I was told at MOT that I needed to buy some new tyres for my 09 Alhambra, I have 215/60/16/V on the vehicle.
I ordered the tyres , but the garage couldn’t get them off because of the unusual wheel locking nuts, that the garage that sold it to me, said they gave me, I deny they did, either way, no one can get them off.
It’s weird because Seat said the original tyres were 225/45/17, why would they have been swapped to the ones I have.
Any suggestions on how I can get new tyres, if I can’t get the wheels off the vehicle .
Is the only solution, buy 4 new wheels from EBay , or similar, and if so should I stick with 215 or revert to the original 225’s ?
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>> Any suggestions on how I can get new tyres, if I can’t get the wheels off the vehicle .
You need someone to remove the locking wheel nuts and take the wheels off. There are tools for this if you don't have the 'key'. Or brute force with an hydraulic tool might be required.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 14 Feb 18 at 14:51
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....and rtj wins the 2018 prize for stating the bleeping obvious:)
Pat
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These guys will sort younout wiht a new key even if you dont have the security number.
www.lockingwheelnutkeys.co.uk/follow-our-3-step-simple-process
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But of course check first that you dont really have the key - have you looked under the spare wheel?
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We've always found ours in the glove box.
Pat
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I was kind of assuming that the OP had checked there but perhaps not!
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>> ....and rtj wins the 2018 prize for stating the bleeping obvious:)
Clearly not obvious to wotspur who was hoping they could get the wheels replaced without removing them from the Alhambra... why else did they ask that question?
But if the garage tried to remove them, then they probably had one of the wheel nut removal sockets and it had not worked. A last resort is to use brute force and take the locking wheel nut off by destroying it.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 14 Feb 18 at 16:54
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Is there only one wheel size for the Alhambra? My first thought was that the 16s would just be an alternative size wheel with a similar overall diameter but yours are nearly 5% bigger than the 17" size you mention.
The first job is to find out for sure what wheel and tyre combination it should have. You might not need new wheels.
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>> wheel locking nuts, that the garage that sold it to me, said they gave
>> me, I deny they did, either way, no one can get them off.
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Really, did you not check that they had when agreeing the sale?
One of the first things I did was head down to the main dealers to get a second made (removal tool) which I keep in the house.
Had a locking nut removal tool split in half so best to play safe IMO.
Last edited by: nice but dim on Wed 14 Feb 18 at 15:39
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I take off all the locking wheel nuts on any car I acquire and store them in the nearest trash can for safety.
b***** awful things.
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Daughter had a couple of new tyres fitted yesterday. I told her to make sure she knew where the locking wheel nut key was before she even thought about ordering them.
She turned up and the staff where looking for the nut keys of two men who were waiting and didn't have a clue about them - she said she felt quite smug!
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I too was getting tyres yesterday and was so convinced that the key was with the brace and jack in the wheel well (where I always keep them) that I didn't bother to check beforehand. I know I had one, I specifically checked when I bought the car last November. I had everything out of the boot onto the ground looking for it until it was eventually found lurking in the farthest, darkest corner of the glove box! Must admit I was panicking for a while.
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Likewise, having been caught out before with them (even with a key) the first thing I do is skip them.
To get them off a chap ended up welded on a metal bar (end on) and then twisting it. First one snapped a fair sized bar which he was surprised at. Second one got it off.
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I remember the days of XR3s and Orion Ghias sitting on bricks with their wheels taken.
But is there a need for locking nuts now? I appreciate that wheels and tyres combined can be a pretty fortune but do tea leafs walk about and check for locking nuts? Or just now assume that all cars have them?
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>> But is there a need for locking nuts now?
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Agree on all but the high end cars whose wheels fit cheaper/older cars.
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Well the outcome was, after trying a VW/Seat garage, they didn’t have a tool to do it, so I went to Halfords and bought a Kit to get them off, and went to Seat main dealer......they couldn’t take them off either, and because the bolts used were poorly put in .
After doing an email to HonestJohn of the Telegraph , he always comes back quickly and with suggestions.
Eventually, I found a guy,
Www.lockingwheelnutsremoved.com
07821 126599
He based over near Reading Junction 12 of M4.
He’d never seen anything like it and took him 20 mins to take out all the bolts, cost £10 to take out and replace with a normal hex bolts ......least I could now get the tyres changed , and no chance of 3pts per tyre and a massive fine .so all sorted now, thanks to everyone for your comments
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Seat alhambra - rtj70
