ML on blocks.....all wheels stolen

[mb240]

Saw this on an Irish forum. The car was left like this:

It's a well-to-do area of Dublin 4. I haven't seen this type of thing ever basically. Stolen to order? It doesn't look like an ML AMG, does that mean no locking nuts? Do locking nuts even matter if they (the thieves) go at it with a drill or something?

 

[seymansey]

Well all alloys have locking nuts these days, even my 10 year old C240 had them from factory. The problem is, there only seems to be a finite number of combinations of the locking key about.

 

[Dieter]

Hi,

An environmentally friendly 4 x 4 ?

Cheers,

 

[Dieselman]

Locking bolts are easily defeated.

Surprising to see such care taken and leaving it on blocks, normally the toe-rags just dump the car on the ground.

Nicking alloy wheels appears to have gone out of fashion recently but used to be very common a while ago.

Now, it's a 4x4 so good for towing and it is in Ireland. I wonder..

 

[BTB 500]

Well all alloys have locking nuts these days

Do they? The factory 17" alloys on my Vito didn't come with locking nuts.

 

[gbjeppm]

I remember a few years ago Bramley the high end car showroom near Guildford had almost all of his stock of Porsches, Mercs etc sitting there in the morning on bricks with no alloys in site.

We are talking 10 cars plus done in one night.

 

[e55]

Its happened to my car before in Central London.
Now I got two lock nuts on each wheel to slow them down a bit

 

[whitenemesis]

Dealers have a set of "keys" that will undo just about any Merc (just in case the customer has misplaced the key)

Thieves would only need to get hold of that set.....

 

[Dieselman]

You don't need keys and more lock nuts makes no difference.

 

[whitenemesis]

It's going to be easier and quicker with them though

 

[Dieselman]

Makes no odds.

 

[andy_k]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....512699&tGUID=34fa936611a0a0a22cc1e981fffe998d

one of those in the right size and you won't even notice locking bolts

 

[Gucci]

Never seen the new ML off road before

 

[Ian B Walker]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....512699&tGUID=34fa936611a0a0a22cc1e981fffe998d

one of those in the right size and you won't even notice locking bolts

I have a set of those and they have helped me out a number of times. However One big enough to cover a locking wheel bolts would be difficult to find.

 

[andy_k]

I have a set of those and they have helped me out a number of times. However One big enough to cover a locking wheel bolts would be difficult to find.

are you sure??

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....633380&tGUID=34fa936611a0a0a22cc1e981fffe998d

took me 10 seconds

 

[nick mercedes]

are you sure??

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....633380&tGUID=34fa936611a0a0a22cc1e981fffe998d

took me 10 seconds

The heads on the locking bolts are only 17mm, but would the above grip a perfectly round head?

 

[Ian B Walker]

Smart @rse not you Nick, Andy

 

[Ian B Walker]

The heads on the locking bolts are only 17mm, but would the above grip a perfectly round head?

yes they would

 

[andy_k]

yep, just hammer them on to the round bolt head and turn, they are amazing tools

when I say "hammer on" with a wheel bolt it only needs a couple of taps, just enough for the edges to cut into the bolt and then they grip like mad, the more you turn them, the tighter they hold on

 

[nick mercedes]

yep, just hammer them on to the round bolt head and turn, they are amazing tools

Makes the old locking bolts a bit redundant...