Wheels/Tyres: Dynomec Locking wheel nut removal system

[MrCrusher]

Hi All.

Just wondering if any of you North East Volvo owners know of any garages, preferably around the DL postcode area, that use the Dynomec locking wheel nut removal tools.

Actually, I'm that hacked off with not being able to remove my offside front wheel, do any of you know of any garage within 50miles of Darlington that uses Dynomec tools? I've had this trouble with locking bolts before, on another car and this system sorted it extremely easily. I don't want to buy the full kit either as its about £125. If you're wondering what the Dynomec tool is: http://www.dynomec.co.uk

I think the locking wheel bolts made are by McGard. The bolt has a rotating collar around the top of the centre shaft where the key inserts, a solid flange between the collar and a rotating cone seat.

Problem is, some Muppet has air ratcheted the wheel bolts in and the key has been chewed up trying to get this last bolt out. I'm stuck with not been able to remove one wheel.

If the worst happens, I'll have to try DIY removal.

I've looked at all the traditional methods of bolt removal:-

Hammering an "undersize" double hex socket on will not work because of the rotating collar around the centre of the bolt and also, there is not enough room between the collar and the wheel bolt hole to allow the socket in.

I don't really want to start drilling yet though I thought that if I was able to drill down through the rotating collar a couple of times, to the solid flange, I would be able to crack then remove the collar then use a simple reverse thread bolt removal socket or even the "undersize double hex" method.

If I used a 10mm drill bit, I could drill down through the centre of the wheel bolt to just beyond the flange then break the head off the bolt. Wheel pops off then easily remove the remaining shaft of the bolt.

Chiselling the bolt head off would definitely lead to wheel damage.

I don't really want to go down the welded nut to bolt method.

I don't really fancy the "loosening the other bolts and then going for a drive" method to loosen the locking bolt either.

If anybody could suggest any other easy, and cheap, method to remove this bolt, I'd be very grateful.

Cheers.

Oh BTW, I do NOT work for, or have any affiliation with Dynomec. Just an appreciative fan of this tool as it got me out of the sh1t with a previous car.

[brodgar]

I don't really want to go down the welded nut to bolt method.====
===== just this looks the best way forward, apart than from the dynomec
tool

[Clan]

the dynotec tool will be useless on these bolts . tried it!
There is NO easy or cheap way of getting these off .

It isnt the power guns which make these bolts stick, it is that over the years the taper mates too perfectly with the wheel and you have to overcome this friction of the taper with the key nut . later bolts from about 2006 have a washer which means you only have to overcome the friction of the washer .
I would advise anyone with the 2000 - 2005 type locking nuts to throw them away and replace them with the new type whilst you can still get them off , remember they can still sieze on even when torqued correctly .
Having spent 3 hours yesterday removing 4 of these locking bolts there really is only one way out for you .

go to machine mart buy 2 sets of cranked ring spanners about £20 .. use the largest 18 / 19 mm spanners that leaves you with 4 ends you can weld to the top of each nut . Also buy there some HSS drills , 3 , 5, 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 , 12 mm about £20 .
you need a 100 amp conventional arc welder to weld inside the ring part of the spanner to the top of the locking bolt . fill the ring part of the spanner with weld , use the highest current you can ie around 100 amps . The whole end of the spanner should be glowing red hot .

when it is cool tap the spanner with a big hammer sideways whilst pulling and pushing this will loosen the hardened cap which will come off eventualy .

you are left with a nice countersunk bolt centre which you drill firstly with the 3 mm pilot drill . gradualy increase the size of the hole with the drills available , the drills will just last long enough to do the 4 bolts .
be very careful if you break the drill off in the hole end of story !

you MUST have a powerful drill at least 1000 watts and have a mechanical low gear on it with variable speed motor . this is so you can run it at as slow a speed as possible
(200rpm) yet have lots of torque available . if you over speed the drill bit the drill will instantly blunt . its HARD work , the bolt is still hard but at least drillable . with the 12 mm hole and other bolts removed , lever off the wheel from behind and the head of the bolt will break off .

This is the ONLY method i have found over the years that will get them off . This isnt a DIY job due to the welding and professional type drill you will need , you need the car at chest height so you can get your whole body weight against the drill , so go to your friendly garage show them this method and good luck ...

don't be put off by fitting new volvo ones , they are a new design now from italy , the wavy pattern is around the outer edge of the bolt which means the key nut has far more grip than the old type .volvo have at last ditched the McGuard ones .

