McGard Locking Nuts - A warning!

[Obvious]

A while ago I purchased a set of McGard locking nuts for my car, to keep the new alloys safe and sound. Heard good things about them so thought I'd bite the bullet and get a set..

Anyway, today I thought I'd clean up the alloys up inside etc and paint the calipers while I was at it. So off came the front offside, cleaned up aloy, painted caliper, alloy back on.. Come to do up the locking nut, hear a slight crack.. everything seems fine..

Do the offside rear, same again hear a crack doing the locking nut back up. Then come to take off the nearside rear, slip on the locking nut key and try to undo it and HUGE crack and the locking key slips. Take a look at the key and what do you know it's sheared the top of the nut clean off and left it inside the key, which inturn has cracked all around the pattern. (see pic)



So now I'm left with one sheared nut on the rear with no idea of how to get the thing off as it's hardened steel around the nut, a key which is as good as useless and two calipers still to paint.. On top of my light problems I had the other day.. Can things get any worse [:^(] 

I'm contacting McGard about it, but in their leaflet with the key it says replacement keys are £12 but surely this is a design fault somewhere or something? But that still won't take off the sheared one..

Anyone got any ideas of how to get the sheared nut off? Cheaply, as I am skint

[Judderi]

I would take it to a local trye place like quick fit. They get this all the time and can get them off with ease.

[Jamo_GTI]

Is it a standard mcgard or one with the spin shroud?

The spin shrouds are an absolute bugger to remove when the above happens 

[Obvious]

Have managed to get someone to help me remove all 4 of them today, with the aid of a rather large hammer, a few sockets, a vice and an air gun and a lot swearing and shouting  Seems I am not the first to have had problems with these type of nuts, seems the little bit of metal there is between the pattern and shroud (best part of a 1-2mm) just isn't upto the job and it's shearing off even when being tightened up by hand. So seems McGard build quality just isn't upto the job.

Anyway, McGard offered to send out a drill out kit and a spare key. Told them I needed them off a.s.a.p just incase anything happened (blow out say).. They have offered to replace the set free of charge once I have posted the damaged ones back to them. So least their customer service is top notch

[zorro]

The same happenend to me last weekend although fortunately the nut still has some of the pattern left. Mine are the Ultra's with the spinning sleeve, fortunately i felt it start to slip so i managed to undo them gently without causing too much damage.
Ive had McGards before but never had this problem

Chris

[Obvious]

Well it's reassuring to know I am not alone with having problems with these nuts. People were saying it's because they may have been air-gunned on in the past. But I usually take them off and replace with the standard nuts before taking it to a garage... Just seems to me build quality isn't upto the job IMO

[Bluefox]

We sell these at work, and we've had a few back. Few being the key word, we do shift a fair few. I think maybe you were just unlucky - but as you said, their customer service is usually top drawer if there is a problem.

[Obvious]

Yes, certainly can not fault their customer service at all!! Absolutely first class...which makes a change in this day and age where the consumer is suppose to come first.

[kniterider]

got mcguards on the clio sport, had the wheels on/off a few times and no probs as yet but ill keep me ears open for a 'crack' noise.... if i do then it will be pants!! thinking about it i might even order a spare one now incase this ever does happen......

 

[Bluefox]

Yes, certainly can not fault their customer service at all!! Absolutely first class...which makes a change in this day and age where the consumer is suppose to come first.

<grumpy old man> I couldn't agree more! </grumpy old man>