Is it worth spending money on wheel locks?
What do you guys think? Do you have any experience with it?
- Last Updated:
- Feb 14th, 2018 10:19 pm
Tags:
- SCORE-1
- DealCanuck [OP]
- Deal Fanatic
-
- Aug 27, 2014
- 6142 posts
- 2476 upvotes
- Canuckland
36 replies
- burnt69
- Deal Addict
- Oct 6, 2015
- 2463 posts
- 1372 upvotes
Fancy aftermarket rims, sure. But factory rims on a run-of-the-mill mass market car, waste of time. I pulled mine off and replaced them with normal bolts. Had a blow-out at night that I had to change on the side of the road, with minimal light, and having to locate a lock key would have been a giant PITA.
- iSimple
- Deal Fanatic
- Sep 13, 2007
- 9992 posts
- 4960 upvotes
- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What rims you have OP?
Telus $45 25GB
- 6mthatch
- Deal Addict
- Aug 10, 2013
- 2748 posts
- 1975 upvotes
no. Someone wants your wheels bad enough they will spend 20 bucks on cheap sockets and take them.
Smash that like button!
- engineered
- Deal Expert
-
- Feb 11, 2007
- 16515 posts
- 18073 upvotes
- Oakville
Not worth it for any rims. They're not going to stop any real thief, and they're more likely to be lost and strand you somewhere because you can't change the wheel.
Just to tell you how easy it is to remove without the key, my friend lost their key and I easily removed them by pounding a socket onto the wheel lock. Took about 20 seconds longer to remove a wheel.
Just to tell you how easy it is to remove without the key, my friend lost their key and I easily removed them by pounding a socket onto the wheel lock. Took about 20 seconds longer to remove a wheel.
If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.
- iflyplanes
- Deal Addict
-
- Feb 9, 2013
- 1850 posts
- 1602 upvotes
- Ottawa
LOL, say that to the hundreds of 2016-2017 Accord Sport owners who had their rims jacked or the owners of BMWs with M-Sport factory rims.burnt69 wrote: ↑ Fancy aftermarket rims, sure. But factory rims on a run-of-the-mill mass market car, waste of time. I pulled mine off and replaced them with normal bolts. Had a blow-out at night that I had to change on the side of the road, with minimal light, and having to locate a lock key would have been a giant PITA.
- eldiablo
- Deal Expert
- Feb 24, 2007
- 15065 posts
- 2649 upvotes
The fact that you have a wheel lock may make the thief go to the next car without a wheel lock and save you both $$$ and a
feeling of being violated is good enough for me. Most better quality wheel lock sets come with a single key. I usually
recommend to order a second key and keep it at home. For the times when Murphy's Law bites you in the ass,
just have a flashlight and prior knowledge on the removal of either front or rear wheels. Not sure if you are of age and
remember the contraption (Club 1000) which you would mount across a steering wheel to make a car theft more difficult. Yes,
there are thousands of ways to steal a car by a professional car thief but for the amateurs, it make a difference between
waking up in the morning and still having your four rims and tires still shining on that car. For $50+ it is not a bad
investment.
feeling of being violated is good enough for me. Most better quality wheel lock sets come with a single key. I usually
recommend to order a second key and keep it at home. For the times when Murphy's Law bites you in the ass,
just have a flashlight and prior knowledge on the removal of either front or rear wheels. Not sure if you are of age and
remember the contraption (Club 1000) which you would mount across a steering wheel to make a car theft more difficult. Yes,
there are thousands of ways to steal a car by a professional car thief but for the amateurs, it make a difference between
waking up in the morning and still having your four rims and tires still shining on that car. For $50+ it is not a bad
investment.
- billford
- Deal Addict
- Feb 6, 2011
- 1707 posts
- 1426 upvotes
Wheel locks may deter a thief who wants any wheels just to resell them.
Wheel locks will not deter a thief who wants your specific wheels.
Wheel locks will not deter a thief who wants your specific wheels.
