Cracked wheel lock lug nut

[unknown]

While washing the car I noticed a wheel lock looked like it was cracked. I'm not sure why. Could it be the hot/warm water from the coin op wash spray? Or perhaps the ugly steel wheels?
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/23/81726a5f8cde1303fb1e3745e93aa9a6.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/23/e8f4bb01d6fad7da4e8856b8a83c56e7.jpg

[staax]

I don't see the crack unless its that line around the circumference of the nut tho.

But... Do you think someone is really gonna steal your winters on steelies? :p

Sorry I hate hose damn locks... More of a PITA IMO.

[Soyabean]

more likely that the person installing it over torqued it. I dont think it would do that normally through a car wash.

Looks have nothing to do with it lol. Maybe ugly looking rims would crack it, but steelies nah lol haha

[Dave_The_BMXER]

I wouldn't run them in the winter.

However people will steal your shit anytime of the year.

[studum]

It looks like exactly what happened to me. Were they zipped on with air impact?

When I bought my car last winter part of the deal was that they would swap on a set of winters on steelies that I supplied myself. Within a few days I noticed the top portion of a lug missing on the rear wheel. It looked exactly like yours, and looking at where it's seated on the rim I bet it's the same issue.

When they installed the stealies the lock nuts that were on the car with the alloys bottomed out on the stud before they bottomed out on the wheel. Instead of tightening then torquing by hand they used the air impact and it shattered the lock nut. I took it back and they tried to blame the steel rims. I blamed the installer and in the end without too much of a fight they replaced all of the locknuts with a set that were a little longer and would seat on the rim.

[fruitloops]

If you can't get it off, hammer a 12 point socket on and just turn it.

[unknown]

Thanks guys. Actually, I used a torque wrench when I swapped over to winter mode so sadly it's my fault. I just used the lug nuts (incl. the wheel locks) from the alloys but I really should have replaced the wheel lock ones with the 4 spare lug nuts the dealer gave me. Thankfully, the cracked one came off pretty easily and I did notice that it's shorter inside than the factory lug nuts so I think it must have bottomed out as studum said. Or could it be the stud is curved/bent as it didn't come off as smoothly as normal. There aren't any cracks on the other 3 wheel locks but I'll swap out the wheel locks with the spare factory lug nuts as staax is right, no one's going to steal ugly steel wheels.

[Lumberjack]

I can see in the picture it's not seated on the rim. I bet the stud ends where the crack is. You can purchase lock nuts that are open ended if you are concerned about them bottoming out but I am sure McGuard makes something for your application. I actually don't use the same lock nuts winter and summer since the winter ones will get all crusty with salt and snow.

[Dubwize]

I had a lock nut shatter last year. Bought winters from Costco, when they installed them the lock nut torqued down on the stud before the wheel and after driving for a day sheared off the top.

Personally I hate lock nuts on steelies.

[unknown]

Thanks guys.

Just to follow-up, I got got replacement lock nuts from mcgauard. I looked closely at the holes for the lug nuts on the steel wheels and they're not even. I'm not sure how to describe this better. The holes aren't the same level all the way around. So, I recycled them and picked up OEM steelies from MoT which were surprisingly Made in Japan and seem much better and I haven't had any problems. Though I am using the normal non-locking lug nuts and saving the locking ones for the summer.

[staax]

Are you referring to the bolt pattern?

If so I'm surprised they fit at all Lol... I know Volvo's run 5x108 mm and my friends equinox runs 5x118 or so.

But then you may have had just a "universal" rim and often they are made with the "close enough" mentality.

But then again if you're referring to the height of each little mound surrounding the hole that may just be paint flaking off, rust build up, or just general crap build quality.

Glad to hear you got it all sorted out though.

[unknown]

Are you referring to the bolt pattern?

If so I'm surprised they fit at all Lol... I know Volvo's run 5x108 mm and my friends equinox runs 5x118 or so.

But then you may have had just a "universal" rim and often they are made with the "close enough" mentality.

But then again if you're referring to the height of each little mound surrounding the hole that may just be paint flaking off, rust build up, or just general crap build quality.

Glad to hear you got it all sorted out though.

I mean on the individual lug nut holes. The edge isn't even and so on some lug nuts only one side of the lug nut is touching the metal. Darn, I am really having trouble describing this. But yes, the height of each little mound surrounding the holes where the lug nuts go, they aren't even all around and so only part of the lug nut is contacting the metal. It's weird but yeah, I think it's just crap build quality.

[Squisher]

If I'm catching what you're describing, I'd have a tire guy take a look at it. The mating surface of where the lug nut touches the rim is not a spot where you want manufacturing defects. I just had the rear duals on a f550 fall off the truck this last Sunday. In my lifetime(40) I'm amazed at how many times I've had rims come loose. I feel like I should keep a tire iron with me at all times.

[crxgsr]

So did you do the installation your self??

Don't both with the lock nuts. I've seen a few crack for no apparent reason. Even torquing normally to the specified torque cracks them. Happen twice, both mazda 3 vehicles.

[unknown]

So did you do the installation your self??

Don't both with the lock nuts. I've seen a few crack for no apparent reason. Even torquing normally to the specified torque cracks them. Happen twice, both mazda 3 vehicles.

With the new OEM steelies? No, I had a tire shop dismount the tires from the old rims and mount them on the new ones. And yeah, I didn't use the lock nuts this time. I haven't had this problem with my honda with wheel locks but I probably just got a bad set of steelies.

[Squisher]

When I mentioned getting a tire shop to look at them. I didn't mean just asking the potentially new guy who swapped your tires about it. In life it pays to know a good experienced tire/rim guy. I go to the same tire shop all the time wth multiple vehicles, if I had concerns about how the mating surface of a lug nut was contacting the rim I'd make a special trip in and have the owner/manager look specifically at what I was concerned about. Not just chalk it up to a tire shop installed these tires so it must be alright. Whoever put those tires on at a shop probably barely looked once at them let alone twice.