Hello,

Today, I went to get my tires rotated and was told that they would not be able to do so, due to the fact that the socket used for the locking lug nut being stripped. When, I got home, I called my dealer to get a quote on a new socket and was told I would need a new set. The price quoted was a little over $100. Is it possible to buy a new set of lug nuts for my 2011 min somewhere else at a cheaper price? Also, is it possible to find a set that doesn't have the special locking nut? I'm not too worried about having my wheels stolen, and I'd like to avoid this in the future.

Thanks for any info anyone can give me.

 

Better question is how did that socket get stripped?

That and any decent tire place should always be able to work around something like that.

 

Once you get the bad one off, a set of McGard wheel locks is only about $25 - $35.
These should be the ones for a 2011 with 14 x 1.25 mm bolts:
http://www.mcgard.com/index.php/comp...m_model=Cooper

 

Thanks to both of you.

I'm guessing it was the incompetency of the place I've been going to that got the socket stripped in the first place. I only go to them for tire rotations, and after stripping the socket, they told me there was nothing they could do. I called a different tire place and was told it wouldn't be a problem to get them off.

I wonder if they would've had such difficulty getting them off if I was buying a new set of tires and it wasn't a busy Saturday?\.

I found these: http://new.minimania.com/part/G2NMW4...56-57-58-59-60

Would it be possible to just buy four and replace each of the locking nuts with these?

 

Sure.

 

Did they quote you on what it would cost to get the old lugs off and have them replaced? That might be much more than the $100 for the replacement locks. I was in my local Firestone place last week and they were quoting $60 a wheel to get the lugs off for someone that also had a broken key.

I have seen a LOT of stripped or broken sockets over the years. We bought a car for my wife recently and I had them take the locks off and replace them with regular lugs. Unless you live in a really wheel stealing area, they are simply too much trouble for what turns out to be very little protection because if the thieves want your wheels, they will get them.

///Rich

 

Wheel locks provide LITTLE PROTECTION...a cheap socket you hammer oner the lug, then remove is all it takes to get the rim off if somebody wants them off....
Sure...you can use them...just always hand tourqe....but it has been ages since I remember hearing many jokes about seeing cars up on blocks...now that most cars have alloys..thefts don't seem to be a big deal...I think they are more likely to smash your window and take a gps....

 

^^^ Agree with Zippy those locks are more trouble then they are worth. You should not use an impact on those locks. That is most likely how they got striped out & ruined. Tire place is at fault, but the chances are slim to none they will pay to replace them.

 

side bar

I had wheel locks on a car once. I went in for a tire rotation and shortly thereafter discovered I was missing one lug nut (not a MINI - a Miata with lug nuts) on two wheels - the locking ones. Checked the other two wheels and the lock nuts were barely hand tight while the regular nuts were tight. Seems the tech never went back to do the locking nuts with the special socket !! . . . grrrrr .... never bought those damn things again.

And now, anytime I have tire/wheel work done, I check the lugs b4 I drive away .... in the same way I learned to check the oil b4 I drive away when I pay for that work .. after driving away to get a no pressure warning 1/4 mile down the road. "Oops ... sorry, we forgot to put in the oil . . . ." And b4 you jump on this one ... it was AT THE DEALER . . . they are NO BETTER than Jiffy Lube!

 

Good advice & followed by me also. A coworker of mine had an oil change at the dealer & was sent away with no oil in her engine. She got a new engine, but it was a pain for her.

 

Nobody wants your stock wheels. Just get new lugs for about $2 a piece, forget the locks.

 

the bolts from Mini Mania are exactly what you need. All you need to do is buy one for each wheel...remove the locks and you are set

 

I got used ones that looked like used barely from Detroit tuned for $1.00 each

 

We keep them in stock 36136781151, they list for $3.22 each.

-Sean

 

Like a lot have said throw those lock lugs away..save yourself the trouble.. Not to mention if someone wants to steal your rims they will get them either way..lock lugs or not.. The last thing on my mind is worrying about someone stealing my rims.. I sleep just fine at night not having locking lugs..lol.. Good luck!

 

the same thing happened to me but how can i get the stripped lug nuts off

 

Any decent full service tire shop should always be able to get lug bolts off. Perhaps at an additional charge, but it shouldn't be excessive. There's fundamentally not "that much" involved in what a lug bolts does that a decently equipped shop can't deal with. There's a bunch of purpose-made tools that help work around this.

But this post comes to mind if you want DIY:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...016-post4.html

 

great!!! i think I am definitely ditching the lug nut locks

 

Most tire shops will have special removal sockets. You can also get a set from Autozone.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...ntifier=965865