lug nut locks

the-dude1 · Post by **the-dude1** » Sun May 06, 2007 9:59 pm

what can i use to remove the lug nut locks with out the key socket?? i was gonna torch-em but that would be a bad day for my rims :scratch:

the-dude1 · Post by **the-dude1** » Sun May 06, 2007 10:01 pm

i was also thinking, would one of those gator grip sockets work? they have not been removed in about 4 years

Red · Post by **Red** » Sun May 06, 2007 10:46 pm

Get another locking lug nut key (I think there were like 18 of them that GM used on the Fiero) and POUND it onto the nut you can't get loose. Helps if you can get another key that's similar to the one you have.

Or go to the GM dealer and borrow his collection of keys and sit in the parking lot trying each one until you find the one that matches.

If the lug nut is stripping, frozen or otherwise impossible to get off, you can drill out the stud. I had to do this before. It's time consuming but certainly saves your rim.

Fastback86 · Post by **Fastback86** » Mon May 07, 2007 2:59 am

Buy a cheap 19mm 12 point socket and hammer it on. It'll destroy the socket, but it'll hold long enough to get locking lug nut off so you can replace it with a regular one.

dratts · Post by **dratts** » Mon May 07, 2007 8:53 am

That was what I did when I bought a car that didn't have a lug nut key. It wasn't a cheap one and it didn't destroy it.

cactus bastard · Post by **cactus bastard** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:16 am

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that they can look up which key you need by VIN #.

Mach10 · Post by **Mach10** » Mon May 07, 2007 1:40 pm

I just hammered on the tightest standard 6pt socket I could find from my impact set. Didn't hurt the socket (although it was fun removing the lug afterwards) at all.

Just don't expect to be able to use an impact gun, since it'll be more likely to round it off than loosen if the nut's at all frozen. I just used a breaker-bar and some muscle. :salute:

product1620 · Post by **product1620** » Mon May 07, 2007 3:11 pm

I took mine to a local shop, they have sockets with teeth on them for removing stripped lug nuts, it should take them about five minutes. Oh and as far as the gator grip goes, don't waste your money, I bought two of those, one was like a centimeter too small, and the other was too big to fit on the lug nut, because it couldn't clear the wheel.

Weponhead · Post by **Weponhead** » Mon May 07, 2007 7:49 pm

i pounded on a 12 pt socket too.. didnt hurt the socket and got all 4 locks off, i later found the key under a seat.

Xanth · Post by **Xanth** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:05 pm

We sell emergency lugnut removers, basically sockets with reverse threads on the inside. Just use an impact to drive them on and remove the lug.