Broken McGard Nut
 

One of my locking nuts fell apart after someone had overtightened it. I'm now left with a broken nut and key and can't get any of the wheels off. The guys in the local tyre place tried undersized sockets/hammer method and reverse threaded removal tools and on this one nut it still would budge and just continued to disintergrate more! Anyone got any other methods of removing these pesky little swines!?:brickwall

I did the clever thing, and merely rang up my local Subaru dealership, gave them the McGard unique serial no. for the locking key and let them make me/post me one out a few days later :thumb:

Didn't you have said serial no.?

weld a nut on it, might damage the alloy a little though

I have got the broken key, but that would only be good for getting the 3 undamaged nuts off. The nut that is broken is the real issue...:(

air chisel or weld a nut on the end , but as said aove the wheel will get a tad scuffed either way .


most lockers have a code so u can get em from dealers . but if its alredy been mullered then try the above

they aint trying hard enough they come off quite easy with the reverse thread type sockets

yep. but if its been mullered already it will be a job

They don't come off easily if you have a deep recess, I tried every trick in the book to get mine off after the key broke.

I had lost the serial number, but did manage to get one loose nut off (tyre company broke the key trying to tighten it up) and sent it back to them.

I got a new set plus a key for removing the old nuts for nothing from them.

Subaru/Isuzu dealers should have a master set, but there are quite a few types and my dealer couldn't match it up with their set.

never use an air gun on em is the trick

lol, tell that to those morons who serviced mine last time. :mad:

mate. i have exracted many broken locknuts in my time after a customers kwicfit visit:D

can u post a pic of the nut and the type of alloy so we can see how much room you have to play with please

There's always drilling it out

this is the exact reason i NEVER NEVER NEVER fit locking wheel bolts. and so ive never had a problem. i wish i had a pound for every time ive heard a story like this.

But dont you like a challenge from time to time?
Some locks are easy to get off anyway(the ones SC send are absolute ****e) so you have a lock on but if the key breaks(and they do) its just a 22mm socket over it and its off,
The ones with the ring on can still be removed easily with a little prep work, but it really depends on how much room there is if you want it off with no damage.

i just fitted 2 sets of mcgard to each wheel,paranoid yes and i forget to mark up which key was for which lock,as each wheel has 2,so if a key breaks, i gotta buy 2 keys ah well !

mine protrude a few mm from the wheel so i reckon mole grips could get mine off,muller the wheel a bit tho.

good luck,let us know if you get it off

My local mechanic managed to get it off by welding a socket to it in the end. :) I've now to try and get a replacement key from Subaru to get the other 3 undamged ones off....

Where do I get the serial number to get a replacement McGard key? I've looked on the old key and there's only the name on there...

Um, best get your mechanic and his welder a call again :lol1:

Did you not have the serial no when you bought the car? that's usually the first thing I ask about if I see locking nuts on a car :)

it's written on a card thats inside the bag they come in

Already posted on this thread!

Either try your local Subaru/Isuzu dealer/s and see if they have the master set, or send the nut back to Mcgard and they will send a matching key and possibly a free set of wheel nuts to replace the damaged set. (worked for me)

Indeed I did have to get my mechanic and his welder back into action:cry:

The whole experience cost me £100 to get the nuts removed and wheels balanced and £33 for new locking nuts, DOH!

At least it's done now though and I can get my wheels off if need be!:)