037 posts regarding "Wheel thieves" reminded me again about these wheel locks breaking. I have read numerous times how these wheel locks have broken. In my opinion, it is not a matter of if but when will it happen? Now couple that thought with the fact you can buy a tool to remove the wheel locks anyway, it seems to me that the wheel locks are more of a pain than a security comfort or theft deterrent.

So I think I'll get rid of them an avoid the inconvenience when they break.

What are fellow members opinion?

 

I have owned wheel locks on every car I've owned in the last ten years and never had problems with them. No one has attempted to steal my wheels (thank goodness), and so I haven't had this issue.

I will keep using them.

 

I was actually thinking of getting more wheel locks. Gorilla has a set of 20 available, each lug nut is a lock!

 

The Gorillas are what I have on my S2000 and had on my TL. All of the lugs are locks. I plan eventually to add this to my CTS-V, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

think getting rid of wheel locks is silly, buying Gorilla's on the other hand, a good idea. Just bought my self a set.

The annoyance of takingi off 20 wheels lochs surely defeats any fun taking someone's stock rims and super cool rubber worth $2500 to the insurance company...but not much to anyone else.

Thanks for the suggestions Bob, Chas.

 

“Location” would be the key word here! Crime and vandalism happens everywhere, however depending on your surrounding and demographic, occurrences will vary from cites like Compton California to say Casper Wyoming.

But seriously, who in their rightful mind would want to steal out ugly stock wheels?

 

ugly is a matter of opinion and they just happen to be the safest wheels available when it comes to reliability.

They are close to $400 each if bought from the dealership direct and no one else has them.

Wrapped in Pilot Sport A/S which aren't free either in a popular 245/45/18 size.

 

Never heard of anyone having problems with wheel locks (other than losing the key) except in the other wheel lock thread where it looks like they did their job and kept the wheels from being stolen!

LL

 

The advantage of the RL is that the wheels won't fit anything else so even if they are stolen, you will have the last laugh!

 

Well, actually, I think RL wheels should fit any Honda or Acura with 5x120 PCD. That would be the Odyssey, Ridgeline, Pilot, MDX, 4GTL, RL and presumably the new ZDX.

 

I had Acura factory wheel locks on my 2005 RL when it was delivered to me. Never thought anything of it until I got a call from Discount Tire shortly after dropping off the car for a snowtire changeover. Their first question was 'Did we swap the tires over last time?' I told them I believed they had and inquired why they were asking.

Turns out the lock on one of the wheels had broken off when they were trying to take it off. I guess it was super-tight for some reason and in trying to remove, it broke. Anyway, I had no idea what a big deal it was. Was just thinking they'd somehow get it off and I just wouldn't have a locking nut on that wheel.

Long story short, I had to take the car to a local auto repair store, at Discount Tire's expense, to have them remove the broken wheel/lock. I didn't get all the details, but it took a couple of hours..something about drilling out the lock. Honestly I didn't want to know too much..cringed hearing they'd have to drill anything.

In the end, they got the tire off but the rim had some scratches. Discount Tire to their credit, got me a new rim a few weeks later, again at no cost.

Had no idea it could be so tough to get one of these off if they break. But it was a total pain in the *#( and where I live, have zero need for them anyway. Far more trouble than it's worth.

 

The only similarity between my stock RL wheels and my Pilot is that they were both round.

 

Looks wise, absolutely....

....but otherwise, the RL wheels should fit on the Pilot, though unlikely that Pilot wheels will fit on the RL due to the front brake caliper clearance. The width, hub, and bolt circle and lug bolts and nuts are all compatible.

 

^^^

Agree 100% I live in Littleton (5mins from Highlands Ranch via E470), very peaceful and neighborly.

Funny, my Discount tires guy told me about a RL that had a "stuck" wheel lock due to some noobie torquing the lock (your suppose to just tighten, no torque at all). I wonder if they where talking about U?

 

That would be funny if it was my car they were talking about. It was the Discount Tire on Red Cedar, off Wildcat Reserve.

As far as some noobie torquing the lock, I assured them they were the last and only people who have worked on my tires. I always get them rotated there and snows switched over. Not like I'm out in my garage rotating my own tires..never even changed my own oil.

They ended up looking in their records and seeing they had done relatively recent work so paid for the work at the other auto shop and new rim.

 

Unless you live in a really crappy area I'd ditch them. Dealers just throw them on there to get extra money when they sell you the car.

 

I don't live in a crappy area and I now have a hole in my wheel lock.

You suggest I take my wheels off and park em next to my car to make it a bit easier on them?

 

I concur that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The RL are also very well built, but what data or information have you gather to suggest such a extraordinary claim?

 

well, considering these wheels are attached to the safest and one of the most reliable cars on the road, maybe we can do an inference that what's true about the whole is also true about it's parts?

http://www.jdpower.com/autos/Acura/RL/2009/Sedan

Excellent all-weather handling, wealth of standard features, handsome interior, excellent build quality, superb stereo, seamless integration of complex technologies, top-notch crash test scores.

http://www.edmunds.com/acura/rl/2009/review.html


you get the idea...

