Experienced car owners believe that installing wheel locks is a must. This is especially relevant when a vehicle has new tires or expensive rims, or when the owner leads an active lifestyle and doesn't rule out the possibility of interference from competitors or ill-wishers. Some miscreants only need to loosen the bolts on the wheels, causing them to fall off one by one if the speed exceeds 80 km/h. If a driver suddenly doesn't notice the noise from a wheel, it can easily come off while driving, leading to serious consequences.
What solution is considered effective?
Installing wheel locks on the discs of automobile wheels is a time-tested method of preventing unauthorized wheel loss. Once, all car owners did this without exception, but today many neglect this precautionary measure, preferring alarms. However, alarms are not always able to protect a vehicle from intruders. In budget cars, alarms are not always of high quality, so there is a risk of finding the car in the morning on bricks or wooden blocks. To avoid this, wheel locks should be used.
The wheel lock itself is a peculiar fastening element with a non-standard profile. It can be a bolt or nut. Working with a wheel lock requires a special tool that is only available to the owner of a specific vehicle. Some drivers use a similar solution for tuning domestic cars, which improves their appearance.
Features of Installing Wheel Locks on Wheel Discs
To prevent wheel locks from being unscrewed with a gas wrench or pliers, a special collar, a movable ring, is used. When the thread is tightened sufficiently, it rotates freely, creating an obstacle for gripping the bolt or nut from the outside. The presence of a collar is recommended for owners of stamped discs, while in cast ones, the wheel locks simply embed themselves, and the collar may not be used.
To choose a truly reliable wheel lock, attention should be paid to the material from which it is made. It should be a durable and hard metal to prevent the profile from wearing out too quickly. Good wheel locks possess these qualities.
Practice shows that intensive wear of the wheel lock's profile can cause even a special key to fail to unscrew it. Therefore, when choosing a wheel lock, attention should be paid to products made from high-quality titanium or steel — these metals guarantee reliability.
The secret to success lies in the key for the wheel lock. Why is it important not to lose it?
Naturally, a car owner who decides to install wheel locks wonders if it is really difficult to find a key for a specific type of wheel lock. If it is a branded product, it is almost impossible to remove it with ordinary tools. Even if the key is lost, it will be necessary to weld the nut or resort to other complex methods. Of course, after this, the wheel lock will be unsuitable for further use.
To simplify the process of restoring the key in case of loss, some global manufacturers provide customers with a unique code indicated on the packaging. With this code, the key can be restored at the dealership or directly from the manufacturer. However, the process may take several weeks. Therefore, it is important to responsibly handle not only the wheel lock but also its key, trying not to lose it.