Are the lugnut locks really worth it?

[Camaroboi13]

I had a dealer tell me once that they had problems with people stealing the spares off their new Wranglers, not for the wheels, but the tires. I doubt it happens on the street to individual jeeps, though. I've owned 5 jeeps and parked most in city settings. Never had or heard of anyone having an issue. Locking gas caps and hood locks, in my opinion, are another story. Especially since I live in a college town and drunk college kinds can sometimes suck.

Had a coworker get her spare stolen while doing some shopping a couple months ago. It’s rare but does happen from time to time.

Sponsored

 

[jadmt]

It's not meth tweakers, or hood rats stealing wheels and tires, it organized thieves. That's all they do. They especially love the six and eight lug 20" and 22" GM and Ram truck and SUV Wheels. Their bolt patterns allow them to fit many different trucks and SUV over the years. Fords have bolt patterns that limit them to only Fords, so they aren't stolen near as much. (The Harley Davidson ones where though) Rarely do aftermarket wheels get stolen. One guy had a lifted truck with 37s and some high dollar bead locks that got stolen.

Investigations I've done have shown the theives to be highly organized. They scout the nicer areas of town at night. They will drop of one or two guys to remove lug nuts, locking or not, they just get tossed aside. Then later, a truck or van will roll up, two guys with jacks get out and pull the wheels off in less than a minute. They will use a rock, or landscaping brick under the frame to get their jacks out.

We caught one guy who used to go around and steal spare tires out from under trucks. He would get the spare of in seconds, throw it in the back of his POS SUV, then go. He was selling them to the yellow painted Mexican tire shops. That guy was a tweaker. He would roll under, cut the spare tire winch cable, or the end of it with bolt cutters, then slide it out and go. All in about 15 seconds.

I maybe took a report of one Jeep spare being stolen. And it was more than likely by another guy with a Jeep who needed a spare himself.

But, yeah. Professional, or experienced thieves have the special sockets they need to remove wheel locks. The only thing they really do is keep honest guys honest.

The bad guys go shopping in the good parts of town. Because that's where all the good stuff is. Stealing wheels and tires and breaking in to cars at night. Breaking into cars in parking lots and into houses by day. They never stop. Live in a city or county with a Soros funded DA? When those guys get caught stealing, they are out on bond before the paperwork is done.

we have them leave the jacks here..cheap ass jacks or stolen from another site...we have had plenty of the spares under trucks stolen as well but also jeeps and everything else...and we are on the border of canada....so thieves thrive everywhere.

 

[jadmt]

It’s shocking how many people leave their pistols and wallets in their cars, then leave their cars unlocked overnight in their driveway. That’s what they are after most. They will take anything else of opportunity though. Radar detectors and GPS mounted on the windshields draw them too.

I caught three guys once, in a nice neighborhood, just before the break of dawn. They had a car full of stolen stuff. And two backpacks worth laying in lawns close by.

It took until noon to sort out all of the stuff they had. Pistols, wallets, pocket knives, sunglasses, tools, flashlights, radar detectors, GPS, tablets, phones, random loose jewelry, etc. One thing in particular was a digital SLR camera with a bunch of photos on it. I was able to determine who the owner was by going through the photos. When I contacted her, she said that the camera was stolen from her house that was broken into and burglarized a few months prior. So, there was another case solved. She was very grateful.

It was kind of funny to see them. POS Mitsubishi Eclipse, in a nice neighborhood, with three guys trying to get a low as possible as I drove up.

Be careful if you catch these guys in the act, they will likely have a gun on them that was stolen earlier from another vehicle.

Down here, close to Mexico, local gangs break into cars primarily for guns, then sell them to Mexican drug cartels. They don’t need to worry about finding a buyer. $50 for pistols, $100 for rifles. Cash. Stolen 3/4 and 1 ton Ford and Ram trucks (primarily for the solid front axles) get $3k delivered to Laredo, or $1500 locally. Cash money paid by the cartels.

here is one that still gives me the shakes still....couple of dip shits break into an unlocked car that is in a driveway and use the garage door opener to get inside the house.....here is the crazy part...they freaking go into the bedroom and the owner is sawing logs like crazy and he has a pistol on the nightstand and one of the tweekers picks it up and sticks the gun to the home owners head while the other tweeker uses his phone to video it.....the home owner has sleep apnea and stops breathing for a bit and then the deep snore and the two jackwads are cracking up and the one is pretending he is capping the guy and the whole time they are videoing....they leave get caught and one rats the other one off and shows the video and claims he was certain his buddy was going to shoot the guy in the head.....the victim who is a pretty high powered attorney had not a clue that two mopes were in his bedroom and one holding a gun to his head....he did not even know his gun was missing...if they had not been caught and one ratted the other out he probably wonder one day were his pistol went.