 

^^^

Isn't that being a bit presumptuous?


Unless Acura has change philosophy during the RL's 09 production, I highly doubt
any differences in alloy material, built quality or engineering between the 18's OEM RL vs. TL, MDX (Honda Pilot, Ridgline as mention by Mr.Chas2) expect for the actual designs.

So to say that the RL's wheels is the "safest wheels available when it comes to reliability" is flawed and a fabrication. I thought you had some factual evidence to enlighten the board, as I am a RL fanboy myself but from your formulated thought process, could I also assume that:

Nike's Jordan are the best basketball shoes since it was design and built for MJ himself?
or
Brad Pitt is the luckiest man on earth because he gets to bang Angeline?

 

Interestingly, I don't use any locks when I am running my PAX wheels and tires, and of course no one wants them at 75 lbs a piece. I have never felt that they were ever in jeopardy of being taken! So far, knock on wood, I have been right.

Are wheel thieves that sophisticated?

 

I feel my IQ dropping when I read your posts.

I am talking about overall car reliability which translates into all parts of the car contributing.

You are talking about a product that makes someone who is not part of it great.

I think you got your wires crossed.

 

My apology for the misunderstanding and lost of IQ. I wrote responses, but thank god for the 5min edit/delete rule so lets just leave it at that. I thoroughly enjoy AZ, so I won't leave it to chance that some bickering might case a banned.

Let’s get back on topic!

I vote NO on getting rid of the wheel locks, to many thieves want our precious wheels.

 

There's reallly nothing you can do to prevent any thief from taking anything from you. All you can do is slow them down. or at least make it a pain in the a$$ for them.No wheel locks is an open invite.If they're going to take it anyway, you might as well make it difficult for them in anyway possible.

 

that's basically the point.

Taking off wheels with locks on them requires more time and makes more noise. Whatever makes it harder for them may not be worth it...and thus should provide more safety.

It's a stock wheel...shouldn't be all that appealing to begin with!

 

As is standard with this car, everything is a little more difficult...

I went on the Gorilla web site to find locks, and while they do have a set of four Gorilla Locks for this car, you have to order them as Honda Ridgeline Locks, in order to get the Honda flat washer 14x1.5 style. This is the OEM style lug for 2005-2008. The stock number is 75641H, for a set of four locks and a key.

037, you need to tell us what style 09 uses, although I believe they are the same.

The so called Gorilla System locks, which is 16, 20 or 24 locks, depending on your wheel, are not available in the said Honda flat washer style. You can order them as a special order, however, through JC Whitney or Summit Racing, the two distributors for Gorilla.

Here is the process:

JC Whitney Special Order Desk 866.529.4363

Ask for a special order from Gorilla Automotive for a System set of 20 lug niuts and a key for the "Honda Ridgeline with attached washer" style seat (Ask for an Acura RL, and they will say you cannot do it--I confirmed with Gorilla that the Honda Ridgeline locks work with the 2G RL)

Special Orders will check with Gorilla and get back to you. Their price to me was $59.99 which is competitive with their normal offerings for the 20 lug nut System locks.

What they do: JC Whitney Special Orders creates a custom work order for Gorilla. Gorilla pulls together five sets of Gorilla Locks, keyed alike, and packages it with a key. Gorilla will ship directly to you from their factory, although you pay JC Whitney. The order takes some time of course, and is not the usual few days as if shipped from the JC Whitney warehouse.

An additional note: Gorilla has a confusing set of product names for its locks

-Gorilla Locks
-Gorilla The System (the 16, 20, 24 or 32 lock system of Gorilla Locks)
-The System in new box style packaging
-Gorilla Guard Locks, which is the original Gorilla Lock with an additional narrow diameter spinning collar and special key that will be more likely to foil the Emergency Lock Removal Tool we have seen in other posts
-Gorilla Guard II Locks, which I am not sure what it is except they say a moderate priced solution

But it seems that any of their solutions are cheaper than the 4 lock McGard solution charged by Acura.

 

I'm confused: It wasn't long ago that one of the big flaws with the RL are the stock wheels and that there are very few alternatives. Now the big question is how do we stop people from stealing them!
Pro theives have no problems with the wheel locks - In the words of Andy Rooney - " Theives wouldn't use the front door even if you mailed them the key". Wheel locks are the same way.

 

wheel locks won't stop pro-thieves who might find it easier to just tow your car.

It's the amatures we are trying to prevent from even considering the theft.

 

Chas, here are the wheel locks I purchased.

When selecting I just wanted to make sure the size is correct, I was unaware that there are any complications with it beyond that.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._ya_oh_product

I guess I will see soon enough...

 

Well I guess we will see.

The Hondas and Acuras have a ball seat and the flat washer seat more lately for the 5x120 bolt circle.

This is not a great picture, but here is the flat washer seat
http://www.bernardiparts.com/Honda-W...-SHJ-100A.aspx

Here is the ball seat picture, also known as spherical, tends to be for smaller wheels, the 12x1.5 lug bolts, but not always. My PAX tires came with 14x1.5 ball seat
http://www.brandsport.com/grla-38431nb5.html

Actually, I just remembered, here is a good illustration of both types in 14x1.5

Look at page 6 of February 2007 Acura ServiceNews
http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SN/B070200.PDF to see the differences.

