Locking Wheel Bolts - are they more hassle than they are worth?

[Velma's Dad]

I wonder whether if you made an insurance claim because your wheels and tyres were stolen, the insurance company would pay out if you had removed the 'VW standard fitment' locking wheel studs?

Without even vaguely suggesting one would defraud an insurance company... how would they know?

 

[blondebier]

Particularly as you can buy replacement locking wheel keys easily. Search eBay...

If a thief wanted to steal your wheels a locking wheel nut isn't going to stop them if they really wanted them.

Your spare wheel is a much easier target and more likely to disappear.

 

[Mr T]

I wonder whether if you made an insurance claim because your wheels and tyres were stolen, the insurance company would pay out if you had removed the 'VW standard fitment' locking wheel studs?

They stole my wheels and all the bolts, including the locking wheels nuts fitted as standard.

 

[BikerGran]

This is a good heads up to all owners. I have just checked that I can undo all the lock nuts on my alloys wheels and also applied a small amount of copper grease onto the mating surface of the bolt (not the thread as this promotes over over-tightening). I also now keep the adaptor in the glove box so I, or a garage, can locate it easily.

I can't physically jack the van up or undo any of the bolts so for anyone who would call the AA or equivalent the question is immaterial.
Just make sure you know where in the van the lock nut remover is!

 

[Wannabecamperman]

We have them fitted but probably not necessary these days.

Most cars / vans already come with alloys as standard now so demand is low, unless of course you have a special set. The days of seeing cars with axles resting on bricks are behind us.

+ It's difficult to get cash for scrap metal now as you need license, ID etc, so the thief would have to store them & resell on ebay etc so would draw attention to his/herself if they are doing it on a regular basis. Probably more likely to have a steel spare stolen then a set of alloys.

I still remember vividly coming back to collect my Ford Fiesta XR2 after a night out and taxi home, only to find it on bricks and all 4 'pepper pot' alloy wheels stolen!

It was the day before I went on holiday to Majorca and I had to find £600 to get new wheels supplied and fitted which was all the spending money gone! It's probably 25 years ago now, but I still remember the shock of seeing my car like that!

As regards nowadays, I bought a second hand GLA Mercedes a couple of years ago which surprisingly didn't have any locking bolts fitted. I paid around £35 for a Halfords set, but in hindsight, I can't remember the last time I saw a car on bricks, so it's probably not needed.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

I still remember vividly coming back to collect my Ford Fiesta XR2 after a night out and taxi home, only to find it on bricks and all 4 'pepper pot' alloy wheels stolen!

It was the day before I went on holiday to Majorca and I had to find £600 to get new wheels supplied and fitted which was all the spending money gone! It's probably 25 years ago now, but I still remember the shock of seeing my car like that!

As regards nowadays, I bought a second hand GLA Mercedes a couple of years ago which surprisingly didn't have any locking bolts fitted. I paid around £35 for a Halfords set, but in hindsight, I can't remember the last time I saw a car on bricks, so it's probably not needed.

I had “Exactly” the same thing happen to me on “Exactly” the same car back in the 1980s outside my house. Only thing mine had a set of RS wheels. Luckily or unluckily they only managed to get 2 wheels off before jamming the third wheel. The best part was I had a copper living next door to me and he didn’t even notice the car was on bricks even though he walked right passed it.
I’ve fitted locking wheel nuts on every car I’ve owned since then.