No wheel lock key

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I have a 98 sunfire that I just bought. I wanted to check the brakes and stuff. The front wheels come off, no problems. I took the back lug nuts off and the tire wouldn't come off. It has the lock in the center of the rim. I used a grinder to shape a piece of metal to fit the hole in the center, but it must have catches under the rim next to the little slits. Is there a way of getting these things off without a proper key? If not if I take it to a tire place that might happen to have the right key, then can I have them take the tires off and leave the locks out? I have never had a wheel lock like this before and have no idea how they work. There is no lock on the front and I don't have to worry about some one taking a tire around here. They might steal the hub caps, but they come off anyway.

thanks marc

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Never mind. Turns out that the person I bought the car from just had new tires put on and they must have went wild with the impact gun because the rim was just bent from the lugs being way too tight. A little cussin' and not so gentle persuation and the tire came off. The tire places around here are so bad, between missing lug nuts and making them too tight, that I always just put the car on jack stands and take just the tires to the shop to have them changed. I usually use a torque wrench and tighten them with it. Seems the brakes last longer and the cars ride smoother.

thanks anyway marc