Lost Lug Nut Key

[Thundermouse]

So I get all excited because my Tokico Illumina shocks/struts & springs finally arrive, and I get everything ready to put them on. I have a set of 03 Chrome Cobra Replicas by AFS Wheels on my car, so I went to get the lug lock key out of my glove box, where I always keep it. I looked inside, and it was nowhere to be found! I ransacked my car looking for it, and moved on to the rest of my garage, and on to the rest my house with no luck at all . This sucks two fold because for one, I can't put the parts on my car, but more importantly, two if I get a flat I can't use the spare since I won't be able to get the wheel off.

That was 4 days ago.

I called AFS Monday morning and they were happy to tell me which key number I needed, and they promised to search their warehouse for any extra keys and or entire lug sets with the matching key number. I felt relieved. They called me back and revealed that they had no more keys at all, and that there was nothing else they could do for me. I asked if they would at least tell me the name of the company that made the locks so that I could at least call them and ask for help. The receptionist got her supervisor on the phone and she told me that she didn't think that they were allowed to disclose that information to me . She promised to call me back in a couple of days after she had talked to the owner about the situation.

Since I had grown impatient with their promises, I called quite a few wheel/tire shops near me to ask them for help/advice. Each shop was kind enough to educate me that I was in a tight spot and that there was nothing that they could do for me, unless I was willing to have my wheels destroyed in the process. The last place I called was the Goodyear shop up the road from me, and they said that they could take them off without damaging the wheel for $90 a piece. I pondered about why it was that that many shops told me that this was impossible to do without damaging the wheel, and then how the Goodyear people think that they are going to solve my problem. After that, I quit calling places and ransacked my house again.

I am a student earning lifeguard wages, so another $360 after I carefully saved and budgeted for the Tokico Equipment is shot in the kidneys to my bank account. If you have any suggestions/ideas/advice/sympathy to give me, please let me have it.

I have no idea what to do.

 

[Indiana]

Post your key # here, maybe some very kind soul will loan you thiers.

Or some thieving SOB will know who you are and come steal them. Either way, problem solved!

 

[Cobra5337]

I had a blow out on the highway about a month ago and I had just recently bought the car and didnt think to look to see if the lug key was in it, turns out it wasnt, had to pay 110 dollars to get it towed like 2 miles

edit: mine was on the stock bullits and it was more of a safety feature than a key, to get it of the just hammered the normal socket on it and twised it of, minor scratches to the lug but thats it.. I feel for ya man

 

[MyEarsHurt]

Same thing happened to me, I bought all new brakes, and I was excited about getting them on, and I look in the glove compartment where I normally keep the key and it wasnt there, I couldnt find it for days. I looked everywhere, and where did I end up finding it.....drumroll please, behind the glovebox. Somehow, the key managed to go over the back lip of the glovebox and was lodged back there, I was relieved. If its not there man, I dont know what to tell you, except I feel your pain.

 

[dmsead]

$90.00 apiece? I'd do it for free if you were in the area. I've got a set of MAC twist sockets that would take them off easily. The locks themselves would be scratched up, but it shouldn't hurt the wheels. I think you might be able to get something similar from Sears for a lot cheaper, though.

 

[saleen137]

someone had an idea the other time but they said and i've used this method myself is to weld a regular bolt on to the lug key and just go from there. You locks will be messed up but then you don't have to pay as much. It worked fine for me.

 

[stallion98gt]

when I bought my stang..my friend who sold it to me lost the key..went to wheel works..got them to break the 4 lug nuts for $40..if the guy is careful it won't damage your wheels. They use a hammer and some sort of socket...took the guy less than 30 min

 

[Thundermouse]

Thanks for your sympathy guys, I appreciate it.

MyEarsHurt: I disassembled the glove box and couldn’t find it back there. You gave me hope.

dmsead: I’m not sure if those would work or not, but I can’t be sure from the picture. The locks I have a perfectly circular metal lip encasing the torque-ing edge to prevent just clamping on to the outside of the thing and twisting it off. I’ve got a good picture of it, let’s see it I can post it somehow.

Does anybody else have any ideas?

 

[stallion98gt]

Thanks for your sympathy guys, I appreciate it.

