Are there better locking wheel nuts?

I just went to change a wheel and with one not overly leveraged turn split my 'B' locking wheel nut key.

I hate these keys. They seem fundamentally poorly designed with the 'nut bit' sticking further out - just asking to twist at an angle.

I have had people try to nick my wheels so I cannot just replace them with non-locking nuts - and my alloys weren't that desireable then!

So, are there better D2 locking nut sets out there - with more robust keys?
(Perhaps the ones from later landrovers fit?)

TaDa said:

I just went to change a wheel and with one not overly leveraged turn split my 'B' locking wheel nut key.

I hate these keys. They seem fundamentally poorly designed with the 'nut bit' sticking further out - just asking to twist at an angle.

I have had people try to nick my wheels so I cannot just replace them with non-locking nuts - and my alloys weren't that desireable then!

So, are there better D2 locking nut sets out there - with more robust keys?
(Perhaps the ones from later landrovers fit?)

Click to expand...

never been great fan of them but know can be needed, would think you get what you pay for with that kind of item

I bought these. ebay 121049654673

They do look a lot better and they have square looking edges to grip against - I can't help but think that the rounded ones were also part of the design flaw in the originals.

Do they still suffer with the extra sticky-out-ness leading to the whole lot twisting as you turn?

Theres nothing really wrong with them,you just need to be more careful how you use them.I have a set,A to J on the side of my toolbox which I use all the time - rather than rifle through customers cars trying to find theirs.
So they are used on a daily basis and are lasting well,however I use them carefully and dont use an impact gun on them.

I wish I had an impact driver - a nice compressor one - I have to break all my locking nuts with my own brute force

I hear you - and you're probably right the local tyre people have probably knacked my key - they love their impact driver - and it really makes me smile when the use a torque wrench after they have tightened it all up to 1000 Nm
The torque wrench always clicks first time

That all said though, I'd reckon my keys have not been used that often - yet they still split and strip the nuts.

Maybe I'll try these others, maybe I'll get some originals or maybe, just maybe, I'll forget all about the need for locking nuts and just hope the local thieves keep their mitts off

Cheers!

The socket fits nice and tight no slop.

TaDa said:

and it really makes me smile when the use a torque wrench after they have tightened it all up to 1000 Nm
The torque wrench always clicks first time

Click to expand...

Smile? makes me want to get :violent:

Tightening them too much ruins alloys and ultimately can lead to loose wheels when the studs stretch or, worse, break.

Never let Kickfit - nor any other tyre service tighten your wheelnuts,its just asking for trouble.This was a lesson I learnt at the ripe old age of 18 when I had a Triumph Dolomite sprint.It had aluminium wheel nuts as standard....