Great Video, worked like a charm on my Jeep, the dealership over tightened one of my wheel locks and broke the key, they ordered a new one and it broke too. they couldn't take it off for the tire rotation and as always they blamed me, etc... So I was left with the problem, after watching your video, I tried this and in 5 minutes I removed the lock, the trick is finding the right socket, one that will fit really tight around the lock and hit it with the sledge hammer until you get it in there at least 1/4", I then used my impact wrench and bravo!!! It broke lose....thanks
This was very helpful. Word of advice for anyone trying it, make sure you use a socket that fits your breaker bar. If you use an adapter tip it may break off in the socket.
I work at a Nissan dealership and we run into this all the time. Customers throw away their wheel lock key because they don't know what it is for until they need it. We have a master set and remove the wheel locks and either sell them a new set or a set of lug nuts. Any good dealership would do the same thing.
This worked for me. Nissan Titan with locking nuts. Bought 3 "emergency lug remover" sockets from auto parts stores first but none of them worked. Then I checked the youtube. Hammered a 3/4 socket on and used a breaker bar. Each came off on first try. I used a torch to heat the socket up a bit first thinking it might make it expand and more pliable. The hardest part was getting the locking nut out of the socket each time. You may need a vice and torch for this part. Thanks for posting!
I had the exact same predicament (and the same color G37). Thank you for posting this and showing your process as a long shot without editing. It worked for me. I wish I'd seen this before I went and bought a new impact wrench and three sizes of thread-on "emergency" lug lock removers at Autozone.
Massive thanks, it worked!!! The locking nuts were really rusty too and seized completely so i was sceptical. Saved me a garage bill or the hastle of drilling them out 👍👍👍
glad to hear it...however i have found one car a little tuffer ...the peugeot. they dont have a nut but instead have a large bolt going through the rim into the hub. but have no fear you can still with a few different methods make this technique work
Thanks alot bud ! had the same problem i wasn't sure how to go about it until i watched this !Had to use a round extended tube bar to go over the ratchet for the leverage (otherwise no go) and that worked perfectly fine and also had to bash the socket onto the locknut quite hard for it to work properly to start with.
Worked like a charm! I didn't even know that I didn't have the locking nut until the wife got a flat and the mechanic called asking for it. I even used a six point socket and it worked perfectly. Thanks man!
Very good idea worked for me . I didn't have a vice I used a bigger socket for other side of lock lug went up against other socket beat it out with chizile. Thanks for the idea. Walmart was nice enough to keep my lug lock
Great idea, pretty much the same idea as getting some extractor sockets. Working in a garage I have come across plenty of people not having there locking wheel nut. I use the extractors, but this is also good too. To make it easier get a friend to hit the breaker bar with a hammer as you turn it slowly, this prevents it from slipping off. Works everytime. :) Great vid btw :D
Worked like a charm thank you for the tip. I did it in very cold weather so once I pounded the socket on I heated it with a torch between the socket onto the lug. Then I gave it a couple more hits with the sledge. This helped secure the socket better to the lug and loosen the lock lug easier...in the cold.
I have viewed numerous videos on this topic .. all are very entertaining ... none but none ever addressed the real situation. You have a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere, at midnight and the weather is atrocious ... where in the name of blazes are you going to find tools / gadgets . BTW, this is the best working solution thus far Congratulations. The easiest solution is to purchase extra key and keep it with someone who could bring it ...Yes, you can order a spare key for the set ...
Great information if you are in a situation and know that your wheel lock key is missing /. Lost. But if you don't know until you are out on the road and get a flat tyre then you are stuffed. Well unless you have a big hammer and the right size socket at hand. But still a good video with good information. And I have used the same technique myself. 👍
I have also taken a die grinder and cut a slot across the wheel lock and used a large flat screw driver with a square shank (if I needed to use a wrench on it for extra torque) or a drag link flat ended socket. This is a common socket for older (40s-60s) vehicles.
This works, the only thing different on mine was the locking nut had a steel collar ring on it to stop you from getting a socket on it.This is only made of thin weak metal so if you tap a straight screwdriver in-between it and the nut it will break up..then you can bang a socket on it.
There was a guy with a Russian accent that did the same video got 2.7 million views you got work to do haha. All that said, work like a charm. And I'm never buying lock nuts again
Just did this on my 2012 Nissan Versa hatchback with FACTORY locking lug nuts. I used the 19mm socket, as the standard size kept slipping, because the nuts were WAYYYY too tight. Not only did that inept Mexican spin my key off, he impacted every nut at 180#! James, you are a lifesaver! I used a 5# hammer to knock the socket on, as well as for using a bolt to knock the old nut out. Everything has been swapped out now and the new brake pads installed on schedule. Thank you for this video. I watched others that claimed the same thing, but yours was the only one that showed everything in real time and showed the gaffes. Amen, Brother!
I have a similar tale with regard to the special nut but somebody has to have stolen mine. I'd taken the front wheel off to check the discs, found they needed replacing so put the wheel back on, the jack went into the footwell on the drivers side and I put the nut on the dashboard (so it wouldn't get lost!) and in went to order the parts, I can't lock my car because it sets the alarm off so door was unlocked. Parts arrive, I go out to the car, jack it up and the nut has vanished and I am screwed. I love people but I could take a chainsaw to some of them. I'll try your idea-i was thinking of cutting a deep slot for a v. large screwdriver with an angle grinder-wasn't sure how hardened the security nut would be so optimism thin on the ground! Thank you for posting it!
Now when your wife says the brakes are making noise you will get them fixed before it ruins the rotors too. I am guilty of the same offense. As for the video good job. Great info.
Here in U.K. there is a national company that sell everything cement mixers to tools very wide range big shop in most city's they sell a tool pacificly to remove lock nuts if youve lost key! Much easier hope this helps Stuart.
I have a infiniti jx35 & you saved me 75 dollars I dont care what all these negative people have to say let them talk there shit it work for me & I didn't even break my socket that I hammered on & if I do find that locking key in the future I still can use the locks.
Exactly. Pulling up means you can also use your legs to push up whilst keeping arms straight. (Leg muscles being stronger than arm muscles). Keep your back straight as possible though!!
My business was going down with all these lock nuts people are fitting on their wheels, i was thinking about changing to drug dealing but now i can steal wheels faster with no hassle, thanks mate! What would be of us thieves without people like you!
Just to let everyone know I went to my local car parts store and they told me where to go. You can order them. They're not impossible to find. Dont stress.
Thanks - going to give it a try. I can't get purchase with my "key" - it's worn out. By the way, what you call a pry bar, I call a breaker bar. I wonder if this would work with a Universal Self-adjusting Socket - they go up to 19mm.
Unscrew all nuts and just drive with the locknut on until it gets lose. But be prepaired to stop and screw back the other nuts before the wheel fall off. I had to do this because i couldn't get my locknut off with this method in this video.
Hi, good video. Thanks!! My mcgard bolt head is 21mm diameter. I want to buy a 12 point nut to extract my mcgard bolts. Do you know the 12 point nut diameter that i need to use? 21mm? Or 20mm? Thanks
Worked good for me. I'm dealing with Toyota locks. 3/4 inch 12 point socket works perfect. They put the locks on with a lot of torque which made it a little more difficult. So get a bigger hammer, LOL!
I bought an expensive lug nut extractor socket set...the key lugs destroyed the socket...tried this and worked immediately. My 12 point socket was also ruined with this...but they are $8 on Amazon.
