Is there a special tool that I have to get to take the wheels off a 97 Disco? (alloy 235 size) Or can one be fashioned to work? Any other tricks? My truck did not come with the tool bag that was to have this "key" in it. I hate the idea of calling the dealership because I can only imagine how much they would charge.

Mike
DiscoThing

 

Are you saying you have wheel locks and no key?
If so you may want to track down the old owner cause those wheel locks don't come of easily.

 

I wish I knew! The covers move around but I don't see any place to insert a "key". I have a Haynes repair manual that mentioned something about an extractor tool and key. Pardon my ignorance but I have never dealt with wheel locks. Since I bought the truck at an auction house I have noidea who the owner is and they have nothing else there that belonged to the truck.

Mike

 

You can take it to a good tire store like Discount Tires. They have the necessary tools to break off wheel locks, but will probably charge you a fee to do it. Then buy yourself a new set and keep the key in the glove compartment.

Dave

 

I had the exact same problem on my '97. You dont have wheel locks, it is the tin cover on the lugs. What you need to do is either buy the tire tool from Atlantic British for $15 or get a 3/4" drive breaker bar and then buy a six point 1-1/16" socket from like Sears, AutoZone, NAPA, Lowes, whatever.
Then the fun starts. Get a can of penatrant/lube like Liquid Wrench, a hammer and channel locks.
Take the socket to each lug and spray the lug with lube and then hammer the socket onto the lug. Remove the lug with the wrench and then spray inside the square hole on the socket and take the channel locks and pull and pry on the lug until it comes out of the socket.
Do this 20 times. Took me 3 hours my first time. Boy was I freakin' pissed!
But, you do it once and you will not have to do it again UNLESS the tire/brake shop uses a impact wrench to reistall your wheels. The impact wrench puts them on so tight that it "stretechs" the lug and it becomes to big for the tire tool.
So when you have tires put on make sure that they use only your tire tool and nothing esle otherwise if you get a flat you will never get the tire off.
And since you just bought the trk, make sure that you check the tire PSI in the spare tire too.
It sucks but it has to be done. You can buy the steel lugs from AB for like $200 and not have to worry about in the future.
Good luck.

 

Thank you. TIN COVERS. I thought I was this idiot that couldn't take a tire off! I'll use a really big hammer and have some fun when I get the tools! lol!

mike

 

I know plenty of people that would just LOVE to find a wheel lock key in the glove compartment! Your wheels and tires are being protected by those locks... don't keep the key in such a place that it'seasily found.

 

Yeah...and sometimes I run with scissors too! [8D]

I used to keep my wheel lock under the seat. Then I took it to a tire shop to have new shoes put on and they cut the wheel locks off because they couldn't find the key. I guess if I lived in a more theft-prone area I'd hide it.

Dave

 

Yeah, and take as much care as you can on those lug nuts. They're about $13 ea !

 

What makes LR lugnuts so special, out or curiosity? They aren't all serial numbered are they?