Ditching locking wheel nuts

[m10chkcalifornia]

As I always do when I get a new (to us) vehicle I checked the logistics of a wheel change.

Check how much over torqued the wheel nuts are. Not in this case which was a surprise.

Check how the supplied jack works and where the jacking points are. The usual suicide device and a right old faff to use.

Check whether locking wheel nuts are likely to cause problems. Yes they are. As per usual tricky to get a socket square on and not move at an angle when applying force. And locking wheel nuts that look like they might be made of cheese like my BMW ones

So I am ditching those and fitting some proper genuine vw standard bolts in their place. Alloy wheels are so ubiquitous now - and tools to defeat locking wheel nuts so commonplace - that for me they are not worth the potential hazards (of being impossible to remove) or hassle. Thats just me.

 

[yanathem]

Took my locking wheel nuts off 11 year’s ago when I got my van. Wheels are still fastened on
I’ve never heard of anyone personally having their wheels stolen. Must happen but guess you have to be very unlucky if it happens to you.

 

[ArunAlec]

Took my locking wheel nuts off 11 year’s ago when I got my van. Wheels are still fastened on
I’ve never heard of anyone personally having their wheels stolen. Must happen but guess you have to be very unlucky if it happens to you.

It seems that they normally nick the spare …. Especially if you park at Legoland!

 

[m10chkcalifornia]

Another issue with these is that the recommended torque setting for T6/6.1 wheels bolts seems to be 180 Newton Metres. Wow. That is pretty vicious and I really wouldn't trust locking wheel bolts at that - just asking for trouble. Also if wheels were correctly torqued up the supplied wheel wrench is effectively useless - well for weedy me at least. I would never shift them even jumping up and down on that 20cm wrench or whatever it is. I will probably just put a decent breaker bar in the Cali in the event I need to change a wheel (and RAC are going to take too long to get to me!).

 

[briwy]

The VW supplied tool is useless as its too short and is at an angle. We have a £10 breaker bar in the van to loosen the bolts and yes I agree about using full torque on the locking bolts, it's too much. I've had the locking mechanism strip on VW ones so we use Magard ones now which seem better.

 

[pchmlk]

I just swapped my wheels. All were over 180nm and as a socket adapter sheared, I was forced to use the supplied wrench. With a socket set handle wedged in the end, wasn’t too bad getting them all off! I was also surprised how well the supplied jack worked.

 

[secret lemonade drinker]

I use a long 200 Nm torque wrench and a extending wheel nut wrench (used on caravan) £14 on Amazon

 

[yossarian]

My locking bolts are all in the bin after a poor experience last week.

 

[Kayleigh]

If you have Devonport wheels the bolts are all covered anyway by the plastic trim.

 

[WelshGas]

I've not had any problems in 10 yrs of removing all 4 wheels annually and 5 x 4 tyre changes all round. Using the supplied jack and wheel brace. No problem with security bolts, and covering 140,000 miles.

 

[Keith Smith]

I’ve just picked up my new California today, it’s got the sport pack with 18inch wheels but no locking wheel nuts. Does anyone know if this is right?

 

[Kev56]

I’ve just picked up my new California today, it’s got the sport pack with 18inch wheels but no locking wheel nuts. Does anyone know if this is right?

I've got the same wheels with the sports pack and they came with the locking nuts. Sounds like a call to the dealer unless you go down the 'ditch them' road as above.

 

[Mr T]

I’ve just picked up my new California today, it’s got the sport pack with 18inch wheels but no locking wheel nuts. Does anyone know if this is right?

Congratulations @keith although I wouldn’t worry about the locking wheel nuts, they can be more trouble than they’re worth. .
I removed mine on my previous Cali having had a bad experience and it was only 6months, had a knackered locking wheel nut. They are made of cheese and can get over torqued.

 

[yossarian]

...but no locking wheel nuts.

Lucky. Unless you live somewhere dire.

 

[Keith Smith]

Congratulations @keith although I wouldn’t worry about the locking wheel nuts, they can be more trouble than they’re worth. .
I removed mine on my previous Cali having had a bad experience and it was only 6months, had a knackered locking wheel nut. They are made of cheese and can get over torqued.

Chris, we wouldn’t have chosen the sport package it was just one of the options on the Cali they had in stock, but it’s £2600 for mostly a set of black alloys! Call me paranoid but I’m going to feel a bit happier with some sort of theft deterrent on them.

 

[andyinluton]

Chris, we wouldn’t have chosen the sport package it was just one of the options on the Cali they had in stock, but it’s £2600 for mostly a set of black alloys! Call me paranoid but I’m going to feel a bit happier with some sort of theft deterrent on them.

Have you got the black caps over the ends of the bolts? if so no-one can see that you don't have a locking bolt.

 

[yossarian]

£2600 for mostly a set of black alloys! Call me paranoid but I’m going to feel a bit happier with some sort of theft deterrent on them.

Tbf I've got Devonports which I speced as I wanted something cheap to replace. I'm glad I don't have your wheels precisely because of this problem.

Have you got a locking bolt adapter in your tool kit?

 

[Keith Smith]

Tbf I've got Devonports which I speced as I wanted something cheap to replace. I'm glad I don't have your wheels precisely because of this problem.

Have you got a locking bolt adapter in your tool kit?

Nothing in the tool kit, in fact almost entirely nothing in the tool kit, just a towing eye. I’m going to get on to the dealer today as I think it’s just been missed off somehow.

 

[m10chkcalifornia]

Nothing in the tool kit, in fact almost entirely nothing in the tool kit, just a towing eye. I’m going to get on to the dealer today as I think it’s just been missed off somehow.

Do you have a spare wheel? If so the toolkit has to have a jack and wheel brace. If not .... well I didn't think it was an 'option', just standard equipment, but could be wrong on that.

 

[larrylamb]

Do you have a spare wheel? If so the toolkit has to have a jack and wheel brace. If not .... well I didn't think it was an 'option', just standard equipment, but could be wrong on that.

Yes, with Sport pack 18" wheels might be no spare so no jack etc.

 

[Kev56]

Yes, with Sport pack 18" wheels might be no spare so no jack etc.

I got my van with the sports pack 18 inch etc. No jack, so queried with dealer. Was told it came with some puncture gunge stuff, which it didn’t and I wouldn’t use anyway. My intention was to have a spare at all costs. Thanks once again to this great forum I got my spare sorted (lots of info on here) I explained to the dealer that even using the ‘gunge ’ I would still like to be able to take the wheel off for this and any other reason. Jack supplied and was told they took it out of another vehicle?

 

[Keith Smith]

Do you have a spare wheel? If so the toolkit has to have a jack and wheel brace. If not .... well I didn't think it was an 'option', just standard equipment, but could be wrong on that.

No spare just a bottle of gunge and a 12V pump which was strapped to the side of the seat next to the empty tool box. I’m going to get a spare wheel of some sort, so will need to get a jack also.

 

[m10chkcalifornia]

No spare just a bottle of gunge and a 12V pump which was strapped to the side of the seat next to the empty tool box. I’m going to get a spare wheel of some sort, so will need to get a jack also.

Good plan! I think given that there is provision for storing a spare wheel (and a jack etc) its kinds of crazy of VW not to include one. The bottle of gunk solution is very much "on a wing and a prayer".

 

[WelshGas]

Good plan! I think given that there is provision for storing a spare wheel (and a jack etc) its kinds of crazy of VW not to include one. The bottle of gunk solution is very much "on a wing and a prayer".

The spare wheel carrier can only be used with a 16" or 17" wheel and tyre. So no spare if you specify 18" or fit aftermarket wheels larger than 17".