Pesky wheel locks (help)

[Frankenstang65]

Hey guys I ran into a problem trying to pull the wheels on my 89 earlier today. I guess the PO didn't replace a fairly stripped wheel lock on my right rear tire - and as a result, I can't for the life of me get the $%3$ thing off.

In my attempts I've shaved the teeth flat on a pair vice grips and channel locks, tried heating it up, penetrating oil, banging an old socket over it, and even took a metal chisel to it (by hand, not air) with no success.

As far as tools are concerned I only have the basics at my disposal, no sawzall or welder or the like.

Any ideas? Is this something I should let Les Schwab deal with (my confidence in them is pretty low, based on some unfortunate previous experience) ?

Lemme know what you think, hopefully someone out there can pull a lil' advice outta the SN bag o' tricks...

Thanks,

Scott

 

[SMOKEDYA]

find the socket that you already tried to get the size then go to sears and get a craftsman 12 point socket and try that. make shure that you get a craftsman so you can return it incase you break it to get a new one. try to use an extension with it so they cant tell you were hitting on it! either way they have to replace it no questions asked! BTW this is all schwabs will do and prob. charge you $ 25-40 for it. i dont blame you for not trusting them! it seems that hear latly they have been getting nuthing but bad recomondations from people that dont trust them anymore or have ****ed up there ride? what is it? good luck peace



john

 

[Darkhorse845]

Good Luck!

 

[Juiced87Notch]

Hey guys I ran into a problem trying to pull the wheels on my 89 earlier today. I guess the PO didn't replace a fairly stripped wheel lock on my right rear tire - and as a result, I can't for the life of me get the $%3$ thing off.

In my attempts I've shaved the teeth flat on a pair vice grips and channel locks, tried heating it up, penetrating oil, banging an old socket over it, and even took a metal chisel to it (by hand, not air) with no success.

As far as tools are concerned I only have the basics at my disposal, no sawzall or welder or the like.

Any ideas? Is this something I should let Les Schwab deal with (my confidence in them is pretty low, based on some unfortunate previous experience) ?

Lemme know what you think, hopefully someone out there can pull a lil' advice outta the SN bag o' tricks...

Thanks,

Scott

if they screwed it up, take it back to them... they'll fix it for free.

 

[Frankenstang65]

if they screwed it up, take it back to them... they'll fix it for free.

They haven't screwed anything up yet. I was just curious whether or not they would be willing to attempt to take it off, and if so, if they where capable of doing so without taking forever to do it.

I wasn't trying to dis on the Schwab (as I know that you, and at least one other SN person works for them), but I have had problems with them being unable to secure a wheel wieght - which flew off and dented my fender from the underside, and hooking the front valence with the lift and bending it all up (w/o ever admitting it). I'm not sure what it is about the branches I've visited, but the frequent blank expressions displayed on the faces of the employess there are not ones typically associated with the term "competence".

Anyways, thanks for the suggestions, I'll run out and get a 12pt socket and see if that will do it. In the meantime, if there are any other tricks let me have 'em, all ideas are greatly appreciated.

Scott

 

[281pony]

i had a nightmare with my locking lugs in cobra rims.

ended up going to about 10 shops who all basically wouldnt touch it. last place i went to got it. they had a set of sockets specially for removing locking lugs and got them off.

if you cant get it with all the stuff you listed, or the 12 point socket. i think your best bet is taking it in somewhere, other then les ****. they wont even mount tires unless you bought the rims from them. muchless touch something like that.

 

[SLIGHTLY_INSANE]

After a bit of grinding with a handy dremel and hammering a pristine craftsmen wrench on, we got it off.

 

[Frankenstang65]

Woot Woot - Thanks for the suggestions

 

[SLIGHTLY_INSANE]

AND we seem to have bent a lugwrench... WTF lol.

 

[Juiced87Notch]

They haven't screwed anything up yet. I was just curious whether or not they would be willing to attempt to take it off, and if so, if they where capable of doing so without taking forever to do it.

I wasn't trying to dis on the Schwab (as I know that you, and at least one other SN person works for them), but I have had problems with them being unable to secure a wheel wieght - which flew off and dented my fender from the underside, and hooking the front valence with the lift and bending it all up (w/o ever admitting it). I'm not sure what it is about the branches I've visited, but the frequent blank expressions displayed on the faces of the employess there are not ones typically associated with the term "competence".

Anyways, thanks for the suggestions, I'll run out and get a 12pt socket and see if that will do it. In the meantime, if there are any other tricks let me have 'em, all ideas are greatly appreciated.

Scott

na its fine... I know stuff like that happens, its sad an it pisses me off, when people arent taken care of, because thats a huge part of our job (taking care of customers), but its a huge company now and all I can do is make sure I take care of the people that I deal with. I think my stores pretty good at it... granted there has been a few accidents that have happened... and each one, we show the customer and then repair it, if its something we do, or we send it out and pay to have it fixed. Overall I like the company... I've bought my tires there since I was old enough to drive... same with my dad and my grandpa, and I've never been treated better by any other tire store. but thats just my opinion thats built from my happenings in life.