Locking wheel lugs? Best brand?

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White95Max

New member
I have seen several brands of wheel lugs online, and the Gorilla brand claims to be the best. These aren't available locally for me though.

Is it worth the extra money to buy the Gorilla locks online instead of a cheaper set from a local store?

Should I buy 20 lugs, or would I be better off just buying 4? Do I really need 20?
 
I've got Gorillas on mine but only one per wheel. I think 5 per wheel might be overkill! If you get a cheaper set make sure the inner nubs are crisp and deatiled. It would suck to have one that anybody's lug wrench still would fit. I'm not sure that one GOOD brand is any better than another.
 
I was just worried that the locking lugs would look different than the factory lugs, so maybe I should get 20 lugs to have matching lugs on all 4 wheels. Do the Gorillas look pretty similar to factory lugs when they're installed on the wheel?
 
ONE set of Gorillas will do all that a full set of 20 would do. If they want them, they will get them and it's not hard to get them. Don't waste your dough on buying 20, as they will be hard to notice even to you.
 
IMHO, you will be *really* sorry if you replace ALL the lugs with locking ones. They are kind of a pain...I don't think I would ever rotate my tires if all the lugs were locking. I'm not sure how easy it would be to get 5 sets that all take the same key, that means that you would be carrying around up to 5 keys with you in case you have a flat...did I mention that they are a pain?...not to mention that at least for the McGard's, the keys look pretty similar..nothing like fumbling thru 5 keys in the dark on the side of the highway trying to change a flat.



You'll get used to one lug being a locking one...gives it kind of a purpose-built military feel...:)
 
Go with the Gorilla brand lugs I have had mine for two years without any problems, not that there ever should be. Also, one set it plenty unless you just bought wheels from that "Most Expensive Wheels In The World" thread from a couple of weeks ago.
 
Gorilla's are good, so are McGuards. However, make sure you have the right kind of lug. I do not totally remember all the specifics, but aftermarket wheels require a different lug nut than most stock wheels. I know this to be true with hondas anyways, I assume it is the same with other stock wheels. With honda's for example, you can't run volk lugs on a stock wheel, because they don't seat correctly.



Also I don't recommend running 5 different locks, that could be a pain.



i found this online:

LUG NUTS: It is critical that the lug nut matches the thread diameter, pitch and seat, otherwise the installation will be improper, and may result in damage to your wheels and could cause a dangerous condition. The three basic types of lug nuts are: conical seat (60 degrees taper "acorn" and "bulge"), mag or shank style, and spherical or ball seat. Thread diameter refers to the diameter of the stud measured across the shank at the outer edges of the threads. Thread-pitch means either the number of threads per inch or if metric, the distance in millimeters between threads. The Seat means the area on the wheel where the lug nut will clamp down.

(http://www.jaguarwheels.com/wheelinin.html)
 
I love the spline drives from McGard. I have a set for both my car and the wife's. I replaced all the lugs with them because they are actually better than the stock lugs and if you need a key to take off one, using it for all of them isn't so bad.
 
hadboosttroy said:
...make sure you have the right kind of lug. I do not totally remember all the specifics, but aftermarket wheels require a different lug nut than most stock wheels. I know this to be true with hondas anyways, I assume it is the same with other stock wheels. With honda's for example, you can't run volk lugs on a stock wheel, because they don't seat correctly.
Click to expand...



I saw this online last night when I was looking at locking lugs. I'm confused though; what does the wheel have to do with the lug fitting? Is it just that the wheel might have really small diameter holes that the lugs are inserted through, so the lugs have to be narrow? I'm going from factory wheels to factory wheels, although the holes for the lugs on my 17s are in fact narrower than the holes on my 15s.

I was looking on Ebay for the locks, and I found a set of 4 Gorilla locks with key still in the package for $12 or so. This auction specifically said that they would fit Maximas.
 
White95Max said:
I saw this online last night when I was looking at locking lugs. I'm confused though; what does the wheel have to do with the lug fitting?
Click to expand...



That's part of it, but the major difference is the seat. There are some wheels that have flat seats, some are angled (acorn) and some are rounded. If the seat of the wheel and the bottom of the lug don't match up, the torque of the lug won't be distributed over enough surface area on the wheel face.
 
McGard .... and make sure you mail in the registration card no matter which locks you buy. If you lose the key or someone damages one of your locks (been there) a simple phone call will get a replacement on it's way to you pronto.



Added note: when you car goes in for service that will require wheel removal, ask them to take your locks off manually or do it yourself.



I had a guy at a shop (I can't bring myself to call him a mechanic) take off the locks with an impact gun & he frigged-up my key and cracked one of the locks. They were hand-torqued (by me) to 80 ft/lbs so I have no idea how he managed to crack a lock other than he had the impact gun set for CW rather than CCW.



I called McGard & I had a new key and lock in 3 days and the shop paid for the parts & mailing $$$.
 
I zing mine off with an impact all the time. I would have to imagine that they had the gun reversed! Ouch. You're lucky that one ever came off again!
 
You bet I was lucky!! McGard locks use a 4-leaf clover design & the broken lock had (you've got to follow me here) 2 leaves & part of a third leaf left. The key lost 2 full leaves so I had to hope that the brand new key would have enough to grab on the broken lock .... which it did.



I used a torque wrench to remove the broken lock (I was curious) and the lock came free just as I heard it click so I've got to believe Mr. Numbnutz had the impact gun going in the wrong direction.



The shop paid for everything, my wheels weren't damaged, so (ultimately) I was pleased but I won't go back there for anything again.
 
McGard makes excellent locking lug nuts.



A few notes when deciding about with lug nuts: you need to know the specifications of your studs, that is, are they 12mm X 1.25 or 12mm X 1.50 etc. Then you need to find out if you need flat ended lug nuts or tapered cone shaped lug nuts.



Since your new wheels are OEM, I don't think you'll need slender nuts. If you feel like you do, you can McGaurd splinedrive are top of the line, though expensive.



Lastly, always hand torque wheels in a criss-cross pattern or you risk warping your rotors.



Hope this helps!!
 
eclipsegt05 said:
McGard makes excellent locking lug nuts.



A few notes when deciding about with lug nuts: you need to know the specifications of your studs, that is, are they 12mm X 1.25 or 12mm X 1.50 etc. Then you need to find out if you need flat ended lug nuts or tapered cone shaped lug nuts.



Since your new wheels are OEM, I don't think you'll need slender nuts. If you feel like you do, you can McGaurd splinedrive are top of the line, though expensive.



Lastly, always hand torque wheels in a criss-cross pattern or you risk warping your rotors.



Hope this helps!!
Click to expand...



Mine are 12mm x 1.25. I have a set of 4 Gorillas on the way here. I bought them last week off of Ebay (brand new from a distributor). I emailed him first to make sure they would fit a 95 Maxima and he said yes. They were listed as "12on1.25" Nissan Wheel locks Subaru Wheel Locks SALE!"



And I always tighten my lugs by hand with a torque wrench in a criss-cross pattern.



link to wheel locks auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7955305601
 
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