Wheel nuts are cheap until they are wrong. A nut with the wrong seat can work loose, a cross-threaded stud can snap, and a lost locknut key can turn a simple puncture into a long wait at the roadside. Whether you need a replacement set after fitting new mags, a set of locknuts for wheels that thieves like, or a lost locknut removed, the thread, seat and length must suit the wheel and the car. Send one request and we pass it to independent suppliers and tyre shops, who quote you directly.
Nuts, bolts and studs: thread and seat
Some cars use wheel nuts on studs; many European cars use wheel bolts that screw into the hub. The thread size and pitch, for example M12 x 1.5, must match. So must the seat, the face that presses on the wheel: conical (tapered), ball (rounded) or flat with a washer. A conical nut on a wheel made for ball seats touches on a thin ring and can loosen. Aftermarket mag wheels often need different nuts or bolts from the factory wheels, and bolts must be the right length to engage the hub fully.
Torque, and why the impact gun is not enough
Every vehicle has a torque figure for its wheel nuts. Fitters often run nuts on with an impact gun, but they should finish with a torque wrench, in a star pattern. Too loose and the wheel can come off; too tight and studs stretch, brake discs can warp and the nuts are hard to undo at the roadside. Many fitters advise rechecking torque after the first 50 to 100 km on newly fitted wheels, especially alloys. A wheel alignment or tyre change is a good moment to check too.
Locknuts and a lost key
A set of locknuts replaces one nut per wheel with a nut that needs a patterned key. Keep the key in the car, not on the same ring as your house keys, and note the code card if it has one. If the key is lost or the pattern is damaged, tyre shops have removal sockets that grip the locknut, and they can fit a new set. Ask whether the removal could mark the wheel.
- Locknuts with the right seat for your wheels
- A spare key kept separately
- Locknut removal and a new set fitted
Stripped studs, trucks and trailers
A stripped or snapped stud can usually be pressed out and replaced, sometimes with the hub off. Truck wheels use larger nuts and need regular torque checks; trailers and caravans lose nuts more often than people think. If you hear a click from a wheel, stop and check. For a hum or play instead, see wheel bearing replacement.
What to put in your request
- The vehicle and whether it uses nuts or bolts
- Factory or aftermarket wheels
- Thread size and seat type if you know them
- Locknuts wanted, or a lost key to remove
- Fitting at a shop or a mobile call-out
Wheel Nuts and Locknuts for drivers, fleets and workshops
- Private car owners: a lost locknut key removed or a set of locknuts for new mags
- Enthusiasts, 4x4 and performance drivers: lightweight nuts or bolts with the right seat for aftermarket wheels
- Company and rental fleets: replacement nuts and torque checks across a fleet of vans and bakkies
- Dealers, panel shops and insurers: a full set of matching nuts so a used car does not leave with odd ones
- Tyre shops and wheel workshops: a tyre shop stocking common nuts, bolts and locknut removal sockets
- Truck, bus and taxi operators: truck wheel nuts and torque checks on dual wheels before long runs
- Farms: nuts and studs for farm bakkies and trailers that shake loose on gravel
- Mines and construction sites: heavy wheel nuts and regular torque checks on site vehicles
Frequently asked questions
Do you sell wheel nuts or remove locknuts yourselves?
I lost my locknut key. What now?
Can I reuse my old nuts on new mags?
How tight should wheel nuts be?
Wheel Nuts and Locknuts by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg