Help! Help! Help!

Yeah, so this happened to me Wednesday night. I was on the 405 drivin' home to Cerritos and goin' about 85-90 mph (for any law enforcement peeps reading this, mph = millimeters per hour ;)). I was having trouble passing a black Lexus RX300, because its drive was kinda swerving in and out of his lane. So I open up the throttle and try to speed past him. I think all is well, but then, I hear a loud <RATTA TAT! TAT! BRAT! TA TAT! TAT! RATT TATT!> In my mind I was screaming, "HOLY SH*T THOSE F*CKERS IN THE RX300 ARE SHOOTIN' AT ME~!" Needless to say, I was scared out of my wits. I threw my head down trying to dodge the bullets that I thought were wizzing by my head. Not long thereafter, I realized that I wasn't getting shot at, so I calmed down, and tried to size up the situation.
I continued driving in the 3rd lane of the freeway and listend to the sound coming from my left-rear end of my car. Wanting to investigate more, I pulled off the freeway and onto the shoulder. I casually switched the hazard lights on came to a complete stop. I nearly opened my door when I realized that had I done so, the traffic at my left would have ripped my door clean off its hinges. "Sh*t, 'gotta go out through the passenger side..." If anyone's ever broken down on the freeway, y'all should know how crazy scary it is to have cars whizzin' by you at blistering speeds. I tried to look at my left-rear tire, but I couldn't see any problems at the time. That was probable due to the fact that I couldn't sit in front of the wheel and inspect it more closely. Call me crazy, but I didn't feel like having my head taken clean off by a speeding pinto. I tried to continue driving, but the same odd noise continued from the rear of my car. Once again, I pulled over, but I was still fearful of getting struck by oncoming traffic. In the end, I decided to cruise as slowly as possible to the nearest exit.
Upon doing so, I turned into a poorly lit parking lot. I promptly got out and began checking the tire. No air was lost, so I didn't think it could've been a leak of some sort. So I began checking the rotors, but again, nothing. That was when I saw a long black strip extending about 2 feet behind my car. In my mind I was like, "F*ck. Not again." The tread on the tire was peeling away. When I felt the inside of the tire, I was able to feel the steel belts that lined it. Keeping it cool, I feebly drove to a gas station to change my tire.
Nothing was really getting to me, even up to this point. I was taking everything in stride, just rollin' with the punches. I pulled the spare, the jack, and the torque wrench nimbly out of the trunk. I set up the tiny jack under the car, when it something hit me. I looked at my lugs. 3 of them were of the normal variety, ones that could be taken out with your standard issue wrench. But, there was one remaining. A 'special' lug, if you will. It was a lock lug. Even worse, it was a lock lug that I didn't have a key for!! "Where the hell did I put it?!" I screamed as I tore up the insides of my car, trying desperately to find the accursed key. After all that trouble, I couldn't take off the damaged tire. I had to call AAA, but they only towed my car to my apartment. They claimed that they didn't have any equipment to take off the lock (BS, in my opinion).

Which brings me to my question... HOW THE HELL DO I TAKE OFF THE LUG?! It's supposed to be unique, so I can't just go out and buy another one (As I learned the hard way...). Where do I take it? Is there something that I can buy? I need to fix my baby as soon as humanly possible.

seriously, i need help...

Are they aftermarket locking lugs or did they come with the car?

Originally posted by johnny
seriously, i need help...

I also need help....but its mental help that i need.

If I could help you I would. Im sure someone here can help.

Originally posted by HuMMerMan


I also need help....but its mental help that i need.


psychiatrist here you come :D :D lol


sorry johnny.. i don't know how to help you... maybe call a locksmith??

I do need the help tho. If anyone has an extra life there not using, id like to buy it, i NEED one.

54 posts in the last 24hrs. Not that that is not cool, but im sure there is something else i should be doing with atleast part of this time :(

To help you johnny, I agree with G$. Maybe a locksmith can get it off for ya, nothing to lose?

Originally posted by HuMMerMan
I do need the help tho. If anyone has an extra life there not using, id like to buy it, i NEED one.

54 posts (make that 55) in the last 24hrs. Not that that is not cool, but im sure there is something else i should be doing with atleast part of this time :(

To help you johnny, I agree with G$. Maybe a locksmith can get it off for ya, nothing to lose?

