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I have always had locking lug nuts on my C5, C6 and C7. Now I am looking for experiences/suggestions for locking lug nuts for my C8.
Thanks
I’ll give the same pitch I usually give on these threads, but I’m the only person I know that has ever had wheels stolen and I had locking lug nuts. They just smashed my window and took my lug key.
I would personally skip it. They look terrible, you usually get a call from a tire shop saying they can’t find the key, and it apparently doesn’t even deter theft:
Otherwise, there’s nothing special about a C8’s lugs vs any other car, so if you want locking lugs just go with what you did before.
If I remember correctly from watching some YouTube people who steal wheels have a wrench that just breaks the lug nut and then they can remove the wheel just as easily if there were no locking nuts.
Waste of money. Might keep the high school kids away is all.
The high security locking lug nuts help prevent theft.
They cost more but are worth it.
Part # 09599490 for chrome.
The highest security lug nuts doesn’t mean anything if the lug key is in the car. Even if you don’t keep it in the car, thieves will only find out after they smash your window looking for it. Either way you’re making an insurance claim.
The highest security lug nuts doesn’t mean anything if the lug key is in the car. Even if you don’t keep it in the car, thieves will only find out after they smash your window looking for it. Either way you’re making an insurance claim.
The fact that they would need to smash the window would probably deter a thief due to the noise, especially if they can go over to the next car without going through that risk.
There are enough cars out there without locking lug nuts where a thief will probably skip your car if you have them. At the very least it decreases the probability of your wheels being stolen, which is worth the $40 if you ask me.
The high security locking lug nuts help prevent theft.
They cost more but are worth it.
Part # 09599490 for chrome.
These?
They're a joke. My inlaws bought a used Toyota that had very similar lugs on it. They didn't get the key with the car. I smashed a socket over top of one and had the wheel off in a few minutes.
I couldn't find them with a 30 second search, but there are these cone shaped ones which supposedly prevent all the usual methods from working (unless you keep the key in the car)
McGards are high quality, and won't rust. There have been lots of reports about Gorilla locks rusting. The one's with rotating collars are definitely more secure. McGard makes them, but last time I looked you could only get them through Chevy dealers or GM parts suppliers. As for smashing the window, don't leave the lug key in the interior.
Will wheel locks deter a determined thief who's willing to make noise smashing a window or hammering a socket over the lock? Probably not. But they will probably make an amateur looking for a quick buck move on to easier targets.
Hassle? Installed by factory, messed with by tire balancing store or dealership. At most twice a year doityourselves to swsp tires.
You either have to leave the key in the vehicle or remember to bring it with you when you go in for service. And if you don't leave it in the car you have to deal with how to get the wheels off during a breakdown. And don't lose it.
But, for me, the biggest hassle was dealing with getting them off after a service facility overtightened the nuts or the threads have become corroded and dealing with stripped key features.
Torqueing locking lug nuts at 140 foot lbs,.should be exciting!
It is no issue at all.
But you bring up an important point in that Discount Tire only torques these to 60 ftlbs. I lost one on my GMC Sierra because of it. Always tighten you locking lug nuts after being messed with by a tire store.
She had a new Firebird with security lugs. Took the car to have a nail hole plugged. Discount did it for free. 6 months later, took it to the dealer for a recall on the brakes. They called where is the lug nut key? Its in the trunk. Looked isn't there. Hmm? They broke two studs hammering a socket on. Then charged us for damaging the socket. And we will never buy them again. Been better to have the wheels stolen. Insurance would have covered that.
The fact that they would need to smash the window would probably deter a thief due to the noise, especially if they can go over to the next car without going through that risk.
There are enough cars out there without locking lug nuts where a thief will probably skip your car if you have them. At the very least it decreases the probability of your wheels being stolen, which is worth the $40 if you ask me.
It doesn’t deter anything. I know this from experience. The noise nor the locking lugs deterred anything. And they did not skip my car to go the “easier” ones.
C8 has an internal motion alarm that will set off of the window is smashed. Likewise the C8 also has an inclination alarm that goes off when you jack up the car to take a wheel. In other words the locking lug nuts are fairly useless. They’ll either smash your window and set off the alarm or just jack up the car because there’s no locking lug nut and set off the alarm. For $40 savings, I’d rather they set off the inclination alarm and not smash anything.
McGards are high quality, and won't rust. There have been lots of reports about Gorilla locks rusting. The one's with rotating collars are definitely more secure. McGard makes them, but last time I looked you could only get them through Chevy dealers or GM parts suppliers. As for smashing the window, don't leave the lug key in the interior.
Will wheel locks deter a determined thief who's willing to make noise smashing a window or hammering a socket over the lock? Probably not. But they will probably make an amateur looking for a quick buck move on to easier targets.
The C8 itself is a bit of a deterrent alone as it’s difficult for even the owner to get the wheels off. The car is so low that most jacks don’t fit. In my case they used my own jack which they C8 doesn’t even have. Lugs are tightened to 140 ft lbs which takes a bit more effort than an average tire iron. And then there’s the inclination alarm.
Most C8’s aren’t parked in a shady neighborhood side street either so there’s that.
GM's Hi -Security wheel locks are worth the extra $20 or so. They will spin if someone hammers a socket over them. I perfer having some extra deterent, rather than find my disc rotors sitting on the pavement.
As far as jacking up the car, do you think they care where they put the jack? The damage they will cause lifting up the car. They use $60 portable (30lb) 3.5" low profile jacks that easily slide under the Vette. Watch some videos of thieves caught on camera jacking up cars and stealing rims or catylitic converters, maybe those Hi security wheel locks may not stop all thieves, but will deter most.
Last edited by Mike's LS3; Dec 3, 2021 at 05:43 PM.
She had a new Firebird with security lugs. Took the car to have a nail hole plugged. Discount did it for free. 6 months later, took it to the dealer for a recall on the brakes. They called where is the lug nut key? Its in the trunk. Looked isn't there. Hmm? They broke two studs hammering a socket on. Then charged us for damaging the socket. And we will never buy them again. Been better to have the wheels stolen. Insurance would have covered that.
Every wheel lock set I owned, I had an extra key made and kept it at home. Once you register your wheel locks, McGuard has record of your key number for future needs.
