What a absolute tool I am.

AMGeed

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
9,030
Reaction score
7,007
Location
Poole, Dorset
Your Mercedes
S204 C180K
I think there is a differing school of thought on the actual use of locking wheel bolts nowadays.

At one time, they were all the rage and anyone with a decent set of alloys had them fitted, and it did deter wheel theft somewhat.
Then the thieving vermin caught on that removing these lockers wasn't so difficult, and a lot more cars were left on bricks in the morning.
The problems for the user seem to occur when either the bolt hasn't been removed in a long time, or more likely has been overtightened on a tyre change and become a real b1tch to remove. This put many owners off from using them. They weighed up the inconvenience, and pain in the ar$e locking wheel bolts are to remove against the liklihood of having their alloys stolen and decided to ditch them.

I'm still in the camp of using them, after removing them and retightening them to the correct torque. The wheels are removed every 4 months or so for a proper clean anyway.
I balance the inconvenience of using a different socket, and the possibility of it being lost or the bolt seizing, against having to replace an alloy (or all 4) plus the tyres at no inconsiderable cost. ( around £1k+ per corner).
Yep, the pro's will laugh at locking wheel bolts, but if it slows them down or inconveniences them in any way, then I've done all I can.

All I would wish for is that Mercedes OEM bolts and lockers didn't rust!
 
Last edited:

umblecumbuz

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2010
Messages
4,431
Reaction score
1,875
Location
Wales and Gozo
Your Mercedes
S204 and CLC 204 cdi, MX5, Kia Soul
Cheaper to buy an old granada :eek:

It's a funny old world.
Pricing up a new hood for a convertible, I noticed an identical model being sold - non-runner, but in good bodily condition with a new hood recently fitted - for a tenth of the price. No brainer.
Sometimes it pays to think outside the box.
Slightly off-thread, apologies.
 
OP
Dean Fletcher

Dean Fletcher

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2018
Messages
4,239
Reaction score
3,246
Location
Penrith, Cumbria
Your Mercedes
Mercedes E400
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #24
It's a funny old world.
Pricing up a new hood for a convertible, I noticed an identical model being sold - non-runner, but in good bodily condition with a new hood recently fitted - for a tenth of the price. No brainer.
Sometimes it pays to think outside the box.
Slightly off-thread, apologies.
I think I'm going to check out some second hand ones on fleebay. Seem to be around the 20 quid mark and seem to come in a set.
 

Bay Leaf

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2019
Messages
497
Reaction score
234
Location
Stockport
Your Mercedes
SL 350 R231 2013
Locking wheel nuts are ok so long as you don't tighten or torque them down to the same value as the other ones. I torque my wheel nuts to 90/95 ft lbs and the locker to about 75 ft lbs or there about because I just use a breaker bar for that one. However if you lose the key that's a different matter.
Having said all that if one of my lockers started playing up I would probably bin them all and do as Blobcat suggests.
 

John Laidlaw

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2013
Messages
26,373
Reaction score
9,163
Location
Wirral
Your Mercedes
Land Rover Discovery 4
I'm with @AMGeed on this, and making sure just after tyre changes/services etc that they haven’t been torqued to death. I suspect insurers would refuse to pay out if a security device had been removed by the owner as it was inconvenient...
 

Jimbo1959

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,785
Reaction score
1,807
Location
Ayrshire
Your Mercedes
VW Scirocco. The Quattro, E350 CDi Blue Efficiency Sport Coupe, now both gone
Every time I do work which involves removing the wheels I make sure that this procedure is followed.

Removal :-

1. The locking bolt is loosened and removed first. (We'll come back to this and the reason why at refitting).
2. Remove the rest of the bolts.

Refitting :-

1. All the standard bolts are put on finger tight before torquing down to required measurement.
2. Locking bolt is then refitted, however it is only done up to, "tight enough" and then a little tweak to make sure it will not come off.
My reasoning being, it will be first off at removal and, less likely to seize on if not wound on with a gun.
It is only a visual deterrant for the non professional tea leaves, the pro's will just take the complete car to a safe place to strip it anyway.

If I need to get work done which means I have to leave the car at the garage, and can't make sure my methodology is followed, the first thing I do when I get home is loosen all the wheel nuts, standard and locking and then re-do them using my preferred method, which in over 40 years, has not let me down or caught me out yet.

Any car I have owned which has alloy wheels as standard, gets a coating of copper-ease grease on the hub centre to prevent oxidisation and the wheel seizing on.
 

Taffy7hfa

Senior Member
Joined
May 29, 2016
Messages
1,684
Reaction score
982
Location
Oxford
Your Mercedes
2002 ML 270 CDI,2016 Hyundai1.6 CRDI i30,2014 Peugeot 308 HDI. .6 HDI.
I didn't think pikeys were interested in wheels anymore, catalytic converters are favorite now.
 

John Laidlaw

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2013
Messages
26,373
Reaction score
9,163
Location
Wirral
Your Mercedes
Land Rover Discovery 4
Every time I do work which involves removing the wheels I make sure that this procedure is followed.

Removal :-

1. The locking bolt is loosened and removed first. (We'll come back to this and the reason why at refitting).
2. Remove the rest of the bolts.

Refitting :-

1. All the standard bolts are put on finger tight before torquing down to required measurement.
2. Locking bolt is then refitted, however it is only done up to, "tight enough" and then a little tweak to make sure it will not come off.
My reasoning being, it will be first off at removal and, less likely to seize on if not wound on with a gun.
It is only a visual deterrant for the non professional tea leaves, the pro's will just take the complete car to a safe place to strip it anyway.

If I need to get work done which means I have to leave the car at the garage, and can't make sure my methodology is followed, the first thing I do when I get home is loosen all the wheel nuts, standard and locking and then re-do them using my preferred method, which in over 40 years, has not let me down or caught me out yet.

Any car I have owned which has alloy wheels as standard, gets a coating of copper-ease grease on the hub centre to prevent oxidisation and the wheel seizing on.
Great advice and worthy of a sticky I believe Jim....
 

mioba

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2006
Messages
7,898
Reaction score
4,656
Location
Nottingham and Köln
Your Mercedes
W124/E200, W220/S320CDI, W205/C200, W251/R350CDI 4Matic
I lost my locking key, well I think when I had a tyre replaced it was not put back. I was fuming when I had to replace a speed sensor.
Anway I had all of them removed in the end and normal bolts put on.

I mean who nicks alloy wheels nowadays, unfortuntaley easier picking for sc**bags
 

AIB understand your special Mercedes deserves a special insurance policy. We have a refreshing attitude to insuring high performance, modified, imported or classic and vintage cars and deal with the UK’s leading insurers. We offer discounts for length of ownership, where the vehicle is kept overnight and limiting the mileage and can also cater for those clients who need higher mileage and business use. To obtain a quotation please call the team on 02380 268351 or visit us atAIB Insurance
Top Bottom