This is just useful for stock GM lock lug nuts. Long story short, I got a 89 GTA with no lug nut key and the lock lug nuts were installed on very nice 16x8 cross lace wheels. Buy a 20MM 12-point 1/2" drive Craftsman (Snap-on, Mac etc. if you have money to burn) socket, they only carry a deep well socket ( DO not buy a no name cheapy, if you can even find one they will most likely crack) line up the grooves inside the socket with the lock grooves as best it can. Drive it in with a hammer until the socket hits the threads for the plastic caps on the lug nut. Then remove it with a ratchet. Soak the lug nut with penetrate for awhile and wipe it off before smacking on the socket. You will need a long punch to drive the lug nut lock out of the socket. I tried ALL 12-point and 6-point SAE sockets and metrics and they were all too big or too small. Trust me the 20MM 12-point socket is the right one. Unless you miss hitting the socket with the hammer it will not do any damage to your wheels. Mods this would make a good sticky.

 

and since its craftsman, you can take it back when you are done and get a new one.

 

The socket is fine with no damage. I did all 4 of them. If I have to do more of them in the future it will probably crack sometime. Then I will return it for a new one.

 

i did the same thing forever ago.
i ruined a nice 1/2 extension and i could never get the socket and lug nut free of each other.
it was worth the waste.
ive done it.... his idea works.

 

I didn't use an extension but you could to get farther away from the rim incase you miss hitting it with the hammer.
You have to hit the punch on one side in the socket then the other side and so on, slowly driving the the lug nut lock out of the socket. I tried hitting it really hard on the first 1 stuck nut inside the socket but it didn't really move. You have to slowly work it out of the socket.

 

I did the same but used a 3/4 inch 12 point socket,4 to be exact,they all 4 still have the wheel lock nuts in them

 

I did find that a 19MM 12-point might have done it but I would have had to use a sledge hammer to drive it on the lug lock and getting out of the socket would have been damn near impossible. I think a 3/4 12-point would have been the same as the 19MM. The 20MM 12-point drives in pretty easy and didn't crack as long as you don't continue to hit it when it bottoms out on the threads for the plastic cap. Spend $9 for the 20MM 12-point socket and still have a usable socket or waste 4ea. 3/4 or 19MM 12-point sockets. Most 1/2" drive socket sets don't come with a 20MM they go from 19MM to 21MM. 20MM is a odd ball size.

 

Just want to keep it at the top so people catch it.

 

I wish this was posted back in December. I had to have someone partially cut through mine then crack them to be able to remove them. Incase I ever lose the key for my new lugnuts, do you know if a thin wall deep well socket (has to be thin wall to fit in) will be able to hold up the the stress?

 

The Craftsman I bought is a standard wall thickness socket and it had plenty of clearance. I see no reason to use a thin wall socket plus thin wall sockets are expensive and really only available from Snap on, Mac etc and a thin wall if you drive it on without cracking it will crack when you put the ratchet to it.

 

Thin wall sockets and thin (tappet) wrenches can not handle or designed to handle the torque of the lugnuts. Even the Snap on, Mac will crack or break if you use them to remove a torqued lugnut.
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Look at the thickness of the GM lugnut key, its thick and it does not have a clearance issue.

 

A tire shop did the same thing way back when I still had my 88 Camaro. Very useful information.

 

Its great info because this problem is very common. I wish the MODs or ADMINs would make this a sticky or some type of Need to know, helpful info post that everyone could find easily. I know the search engine MIGHT pick this up but it could end up 6 pages deep in the search results.

 

If it's the older GM lock nuts with the star shaped grove, use a center punch and knock out the star section on the lockout. The metal is very thin and brittle there. Once the star has been punched out, a 1/2 extension will fit almost perfectly in the star shaped hole. Use a breaker bar and you're done.

 

Craftsman actually makes a set of flip sockets designed for removing damaged lugnuts and wheel locks. They saved my butt a couple times when I worked at a tire shop.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947392000P

 

I sure those will work also if the socket wall thickness isn't to thick. I would rather spend $9 than $39.99.

 

those do work. I like them better because you have the right tool but the way you listed works just as good in a pinch. if you have the factory lug locks you can usually get the right key at almost any junkyard also, they usually keep all of them in a can.

 

I found this topic tonight while searching for a locking lugnut removal tool

I have a 1986 Pontiac Fiero. I bought the single tool for removing the GM locking lug nut from NAPA and it worked for 3 of the 4. By the fourth lug nut lock the tool was so worn smooth it would not grab the lock.

Will the 22mm socket fit the Fiero?

The original tool was a special order and I dont want to wait again, I need to remove this wheel so I can do a brake job, its metal to metal on the rear disc!

 

Dokken, you are the ****ing MAN!!! I was going to do my brakes tonight and ran into this problem. I'm gonna go to Sears first thing tomorrow and try this out!

 

Just got back from the garage after using this method. Works excellently! Now I need to find a new set of wheel locks.

 

Can't beat a $9 fix with no damage. Post on the exterior parts wanted board, I'm sure someone has 4 locks and a key.

 

Ya i've always just taken the next size socket that will fit over the lock nut or damaged nut and pounded it on with a hammer then remove with breaker bar. Comes in handy at junkyards where i've used that method before to get wheels off

 

just weld a non-locking lug on the locking one.... and take it off how hard can that be?

 

That works too, but when you're taking a wheel off on a crowded Brooklyn street with cars passing by, it's kind of hard to have access to a welder. Dokken's method takes 2 minutes tops... FOR ALL 4 WHEELS!!!

 

The cad plating on the lugs make it hard to weld and not damage the wheel itself welding it also. I've seen that tried and the weld usually doesn't hold.

A welder and the extra equipment etc and time to do it, compared to a $9 socket.

Even if you have the welding equipment its a lot easier with the socket and quicker.

 

What exactly is the next size socket?

 

The 20MM 12 point socket is the easiest, cheapest and quickest way to remove the locks, period.

 

depends on how nice your wheels are, or how nice youd like to keep them.
spatter is a bad thing.
not to mention different coatings on lugnuts make it hard to weld.

 

I had the same issue with my '88 IROC it had round locks with grooves on the OD I used a 6 point 19mm or 3/4 socket with a 8 penny nail in one of the grooves put the socket with the "point" of the 6 point over the nail (of course cut the head off) just had to tap it on to the nut took all 4 off without a hitch

just my 2 cents...