do i need locking nuts ?

[neilcharlton]

sorry if this is a silly question but do i need locking nuts for my alloys ?
Just picked up a nice 1999 CLK 320 with 17" AMG alloys last night.

I noticed it didnt use locking nuts and all the BMW's etc in my car park dont use them either...

Is this because all the new car alarms come with tilt sensors so if someone starts to jack the car up the alarm sounds ??

With AMG wheels not being the cheapest of alloys i thought it best to check to see what everyone else has .
cheers
neil

 

[Myros]

so the alarm sounds

and if you don't hear it, or anyone else act on it, bang go your wheels. I got some genuine new Mcgards from e-bay at about £20 a set. That's £20 well spent. And you get the added bonus of being able to embarass yourself at the garage when you can't remember where you put the key nut.

 

[Rory]

I think the thinking is that the sort of people who nick wheels know exactly how to deal with locking wheel nuts, so they're no deterrent. Remember the pictures of Bernie Ecclestone's CLS outside his house after the wheels had been stolen?

As far as I know, all MB's come with locking nuts from the factory. My 2004 c Class with standard alloys certainly has them.

 

[Blobcat]

Best advice is to have different locking wheel nuts on each wheel. Although the T leafs all have the keys/adaptors the extra hassle required means that you have a much better chance of keeping the wheels.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

all my Mercedes came with locking wheel nuts as standard. i would certainly suggest you get hold of some. £20 of so is better than coming across some bricks under your car.

 

[neilcharlton]

just ordered some nuts off ebay !
for the sake of 20 quid its worth it , so surprised they didnt have them on already .

 

[Rory]

just ordered some nuts off ebay !
for the sake of 20 quid its worth it , so surprised they didnt have them on already .

Maybe your car had them originally but the bolts with the AMG wheels are different?

When you get the locking ones, make sure they're exactly the same length as the ones on the car now, and are the the same profile at the shoulder 9where they press onto the wheel.

Also, if you have a space-saver or steel spare wheel, they usually use different, shorter, bolts, so make sure you have those.

 

[jberks]

A friend had his wheels pinched off his VW despite the locking nuts so did a fair bit of research on the subject of 'locking wheel nuts'.
He concluded that the best nuts on the market were McGuard. This was also confirmed by the local 'Bling' merchant. So he ordered a set for his VW. When he showed them to me, I pointed out that they had a merc badge on the key. My last 2 MB's had these locks on as standard. - I guess we all have the best already!

 

[television]

I have some spare MB Key sockets, I could put them on Ebay only sold to the north of England :idea:

Malcolm

 

[robbi-wan]

after losing 2 from 4 wheels on my last car, i did my own bit of research;
McGuard security nuts are the best
they may not completely secure your wheels from a determined thief with plenty of time on his/her hands, but they will prove the most resistant.
Merc original locking nuts are VERY similar in design to mcguards, whereas with cheaper versions, it is very easy to break off the outer shell then use a socket/ratchet to have your wheels away.
been there, got the t-shirt.
if you lose the key, it will take you (as the rightful owner) 3 weeks to obtain a new one from germany - so keep all the packaging/reciept with the code off the nuts!

rob

 

[neilcharlton]

i've got a feeling the nuts (cheap) i ordered off ebay wont fit the longer depth AMG wheels then .. damm .
probably just go to my local MB dealer to get sorted out , at least i know they will fit then !

 

[television]

If you have the long shank bolts where the head comes flush with the face of the wheel, they are no longer supplied, only normal bolt at double the price of anywhere else.

Malcolm