Wheel Locks who's using them?

One of our Prii came with a set. I took them off and have them in my toolbox in the garage.

 

I have them on mine.

 

Our 2010 came with wheel locks. I got tired of fussing with them, finally sprung for four extra lug nuts, removed the lock nuts.

One thing if you ARE using them: maybe affix a label with your phone number to the lock nut socket, just in case it ends up in some mechanic or tire shop employee's pocket at the end of the day.

 

I've got a set of McGard's for by 19's and the factory ones for my 17's

 

Lol, I should have done that. I swapped my suspension from the Tanabe's to the Godspeed coils overs and was trying to get the ride height set. During my test drives I forgot to take the key off of one of the rims. I ended up having to order a new key from McGard. Lucky I had the ride height set up already.

 

Yeah if some mechanic finds he's kept it, even with the best of intentions, if there's no ID on the socket, what's he going to do?

 

I was told they throw your wheel ballance off, anyone ever heard this?

GM/McGard Wheel Locks Out of Balance - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion

 

I was curious about this the last time I put my snow tires on so I put a locking lug and a regular lug on my cooking scale. They were within a few grams of each other, so that shouldn't be a problem.

 

Lug nuts being so much closer to the axis of rotation, I would think that the differences in weight would not be as critical.

 

I'm pretty sure that I read that the McGard ones are designed to be the same weight as the OEM non-locking wheel nuts.

 

"Wheel locks" will not stop anyone who wants your wheel/tire assys. The only one it screws are the owners when the adapter is "miss placed" and you need that assy off...now.

 

Wheel locks won't matter. Only takes minutes for a set of wheels to be taken off victim's car. This had turned into a pandemic in the Bay Area.

Thieves Targeting Tires and Wheels in Pittsburg - NBC Bay Area
More wheels stolen off cars in Hayward

 

My 2018 Prime came with wheel locks from the dealer. Since Toyota is doing the service for the first 20K miles, I don't have to rotate tires yet. But, when I do, the wheel locks will come off and be replaced with regular lug nuts. Not a lot of Prius wheel thefts in this area of the world.

 

I stopped using wheel locks years ago, they just weren't worth the effort.

 

What "effort"? I had them on the two cars with "fancy" alloy wheels, and the used Prius came with them. When I've rotated the wheels myself, I haven't found that they take any significant effort, and when I've had the tire shop switch at the change of season, I give them the key, and they've never complained.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/STEELMAN-78537-16-Pc-Locking-Lug-Nut-Master-Set-Wheel-Lock-Key-Removal-Tool-Kit/162254953138?epid=671395680&hash=item25c7261ab2:g:ciMAAOSwbURcpcK4

 

Preinstalled wheel locks are a placedo Dealer add on to jack the sticker price. They secure nothing.

...and for the record, that master set is only for the honest.

 

There are JDM brands where all lugs are locks. This is the way to go. It will take a thief forever to pop off 5 wheel locks