But I have no idea what the 2009 brings. Maybe they have changed...

 

M14 from the PDF is what I think I have

 

Yes, I would agree based on the parts catalog for the 2009
http://www.acuraoemparts.com/delray/...All&vinsrch=no

That M14 lug is clearly a ball seat, and quite different than the 2005-2008 RL Honda flat washer style I described in the special order procedure above.

The "Acorn" lug is a style of lug, but may not actually refer to the lug seat. While most acorn style lugs seem to come with 60 degree angle taper, I understand there are three different general seat types with variations within each type...as usual, nothing is ever truly interchangeable in cars...

-Taper (conical) seat
-Ball (spherical or radius) seat (which may be a Honda only style)
-Flat (shank or mag) seat

Good luck with the purchase, and let us know what happens. If you have the bad luck to get the wrong seat style, I am sure you can return it or work with Gorilla to swap it out.

 

I bought from amazon, I'm sure I can return it if anything.

will keep everyone posted.

 

One of my locks broke...see here...

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rl-tires-wheels-suspension-92/d-015-broken-wheel-lock-lug-nut-ever-hear-735498/

 

Chas2:
Let us know when you receive these locks from JCwit/Gorilla. I'd love to know that they 100% fit stock rims (14x1.50 lugs). Having 20 lugs lock with one key would be AWSOME ! ! !

I had to park in a parking garage for a football game last weekend (and HAD to leave it overnight ).
I HATE leaving my car like that, but sometimes you have no choice. If I would have come back to pick up my car in the AM, and find no wheels..... .... . What a great solution you have. THX ! !

BTW...What the hell do you do if someone steals ALL of your wheels?!?!? Tow? How? Where? Man! what a dilemma! That would be an all around suck fest!

Thanks!

 

I know this is beating a dead horse, but I came across this illustration, which I think is great. These are all "acorn" style lug nuts showing the three different seats. The reference to Acorn/Tapered Seat is confusing, and would have been better if it were labeled just Tapered Seat.

Taper or Cone seat, this with the 60 degree angle common to many aftermarket wheels

Honda Flat or Mag seat with washer, used on all 2G RL 2005-2008 (EXCEPT PAX WHEELS)

Honda Ball or Spherical seat, used on 2G RL 2006-2008 PAX WHEELS ONLY, and 2009 and 2010 all models.

This is a good illustration as to why you want to use the correct seats to hold your wheels on. Mismatches can be catastrophic.

 

JC witney just quoted me $126.00 + sh for the 20 lug set (single key).

Told them it was for a 2006 honda ridgeline with attached washer.

Wonder what the difference is? ($59 vs $126).

Maybe I missed or misquoted somthing to them?

 

Maybe not. I called JC Whitney back, and they referred to their notes, and said Gorilla corrected them and said the part number was 71463N, which is the WRONG seat.

So, it sounds like there was a communication problem, and JC Whitney is on the hunt again checking back with Gorilla. I spoke to the rep and showed her the picture of the seat in the Gorilla catalog of the 75641H which is the Honda flat seat with washer.

It seems that it was too good to be true...$59 is the price of a regular 20 lock system, but in the more common 60 degree taper seat. Sigh.

 

I see little point in wheel locks on stock wheels unless maybe -- MAYBE -- you live in a really bad urban area.

Your car's insured. In the ultra-unlikely event your wheels are stolen, it'll almost surely be covered. And really, as has been pointed out, they really won't slow down a dedicated wheel theif.

Meanwhile, garage chimps who don't know how to take your wheels off will be stymied by them, they can break, and they're insanely inconvenient if you're trying to change the wheel on the side of the road in the rain.

Or, like my wife (then, my fiancee), you can hit a curb, call AAA to get your tire changed (because she didn't know how) and hear this exchange:

"Ma'am, I'm going to need your wheel lock key."

"What's that?"

"You know, the thing that lets me take your wheel off."

"I don't know what it is."

*phone call*

"Honey, the AAA guy says he needs the wheel lock key."

"Don't you have it in the car?"

"I've never seen it. What is it?"

"When you got your car, the dealer gave you a package of lug nuts, and it had a key in it. Where is it?"

"Oh, I threw that out. What do I need lug nuts for?"

*facepalm*

 

Cool. I was just a little concerned that I was getting stuck with an extra "carrying" charge of twice the amount.

I called gorilla just to see what the "system" model number is for the set of 20 and a key (I was hoping to shop around). She said that a few people have been calling about these lately (go figure).

75641H IS the set we need, BUT that model number is for only one set of four. She said that they can put together a set of 20, but dont sell direct to the public. She also said that these are a little bigger that even some of the other systems which I've seen on websites for other type vehicles ($89.00 ish). Whatever......

Screw it. I just bought the set from JC Whitney anyway. 126 + sh. Some times you just gotta throw in the towel. Peace of mind at a cost.

Thanks for the info chas!
W