wheel locks?

A

Adam

Well-Known Member
Messages
92
Reaction score
1
i have a set of locking lug nuts on my 16" open lug alpinas on my 1973csi. the locks are NOT alpina manufacture, but were purchased by P.O. in germany.

MY PROBLEM: i have only the one "key" and obtaining a replacement is near impossible. seems to make more sense to purchase a new set, specifically, one with easily obtainable spare keys.

bavarian autosport has locking lug nuts, but they give me a nasty msg when i try to purchase them: "WARNING! WE HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THAT THIS PRODUCT FITS A 1973 3.0 CS."

does anyone know of a compatible set? tons of wheel locks on eBay, but i'm not sure what Thread Pitch, Shank Length, Head size i need.


thanks in advance for your help,


Adam (who THINKS he owns a 1973csi but knows the 1973csi owns him)
 
Hello,
Depending on which country your in you could try:
Jaymic in Norfolk UK
or
Walloth & Nesch in Germany

Both do international shipping and have websites

HTH
Malc
 
Wheel locks

I've used McGards wheel locks on the following:
16" Alpinas like yours,
original factory alloys
OZ imitation Alpina 7x14"
Rial 'sort-of' Alpina 7x14"
It has been years since I last bought a set, so I don't know if they are still available.
 
Gorilla makes a nice "tuner" lug nut that uses an unusual socket for all the nuts. I like this becauce it eliminates the risk of some fool getting 4 of the 5 nuts off and then leaving you with a disaster in the making. I use them on my e12, which has been converted to e9-style lug nuts instead of bolts to make track-day tire swaps easier.

The other thing to ask yourself -- are you ever going to leave your e9 alone in a place where there's a significant risk of the wheels being jacked?
 
thanks for the replies. i am in los angeles, and the sad reality here is that ANYWHERE i park the car has a significant risk of having the wheels jacked.

there is already a set of wheel locks on my alpinas, but i have only the one key with no ability to obtain a replacement should i lose it. so the walloth und nesch & jaymic options aren't optimal for me -- i need easy access to replacement keys.

the mc gard's & gorillas are nifty in that they require the use of a custom tool to remove all the lug nuts, but that is also a drawback -- i must have handy that proprietary tool every time i want to change a tire. so, do i keep the tool and a key inside the vehicle for emergency purposes? if so, doesn't this defeat the purpose of having the wheel locks in the first place (i.e., any wheel thief would surely break-in & seek them out inside the glove compartment)?


maybe i'll install a separate lojack on each alpina wheel...
and a satellite tracking system on each lojack in case the lojack units themselves get stolen...
and a redundant battery for each lojack and satellite tracker...
and those batteries can't be cheap -- bet they'd fetch a pretty penny on eBay -- better lojack those, too, just to be safe...

on and on it goes...



Adam (who THINKS he owns a 1973csi but knows the 1973csi owns him)
 
True, you must haul the "key" socket around with you. I don't keep it in the glovebox for the reason you mention. I keep it hidden somewhere unlikely outside the passenger compartment, so getting it takes more time and more imagination (two things most thieves are short on). I also keep a spare at home in the garage, since losing your key socket sucks big time.

How much does Jonny Crackpipe want your wheels? Is he willing to take the time to search your car, bust open the trunk, risk being seen by a passer-by or setting off an alarm?

I look at it this way -- theft is a generally crime of opportunity. Each step you take that makes the window of opportunity smaller is a discouragement. Wheel locks -- window starts closing. 5 wheel locks per wheel -- window closes more. No key in glovebox -- window closes more. Hopefully Jonny Crackpipe has had his fingers slammed in the window at least once before, and at this point he goes looking for easier pickings.
 
Velocewest,
Good points. Plus I would of thought they are going to steal wheels from modern cars as they are easier to punt on. THe market must be pretty limited for wheels from "vintage" cars.

Another deterent is to have the registration or vehicle VIN number engraved in the rim somewhere.

The biggest problem in the UK in regard to older cars is them being stolen and broken for parts or "ringed" - identity change. Hence one of the most popular ones to steal is the MGB - lots about, easy to sell.

I do like the idea of hiding a cheap pay as you go mobile phone somewhere in the car, leave it in silent mode, if it's turned on it can be tracked to within 100 metres here in the UK so if the car is nicked you have a reasonable chance of recovering it. Lot cheaper than a tracker or other commercial system.
Malc
 
What size gorilla nuts did you use Tony?

I need to put some sort of locks on my coupe but i have no idea about the size they need to be with the Alpina's that i have. Whaat size are you running?
Jeff
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top