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Locking lug nuts are useful for people who want to have a pain in the *** if they have to change a tire. Don't most people have theft insurance on their cars?
Locking lug nuts do nothing to deter professional thieves and greatly increase the chances the armatures will bugger up the wheels or the studs trying to get them off.
It is really hard for me to think of a greater waste of money in the auto accessory field. Maybe a dashboard hula dancer.
My wife bought a Lexus 460 awhile back and somehow it came with locking lug nuts. After the first time she had a flat in the driveway I took them off and threw them out.
In addition to that if you go to a state safety inspection and can't produce the key they flunk you until you can produce one.
Last edited by ronsc1985; Nov 4, 2019 at 06:42 PM.
Yup, got the five per tire Gorilla locking lug nuts.. won't stop a professional who really wants my rims and tires but it will slow them down. I'm thinking the five per tire would be a very big deterrent to the amateur out running around a neighborhood just being A**holes and messing with cars.
I got the whole set. Meaning each lug nut requires the key. Comes with a sticker with a key code in case you lose the key. I keep that sticker where i hang my car key so i don't lose that lol.
I don't think the average joe is going to bother taking wheels off when he has to go banzai on 20 lug nuts. Even though it's possible it could be done.
A professional will just tow the car away and handle everything in their possession lol
You need gorilla lug nuts. Pretty sure the average joe is not taking them off using whatever tool they have in their garage.
Now actual thieves, they have tools for everything. But it won't be easy. For a thief, it's all about being discreet and getting in and out in the fastest time. These locking nuts (well gorilla lug nuts), will prolong their getaway and a thief might not want to risk getting caught.
I have 5 sets of Gorilla lug nuts as I type this. All of them can be taken off with the right size standard or metric socket lol.
Also, Gorilla sockets are somewhat standardized amongst themselves. As in if you go to any major tire store and forget your Gorilla socket, don't worry they have them laying in their tray.
Not saying they're a bad product, but I don't think they're the deterrent you think they are.
I have 5 sets of Gorilla lug nuts as I type this. All of them can be taken off with the right size standard or metric socket lol.
Also, Gorilla sockets are somewhat standardized amongst themselves. As in if you go to any major tire store and forget your Gorilla socket, don't worry they have them laying in their tray.
Not saying they're a bad product, but I don't think they're the deterrent you think they are.
What size socket can you take them off?
That way i can try it myself. I'm not saying the wheels can never be taken off if you put these gorilla lug nuts. I even said thieves have all the right tools to get any job done. If they want something, they'll get it.
I put these gorilla lug nuts as a preventative to make potential thieves think about it. Meaning 5 minute job with factory lug nuts, or a 20-30 minute job taking off 20 aftermarket lug nuts without the key.
Plus factory lug nuts look like crap. So i don't mind putting nice gorilla lug nuts on there.
That way i can try it myself. I'm not saying the wheels can never be taken off if you put these gorilla lug nuts. I even said thieves have all the right tools to get any job done. If they want something, they'll get it.
I put these gorilla lug nuts as a preventative to make potential thieves think about it. Meaning 5 minute job with factory lug nuts, or a 20-30 minute job taking off 20 aftermarket lug nuts without the key.
Plus factory lug nuts look like crap. So i don't mind putting nice gorilla lug nuts on there.
The Gorillas on my C5 and my sons Crown Vic police interceptor use a 17mm 6 point socket and the ones on our 2015 Mustang use a 19mm 6 point socket. It has to be 6 point.
Just to clarify, the Gorilla Key is not a Key persay, it is a spline drive socket with 6 equidistant splines. Calling it a key is not really fitting. I can use the same gorilla spline socket on 4 out of 5 of my cars.
If your C7 uses the same size nuts as a C5, which it should, then try a 17mm 6 point deep socket.
Like you said, we run a lot of gorillas mostly because they work well and they look pretty damn good especially compared to factory lug nuts with a single special keyed nut.
What about a standard size? Because the ones i had, equal to 17 or 19, didn't work either. And i'm not just saying that to defend gorilla lug nuts. I really wanted to find out because i don't have a garage, so my car is outside all day every day, 365 days a year. I just keep it in the back of my house under a cover with my driveway gate having a padlock. That's my only security.
But the sockets you mentioned, did not work. Gorilla has a registration code to special request a key in case you lose yours. So even though it might not be considered a key, i think they'd be in deep dodo if anyone with sockets you can get from autozone can take off their lug nuts. I think it will work for some, not most. It didn't work for me.
