Do you have wheel locks? Are they necessary?

I was going to get them but then I got to thinking. Who is going to steal Prius wheels? I don't think they have enough bling value to them to be stealable. Also you have to "unlock" your wheel when you need to change it. If you lose the key your screwed. I would not reccomend getting them.

With my mod I don't think anyone would want to steal my wheels anyway.

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=1...l=racing+hubcap

 

<_< Actually, I'm pleased to have "wheel locks" - basically a set of four "keyed" lug nuts requiring a overlaid "key" to loosen. Actually, a really determined thief could remove these lug nuts with an adequate wrench... as in a chop shop.

Even Prius alloy wheels have value and can be sold on the illegal markets. It is a minor inconvenience to provide the "key" when you have your tires rotated, repaired or replaced, but no big deal. Just be SURE to keep track of the "key" and not lose track of it in having your car or tires serviced.

 

locking lugs are the most obnoxious thing a tech will run across. they hate it. plus, one who doesn't know what he's doing can totally FUBAR your wheel or stud, causing major inconvenience over just having regular lugs.

and they're not worth much, (especially considering what they charge!) there are plenty of ways to get your wheels if someone really REALLY wants them...

but that raises the question, does anyone want prius wheels? probably not.

 

I am definitely getting wheel locks for my new Prius. I had a really bad experience when the wheels were stolen off of my previous car (1995 Pontiac Grand Prix). I was traumetized to find the car sitting on the ground without wheels, literally supported by the rotors. It took 3 weeks for me to get my car back because they had to order the wheels and some of the other parts from Michigan and do some body repair work. Total cost was over $3000!
I can't understand why anyone would steal the factory wheels, even if they are alloy wheels. They don't seem to be anything special to me. But I learned the hard way that people will steal just about anything.

So I strongly recommend the wheel locks. It is a very minor inconvenience to hand the key to the mechanic when you are having your tires rotated.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ May 23 2006, 05:18 PM) [snapback]260010[/snapback]</div>

Actually what happened to me (not on the Prius, but my last car) was that they really messed up the key. I was able to contact the company that made the lock and got them to send a replacement key, but there was several days where I was worried about getting a flat.

 

The wheels may not be worth enough to warrant locks, but what about those tire pressure transmitters on the '06?

 

My old car had wheel locks. When doing my own tire rotations, I found one of the "locks" rounded off and couldn't get it off. The shop that screwed it up had to jam a socket in and impact-wrench it off. I couldn't imagine trying to get it off myself if I had a flat on the side of a freeway, so I replaced them with regular nuts.

Nobody's gonna steal factory rims anyway, unless they're the bling bling Cadillac Escalade Ludacris-signature ones...

 

Miller Toyota, Manassas, VA, gets all their Prii with the wheel locks. I wasn't going to argue about the $59 charge. Besides, my wife actually believes they will stop somebody from stealing the wheels.

Question: Anybody know how many different keys there are for these locks? I can't imagine there are that many. An enterprising thief could get a hold of a key and try it on Prii until it works.

 

I don't have them, but then where we live, most people don't lock their cars or houses. I've seen vehicles around here where the key switch has been replaced with a toggle switch.

I was sitting in the bakery one day when someone said "Hey, there goes my car!" Another person at the table looked out and replied "Oh, that's just Bob. He probably doesn't know he's got the wrong car. He'll be back in a bit." So everyone went back to drinking coffee and solving the world's problems. About fifteen minutes later Bob pulled up again, having finished his errand, parked the car, came in and started drinking coffee - never realizing he had taken someone else's car.

Tom

 

I Had wheel locks once. Lost the key. If you get them, somehow attach the key to the spare wheel or jack. It's the only way you can guarantee that you'll remember the key's location, especially a year or two later during that moment of stress when you finally experience your first flat tire. Oh yeah, remember to check to ensure the key is still tied to or has been re-tied to the spare anytime after having service done.

P.S. I've not owned wheel locks since, and I'll never own wheel locks again.