996scott

So here's another question......Is it really necessary to have locking bolts? Are people really stealing wheels? I guess if you are leaving your car outside in a bad neighborhood overnight it would be better. I'm thinking of just doing away with them altogether.

asellus

Wildly depends on the area you're in.

BGLeduc

The 1st thing I bought when acquiring my Cayman S in '07 and 991.1 GTS in 2019 was 4 standard lug bolts. I live in greater fear of showing up at an Autocross unable to change my tires because I misplaced the wheel key than having someone jacking up the car and stealing my wheels.

But it surely does matter where you live and where you need to leave your car. I fortunately have a garage and don't need to leave it in bad areas, but YMMV.

996scott

So an update on my dilemma. I went to the dealer and when they looked at the locking bolt they said I'm basically screwed. They do not have a key for this style and after looking it up on the computer with my VIN, the part number for the locking bolt and key says discontinued. According to them Porsche does not make the key and there is no way to get one. This sounds very hard to believe. Porsche has just said sorry if you have this locking bolt and loose the key you are sh.t out of luck????? I'm going to check with a couple of other dealers and send them the picture and see what they say but I can't believe a dealer wouldn't have a key or at-least be able to get their hands on one.

jfischet

how about something like this:

Porsche_nuts

Carreralicious

Call Suncoast Porsche (the link I gave below shows that they sell the set with the key), and they are a dealer as well. Their parts department may be able to help you with getting a key.

dannyss

Those specialty socket will probably not work with the type of bolt shown. It probably has a free floating collar around the bolt head.
If you can't find a key, the only other method I know of is to weld a regular bolt to the head of the key bolt.

1CEBITN

Call some indy shops also, they may either have the key or be able to help you get it off and replace with a regular lug nut. I assume you are going to have the same problem on all four wheels so might as well take care of it before you're stuck with a flat somewhere. Another option is to look on eBay or see if sun coast has just the key they'll sell you. Looks like a whole set of lugs with the locks are only $69 from them worst case.

996scott

Update: Went to a 2nd Porsche dealer and had several of their service guys look at it and they said they have no key that would fit. Only one of them had even seen a lock like this before (which is hard for me to believe). I talked to several wheel shops and several tire shops and they all said they would have to try cutting it off, they don't have a key. So after watching a ton of youtube videos it looks like my best bet is to cut off the spinning colar with a dremel tool and then use a socket hammered over the lug bolt like most videos show. I will give it a try in the next day or 2 and report back.

By the way, i did write an email to PCNA and asked how it can be that they don't make a key for their OEM bolts. I'll see if i ever hear back from them.

IXLR8

I'd cut out some strips from a tin can and slip it into the cavity so that the Dremel cannot make contact with the aluminum rim should you slip. Best bet, get some carbide Dremel bits in case the sleeve is hardened.

This set worked well for me on a very rusted exhaust nut where 6 point sockets were slipping. It will depend on the space you have around the lug nut. You might have to grind the hex flats off.

dvalera001

Had a similar issue with my wheel locks. I bought the car with no key and figured I'd have to break the locks off anyways. So took it to a local wheel shop and they removed the locks for me. They were useless after, but they were useless on too. Got spacers too with the extended bolts, so it all worked out.

ZnZBar 986S

Taking them off, throwing them away and replacing them with a stock lug bolt is my personal solution to this for 6 different Porsches now. But I also never parked my cars anywhere that I have to worry about someone stealing my wheels.

996scott

Well, 2 1/2 hrs later THEY ARE OFF! And as ZnZbar said i will be replacing them with non locking bolts. I taped things off, used a dremel with a carbide bit to cut into the collar, used a cold chisel to bust off the collar, pounded on a bolt extractor, and used a breaker bar. All in all it wasn't overly difficult, just a pain in the butt. Thanks for all the input from everyone, i appreciate it. Hope this helps someone down the road if you're an idiot like me and lose the key.





By the way, if anyone else has lug bolts like these, I would take them off and replace them with the more traditional lock that Porsche has just in case you ever lose the key. You can get the traditional keys but not these.

Carreralicious

Well at least you got them off. I have those same locks, and so I contacted Suncoast since they sold me my full set of wheel bolts with the lock bolts and key. They told me they could get me a new key but it would be $250. I was like thanks but no thanks because the original full set was $179, and $250 just for the key was kind of ridiculous.

What I do if ever I have to bring my car in to the dealer or Indy shop is to replace the lock nuts with plain bolts prior to giving my car to them so they don’t have a chance of losing my key and then swap my lock nuts back after I get my car back. A pain but ensures they don’t forget to put my key back in my frunk.