What about a standard size? Because the ones i had, equal to 17 or 19, didn't work either. And i'm not just saying that to defend gorilla lug nuts. I really wanted to find out because i don't have a garage, so my car is outside all day every day, 365 days a year. I just keep it in the back of my house under a cover with my driveway gate having a padlock. That's my only security.
But the sockets you mentioned, did not work. Gorilla has a registration code to special request a key in case you lose yours. So even though it might not be considered a key, i think they'd be in deep dodo if anyone with sockets you can get from autozone can take off their lug nuts. I think it will work for some, not most. It didn't work for me.
You're gonna make me make a crappy YT video just to show you lol.
It works, trust me. Just find whatever 6 point socket fits over the nut withOUT pounding it on. But it needs to fit tight. Don't care if it's american or metric.
I tried every size within the correct size of the lug nut and nothing works. I even tried the "gator socket", the one advertised on TV that's supposed to grab onto any bolt because of it's ability to mesh around any bolt, that didn't work either. It goes on, but then does nothing. It doesn't grip.
Btw, no 2 gorilla "keys" are the same. And i know this because i'm trying to sell a gorilla lug nut set that came off my daily, and i used that key onto my lug nuts on the Z. Didn't work.
Maybe your theory is correct, but if you get lucky. Again, i don't think the company gorilla is that uneducated to make a lug nut that can be unlocked using a regular 6 point socket you can get at autozone. Possible yes. Works everytime? No. Because i tried it.
Maybe your theory is correct, but if you get lucky. Again, i don't think the company gorilla is that uneducated to make a lug nut that can be unlocked using a regular 6 point socket you can get at autozone. Possible yes. Works everytime? No. Because i tried it.
I banged this out just for you. Take it for what it's worth but you are following marketing hype. Like I said, I mean no disrespect to you or Gorilla but reality is what it is.
I banged this out just for you. Take it for what it's worth but you are following marketing hype. Like I said, I mean no disrespect to you or Gorilla but reality is what it is.
I've seen about 10 videos like that just with a 5 minute search on google. I get that.
However like i said, it didn't work FOR ME. I wanted it to work, so i know for future reference. And if it did work, that won't mean i'll go back to the factory lug nuts, because i had already bought and installed the gorilla lugs on the car.
Then again there's countless videos of mobil 1 oil causing more wear in engines compared to some competitors, yet people here preach mobil like it's gold
You get what i'm saying. It works for some, not for most. On more subjects than 1. The oil, and the lug nuts lol.
I'm a motul guy btw, and that's what it's in my engine too. Not mobil 1
I'll keep my 20 minute extra time for thieves gorilla lug nuts.
Not sure why you're getting upset. I said it a couple of times already, and again now, I WANT it to work, so i know what a thief would go through, if he/she would proceed in trying to take my wheels, even if it has these "useless gorilla lug nuts". I tried it, using 2 brands of sockets. Craftsman, and napa. So unless i'm doing it like i'm ray charles, i don't know what else to tell you.
You keep saying they can be taken off with regular sockets and i said i agree. I just said it didn't work for me. Why don't you write a letter to gorilla, and make a video of you unlocking every lug nut they have available, using the sockets you have and see what they tell you.
I do wanna get another set of gorilla lug nuts for my new daily coming though lol. Because gotta give the thief an extra 20 minutes to work them off
My LS1 fbody came with an actual keyed lug nut, don't know what brand but it seemed a lot more secure. I can probably find it somewhere in the garage and post a pic. I stopped using it tho because the teeth on it were starting to round and I was worried it'd be stuck on the car even with me having the proper key.
Last edited by mammoth713; Nov 7, 2019 at 01:37 PM.
its stuck on the lug nut but you can kind of see what I'm talking about with the teeth.. didn't seem easy to smash a socket on and get it off but maybe a 12pt socket would have
Last edited by mammoth713; Nov 7, 2019 at 02:10 PM.
A person who wants to steal wheels on a regular basis will just pay some $$ and purchase a set of sockets that are designed to remove locking lug nuts.
You either have to start paying rent or move out of my head....I was just about to say this exact same thing when I read your reply. You are absolutely correct as usual.
its stuck on the lug nut but you can kind of see what I'm talking about with the teeth.. didn't seem easy to smash a socket on and get it off but maybe a 12pt socket would have
Damn never heard of amcor, i'll look into it.
Until then, i'll stick with those gorilla lug nuts. Seems to work for me.
