RE: Wheel Locks

["Dan Sinclair" <sinclair@prospro.com>]

The locks you're describing Todd are Gorilla Locks I think. I have them on
my Audi.  I definitely think they're a better option than the universal type
that you can find at the parts stores.  Discount Tire carries them, and I'm
sure they could give someone the contact information to acquire a
replacement key.  There are a finite number of combinations and I'd be
rather amazed if no one has ever received a replacement key after losing
one.

As for removal by thieves, my opinion has always been, and probably always
will be - if someone wants something that you have bad enough, they'll find
a way.  Period.  Hence the rise in car-jackings.  You build a better mouse
trap, and the mouse simply holds a gun to your head to avoid having to deal
with the mouse trap.  Doing SOMETHING to protect your property, however, I
think will always be better than doing nothing at all.  If a thief has the
option of screwing around with vise-grips that are going to chew up the
wheel he's trying to steal, or walking over the the next car and spinning
them of with a lug wrench in a fraction of the time he'd spend jerking
locked lugs...

Someone made a good point earlier though.  I'd guess most thieves look for
the type of car they'd like to outfit with stolen wheels, then find said
model with nice alloys and jack them.  Or at a minimum, I think they'd steal
wheels that they felt they had the most potential buyers/applications.
Given that there are a lot more Hondas, Acuras, Toyotas, etc. on the road
than Audis, I'd guess our Audis are a lower profile target by default.

JOMO.

Dan Sinclair
1988 Audi 90, 68K mi.
Photo and details online at:
http://131.107.68.28/a4.org/registry/details.asp?car=761

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net
[mailto:owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net]On Behalf Of
todd@qualmedoregon.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 1999 8:49 AM
To: quattro@coimbra.ans.net
Subject: Re: Wheel Locks


I had a similar problem (with my Jeep), where the spare had been
put on with "locking" nuts.  I searched the local parts chain
stores and found a set with the matching key, and the same brand
(no-name) seemed to be sold at most the chain stores.  All of
the ones I saw had a "groove" on the head of the otherwise
smooth cylindrical nut into which the "key" fits.  The ones at
http://www.mcgard.com fit this description.  In a Jeep accessory
catalog, I saw a better kind: it was shaped more like a mag
wheel chrome nut with a domed top, but near the middle where the
hex part usually is, it widened and had notches in it in at
irregular intervals.  The key slides over it and has teeth that
fit into the notches.  Not only is this less prone to rust and
looks more like a regular lug nut, but it is greater security
by obscurity since the average idiot can't just buy the key at
a big parts store, at least not around here.  I suppose the
argument could be made that it would be easier to turn it with
Vise Grips, but I'm not too worried; heck, if you lost the key,
you might have to do that yourself, but it would at least slow
down or discourage a would-be thief.