[Anadinolin]

mc guard anti-theft wheel nuts? are these the ones that came with the X40's of 1998-2004?


like this - with the "flower" pattern? I was talking to GATOS about this when i saw him the other day, they are really weak keys and nuts, its best to take them off the car when you give it over to kwick-sh*t or someone similar, and do the locking nuts yourself...

i should replace mine soon, what do the new ones look like and what price from volvo?

ps...a thread on the subject
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=13114

[friedfrog]

There is an ATS in Malton that did mine for a fiver.

[MrCrusher]

SUCCESS.

I called Dynomec yesterday, the lady who answered couldn't have been more helpful and provided me with addresses and phone numbers of garages local to me who use their kit.

Took the car to one today. Guess how long it took the lad to get the wheel bolt out.

Bearing in mind, various other garages had quoted me various prices and their intended method of bolt removal: a couple of hours work, drilling the bolt out, removing the wheel at the suspension to be able to drill the bolt vertically- I kid you not, the welding a nut on method, etc, etc, etc.

15 seconds. The lad hammered "blade 3" on to the bolt, then had to put his full weight on to end of a 4' breaker bar to loosen it off.

Job done- that'll be £12 please. I know its £2 over the going rate per wheel but I'm happy and can now change the tyre.

One thing struck me thoughout this whole palaver, the general consensus regarding locking wheel bolts and nuts is that they're cr@p and more trouble than they're worth. Also, Volvo seem to suffer the worst when problems arise. When the lass at Dynomec found out the bolt was on a Volvo, she told to tell the garage to phone them if they couldn't remove the bolt with the Dynomec kit- apparently, there is a lifelong aftercare service and a regular bulletin issued with advice to overcome problems.

I'm pretty impressed with this kit as its saved me from a load of hassle again. Maybe the Mods on this site should sticky the details of the Dynomec kit and/ or website in the general forum area because there still seems to be a lot of people who have had trouble with locking wheel bolts and nuts as well as seized and rounded off standard wheel bolts, there'll be more in future no doubt.

It might just save people some time and effort putting this info out where its easy to find and the kit works.

[capt jack]

Have had this trouble with both Volvo and after market locking wheel nuts.

Laser do a tool which does work on the 'flower head' types nuts, but you pretty much end up sacrificing the tool - and at £17 for a set of two, one of which is too small and useless, it ain't cheap.

Garages and trye shops round where I live are very unhelpful - they don't want the bother.

Machine Mart do a couple of different sets of remover, one of which successfully removed the aftermarket StopLock nuts on my V70.

Personally, before I ever buy a car again I will ask the vendor to remove all the locking wheel-nuts or it's no deal.

These damn things are such a PITA to sort that I would rather run the risk of having the wheels nicked than bother with these silly devices.

Let's face it, there was a time when alloys were a luxury - now they're fitted to just about every car on the road, and available by the thousand at your local scrappy for peanuts.

You can buy a set of aftermarket wheels and tyres at any one of thousands of motor stores around the country for just a few £100.

They just ain't as nick-worthy as they once were.

Cheers

Jack

PS: As has been pointed out on here, with the right kit locking wheel nuts can be removed in seconds - something that every self-respecting wheel-thief will already know....!

[Clan]

Brilliant news !
Can you give us some more details of which type of locking bolt you had stuck on your car maybe a photo? were they actualy volvo ones ?
When you say "The lad hammered "blade 3" on to the bolt, then had to put his full weight on to end of a 4' breaker bar to loosen it off." It makes me think you had the early type ..


There are three types used :
the early type up to 2001 are cylindrical one piece
the second type from about 2001 - 2005 have a hardened spinning ring around the outside but otherwise one piece so the cone is part of the bolt .
the third type from about 2005 - 2009 have a smaller head with the spinning ring and the cone part is a rotating washer , so you are not fighting the friction of the cone in the alloy wheel just the friction of the bolt on the cone washer .
There is a latest type out now , italian with the wavy pattern around the outside of the bolt and the hexagon spins ... much better prospects of removing after a few years ...

type 1 is fairly easy to get off , types 2 and 3 are not ..

it would be interesting to know which type yours were . When the cone is siezed in the taper of the alloy wheel and the threads are dry with some rust no amount of torque will undo them ...

[Gazzza]

went to the Link and watched video Like it says as used by the AA

Join the AA for a month £7.08 or £67 a year

[MrCrusher]

Judging by your description Clan, the bolts were the "3rd" type.

Must of been added "after market" though as the car is a 2001 V70. Maybe added because its on 17's which weren't that common back then.

Gazzza, didn't think of calling the AA out, I'm already a member. Argghhh!!!