On Sep 15, 1:30*pm, Steve Barker wrote:
Kate wrote:
I just got a new car and the wheels do not have lug nuts on them.

Do I need to be concerned about the wheels being stolen?

Would you live with it the way it is, or pay $45 for four keyed or
locking lug nuts?

Everyone is always so helpful so I wanted to post here even though it is
off topic.

Many thanks.

Kate

If there's no lug nuts, then what holds the wheels on?

s

Exactly. And if someone really wants the wheel/s easy enough to chop-
off the locking nut; usually installed, if at all, one on each wheel.
And a 'professional wheel thief' will probably have the appropriate
unlocking tool anyway! Some places in the world they just take the
whole car; take the wheels and anything else and then dump it!

Don't really see the point of these alloy wheels. Lighter maybe?
But expensive and harder to fix or replace if damaged! So for winter
we acquire an extra set of four steel ones and equip them with steel
studded (legal here until May 1st) snow tyres.

Oddly enough the only time I ever had wheels stolen it was plain old
steel wheels off an old ex-Hertz/Avis 76 Chev. I had bought to tow a
trailer! Also, ironically I was in court as a witness giving evidence
against a contractor concerning the installation of water in our
community at the time and could almost see the car in a parking space
from the courtroom window!

Time to go shopping for winter tyres shortly. First snow storm often
in November. Certainly by Dec15th. Although the weather during the
last 50 years or so has been more variable and uncertain; seems to be
changing! Despite slight increase in cost of hydro generated
electricity, heating costs during recent winters, have, if anything
have been lower! But it mainly a function of how windy it gets here,
near the North Atlantic.

If worried about wheels being stolen get some plain old steel ones;
even new often available for $50 or less. apiece. And if used (watch
out though for those that came off a crashed vehicle) sometimes get a
couple at time for $20 each. So for around $100 one saves the cost
and potential damage to fancy rims by twice a year mounting and
dismounting, balancing and installing two or four winter tyres. And
cost of same.
Also if one has the four snow tyre wheels stored in garage or shed it
takes less than an hour to change them over oneself in the driveway
etc. and put the unused ones back into the shed. Although must admit
now am in mid/late 70s I have once or twice taken them to a service
station. It also gives one a chance to inspect and clean up the set of
wheels that are off the vehicle.

As they say cut the cloth to fit the situation. My father once knew a
very affluent/influential, person (Lord ....Sir Somebody Hunt?) IIRC,
who used to take an older smaller car and wear an old raincoat to his
business meetings; rather than take his family's Roll Royce. He said
it attracted less attention away from the business at hand, and
nothing was ever stolen form the smaller/cheaper car. Maybe there's a
lesson there?