Hi all,

This is a long shot and I have read earlier post about lost locking wheel nuts but here goes.

The locking wheel nut is missing, the LR dealer doesn't have a master set and says they break them off but don't guarantee the alloy and charge euros 300.00 per wheel.(1200 euros all round)

My idea is to post the picture of mine to see if anyone can check theres and find a match and supply me with the 9 digit code that the dealer is requesting.

I already checked all the car at the dealer and didn't find a match

I attach the pic and wait in hopeful anticipation

I appreciate there is a lot of effort to check your own locking nuts against mine so I know this is a big ask so many thanks in advance

Pablo

Sounds like your dealer can't be bothered.

http://www.dynomec.co.uk/locking-wheelnut-remover.html p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

Will Land Rover not have a record of the nut remover against the VIN.

Not the same but mind need sorting out

Ask if they stock locking wheel nut
Open up there boxes till you find one same as yours, buy the set still lot cheaper

May be worth talking to these guys
I think they supply landrover , I may be wrong lol

Right.....
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Let's think sideways... A little technical....but definitely possible.
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Buy a 17mm nut, a tube of two pack resin putty, looks like a long Bertie Basset sweet, black in the middle core with grey on the outside. And a toothbrush and wd40 spray.
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Scrub the nut insert with the toothbrush and WD40 so the cavity is clean and oily. Slice a chunk of resin putty, mix well and force into the key profile and push the nut onto the outer face of putty. Hold for 5-10 minutes so the resin sets. After 1 hour carefully wiggle your plastic nut of the locking wheelnut. Repeat a second time or more until you have two replica nuts.
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Find a local aluminium foundry, take your two pattern nuts and get them to cast 4 aluminium masters.
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Expect to tap your new keynuts onto the cars original nuts and with care you will be able to undo your nuts without any damage to your alloys.
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Now fit a new set of locking nuts. Don't think about reusing the casting tool; the dustbin is the correct place after single use .
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It WILL work!!
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I'm a qualified mechanical engineer and this is basic mechanical engineering.
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Kind regards from Fred.
. 2010GS Auto ex Celeb, Santorini Black, 2011 facelift , spoiler, spats, mudflaps, LED footwell lamps, Witter detach,
Other cars:-
1958 & 1959 Austin J40 Pedal Cars under restoration (I make many J40 parts)
If you have an Austin J40 or Pathfinder Pedal Car looking for a new home pls PM me.
2009 Meriva

Thank all you for the replies. I might try another dealer.

The last time I had the key was in Sep when i put on the winter tyres. The car was serviced in Oct by the LR dealer and I now wonder if they would have used the key to complete the service?. The car is only 2 years old so maybe not. I know I put it in the glove box (where it always lives) but theres no proof. Ill be doing the box on the front seat tip next time.

Ill let you know how i get on!

Pablo

Hi Fred,

Just got your post, it sounds likely and better than spending 1200 euros!!

many thanks

Pablo

Hi Pablo,
I make patterns on a regular basis, whilst most I use for making moulds for plastic resins, I do also have articles cast for me by a local foundry. To add further comment , using aluminium for the replica lost key, it is soft enough for you to hammer it finally into place on the wheelnut, being metal it's strong enough for the 'once only' undoing operation.
A small jobbing foundry should not charge much.
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I lost a key nut some time back after changing a wheel on my sons car by forgetting and leaving it still on the car nut, I found it next day 200 metres away down the road.
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Do please let us know how you get on.
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Regards from Fred.
. 2010GS Auto ex Celeb, Santorini Black, 2011 facelift , spoiler, spats, mudflaps, LED footwell lamps, Witter detach,
Other cars:-
1958 & 1959 Austin J40 Pedal Cars under restoration (I make many J40 parts)
If you have an Austin J40 or Pathfinder Pedal Car looking for a new home pls PM me.
2009 Meriva

The sacrificial alu too sounds like a very elegant solution.


I'd have probably just got creative with the MIG and welded a nut onto the end of the blighter.

As a temporary 'shield' for the wheel. stick maybe a 30mm hole in a bit of ply, then chop the a finger off an old welding gauntlet, and snip off it's end, and that'll poke through the hole and around the wheel nut.

Should be enough of a hole in say an M12 or maybe M14 nut to get decent penetration and a nice solid job ?


Ps... General disclaimer. May not work, beware of danger, your home may be at risk if you boil petrol in your kettle, etc, etc...

Alternatively, use an angle grinder to cut a slot in the top and then use an impact driver to remove it.

extra thoughts:-
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MIG welding (DIY kit), on heavy steel is a bit like throwing snowballs at a brick wall, whilst it might stick for a while it wont penetrate. DIY MIG is for thin gauge steel.
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Stick weld would work as it has great heat and would penetrate so maybe a really big nut would work where you can weld it from the inside, (and use that plywood shield).
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Whether you choose MIG or Stick weld I would suggest that you would be best to disconnect the cars battery for ten minutes (allows internal discharge of electronics) and then touch the positive terminal to the negative terminal to loose any other residual voltage.
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The chosen welders earth strap will need attaching to the brake disc somehow as you don't want an earth path through the wheelbearing from the car chassis.
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I thought that I had better be clever and check and write down the number of my wheelnut key. All it says is McGUARD as a makers name with no part number................
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Kind regards from Fred.
. 2010GS Auto ex Celeb, Santorini Black, 2011 facelift , spoiler, spats, mudflaps, LED footwell lamps, Witter detach,
Other cars:-
1958 & 1959 Austin J40 Pedal Cars under restoration (I make many J40 parts)
If you have an Austin J40 or Pathfinder Pedal Car looking for a new home pls PM me.
2009 Meriva

maybe try these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121606582775 I6 WITH GAS CONVERSION
HST BODY KIT
OSRAM LED DRIVING FOGS
CARS LOOKING GOOOOD!

I'm 99% sure that LR factory locking nuts have free rotating shrouds so these on eBay won't work on the face of it.
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HOWEVER, if you added spots of weld to secure the free rotating ring then it might......
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Kind regards from Fred
. 2010GS Auto ex Celeb, Santorini Black, 2011 facelift , spoiler, spats, mudflaps, LED footwell lamps, Witter detach,
Other cars:-
1958 & 1959 Austin J40 Pedal Cars under restoration (I make many J40 parts)
If you have an Austin J40 or Pathfinder Pedal Car looking for a new home pls PM me.
2009 Meriva