica owner.  You should organise a group buy  - EDIT

←

High bidder is indeed another Celica owner... A GT4 owner to be precise. Don`t see why my mucker should be the only one with a set.

[daktari]

Nice one Daktari.

After seeing your first post I was just looking on Google to find out more about these. 

Found a post on another Forum that says you can buy these tools at Halfords too; don't know if that's true, but makes me wonder what the point of having locking wheel nuts is if these tools are so readily available.  Should solve the problem that Big_Sid has though.

EDIT - high bidder is presumably another Celica owner.  You should organise a group buy  - EDIT

←

I`ve just emailed the seller and asked if he can get anymore and how much they would be if i can get 5 or more people interseted.

I`ll let you know the outcome. :D

[Abdul_turbo]

they make me so mad, they wanted £40 for a rubber exaust hanger (blitz exausts are heavy and destroyed the other lol ) managed to get a polyurithane (aggg spelling) one off eBay for just over £7

[T600]

High bidder is indeed another Celica owner... A GT4 owner to be precise.    

←

:D I should have guessed that.

[mikeb]

You could also try one of those universal socket things (ala Gator Grip).

Those tapered impact sockets sound like the car thiefs best friend. :(

[Big_Sid]

Thanks for all the replies, this is a quality forum!!! I'm not sure if the hammering a small socket onto the nut is going to work. I examined the one I did manage to remove last night.

I was thinking of trying a socket with a reverse thread too, but then I noticed that the nuts have a rotating sleeve around the edge, which just spins separate to the actual bit in the middle.

Clever, but also very very crap for me! Anyone know how I can get this sleeve bit off? God I hope I don't get a puncture or I'll be well and truly boned.

[dwill]

A product that might help

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=109639

[sotal]

Looks like you won that auction then Daktari??

What are you doing with the Cosworth Intercooloer (Ok I'm nosy :P )

[daktari]

Yip. I won.... woo. Matey can get those at the same buy it now price but i can get reduced postage. So if anyone`s interested give me a shout. It`ll work out at £19.50 including P&P, but i need to order 5 or more. :D

I now have, (To my eternal shame) a F**d part fitted to the Celica. I`ll do a post on it when it`s finished. I`m still waiting for a couple of bits. I ordered the wrong size... Ooops. :D

[Big_Sid]

Went to Toyota today...very helpdful chap in their spares department just so happened to find a key in his desk drawer which sort of fitted onto the one locking nut I had managed to remove. He let me have it for nothing. His only other solution was to chisel them off, which he said would cost me £65 +VAT and they couldn't guarantee to not damage the wheels - screw that!

Got the new Key home but it wasn't a good enough fit to remove any more of the locking nuts, and we ended up mangling the one nut pretty bad.

My Uncle however, has a mate who is a tool maker and he's taking the one removed locking nut, and the broken locking nut key to his mate to see if he can fabricate me a replacment - which will be quality!!!

Have to wait and see, and hope I don't have a puncture in between....you can almost guarantee it though - sods law and all.

Cheers - Sid