Quick question. Do you all use locks along with your lugs? I have some Muteki lugs on my car which require a spline key (?) but also have an actual lock on each wheel. It looks lame since it doesn't match (lol). Are the Muteki lugs considered locks?



I ask because the pattern on the key looks so standard....

 

most of the time wheel locks are only one lock per wheel, and the pattern differs from brand to brand, the mutekis look like regular lug nuts with a special pattern

what i thought was a good idea was to get extended wheel stud and get extended lug nuts where the teeth are all the way at the bottom so no regular socket could reach them. it protects in some way, the mutekis do too

 

Many people don't bother getting special locks when using lug nuts like these, because they can't be removed with a standard 6- or 12-point socket. I doubt that wheel thieves walk around with keys for each of the various kinds of special lug nuts. Although they may just use standard sockets and hammer them on to remove any kind of lug nut or lock. I don't know for sure, since I'm not a wheel thief.

 

its DAMN hard to take off a lock wit a socket n hammer. me n my friend did it for when he lost his key and his tire went flat. the teeth wont even hold

 

Thanks for the info all! Much appreciated!

If I decide to go with just the muteki lugs, I'll feel more comfortable knowing it's safer than stock since a key is needed!

 

it's loud is what it is. when you bang a 12pt with a hammer you make some real noise. i wouldn't imagine a thief would want to be hammer pounding at 2am

 

Careful there, not all thieves would need a hammer for a spline drive lug nut.

 

i forgot about those nifty inventions LOL

 

all the muteki lug keys are the same..so if u buy a package of muteki lugs your key will fit any of the muteki lug nuts..therefore..all a thief needs is one key..if u have muteki lugs then he can take them off..

 

Whats a good looking lug set with locks that are harder to steal?

 

Any name brand lock that is forged, not made from some aluminum alloy, and uses an actual key. McGard locks, for example:


Spline drive lug nuts are neat looking, but the shape offers no real security.

 

Hey Tuner. Good to know. I was reading on McGard's site and they said of their locks:

that they are weight matched to their lugs. Does the weight make that much of a difference if you're using a lock of a different weight than that of your lugs? I can't imagine so...but maybe it'll affect balancing?

 

I have never understood the thinking behind wheel locks. If they can't get your wheels off where you car is parked, then won't they steal the whole car so they can take their time to get the wheels off? Then they also get to chop your car up and sell it.

I would rather find my car up on milk crates with no wheels than to find the whole car missing because they couldn't get the wheels off. At least that is my thinking.

 

In theory, yes it will affect wheel balance.

In reality, probably not enough to matter for 99% of cars, in my opinion.

It wasn't even something I considered when I bought my set of McGard lug nuts that included locks.

 

A thieves best tool..