Stud Conversion And Security

[jorg 11]

I am just wondering what people with stud conversions have done regarding security measures. I have done a search and read all the previous threads but no one has mentioned locking nuts/bolts etc. I am looking to fit the set I got from madaxgt next week and would like to know if anyone has fitted lockers and how.

 

The options I have come up with so far are:

 

1. Put 3 studs in each hub and and a fit locking wheel bolt to each.

 

2. Fit all 16 studs and buy a set of 4 locking nuts.

 

3. Just fit stud and nut conversion kit as it is.

 

Number 1 is what I am edging towards at the moment. It means I will have a set of 4 studs and nuts to keep as spares and on rallies I can swop the locking bolts for normal ones. The car will spend most of its time sat in the garage but I would rather play it safe.

 

So how have you sorted yours?

 

Cheers

[large 33]

When was the last time you seen a car on the deck because some t@@t had nicked the wheels?

 

As the car is garaged most of the time I would not bother. In fact my car is not garaged in a crap area and have never had any problems.

 

Lets face it 14", 15" speedlines are not that sort after today. The only reason I can see someone taking them is for scrap.

 

 

But to answer your question I would fit 3 studs and a locking bolt every day and just replace the bolt for a normal one for an event.

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Why bother, you can get 95% of them off in no time at all + tools for it available anywhere, And the value of wheels now is so cheap unless there 22" of a Porsche or something you'll be unlucky for someone to nick them,

[SurGie 54]

What are those security bolts i seen on here a while back, they are untouchable afaik, whats the name of them anyone ??

 

Mine are worth £1500 or there abouts, as rare as rocking horse do do, so i will be having the good ones.

 

HERE i think i found them, thing is their site is closed at the moment.

 

McGard is the name of them?

Edited February 14, 2011 by SurGie

[hcmini1989 16]

What are those security bolts i seen on here a while back, they are untouchable afaik, whats the name of them anyone ??

 

Mine are worth £1500 or there abouts, as rare as rocking horse do do, so i will be having the good ones.

 

HERE i think i found them, thing is their site is closed at the moment.

 

McGard is the name of them??

As said above there really easy to get off so i wouldnt wast my money on fancy ones.Theres numerous stuff you can buy to take them off and even if you couldnt get them off id just drill the head off the nut wouldnt take to long with a decent cordless and drill bit.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Whilst I agree that it's probably not a major concern these days, you'd be kicking yourself if you didn't bother and then someone did nick your wheels. It's so cheap and easy to fit locking nuts, why not? And if they are so easy to remove, we'd never see topics from people struggling after losing a key. I'd probably find open heart surgery quite easy if I had been a practising surgeon for many years

 

To answer your question, I use 3 studs per wheel and 1 locking bolt per wheel. My studs were only purchased for ease of wheel fitting, which 3 studs will give you. But since I bought cheap studs, I really wish I hadn't bothered. f***ing load of crap.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

But since I bought cheap studs, I really wish I hadn't bothered. f***ing load of crap.

 

We're these eBay jobbies? I was considering some on eBay that were fairly cheap (£50/£60), what were the issues with them?

[SurGie 54]

As said 95% are easy to get off in no time at all, if that means getting two good ones for each wheel then thats fine for me. If it takes too much time for them to get them off then its worth it. I'd rather have them than nothing then regretting it. I also have a good tilt alarm fitted, i just need to get a second opinion to see if its been fitted properly.

 

It does depend where you live though, either way im still getting them. Im sure a pro wont want them, im sure they would rather go to the Porsche car instead, the chavs for instance might try my car, if so then they should be fine.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

But since I bought cheap studs, I really wish I hadn't bothered. f***ing load of crap.

 

We're these eBay jobbies? I was considering some on eBay that were fairly cheap (£50/£60), what were the issues with them?

I assume Steve is referring top the studs he got through one of the group buys I did on here which used the graystone engineering studs & buts.

 

Some have problems but others haven't, myself included.

 

The quality control at graystone didn't appear to the highest but some have suffered worse than others.

 

All studs I sent were fine for threads the whole length, indeed I checked every single studs & nut, requesting replacement for bad ones before posting them off but some people have managed to cross thread or strip theirs.

 

It's been covered a few times before & of the three group buys I did the people who had problems can be counted on one hand unless their are others just said nothing.

 

Graham.

[jackherer 543]

I had two sets from Graham that were fine but a third set (also Graystone) that I bought elsewhere were much worse and I had no end of problems.

[Anthony 1,002]

What are those security bolts i seen on here a while back, they are untouchable afaik, whats the name of them anyone ??

 

Mine are worth £1500 or there abouts, as rare as rocking horse do do, so i will be having the good ones.

 

McGard is the name of them?

Without meaning to piss on your parade, I removed a complete set of McGard locking bolts from Lemmingzappa's 205 a couple of weeks ago in about five minutes tops without any special tools... unless they've improved the design, they're about as effective as a chocolate teapot frankly

[SurGie 54]

Great that is, so now id like to find a good proper safe set now, anyone know of any or if McGard have changed their design ?