MyEarsHurt: I disassembled the glove box and couldn’t find it back there. You gave me hope.

dmsead: I’m not sure if those would work or not, but I can’t be sure from the picture. The locks I have a perfectly circular metal lip encasing the torque-ing edge to prevent just clamping on to the outside of the thing and twisting it off. I’ve got a good picture of it, let’s see it I can post it somehow.

Does anybody else have any ideas?

yep..that the same ones the wheels shop used on my wheels. It's a standard procedure..u better get that fixed before u get a flat tire and have to tow the car..

 

[Thundermouse]

Here's a picture of it....

 

[Blakers01GT]

what kind of wheel lock is this, with my ford wheel lock, i got stripped a while back. so I took a socket that was about the same size, hammered it on and then just torqued them off, it was a PAIN IN THE ARSE but it did the trick, these seem alot harder to deal with, good luck!

 

[Thundermouse]

stallion98gt: I only wish that there was a Wheel Works here in GA.

Thanks for the ideas, I'll update as soon as I can figure something out.

 

[Indiana]

Thanks for the ideas, I'll update as soon as I can figure something out..

Let us know how the Tokicos work out too.

 

[KStrike155]

Have you called back AFS Wheels yet?

If not, call them back and speak to the supervisor directly. Try looking on all of your lug nuts for a brand name or something too, so maybe you can contact the company that made them.

You can try calling Ford and see if they have any sort of thing to get it off. I'm sure they have a million keys.

Just throwing out ideas, even if they might be dumb.

Good luck!

-Brian

 

[Henceforward]

I drilled six holes in the lock socket, and carry it on my keychain.

Just something you never have to lose, because it is on the keychain.

 

[53BigDog]

what kind of wheel lock is this, with my ford wheel lock, i got stripped a while back. so I took a socket that was about the same size, hammered it on and then just torqued them off, it was a PAIN IN THE ARSE but it did the trick, these seem alot harder to deal with, good luck!

Thats my opinion. Go buy a cheap socket from an autoparts store. hammer it on and use an air gun. after some work you should have all four off. Chuck the lock nuts and buy a new set.....

 

[hotmustang331]

Well something like that happend to me.I bought my car in austin and when I got home to bastrop, my dad wanted to pull of a rim and put it on his 00 mustang to see how it would look, so I was like sure.Then I wnt to look for my wheel lock (and remember this is straight off the lot LOL brand new) and it was NOT anywhere in my car.So I called up Covert and talked to the manager who sold it to me and after he checked with the lot in Katy TX who originally had the car and finding that they did not have it, he just told me to come in and they would get the one that would fit it.According to him, I THINK he said that there are only 4 different styles that could be on my GT... so if its factory, just go to Ford. BTW I still havnt went up there LOL.

 

[SonicBlue2v03GT]

stallion98gt: I only wish that there was a Wheel Works here in GA.

Thanks for the ideas, I'll update as soon as I can figure something out.

That does suck man, i feel for ya. One thing..where did you have your last tire rotation or anything that would need the lugs removed? My last oil change i had it done at the dealership, (had the tires rotated) and for some reason after getting my car back and driving down the road, i felt the need to check to see where my lock lug was...Sure enough those dumb asses forgot to put it back in my car. After reading all the trouble you are going through thank god I double checked.

 

[wms004]

take it to america's tire company or another popular tire store.. to get it off you pay 5 bucks per wheel. They hammer a socket extension on you wheel. then connect the wrench and simply crank it off.. takes 2 min per wheel.

-wade

 

[n0v8or]

Cost me $10 each to have a nut welded on at a local welding shop. I was concerned that hammering on a socket might damage the wheel bearings. I had the key, but the locking nuts are so flimsy that 2 of them broke internally when I tried to remove them to rotate the tires on my '03 at 5K miles. I got rid of all 4 locking nuts and replaced them with standard chrome lug nuts ($7 for 4 at Pep Boys).

Thieves know how to remove locking nuts quickly (they favor the socket and hammer method), so they don't really provide any protection, just annoyance for the owner. Who needs that?

Yours look like that McGard brand that Ford uses. They are cheap junk. Even if you had the key, you might not have been able to remove them.