Grassroots Motorsports

Register Log in to GRM
- Community

Birthdays
Recently on the Classic Motorsports forums

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Wheel locks.

March 3, 2011 7:11 p.m. mmosbey New Reader
I'm trying to figure out what's still available.

I bought a G35 Coupe with TSW wheels that have some really deep wells for the sockets. I did not, sadly, check to ensure the wheel lock keys were in the car.

I took the car to rent-to-own rim shop and Aaron's subsidiary Rimco to have the locks removed. I figured the rent-to-own rim business model would require the greatest wheel lock removal acumen. The guy worked on it for about half an hour and couldn't remove the locks. Techniques he listed trying:
- Hammering on a socket.
- Trying keys he had on hand.
- A specialized socket designed for the removal of wheel locks.
He said it's the first time he's been unable to remove a set of locks.

Tomorrow, at his suggestion, I'm going to try the Infiniti dealership on the off chance that these are Infiniti wheel locks. Failing that, what else is available?
March 3, 2011 7:27 p.m. Tom Suddard SonDork

Sawzall

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2684546
March 3, 2011 7:30 p.m. Woody SuperDork
March 3, 2011 8:36 p.m. mw HalfDork

If the options above didn't work, I would recomend welding a wheel nut onto the existing wheels lock. If that doesn't work, you may have to drill out the stud and then replace it.
March 3, 2011 10:55 p.m. Streetwiseguy Dork

mw wrote:

If the options above didn't work, I would recomend welding a wheel nut onto the existing wheels lock. If that doesn't work, you may have to drill out the stud and then replace it.

There is something about the material some of those wheel locks are made from that just doesn't accept weld very well. As an aside, I'd rather have to buy new wheels every month or so than put up with wheel locks.
March 3, 2011 11:00 p.m. mmosbey New Reader

Tom Suddard wrote:

Sawzall

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2684546

I'll carry one with me in the spare tire compartment.
March 4, 2011 12:29 a.m. WilberM3 HalfDork

Tom Suddard wrote:

Sawzall

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2684546

that's one of my favorite threads ever.
April 10, 2011 1:19 p.m. mmosbey New Reader

So, I'm not sure what was done at Aaron's, but I got all four corners off fairly easily by hammering on a socket. Wish I'd done it myself in the first place.

Now, I'm trying to get new lugnuts in the holes. They take a 13/16 wrench, and the factory lugwrench and my four-way don't fit in the wells. I used a sparkplug wrench the other day, but that's not really the right tool. Today, I picked up a 6-point 13/16" deep-well 1/2" drive socket and some lugnuts to replace the locks.

I drove home and put the socket and the extension on the torque wrench, and discovered these new lugnuts are fractionally over 13/16" and don't fit in the socket in any meaningful way. The 7/8" would turn them, but the socket is too large to fit in the lug holes. Also, I need to find my magnet to fish out one of the lugnuts, as it's bouncing about in the socket well, but I can't get it out with my fingers.

Time to make a second trip to the parts place. I don't like these wheels.
April 10, 2011 1:21 p.m. Streetwiseguy Dork

21 mm socket.
April 10, 2011 1:47 p.m. SVreX SuperDork

I would expect everything on an Infinity to be Metric.

21 mm socket.
April 10, 2011 5:09 p.m. neckromacr Reader

Are we talking the McGuard "Flower" style or, because of the the tight lug holes in the wheel, a spline drive type wheel lock?
April 10, 2011 5:15 p.m. EvanB SuperDork

Shotgun?
April 10, 2011 6:59 p.m. wbjones SuperDork

EvanB beat me to it

You'll need to log in to post.