Last edited by billford on Feb 14th, 2018 12:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
- TLSRULZ
- Deal Addict
- Apr 18, 2005
- 2618 posts
- 997 upvotes
- Mississauga
Yea but most fancy aftermarket rims are cut specific for that car / offset / bolt pattern that it would make it harder for the thief to turn over.burnt69 wrote: ↑ Fancy aftermarket rims, sure. But factory rims on a run-of-the-mill mass market car, waste of time. I pulled mine off and replaced them with normal bolts. Had a blow-out at night that I had to change on the side of the road, with minimal light, and having to locate a lock key would have been a giant PITA.
I actually have wheel locks on my factory rims, which I use in winter. But don't on my fancy aftermarket summer shoes
- bembol
- Deal Expert
-
- Jan 27, 2006
- 18677 posts
- 2397 upvotes
- Woodbridge
No.
I only have them because my boy Billy/tires23 hooked me up.
As posted if they really want them they'll find a way. Also, it's a PITA if you forget or lose the wheel lock.
I only have them because my boy Billy/tires23 hooked me up.
As posted if they really want them they'll find a way. Also, it's a PITA if you forget or lose the wheel lock.
"I'll put up color bars before I'll put you in front of our cameras."
- MacKenzie
THE NEWSROOM (HBO)
- MacKenzie
THE NEWSROOM (HBO)
- fromano
- Member
- Jan 19, 2010
- 307 posts
- 149 upvotes
- Toronto
Universal bolt remover: https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/ ... -p8211633eDealCanuck wrote: ↑ What do you guys think? Do you have any experience with it?
- DealCanuck [OP]
- Deal Fanatic
-
- Aug 27, 2014
- 6142 posts
- 2476 upvotes
- Canuckland
BBS FIMcLaren__F1 wrote: ↑ What rims you have OP?
- Bevatron
- Deal Addict
- Jan 8, 2009
- 4158 posts
- 2541 upvotes
- Ontario
Also I had issues with Toyota main dealer constantly over tightening the wheel nuts then when I came to seasonally swap the rims I had issues applying enough torque to the locknut and one broke/stripped. Now I do not use them (locknuts or dealer). Also with locknuts I apply a little less grunt to the locknut than the other nuts and always slacken the locknut off before the other nuts when removing.burnt69 wrote: ↑ Fancy aftermarket rims, sure. But factory rims on a run-of-the-mill mass market car, waste of time. I pulled mine off and replaced them with normal bolts. Had a blow-out at night that I had to change on the side of the road, with minimal light, and having to locate a lock key would have been a giant PITA.
- booblehead
- Deal Expert
-
- Jul 30, 2007
- 29353 posts
- 15171 upvotes
- Toronto
wow. Those are highly sought after. wheel locks or no wheel locks, if your car is being targeted for those blings ($10K for just the wheels), then they will take them if you park your cars on the streets or even on your own driveway.
- Hiotosan
- Member
- Feb 4, 2017
- 274 posts
- 179 upvotes
- Toronto
$50 peace of mind. Its not rare to have customers come in with "my rims and tires were stolen off our driveway" - Doesnt matter what model car.
I had a stretch of customers come in during the winter time couple years back when winter tires were selling out everywhere. Alloy rims that had winter rubber on them were being stolen off driveways.
Will wheel lock prevent it from happening? No. But if it will make them second guess taking yours, then worth the $50 imo.
I had a stretch of customers come in during the winter time couple years back when winter tires were selling out everywhere. Alloy rims that had winter rubber on them were being stolen off driveways.
Will wheel lock prevent it from happening? No. But if it will make them second guess taking yours, then worth the $50 imo.
- tebore
- Deal Guru
- Feb 9, 2006
- 12281 posts
- 6843 upvotes
- Brampton
If you got really expensive rims I've seen guys run 5 sets of lock nuts on their cars. Basically using lock nuts instead of regular nuts.
- george__
- Deal Expert
-
- Jul 22, 2006
- 22126 posts
- 2800 upvotes
- tebore
- Deal Guru
- Feb 9, 2006
- 12281 posts
- 6843 upvotes
- Brampton
- Bevatron
- Deal Addict
- Jan 8, 2009
- 4158 posts
- 2541 upvotes
- Ontario
Can't beat being well rimmed!DealCanuck wrote: ↑BBS FI
- george__
- Deal Expert
-
- Jul 22, 2006
- 22126 posts
- 2800 upvotes