Originally posted by HuMMerMan
I do need the help tho. If anyone has an extra life there not using, id like to buy it, i NEED one.


i'd give you mine but i'll be using it today :D :D

I think I should leave for a while...this is sad

I always only post for a couple hours and it just ends up piling up.... but i'll be leavin soon 9pm is my friday night mark when i have to be outta the house :D

Originally posted by HuMMerMan
I think I should leave for a while...this is sad

hey I am on the list too.

If you have enough clearance around your rim, I would get a nice, heavy pair of vice grips, and clamp the bolt. Sure, your going to tear the shit out of the bolt, but you can get it off. Then, go buy another set of locking lugnuts, and keep the key. :)

If you have a dealership that handles your cars, they'd have what you need.

Originally posted by kbslacker
If you have enough clearance around your rim, I would get a nice, heavy pair of vice grips, and clamp the bolt. Sure, your going to tear the shit out of the bolt, but you can get it off.

If im understanding what you mean, wouldnt that fuck-up the threads on the studs if you just try to crank the locking lug off with vice-grips?

I wouldnt suggest the vice grips. Call a dealer, or a locksmith.

Originally posted by HuMMerMan


If im understanding what you mean, wouldnt that fuck-up the threads on the studs if you just try to crank the locking lug off with vice-grips?



I dont see how it could. The threads are covered by the lugnut. As long as you do it straight, it should unscrew evenly.

Originally posted by kbslacker


I dont see how it could. The threads are covered by the lugnut. As long as you do it straight, it should unscrew evenly.

I was thinking that was how a locking-lug worked. I thought that it had teeth or something that went against the threads on the stud, making it impossible to turn, unless u have the key to release the teeth

Thats why I was thinking that if you forced it, the lock on the lug would screw up the threads on the stud, making an even bigger fuckpot.

I thought those locking nuts would strip the threads if you tried to force it like that. Hence the purpose of having it so the wheel cant be removed. But, I am not 100% positive of that.

Well, mine are a regular nut, that looks like this on the end:
http://www.mcgard.com/automotive/wheellock_glow.gif

You just need the socket that fits in that. Other than that, its a regular nut on the inside.

Originally posted by kbslacker
Well, mine are a regular nut, that looks like this on the end:
http://www.mcgard.com/automotive/wheellock_glow.gif

You just need the socket that fits in that. Other than that, its a regular nut on the inside.

Oh ok. There must be different kinds I guess, cause the ones Ive seen use a regular lug-wrench AFTER you losen a small, custom shaped side screw, to take the pin away from the threads on the stud.

Johnny. If yours looks like KB's, then id say give the vice grips a try. And Good Luck

That is different then my Mitsubishi's. Yes, I'd have to agree with KB. Give his plan a shot if you have that setup.

you guys might laugh at this but this is how i do it at the dealer

1 get breaker bar, BFH (big fucking hammer) and a asortment of 12 point 1/2 drive sockets

2 beat the socket onto the wheel lock, pick the socket that is just undersized

3 use the breaker bar on the socket and remove the lock

and trust me this works better than those bs specal tools the companys offer

If they are factory installed, your local dealership should have an entire kit of wheel lock keys to get it off with.

yep mine look sorta like the lugs that were posted. Except that the pattern at the top of it is a 5-point star. So what do I have to do now?

Originally posted by johnny
yep mine look sorta like the lugs that were posted. Except that the pattern at the top of it is a 5-point star. So what do I have to do now?

Grab the vice grips, hook em on real tight, and try to crank it off.

When I had a flat - I was in the middle of nowhere. I looked for my 'key', and when I couldn't find it anywhere in the car, I was pissed. I had to walk to a farmers house, and call for a ride home.

Anyways, I took back with me some chisels, a BFH, and went crazy on the lock. I mangled the stud I guess, and couldn't even put another one on.

So I took it to the Ford dealer, and they had some spare 'keys'. I had them remove the other 3 lugs, and replace them with normal lugs. They also had to remove my brake to get at replacing the stud that I screwed up. Total bill - $80 to change a friggen' stud :mad:!!! Talk about expensive for not having a 'key', eh?

Anyhow. Your dealer will have keys if they are a stock locking set. But using a vise grip or socket will be your best bet to removing the little bastard. Then you won't have to replace any stud either! Depending on your area, consider getting rid of your locking key set - they are nothing but a pain in the ass around here. Wheel theft is not an issue, even for guys with pricey wheels. And if theives really wanted your wheels, they'd use a socket or vise grip to remove the lugs ;)!

Good Luck,

Kevin.