 

I read on here from a few people that they are the good ones to get, good job i did not buy them, always good to wait sometimes.

[Baz 421]

A little OT but what wheels do you have that are worth that much if you don't mind me asking?

 

 

After the gip i have with them regularly unless they're my own, (ie. GREASED & NOT DONE UP STUPID TIGHT, THEY'RE NOT A NORMAL WHEEL BOLT!!!) barely see the point these days, even if you do have expensive wheels, why would someone nick them unless they particularly want them for their exact same car, doubtful, if wheels are stolen they're to be sold to make money etc.

 

Locking wheel bolts were a fad in the 80/90's because it was something else a dealer could sell you, then the aftermarket crowd caught on, money for old rope...

 

 

In a way they're fine, but the problem is most of the time they're not because people (idiots) treat them like a normal wheel bolt/nut that they'd never grease and do up FT, making them difficult to remove for servicing etcc and more of a PITA than the favpour they're meant to be doing you, coupled with the fact that majority are craply designed and made pieces of crap, hence they're either easy to remove without the proper key, or next to impossible because a mixture of the above.

 

The reality is, times moved on, nobody cares to steal the wheels off old cars when technology's come along so well that in about the same time they could have a much more modern/expensive whole car away!

Edited February 15, 2011 by Baz

[Baz 421]

Without meaning to piss on your parade, I removed a complete set of McGard locking bolts from Lemmingzappa's 205 a couple of weeks ago in about five minutes tops without any special tools... unless they've improved the design, they're about as effective as a chocolate teapot frankly

 

Exactly, i was going to mention the same, they were mega easy! And exactly the same set but a little older were on that Volvo too, they were so s*it, old, a bit rusty and had been done up so tight with no lubrication that the top section holding the one-off pattern for the key came away from the rest of the bolt, great design! And obviously a bit of a PITA even if you did have the now useless key... Still, didn't take a massive amount of time before they were all removed, it took longer to remove the bolt remains from the socket i'd knocked onto them to undo them...

Edited February 15, 2011 by Baz

[SurGie 54]

How about these type ?

 

Notice they are Thatcham and round in shape so im sure they would be much harder to remove ?

 

I had lost my security lock key on my 6 once and all i did was get a larger socket hammered it on top of it and hey presto, it came undone. Nothing is ever not steal-able but as long as its hard and time consuming then thats fine with me.

[Anthony 1,002]

I suspect that they'll be fairly good, as from what I can see they've got a spinning outer which makes it harder to remove with the usual "smash a socket over it" trick. Of course, any locking wheel bolt is only as secure as the key to undo it, and if they really want them they'll just break into the car to find the key (or steal the whole car and remove the wheels later)

[jorg 11]

Thanks for all your comments on this guys. I just thought it was strange that no one had mentioned the security element of fitting a stud conversion, but as you say if you want it they will take it not matter what. Thats why one seems to bother. After reading all the posts I think I am going to change my plans slighty.

 

Its a set of new TD Pro Race 2's I was going to leave on the car but once you add the price them and the tyres you are talking around £400. I would be pretty gutted if the worst case did happen and I basically did nothing (even visually) to prevent it. I get the feeling the new set will now be left at my Dads with my other set of TD 2's and keep a set of speedlines that I was planning on selling.

 

Once I move the car into my new garage I will look into leaving it jacked up with no wheels. At least they will be a piece of cake to put back on with the studs.

 

Cheers

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

The other fact is that I bet 99.9% of the other part of the nut is in the car anyway so defeating the object, I guess the remaining .1% would carry it with them but I know when I had some the key was in the car

[welshpug 1,655]

How about these type ?

 

I removed that type with a chisel in not too long

[SurGie 54]

The other fact is that I bet 99.9% of the other part of the nut is in the car anyway so defeating the object, I guess the remaining .1% would carry it with them but I know when I had some the key was in the car

 

 

I have loads of hiding places in the 205, no one could find mine

 

WP do you mean those actual ones done up the rght torque settings ?

 

Those ones are hardened steel so how would you get a chizle within the key lines ?

Edited February 15, 2011 by SurGie

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

A little OT but what wheels do you have that are worth that much if you don't mind me asking?

Still curious!!

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

I just thought it was strange that no one had mentioned the security element of fitting a stud conversion

It hs been mentioned & discussed before but for a track biased car my Rota Attack's aren't often on the car for long away from home & not at risk even though if I damaged one I'd have written a set off as they were a one off batch to fit pugs.

 

I ran them on my 306 last year for a months or so without any locking wheelnuts including a trip down to cornwall without issue.

 

I got some in the end but only paid £20 for a set as a detterant which are used with the Fox multispoke's on the 306 now.

 

Graham.

[jorg 11]

Still curious!!

 

Its a brand new set of TD Pro Race 2's. Nothing special, only cost £167 from ebay. Shouldn't matter what wheels they are really. They are mine and I wouldn't want anyone else taking them. Already had an engine crane and £300 worth of tools robbed off me so I am abit wary how and where I leave my belongings nowadays.