Just drove 80 miles round trip to buy new wheels and tires. When I attempted to remove stock wheels I was shocked to discover each wheel had a unusual nut that the socket did not fit. I called the previous owner and he new nothing about it. Searched the whole car and and can find nothing to remove this nut. Anybody have any idea how I can get these off? Is this something stock or something some previous owner put on but didn't bother to leave the tool with the car? How the hell am I going to get these off?

 

Here is a picture of the nut if this helps. Needless to say I didn't buy the wheels as I couldn't try them on. They were older Iroc rims and 16" verses the stock 15" wheels that are on the car now. Any reason I shouldn't buy them? Will they screw up the speedo and the odometer? Will the lug pattern fit? Will they bottom out on the wheel wells?
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That's a lock-nut. Designed to prevent theft of your wheels.

Either the seller is flat-out lyig to you, or never removed a wheel while owning the car.

If you don't have the special nut that fits it, aboutthe only way is to use a socket just SLIGHTLY smaller & hammer it on, to let the socket bite in. Problem with that method is, you pretty much need 4 sockets to throw away, 1 per wheel. Good luck getting the socketoff, to use on the next lock nut.

Or go by a wheel & tire store (NTB, etc.) and pay them to remove it. They might require you showing ownership of the car to do so, to proof you didn't just steal the car & are trying to get the wheels off & strip it.

 

They'll fit fine, but chances are your speedo won't read correctly. A search will provide more info about that.

JamesC

 

You can't say that...If the tire ratio equals the same overall diameter, the speedometer will be off NONE, whatsoever.

Tires determine speedometer readings, not the wheels.

 

Thanks, I hope I can find a garage to get those off. Just a hassle. The previous owner never had to touch the wheels. I have a call into the owner before him. Just waiting now. Can't believe someone would sell the car and not leave the tool.

 

IM pretty sure the dealer sells the locknut keys..... You could probably drive into a GM service department, i bet they'd have something to take those lugs off for you.

 

Any automotive tool sales rep. like snap-on, matco ect... will sell a kit that will remove stuck, broken, or in your case a lock nut. Sears also sells them.

 

First, I can't tell anything from that picture. I'm assuming you have a locking lug nut which, as others have said can be removed with an undersized socket. You'll be destroying 4 sockets however. The last used car my girlfriend had (not an Fbody sadly) came with an odd lug nut on each wheel. The local speed/rim store sold me a tool to get them off for $6. I imagine a GM dealership can help you out. Aren't you glad you didn't find this out with a flat on the side of the road?
As for rims, as long as your tires are the right size you shouldn't have any speedo issues. All 82-92 fbody rims are interchangeable. If you go outside those years you'll probably need some shims to correct for the really odd backspacing.

 

13/16" socket, BFH, and a breaker bar will get them loose. I took two off of a parts car with one socket. Luckily the other two rims didn't have the lock nuts on them.

 

just weld a lug on the look and there you go

 

lock*

 

And this topic is related to "Convertibles" how? If it was moved to Suspension / Chassis, it would likely get even more responses.

 

Or the OP could do a search since this HAS been covered here before.

 

The cars a convertible so I just bookmark to this section. Next time I will put question's in the proper section, I was a little flustered at the time. Sorry.

Well I spoke to 2nd and third owners of the car today. I am the 5th. The car has been in the Portland Maine post office family it's whole life. One postman sold it to another, than another, then to the guy I bought it off of.

None of them ever removed a wheel or knew the car had locknuts. The car's been a garage queen most of it's life. I bought the 87 wheels and tires (see other post) and went to NTB the only place open on Sunday.

They said sure we can help you out. They even had a code for removing locknuted wheels. 40 bucks to swap the wheels. I sat in the waiting area 3 1/2 hours and they still hadn't gotten around to my car so I said screw it and will have someone else swap the wheels tomorrow who isn't so busy.

Thanks for the reply's and I will be sure and post in the proper section in the future. Mike

 

yeah I work at sears and have customers that come in all the time with this problem. You have a few options to get it off:

1. hammer on socket as mentioned above

2. craftsman sells bolt outs and specific impact grade bolt outs just for lugnuts, but you need and impact wrench or air ratchet. they are kinda expensive, $30-50, but you can always return it

3. weld on a socket

4. find a shop or dealer that will do it for you

 

If I were you I'd buy the tools. If you pay a place to change your wheels then you're still screwed if you ever get a flat. Also, this way you'll have the tool, and probably for less $. If you do pay someplace to change your wheels, I would advise having them put normal lug nuts back on in its place.

 

Believe me I had no intension of putting locking lug nuts back on the car that I can't remove myself. The wheels I just bought came with 20 very nice lug nuts. The locking ones are going right in the garbage.

 

Just borrowed this from my local mechanic. They came right off. These were factory lock nuts.



Now what's with these front and rear markings on my stock rims. don't see any on the the old Iroc wheels? Do the old wheels not matter?

 

Front and rear are because the General, in all of his confused wisdom made the backspacing different on the front and rear. The stock front and rear rims on 3rd gens are NOT identical, they differ in backspacing, which makes front rear wheel rotation not possible.

 

look in your center consoul or the lock key compartment in your trunk, the lug key should be floating around somewhere in there if the wheels have never been removed

 

Looked everywhere the tool is not with the car and the locknuts are off and in the garbage. again I was concerned because my stock wheels are marked front and rear and the older Iroc wheels are not. Anyway i just put the wheels with the better tires on the front and the other two on the back. Wheels look ok and car drives fine. Tomorrow it gets inspected. Keeping my fingers crossed. Also am keeping the stock wheels and they will be going back on the car as soon as these tires wear out. Anyone want a set of 87 Iroc wheels when my tires wear out? $250