 

[Odyssey USA]

The lock isn’t an inconvenience to me but it is a good deterrent for less prepared thieves to move on to an easier target therefore saving me inconvenience and the headache. (Some may have busting locks off down to an science though.) Especially if I’m on the road, far from home. And it depends on the factory wheels and the rubber wrapped around them. I think they’re an investment worth making.

I’d also keep the wheel lock somewhere else besides the console or glovebox to slow someone down a little more.

 

[Odyssey USA]

Considering they don’t really lock then no they aren’t worth it. I have helped a few stranded people with locking lug nuts who lost the key. I always tell them I can remove the lock but it will get destroyed. With no other options they always agree. I drive one of these on the the lock with a hammer and twist the lock off like any other lug nut. When they realize how easy they are to remove they also realize how useless they are.

Worked at a parts house. Just hope they get a crappy one lol. My factory lugs have the rotating sleeve so I’m not sure how that would go if they want “fast”.

 

[Odyssey USA]

The cheap like factory ones are easily removed with the hammered on socket or even hefty vise grips. The “spinning” ones like McGard are more difficult, the “conical” ones the most difficult but it’s still just a matter of time. I had high dollar acorn McGard lugs and locks that wouldn’t work with the new wheels, got splines and didn’t bother with locks. A video has been posted of how and the time it takes to defeat the different types, it wasn’t much for even the best.

I believe my factory ones have the sleeve last I looked closely.

 

[2nd 392]

I believe my factory ones have the sleeve last I looked closely.

Mine (21) that came with it didn’t, a large circular protruding head for pounding on a socket or latching on to with big vice grips. Replaced them with McGard

that the socket rubs the new wheels
Got splines

 

[Atomic-Mouse]

Worked at a parts house. Just hope they get a crappy one lol. My factory logs have the rotating sleeve so I’m not sure how that would go if they want “fast”.

I could be mistaken but the rotating section of those lugs is the section that engages the wheel itself, acting like a washer. This is to prevent galling between the wheel and lug nut, not anti theft. The anti theft comes from the splined lug wrench surface. The main body of the lug nut with the threads and the lug wrench working surface is still a solid piece. Correct me if I’m wrong. I just haven’t seen a lug nut with a rotating sleeve on the lug wrench working surface. Would love for someone to explain how that works if it’s a thing.

 

[Wbino]

Top 10 States With The Most Number Of Motor Vehicle Thefts, 2022-2023 (1)

Rank State 2023 2022 Percent change 2022-2023 1 California 208,668 202,685 3% 2 Texas 115,013 105,015 10 3 Florida 46,213 45,973 1 4 Washington 43,160 46,939 -8 5 Illinois 41,528 38,649 7 6 Colorado 34,068 42,237 -19 7 New York 32,715 28,292 16 8 Ohio 31,647 29,913 6 9 Georgia 28,171 26,529 6 10 Missouri 27,279 29,345 -7

(1) Law Enforcement Agencies may still be reporting thefts for 2023, and these numbers may change.
Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau.

 

[Odyssey USA]

I could be mistaken but the rotating section of those lugs is the section that engages the wheel itself, acting like a washer. This is to prevent galling between the wheel and lug nut, not anti theft. The anti theft comes from the splined lug wrench surface. The main body of the lug nut with the threads and the lug wrench working surface is still a solid piece. Correct me if I’m wrong. I just haven’t seen a lug nut with a rotating sleeve on the lug wrench working surface. Would love for someone to explain how that works if it’s a thing.

I’m talking about the outer end.

 

[zouch]

the first 3 track lockstep with the number of Automobile registrations in the United States in 2023, by state, so no surprise there.

what i personally found surprising was seeing WA in 4th, as they're not even in the Top 10 for number of registrations.
and CO in 6th, while only 25th in Registrations? wow.

Top 10 States With The Most Number Of Motor Vehicle Thefts, 2022-2023 (1)

Rank State 2023 2022 Percent change 2022-2023 1 California 208,668 202,685 3% 2 Texas 115,013 105,015 10 3 Florida 46,213 45,973 1 4 Washington 43,160 46,939 -8 5 Illinois 41,528 38,649 7 6 Colorado 34,068 42,237 -19 7 New York 32,715 28,292 16 8 Ohio 31,647 29,913 6 9 Georgia 28,171 26,529 6 10 Missouri 27,279 29,345 -7

(1) Law Enforcement Agencies may still be reporting thefts for 2023, and these numbers may change.
Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau.

 

[jadmt]

the first 3 track lockstep with the number of Automobile registrations in the United States in 2023, by state, so no surprise there.

what i personally found surprising was seeing WA in 4th, as they're not even in the Top 10 for number of registrations.
and CO in 6th, while only 25th in Registrations? wow.

not sure why, but I am not surprised at all.....

 

[lb.wallace]

My used/modified 2021 came with two (yes two) separate keyed lug nuts so I have to use two different keys to remove them in the field. I've matched a breaker bar and sockets for each of them and keep it all in the back cubby. Living in Florida who knows, maybe was a good idea but its a real PITA for a basic tire change.

Sponsored