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Locking wheel nuts are a popular way of keeping your wheels and rims safe from theft, and while they’ve been in use for some time now, they’re still increasingly popular.
A standard wheel nut or lug nut can be removed with minimum effort using an ordinary lug wrench, which means your wheels could easily be stolen. But by simply replacing one lug nut per wheel with a locking wheel nut, you can help to stop a thief in their tracks. With a locking wheel nut in place, a key is required in order to remove that last nut - making it much harder to remove. However - that does mean you need to keep the key safe!
How do locking wheel nuts work?
Working on a very simple principle, each set of locking nuts has a patterned indent and a key which matches this pattern. Only when the key is inserted can the nut be turned and removed. There are literally hundreds of unique key combinations, and although wheel nut keys are freely available to buy, a potential thief would have to carry around a huge selection of wheel nut keys to ensure they have the right tool for the job!
Nowadays most car manufacturers fit locking wheel nuts as standard to vehicles as they roll off the production line to keep them more secure. If you’re looking for other ways to increase the security of your vehicle, check out our 8 handy tips to keep your car safe.
So, what happens if I lose my locking wheel nut key?
Because of their unique nature, it’s important that you know where your locking wheel nut key is kept. Without it, it’s very hard to remove your wheels should you require a tyre change. We recommend that you keep your locking wheel nut key inside your vehicle somewhere, either in the glove box or hidden away out of sight, just so long as you know where to find it.
Say you need to pull over during a journey because you’ve got a puncture. You’re going to need that locking wheel nut key in order to remove the tyre and put the spare tyre on. Similarly, if your tyres are worn and need replacing, your garage will need the locking wheel nut key in order to fit new tyres to your vehicle.
Locking wheel nut key replacements can be purchased fairly inexpensively, but in some cases they need to be ordered in - which could slow down your vehicle repair. This is why it’s important to make sure you keep your locking wheel nut key safe – you never know when you might need it.
Planning a visit to your local Kwik Fit centre?
If your car has a locking wheel nut and you’re due to visit your local Kwik Fit for new tyres, brake pads and discs, or you are due a service, make sure you know where your locking wheel nut key is located. The wheels will need to be removed to carry out these services, so it’s best to be prepared!
If you have any questions about your locking wheel nuts, get in touch with your local centre today.
Want to know why ADAS calibration is important for vehicle safety & performance? Read our blog to learn more about the impacts of not calibrating your ADAS.
Your tyre size can be found on the sidewall of your current tyre and is a sequence of numbers and letters. The most common tyre size in the UK is 205/55R16 but there are many variations so it’s important to check your existing tyre first before searching for tyres.
Tip: Take a photo of your existing tyre sidewall to make it easier to identify your tyre size using the guide below.
The first three digits. This displays the width of the tyre in millimetres. A tyre marked 225 will measure 225mm across the tread from sidewall to sidewall.
Aspect Ratio
The fourth and fifth digits of the tyre code that immediately follow the tyre width. The aspect ratio or profile height of the tyre sidewall is expressed as a percentage of the tyre width. So an aspect ratio of 55 for example means that the profile height of the tyre is 55% of its width.
Rim Diameter
The next two digits represent the size of the wheel rim that the tyre can be fitted to. It is also the diameter of the tyre from bead to bead. So a tyre marked 16 will fit on a 16-inch wheel rim.
Speed Rating
The speed rating of a tyre is represented by a letter of the alphabet at the end of the tyre size code and indicates the maximum speed capability of the tyre. Tyres receive a speed rating based on a series of tests which measure the tyres capability to handle a set speed for a prolonged period of time.
Select your tyre speed rating to find out the maximum speed your tyres can maintain.
If you are unsure what speed rating you need, be sure to check your vehicle handbook. Choosing a lower speed rating than that recommended by your vehicle manufacturer could potentially invalidate your insurance.
Load Rating
The load index provides information on the maximum weight capability for the tyre. The load index is a numerical code that can be located just after the tyre size marking and before the speed rating.
Select your load index to find out the maximum load capability for your tyres.
Although not illegal, it is not advisable to have tyres with a lower speed rating or load index than the manufacturer recommended tyre specification for your vehicle, or to have a combination of different tyre construction types. Consult your vehicle handbook to confirm your vehicle’s tyre speed rating and load index as well as any additional requirements.
Contact our team for help and advice with a new or existing booking. We’ll help direct your enquiry to the appropriate department.
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Select Tyre Size
Front Tyre Size
Rear Tyre Size
We endeavour to ensure we are displaying the correct tyres for your vehicle. However, we recommend all customers check the tyre size printed on the side wall of their tyres before proceeding with a tyre purchase as occasionally discrepancies do occur. By selecting the tyre sizes above and clicking 'Continue', you are indicating that you have checked your tyre sizes.
Please select your front and rear tyre size before clicking 'Continue'.
We have identified the tyre size(s) that may fit your {VEHICLE}. Please select your front tyre size and rear tyre size below before clicking 'Continue'.
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Please note: There is a slope that the vehicle must be driven up to reach the vehicle ramp at this centre. This may prevent us from being able to work on some high-performance vehicles, Tesla vehicles or vehicles that have been lowered. If your vehicle has low ground clearance, please contact the centre team on 01342 314 111 before booking.
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If you selected an appointment on a Bank Holiday Monday, please bring your car to the centre at 10:00am rather than the time shown below.
