Do people still steal alloy wheels?

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I recently acquired a 3 year old Merc and the wheel bolts are rusty as hell. Apparently it's a known problem on Mercs.

Anyway I'm looking to replace them (suggestions welcome) and naturally, sets that include locking wheel nuts are more expensive. They are also ugly.

It set me thinking - are locking wheel nuts really necessary these days? I don't think I have seen a car on bricks for 20 years.
 
My grandparents live in Spain for half the year and always get a rental car when there. Anyway, they went early this year in Jan, got a seat Ibiza as rental and on the second night one of the steelies was robbed! Rest of the trip was without incident though.
 
Keiron said:
It set me thinking - are locking wheel nuts really necessary these days? I don't think I have seen a car on bricks for 20 years.

Well wouldn't you attribute that to the fact locking wheel nuts come as standard these days? ;-)
Combined with alarms?

If anything, getting rid of stolen alloys is even easier these days thanks to eBay/gumtree etc
Nick some wheels in Aberdeen, get a mate in England to list them on eBay.
 
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Not sure about the ugly bit , anyway , if someone wants them they will have them , locking wheelnuts or not ......
 
Even if only for the tyres they could be worth an easy £200+. Throw in their saleability, and even scrap value and they are an easy and quick way to earn a few quid. Locking nuts might slow them down, but if they want them, they'll get them.
 
. Locking nuts might slow them down, but if they want them, they'll get them.

Exactly what I was thinking. I can't imagine this is an opportunistic crime - they have to go out prepared with jacks and tools, and the locking nuts really aren't that sophisticated.

Edit: Just seen you can get a kit for £25 from Amazon that removes most security wheel nuts & bolts!
 
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You don't think slowing them down is worth bothering with?
Might as well leave your car unlocked then, as locking it isn't going to stop a determined thief.
By all means do away with your locking wheel nuts though, they'll do your car instead of mine. :)
 
You don't think slowing them down is worth bothering with?
Might as well leave your car unlocked then, as locking it isn't going to stop a determined thief.
By all means do away with your locking wheel nuts though, they'll do your car instead of mine. :)

Oh no, I will get locking nuts.

Actually, regarding leaving your car unlocked...they actually recommend you do this in some parts of the world so that thieves can get in and have a look around inside to see you have nothing worth nicking, rather than forcing an entry.

I think cars are increasingly difficult to steal these days, aren't they, so leaving the door open isn't going to make it that much easier. I'm pretty sure the days of hot wiring are gone.
 
Have a look at the McGard ultra range, they're not bad looking and seem to stay looking good, also they have a spinning shroud which will deter most casual tea leaves and their cheapie locking bolt removers.
 
I think cars are increasingly difficult to steal these days, aren't they, so leaving the door open isn't going to make it that much easier. I'm pretty sure the days of hot wiring are gone.
Yup, either fishing the keys through the letter box, or balaclava and knife/bat to threaten the owner seem to be the most common way now.
 
Have a look at the McGard ultra range, they're not bad looking and seem to stay looking good, also they have a spinning shroud which will deter most casual tea leaves and their cheapie locking bolt removers.

Thanks.

I have just ordered a set of the McGard Ultras. They seem to be the only ones that offer any resistance to lowlife, or indeed innocent motorists who have lost their locking wheel nut adapter!
 
Spinning shrouds will only slow down someone determind to have your wheels, we had them on a Astra van and lost the key, all you do is give the nut a really good hit with a hammer then use the locking wheel nut remover.
 
Spinning shrouds will only slow down someone determind to have your wheels, we had them on a Astra van and lost the key, all you do is give the nut a really good hit with a hammer then use the locking wheel nut remover.

Slowing them down is all that one can reasonably expect. Reviews suggest that these with the spinners do take longer to deal with, and of course the thief would have to make more noise.

I suppose it's just enough to encourage them to move onto another, softer target.
 
I dont know if it was staged or not but a friend shared a picture recently of a volvo C30 on bricks in a car event carpark.
 
I recently got rid of my locking wheel nuts. Had a puncture and it took 3 people to remove the lock nut. I don't want to risk getting caught out again at the side of the road.
 
Thanks.

I have just ordered a set of the McGard Ultras. They seem to be the only ones that offer any resistance to lowlife, or indeed innocent motorists who have lost their locking wheel nut adapter!

YW :)

I've got style 42 18" split rims on my old Beemer, and with even cheaper half decent tyres costing £120+ each its worth spending £30/£40 on a set of lockers imo, hope you like them, I have a set of standard McGards and a set of the Ultras with one of each on each rim, I've had them approaching 2 years and the chromium plating still looks as good as new.
 
The McGard Ultras arrived yesterday. They are robustly constructed (as far as I can tell) and very nicely finished.
 

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