In connection with the crisis in the economy and other industries in our country and in a number of other countries, many are trying to make money by any means - for example, motorists, for example, are faced with stealing wheels from their cars. This is a very unpleasant situation, because the car turns into real estate, and it is still necessary to spend some - by no means small - amount of money to purchase new wheels.
Now there is an effective remedy for theft - a secret bolt on the wheel. It is equipped with a special key-head, and an ordinary balloon wrench on such a bolt simply can not be worn. At numerous auto forums and communication platforms, these devices are hotly discussed - everyone is wondering if they are effective, because the price of the simplest set starts at 1500 p.
So, further we will discuss what is the notorious secret bolt on the wheel, what are its advantages and how to protect yourself from possible losses.
How did the “secrets” appear?
This is not an invention of recent days - a secret wheel bolt was invented before World War II. By the way, the Italians invented this device. Italy then had a rather low standard of living, and marginals mainly from the southern parts of the country visited their northern neighbors in order to steal wheels, cars and everything that could be stolen, carried away, and taken away.
To protect themselves from these robbers, the inhabitants of the northern regions came up with this tricky wheel fastener. Mass production also started in Italy, but after the war.
Secrets in Russia
In Russia, a secret wheel bolt appeared in the seventies, during a shortage. The non-standard method of fastening was almost the only effective anti-theft tool. Theft of wheels was a serious problem then - they couldn’t be so easily taken and bought in a store.
Those lucky people who managed to get abroad at work brought sets of such protection from business trips. They were also made in the USSR - in factories and just in garages. The heads of such fasteners, of course, were not equipped with super-efficient spline or gear joints. The first secrets were a bolt, the head of which was turned in the form of a cylinder. The pins on the socket head were offset from the center. The key had a hole inside, with which it was possible to unscrew the secret wheel bolt.
Device and purpose
Now, in order to secure expensive or simply non-standard wheels, motorists also apply these solutions. The principle of operation is the same, however, serious changes have occurred in the design of the heads.
Modern bolts and the key to it most often have a complex profile. To open such fasteners without an original tool, you must either make a lot of effort or select a suitable tool for a very long time and persistently.
In the 90s, nuts and bolts for them with an external profile were widespread. They were as simple as possible to manufacture, and these sets were inexpensive. But it turned out that in order to remove these "secrets", an attacker just needs to use pliers or a gas key with a long handle.
A bolt with an internal pattern has grooves on the inner walls of the hole, which means that it is quite difficult to unscrew it without a special tool.
How to choose a secret wheel bolt
When choosing a suitable kit, you should carefully check the bolts - it is important to see if the bolt really can be removed without a key. Too large and heavy structures should not be purchased - they can significantly disrupt the wheel balancing.
Not the last criterion and the length of the bolt - it is best if it matches the length of the standard bolt. If the fastener is too long, then when screwing it in, the wheel will not press fully against the hub. If it is shorter than necessary, then there is a serious risk of twisting it - this can happen even on the go.
Reliability and efficiency
So, the smaller the bolt head protrudes, the more difficult it will be to cling to it with the help of any tools. Often, secret bolts on VAZ wheels for alloy wheels have practically no protrusions beyond the edge of the hole in the head disk. As for the attacker selecting a suitable key, the probability of such an action is reduced to almost zero.
Another factor affecting reliability is how well-designed security elements are in grooves, grooves, and protrusions. Small grooves and grooves can result in a big problem. The key may not enter them if they are even just dirty.
You can also note the complexity of the picture - the number of points along which the key is inserted is important here. The larger the area of such points, the lower the risk of their accidental folding. An important factor is the brand and quality of the metal of which the bolt is made. More precisely, not even the characteristic of the alloy itself, but the resistance of the metal to drilling. Hard alloys allow you to create a more accurate picture, which key can be very, very difficult to find.
For example, expensive Asian-made kits are made from high-quality Japanese steels. Brake calipers are also made of these alloys.
Significantly affects the level of wheel safety and the uniqueness of the secret bolt. It is even important the amount in which a batch of these fasteners was released. Often, the higher the efficiency, the less sets were released. In terms of the volume of the batch, one can also say about the quality of the product - the simplest solutions, which cost from 150-200 rubles, are sold in huge quantities, and finding a key for them is a matter of one or two hours. Naturally, the smaller the party, the higher the price.
Original Secret Bolts
Automakers also offer their original solutions, which are produced at the same factories where they manufacture parts for cars. Their advantage is that if the key is lost, the driver will not have a question about how to remove the secret bolt from the wheel. A suitable key can be purchased using a unique code. The cost of such sets often starts at 3000 r.
How to remove a secret bolt
Of course, it is best to entrust this work to professionals - then these bolts may still be able to be used for their intended purpose. Independently solving such a problem is possible only by barbaric methods. There are special tools that are specially “sharpened” for such tasks. And the question "how to unscrew the secret bolt on the wheel" will not worry the owner of such a set, but they are quite expensive.
It is advisable to tighten ordinary bolts on the wheel very strongly - this removes the load from the secret fastener. Then the wheel is lifted by a jack, and a hammer is knocked on the secret from all sides. Next, lower the wheel, and all the other bolts unscrew. Are you tired? However, this is not all! Then the wheel is again lifted and the secret bolt is treated with a special compound, for example WD-40. Then the standard fasteners are reinstalled and tightened with the greatest possible force. After that, the secret will relax, and it will be possible to unscrew it with the head.
You can also use a nut extractor. This is a pretty effective option. The extractor is simply hammered with a sledgehammer over the head, and then the bolt is unscrewed with a balloon wrench.
Summary
That, in fact, is all. This is a fairly reliable option to protect yourself from theft. To the car owner, without removing the wheels, you can screw in a secret bolt and sleep peacefully at night.