Shop destroyed wheel lock key

[J-hop]

Originally posted by AE92_TreunoSC
Seen lots break from improper torquing.

Yea that is my guess
(1) not torquing properly by hand
(2) lazy techs hitting them with impacts to loosen (or tighten I guess). They are essentially like a standard socket. Even a first year tech knows you should never use a standard socket with an impact gun.

[BigMass]

Why do people use wheel locks? When was the last time someone had wheels stolen right off their car? 1987? What a pointless hassle.

[78si]

Try taking off a Volvo xc90 14mm locking lug bolt off.

[tirebob]

Originally posted by J-hop



Yea that is my guess
(1) not torquing properly by hand
(2) lazy techs hitting them with impacts to loosen (or tighten I guess). They are essentially like a standard socket. Even a first year tech knows you should never use a standard socket with an impact gun.

No joke, but I have had more lock keys fail on me when loosening by hand then ever with an impact. Just like anything, if you are not paying attention and the key is not all the way seated before loosening, you can fuck shit up. I can break studs by hand no problem that the impact stalls on. If a lock nut is seized or over tight, the benefit of impact and torque break less sockets than just manually twisting.


I have taken off more locks than the average person, mechanics included, over my almost 30 years of doing this, and I have not broken a key with an impact in over a decade, and even then the key was a wreck already before I got hold of it.