Removing wheel locks

There are factory wheel locks on my Miata that I need to remove. Unfortunately I don't have the key. I already tried one removal socket with no success, the smooth tapered kind that you hammer over the lock and remove it.

The car is not mobile so I can't take it to a tire shop to get them removed. Are there any other options besides trying to order a new key?

I think for most of them a flat edge screwdriver used to work. Not sure if technology caught up.

Gator Grip Socket?

shotgun ... if that's not any good, then throw away socket of some kind and a welder ?

You could handle it just like a broken stud. Weld an appropriate size nut onto the lock and wrench it off.

Unfortunately I don't have a welder either.

I'm willing to bet that someone in Columbus has a portable one

I got one with one of those gatorsockets.. ruined it.. but got it off

wbjones wrote: shotgun

Shotgun really is the answer for this one and here is the original story that inspired the answer.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7091904.stm
.
.

There's a crazy man across town, near the airport, who might like a challenge. Expect fire to be involved.

Craftsman socket in a size that you can pound on. Remove lock, pound out lock from socket. Swap for new socket at Sears. Rinse and repeat.

Cheap socket. Big hammer (BFH). or Die Grinder w/carbide burr.

Irwin extractors. Just get a whole set, they work.

had the same problem yesterday before a track day - used a 17 mm 12 pt socket - hammered it over and cranked em off. Put the socket in the vice, hammered out the locking lug and party'd on

Email the local Miata club? Someones for sure got one.

Joey

Josh wrote: Irwin extractors. Just get a whole set, they work.

Holy Cow I've never seen those before. Freakin' awesome.

Me either.. adding to my tool wish list

I've had great success with hammering a cheap 12pt socket over them also. I like SAE sockets for this task.

when I had to go through the same ordeal with my Miata, I just did as Tyler H did and hammered an el-cheapo 12pt onto the wheel lock, holding it steady with a breaker bar, then just torquing on it until either it came loose or the socket came unbenefited from the wheel lock

Tyler H wrote: I've had great success with hammering a cheap 12pt socket over them also. I like SAE sockets for this task.

Yup. That is the only reason SAE sockets exist.

Please don't damage my wheels! I to have had luck with the hammer a 12pt on on stuborn wheel locks. that said those appear to have a tapper on the lock sides that may make that not work. If that's the case the only option will probably be to either source a correct lock key, or drill out the stud (painfull and slow). You could try heating the stud a bit to stretch it and using a cold chisel to try to rotate the wheel lock however that would possibly damage the wheel (IF you go this route use the chisel radially to the stud to create a knotch you can then use to work it around).

I definitely don't want to damage your wheels. I am going to stop by the local Discount Tire on my lunch and see if I can rent/borrow one of their removal sockets, otherwise I might get some of the bolt extractors to get them off.