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Taking off locking lug nuts without the key?

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Old 06-10-2008
tylerdavenport's Avatar
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Taking off locking lug nuts without the key?

Anyone know how to get locking wheel lug nuts off without the key? The people at Les Schwab didn't give me my key back last time I had them work on my truck, and now it's gonna be $10 for each lug nut to be taken off, and thats a total of $150 cause they already had to break 5 of them off and the person I bought my truck from wanted to keep their wheels really bad. Any ideas?

 
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Old 06-10-2008
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I think they just get a socket about the size of the lug and a big hammer and hit the socket onto the lug then try and crank it off. be careful you dont hit your wheel its pretty easy to do with after swinging the hammer a few times

before you try it make sure its really a locking lug nut schwab sells something that looks like a locking lugnut but everyone they sell has the same pattern. the guy that owned my dads superduty had them put on every lug and when he lost the key he thought he was going to have to have each one broken off (32 lugnuts=$320) but it only cost him $7 to buy the generic key
 

Last edited by boomer27127; 06-10-2008 at 07:54 PM.
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Old 06-10-2008
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grab your craftsman sockets, find one that barely fits, like the socket is too small, and beat the socket and and wrench it off.

Why not go to les schwaab and make them take care of it. Did the lugs come from them? Schwabbies sure has been screwin' people over more and more as the days go by.
 
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Old 06-10-2008
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or get one of those kits to remove broken bolts. it will destroy the lug nut but it will be off
 
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Old 06-10-2008
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well they had to cut off my lug nuts off my right front wheel last time cause the studs were shot, but I'm pretty sure I gave them the key because I usually do when they have to take off my wheels lol. I asked them if they had it and I didn't get a straight reply. Damn Schwabbs
 
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Old 06-10-2008
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Air hammer, and some precision. Don't miss.
 
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Old 06-10-2008
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Did the lugs come from them? if so, MAKE THEM take your lugs off and have them give you the key.
 
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Old 06-10-2008
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i have no idea where they came from. they were on my truck when i bought it, but i dont know who would want to have 20 locking lug nuts on their truck unless their wheels were really nice. It wouldnt be a big deal if there were only 4 of them, but there are 15 (5 were cut off in March).
 
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Old 06-10-2008
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Snapon makes a lug lock removal kit. Its about 150.

You can try the craftsman bolt out. Im not sure if they are big enough.

Maybe a really big pair of vise grips. Try using a grinder/cut off wheel to unround the edge.
 
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Old 06-10-2008
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I'd take it one wheel at a time. Make sure to use craftsman...so you can replace them for free at sears. cuz they are likely to crack. Get one wheel off, throw on some stock lugs or schwabie lugs.
 
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Old 06-10-2008
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goto auto zone and find a set of lug locks that look just like yours. Buy the kit, use the key, return the kit.
 
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Old 06-10-2008
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Originally Posted by malydeen
goto auto zone and find a set of lug locks that look just like yours. Buy the kit, use the key, return the kit.
I dont think it works that way I have gorilla locking lug nuts and you need a spacific serial# to get a key that will match the locking lug nuts i have.
 
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A .357 should take them off....
 
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Old 06-11-2008
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There is a stripped lugnut tool that is basically reverse threaded. You hold it over the lock nut and then use an impact and back it off like normal. The threads bite into it and eventually sieze it. It takes no longer than taking a normal lugnut off and costs less than $10. this is why locking lugnuts are a joke. If I wanted to steal rims I'd buy one of these and then leave you locking lugnut in the tires place just to make a point,

http://www.toolking.com/products/100...ooglebase=M980

~HJ
 
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Old 06-11-2008
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I bought a cheap set at autozone and I put one on and the key broke. I took it down to the local tire shop and they had that special socket and got it off for free.
 
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Old 06-11-2008
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I've used the "beat a socket on it" method, and it works pretty well. Just be sure to replace the socket right away, cause it sucks to need a certain size, and have it all messed up from taking the wheels off.
 
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Old 06-11-2008
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If the other guy wants his wheels so badly, make the other guy pay to get them removed!
 
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Old 06-11-2008
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Originally Posted by Gearhead61
If the other guy wants his wheels so badly, make the other guy pay to get them removed!
I agree its not your problem have him pay to get them removed
 
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Old 06-11-2008
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Originally Posted by Gearhead61
If the other guy wants his wheels so badly, make the other guy pay to get them removed!
he means the locks on all the lugs. The guy really didn't want the wheels stolen.
 
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Old 06-11-2008
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so i went and got the impact wrench set from baxters last night, and im going out to my uncles to take them off on friday. Will the socket form to the grooves in the locking nut, or does it just strip the groves off and treat it like a regular lug nut?
 
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