This type of locking wheel nut is generally quite sturdy and reliable. Most problems with these come down to a lost key rather than damage to the locking wheel nut itself, although rounded or damaged keys are still possible.

Type 1 locking wheel nuts use an “anti-tamper” head that will snap off very easily, leaving only a flat surface behind 

As this is the older Ford style locking wheel nut, failures are usually caused by corrosion rather than the bolt itself being weak. They often develop an “over-tightened” feel, even when they haven’t actually been massively over-torqued. Snapped or rounded locking wheel nut keys are much more common with this type, especially if force is repeatedly applied once corrosion has started.

If you drive a Ford Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo, Transit, or Kuga, you might have run into a frustrating design flaw. Ford's standard two-piece wheel nuts use a steel core covered by a decorative chrome casing. Over time, moisture gets trapped underneath, causing the nut to swell up.

Once swollen, standard tyre shop sockets will no longer fit, easily rounding or shearing the nut casing. At Bolt Busters, we are specialists in safely extracting swollen Ford wheel nuts without damaging your alloy wheels.