Locking wheelnuts

[Guest]

hi guys

As you know just taken delivery of my used 19 plate Fiesta Vignale

It has 17" alloys, and in glovebox there was just an adaptor for removing locking wheelnuts, but for any other car I've ever had they always give you spare nuts.  Is it normal to have just the adaptor with fords?

If so I need to phone the dealer

Cheers

CSC

[Jollyandy]

Hi Charlie

It’s normal, you just twist the adapter till it engages with the locking nut, then you undo as normal.


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[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Jollyandy said:

Hi Charlie

It’s normal, you just twist the adapter till it engages with the locking nut, then you undo as normal.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Thanks Andy, so thats all you get just the adaptor on its own, and no spare wheelnuts?

 

Just trying to make sure the dealer was truthful

Thanks

Charlie

[TomsFocus]

Yes, it's normal.  Locking wheel nuts used to be fitted at the dealers (along with mats, aerials and badges etc) so you'd get the 4 standard ones chucked back in the box.  On modern cars the locking wheel nuts are fitted at the factory - 4 extra nuts per car cost them a huge amount over the thousands of cars sold!

[Eric Bloodaxe]

It's a long time since I've had a car that didn't come with factory fitted locking nuts as standard. I guess it dates back to when alloy wheels started to become the norm, even on "base" models?

[Bobr]

I've had quite a few cars with locking wheel nuts but have never had a spare locking wheel nut included.   Can't see why you would need one.

[TomsFocus]

3 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

It's a long time since I've had a car that didn't come with factory fitted locking nuts as standard. I guess it dates back to when alloy wheels started to become the norm, even on "base" models?

Interestingly, the top spec SZ4 Suzuki Swifts didn't get locking wheel nuts on their alloys even in 2014!  They have quite snazzy alloys too, I'm surprised more don't get nicked!

The Swift Sport with bigger alloys got lockers though, possibly to help with lower insurance grouping.

I don't know of any other modern car with alloys as standard without lockers though...

 

The ones I referred to above were the 90s PSA cars that got a hard plastic case with the locker key, cap removal tool and, more often than not, the 4 standard bolts...somehow people still managed to lose them!!  

[Eric Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

Interestingly, the top spec SZ4 Suzuki Swifts didn't get locking wheel nuts on their alloys even in 2014!  

Lol, how on earth do you know all this stuff? 

Hmm, don't recall being given the box of bits with PSA cars I had back in the 90's - I was obviously short changed. Ah well, can't do anything about it now, the dealers/lease companies involved have all long ago gone bust!😀

 

 

[tomshepp]

SAAB 900s used to have two.

[TomsFocus]

2 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Lol, how on earth do you know all this stuff? 

😀

My Mum's owned two of them...we have the same discussion about locking wheel nuts every time she needs tyres...

 

[Guest]

Thanks everyone, its hard work leaving the golden wheels club, so much I took for granted is fuel still £1.20 per gallon? 🙂

[TomsFocus]

12 minutes ago, Chainsawcharlie said:

Thanks everyone, its hard work leaving the golden wheels club, so much I took for granted is fuel still £1.20 per gallon? 🙂

Well it's still £1.20...just no longer measured in gallons. 🤔

 

[tomshepp]

Come to think of it, there were two supplied with my 2008 Ka. £5858 and everything except leather. Broke down every second trip abroad though!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

Well it's still £1.20...just no longer measured in gallons. 🤔

 

LOL

[Jim H]

I wish my car had a spare wheel nut as I've lost one! 😮  At the weekend I swapped wheels around Front to back etc, and noticed drivers side rear was missing. Worryingly the other 3 locking wheel nuts were only hand tight, thankfully all other wheel nuts were tight though.

I can see Ford sells you 5 nuts when you buy the kit, which I thought was strange. https://shop.ford.co.uk/products/locking-wheel-nuts-kit-for-alloy-wheels-6  I have never had a car with a spare wheel nut/bolt, only a spare key.

Apart from the Stealers, where is the best place to buy new nut(s)? I don't fancy paying nearly £70 for new ones.

[TomsFocus]

It suggests the 5th is for the spare wheel.  Do any Fords have an externally mounted spare though?  EcoSport maybe?  Not sure any other have a side opening tailgate!

Best idea would be finding the supplier and ordering just one new nut with the same pattern as yours.  I don't know who supplies these though, they don't look like McGard's.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

3 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Do any Fords have an externally mounted spare though?  EcoSport maybe?  

👍 Yes, the early Ecosports had a tailgate mounted spare.

[Jim H]

9 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

It suggests the 5th is for the spare wheel.  Do any Fords have an externally mounted spare though?  EcoSport maybe?  Not sure any other have a side opening tailgate!

Best idea would be finding the supplier and ordering just one new nut with the same pattern as yours.  I don't know who supplies these though, they don't look like McGard's.

I spoke to parts department yesterday, who quoted £68, for new ones, he mentioned the nuts were actually made by McGard for Ford. However, he may be thinking of earlier Fiestas, not later ones. McGard have a patten in the centre, not the outside. I should easily be able to find normal McGard locking nuts far cheaper than OEM nuts.

I'm guessing the spare wheel does not normally come with any wheel nuts to secure the steel wheel, not sure why you need an extra one if you don't.

[TomsFocus]

I think these might be made by Febi Bilstein, though I can't find any generic ones that are exactly the same design.

Regarding the spare, I think it's for a rear mounted wheel as above. Thieves could easily unscrew those and nick them in theory, they're usually held on with 3 normal nuts.  Seems weird to include 5 for every car though, considering very few Ford models will need all 5.  Would make more financial sense to offer packs of both 4 and 5.

I have bought sets of used locking nuts in the past fairly cheaply so that's another potential idea.  Worth checking eBay etc.