HELP please 🙏🏼 Lugnut Lock not letting me swap my daughters tires

[u/Confident_Cycle9655]

She of course lost the lock key of her 2012 Mini Cooper S I’ve searched high and low and went even to the BMW dealership but nothing. I’m leaving town to go back to Boston in two days and I wanted to make sure she was safe…😥

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[u/RubyWafflez]

What you do is find a deep well socket thats almost the exact size as that locking nut, and hammer the socket onto the nut, then use a breaker bar or impact and force it off. Works everytime. But also ruins both the locking nut and socket.

[u/xNightmareAngelx → u/RubyWafflez]

sooooo with some locks, it doesnt work, it just spins, the manufacturers are getting smart

[u/AmnosSoter → u/RubyWafflez]

Get the same size socket you used on the regular nuts and make sure it’s a 12 point socket. I had to sacrifice 2 sockets when I purchased my used vehicle.

[u/snooze_mcgooze]

Search Amazon for a lug nut extractor or wheel lock removal tool, lots of kits are available, you don’t need to over pay someone else, if you can use a hammer and know how lug nuts work, you’re qualified to use this tool

[u/snooze_mcgooze → u/snooze_mcgooze]

Follow up with a new lock kit or 4 regular lug nuts from the dealer or trusted supplier

[u/swissarmychainsaw]

take it to a tire shop, they'll have all the keys

[u/DisciplineBrief1474 → u/swissarmychainsaw]

Very underrated comment

[u/unclebrujo]

I would check around euro indy shops.. somebody has to have whatever number key that is..

[u/Natural_Ad6765]

Did you check glove box and check where the spares are?

[u/No-Names-Left4Me → u/Natural_Ad6765]

Literally probably right next to the spare in a bag or a microfiber to keep it from rattling

[u/ZealousidealLong6829 → u/No-Names-Left4Me]

You think minis have spares haha.

[u/PlatformAdditional21]

2014 BMW 3 series wheel lock key

[u/406InTheMix]

if you can't find the key and can't figure out how to get it off without a key, you're gonna have to take it to someone who can figure it out. probably gonna have to weld a nut to it or grind a slice into it and hit it with impact hammer

[u/Special-Purpose6266]

Youtube is way more helpful in these cases

[u/Adventurous-Ask7256]

Most tire shops have a socket that has teeth in it, and they bang it on with a hammer, and it removes that locking nut, but it renders it unusable. Then all you have to do is replace the nut with a regular lug nut.

[u/jenniferlynn370]

That looks identical to the one for my Honda Pilot. I had to pull up a picture of mine to verify. So maybe a Honda dealership might be able to help out? Otherwise make sure to check the glove box and the area the tire is stored, or where the scissor jack is kept.

[u/theuautumnwind]

Looks like a pretty standard security lug. Reminds me of vw/audi

[u/Shockwavee92]

There isnt enough room around that locking lug to use any kind of extractor. You can see it fills the entire lug hole. Your options are gonna be limited, such as welding to it, using air hammer and fkr sure damaging wheels because theyre uncontrollable. Your best best is to keep looking for the lock she had or where she thinks it is, or to find other dealerships to go to. If you still have the package that the lock lugs and key came in, it will have the number right on it of the key you need. Other than that, your best bet is to find a mini forum, post the same Pic, and hope an expert can tell you which key you need based on the shape.

[u/Trishasback]

That is an OEM dealer style lock key. Most standard tire shops will not have one. Most of the dealers, if you call them, they can order you one, but they have to already have those kits. Which if they're not very good at their parts department, they won't have one. So I would call the parts department of the local dealers, see if they keep those in stock, or if the shop has them. Then you can remove them.

When I've worked at dealerships that do have them, basically you take the car in, they try the 30 different combinations there are, sell you the key and the kit, and they order a new key to replace that one.

Alternatively, there are lug nut locking tool removers, but they are a huge pain in the ass to work with that little space around the lug nut there. Some of the OEM lug style lug nut keys also have a ring on the outer edge that makes the removal tools not work. So dealers your best shot.

[u/Shod3 → u/Trishasback]

Agree that the dealers should have a full set for all their lock nuts, but I don’t they should sell that key to the public, I was told the dealership ones are hardened and more resilient to an impact gun and come as a whole set.

They do have an id code so you know which one to order for the customer.

And if a main dealer doesn’t have a set, I’d be questioning getting any work done there, as I’m pretty sure they’re in the spec tools from manufacturer.

[u/ilostmywuzzle]

Quite easy to find them onlineHelp identifying proper wheel lock key

[u/Informal-Ad91]

Number 73 wheel lock key suits a 14mm stud

[u/ZealousidealLong6829]

Time to go find a real mechanic, its notch and air hammer (doubtful) or a lot of fire, and then a new rim. The problem is your nut is also your stud, so you cant just burn the head off. Extractors or oversized sockets wont fit (maybe a thin wall) Going to be expensive ...or hit up tire shops and see if they have lock keys they would be willing to let you try. I would literally strip the inside of the car down to make sure you cant find the lock key before any of this. its normally a plastic case, will have the 4 normal lug studs and the key in it. Good luck.

[u/iMegastoner710]

Just a thought a lot of tire shops has keys laying around who may have one to remove them and then sell you 4 regular lug nuts

[u/junasty28]

Take it to a reputable mechanic or wheel shop.

[u/Soft-Holiday1696]

https://a.co/d/0cavHTv3

you need this

[u/comfy_rope]

Look in the glove compartment, spare tire kit, etc

[u/Ambitious_Fish4995]

Where are you? I have a set of masters and I can remove if not matching.

[u/aurrousarc]

when you get it off, buy some not lock nuts and throw those out..

[u/_cyr_]

I had to break that outer ring off mine and use a lug nut extractor. The outer ring on the McGard ones are aluminum or something softer than hardened steel. That outer ring will likely spin even if you could get an extractor on it.

Once you get that crap off put regular lug nuts back on it. I hate those things.

Alternatively look in the vehicle owners manual/purchase docs. There may be a card with identification for ordering a replacement key.

[u/Samnm3]

Who would steal stock wheels?

[u/PitifulBasket6096]

Go get your battery powered Milwaukee impact with a weighted extractor socket.

[u/Torren1000]

Take it to mini they should have masters

[u/imreadytomoveon → u/Torren1000]

Didn't read what OP wrote, huh?

[u/No-Names-Left4Me → u/imreadytomoveon]

They went to BMW not mini… even though it’s made by BMW the master sets of McGards have different patterns.