Are the wheel locks supposed to spin freely?

[tommasom]

Hello, I have a 2011 Dodge Challenger RT. I bought a set of McGard wheel locks and installed them on the tires. I did it nice and tight. I noticed that the top part off the shell can spin freely with some effort.
Is this alright?


One more thing: when I needed to get a wheel lock off without the key, we used a chisel gun and after stripping through (heard a pop), we simply just spun the lug nut off by hand.


Is the wheel lock that is now spinning freely related to this and damaged???

[DrinkCoke]

McGard wheel locks have a free spinning collar. That's what makes it difficult for someone to take something like vise grips and remove the wheel locks.

[sitedrifter]

The shell can spin freely or like mine, with some effort. That is normal

[Cuda340]

Not all McGard wheel locks have the more secure spinning sleeves, like the Gorilla locks. I originally ordered a set of MOPAR locks (made by McGard), in 2008, and they were the standard locks.

[sitedrifter]

Yeah mine were/are Mopar made by Mcgaurd abd have the spinning sleeve.

[tommasom]

Thanks guys; yeah perhaps these are the ones with the sleeve/shell. The funny thing is I dont know why some do spin with minimal effort, and some dont?

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Also can someone explain how when you break a wheel lock with an impact, it comes right off? I mean if you tighten a wheel lock and then need to break it b/c you dont have a key, and you cut through it, how can you just twist it off with your hand with little effort???

I ask because the free spinning with my sleeve reminds me of when we had to remove wheel locks with an impact and after drilling through, you would just twist them off...

[sitedrifter]

Originally Posted by tommasom

Thanks guys; yeah perhaps these are the ones with the sleeve/shell. The funny thing is I dont know why some do spin with minimal effort, and some dont?

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Also can someone explain how when you break a wheel lock with an impact, it comes right off? I mean if you tighten a wheel lock and then need to break it b/c you dont have a key, and you cut through it, how can you just twist it off with your hand with little effort???

I ask because the free spinning with my sleeve reminds me of when we had to remove wheel locks with an impact and after drilling through, you would just twist them off...

That is normal because the tolerances to allow it to spin by hand are just not there. McGard assume a socket or something else will be jammed on the outer shell and that is when the shell is designed to spin. Yours are normal.