Wheel locks? Just say no.

[Seejay]

My advice to everyone is to remove them ASAP. Do not find yourself in the middle of nowhere where you AND the roadside guy are staring at one that has just broken off. I don't think they are much of a hindrance to determined theft and got them with the car. I had one that was defective and broke off during tire replacement. The stud needs to be replaced, and there is a possibility of damaging the hub. I am driving around on three new tires, and if I get a flat on the tire with the busted wheel lock, it's tow truck time. The upshot is that I got a bad wheel lock that had a duty cycle of 2-3 before failure.

I think it is a forgone conclusion that the only person who cannot remove a wheel with a busted locking lug nut is the owner. No joy with the tire place, the dealer, and most certainly not HMA, or the mfr of the wheel locks. A cheap three dollar part that can be purchased from Walmart completely disables the ability to service tires on your car. I am getting them removed from my wife's car. Never again.

 

[Mark_888]

So long as you park your car in a garage at night, probably not a big deal. But not everyone does that, which can be a problem in many cities.

 

[balfor]

Yep, I take them off on every car I own first thing. I hate them as I do my own rotations and other work and it is just another pain in the neck to deal with, not to mention changing a tire on the side of the road. Hyundai rims aren't really in demand so the chances of someone taking a Genesis factory rim is very low. Besides, if they really want it they have ways to get a lock off anyway.

 

[Seejay]

It's been known for some time that any determined thief will have the necessary tools to easily remove wheel locks. They have gone the way of the super-annoying car alarms and remind me of aa situation in the 1960s where only 50 keys were needed to start any GM car made at the time.

 

[gearhedd]

...only 50 keys were needed to start any GM car made at the time.

That brings back memories. As a teen, I worked at a Buick dealership. Customers leaving cars after hours for service sometimes failed to leave key. Service Department kept cigar box of spare keys...usually took about 5 minutes to find one that worked...

 

[Mark_888]

It's been known for some time that any determined thief will have the necessary tools to easily remove wheel locks. They have gone the way of the super-annoying car alarms and remind me of aa situation in the 1960s where only 50 keys were needed to start any GM car made at the time.

True for a professional thief, but a lot of theft is done by juveniles who don't have that expertise or time or are not willing to buy the tools to do it.

But I do understand your concern about the problems of wheel locks. I don't have them on my car, but only rarely do I park it outdoors overnight.

 

[Ragnar]

Curious as to the torque specs on the wheels, anyone know them offhand?

 

[Mark_888]

Curious as to the torque specs on the wheels, anyone know them offhand?

That info is in the owners manual, which may vary by model year. My G1 is 65~79 ft/lbs. 2015 owners manual says the same.

 

[glennk]

Put Gorilla Locks on mine right after purchase.

 

[BARRYW]

At home or at a dealer you can heat the bad one with a torch and it will usually back off without to much resistance. Had to do this once as the tire shop rotating the tires damaged the lock. That was in 2004. Since then I have not used them, but made the tire shop give me the cash value of the lock set.

______________________________

Help support this site so it can continue supporting you!

 

[1FstYota]

I had Hyundai dealer take my off. No one can find the key since I purchased the car SMH. Oh if you have hyudai locks just take it to the dealership if you ever lose the key they have a master set.

 

[Seejay]

Quick update. I had a WHS (wheel hub suspension) shop fix the problem. The tire dealer got me a new wheel due to minor cosmetic damage. The new tires worked a transformation, since I had not experienced the car with really quiet tires. It's like riding in a tomb. I am off to the WHS shop to get a 4 wheel alignment.

I learned a lot about automotive warranty and liability law researching this experience. The owner has no recourse. Hyundai, unable to do anything with the wheel lock company (they exclude _EVERYTHING_), gave me reward points for my grief. HMA needs to learn that when it is below a certain amount of money, the good will generated by honoring an invalid warranty claim is without price. The only trick is to really emphasize that the claim IS invalid.

I yelled at a rep for HMA CC and I feel bad, though.

 

[goofygenesis]

https://youtu.be/mJNz4M3K8qc

Enough said

 

[Seejay]

https://youtu.be/mJNz4M3K8qc

Enough said

1. This video shows techniques that are well known.
2. The biggest tire dealer chain in the country has a lot more tools than this guy.
3. The lug nut on my car shattered when this was attempted.
4. The wheel lock nuts for sale now are a joke. The set on my car was obviously MIM (molded injection metal), a prescription for failure.

 

[1FstYota]

Quick update. I had a WHS (wheel hub suspension) shop fix the problem. The tire dealer got me a new wheel due to minor cosmetic damage. The new tires worked a transformation, since I had not experienced the car with really quiet tires. It's like riding in a tomb. I am off to the WHS shop to get a 4 wheel alignment.

I learned a lot about automotive warranty and liability law researching this experience. The owner has no recourse. Hyundai, unable to do anything with the wheel lock company (they exclude _EVERYTHING_), gave me reward points for my grief. HMA needs to learn that when it is below a certain amount of money, the good will generated by honoring an invalid warranty claim is without price. The only trick is to really emphasize that the claim IS invalid.

I yelled at a rep for HMA CC and I feel bad, though.

Why didn't you take it to Hyundai and get it removed? Was it not the oem Hyundai wheel locks? The stealership took my off for free with a master key set.

 

[Seejay]

Why didn't you take it to Hyundai and get it removed? Was it not the oem Hyundai wheel locks? The stealership took my off for free with a master key set.

The stud had to be drilled out. They were going to charge me for the work; the wheel lock company is liable for _NOTHING_ in terms of consequential damages. Most stealerships have the wash guy drive your car to a WHS shop. I really didn't want the wash guy driving my car on the street, and I would rather choose the shop myself.