Secret bolt on the wheel: description, device, purpose. How to remove the secret bolt from the wheel: possible options

In connection with the crisis in the economy and other industries in our country and a number of other countries, many try to earn by any methods - that's motorists, for example, faced with the fact that they steal the wheels from their cars. This is a very unpleasant situation, because the car turns into real estate, and it is necessary to spend some - not small - amount of money for the purchase of 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 key on such a bolt simply does not wear. At numerous forums and sites for communication, these devices are hotly debated - everyone is interested in whether they are effective, because the price of the simplest set starts from 1500 r.

So, further we will discuss what the notorious secret bolt on the wheel is, what are its advantages and how to protect yourself against possible losses.

How did the "secrets?"

This is not an invention of the last days - a secret bolt on the wheel was invented even before the Second World War. By the way, Italians invented this device. In Italy, at that time, there was a rather low standard of living, and the marginals, mainly from the southern parts of the country, visited the northern neighbors to steal the wheels, cars and everything that could be hijacked, carried away, taken away.

To protect themselves from these robbers, the inhabitants of the northern regions came up with this cunning wheel fasteners. Mass production also started in Italy, but after the war.

Secrets in Russia

In Russia, a secret bolt on the wheel appeared in the seventies, during a deficit. The non-standard way of fastening was practically the only effective means against theft. Theft of the wheels was then a serious problem - they could not have been so easy to take and buy in the store.

Those lucky people who managed to get to work abroad, brought kits of such protection from business trips. They were also manufactured in the USSR - in factories and simply in garages. The heads of such fasteners, of course, were not equipped with super-efficient splined or jagged connections. The first secrets were a bolt, the head of which was turned into a cylinder. The pins on the end head moved away from the center. The key had inside a hole, through which it was possible to unscrew the secret bolt of the wheel.

Device and purpose

Now in order to protect expensive or simply non-standard wheels, car enthusiasts also apply these solutions. The principle of operation is the same, but serious changes have taken place in the design of the heads.

Modern bolt and key to it often have a complex profile. To open such fasteners without the original tool, you must either put a lot of effort, or very long and persistently choose the right tool.

In the 90's, nuts and bolts were widely distributed to them with an external profile. They were as simple as possible in production, and these sets were inexpensive. But it turned out that in order to remove these "secrets", an attacker should use pliers or a gas key with a long handle.

The bolt with internal pattern has grooves on the inner walls of the hole, which means it is quite difficult to unscrew it without a special tool.

How to choose a secret bolt on the wheel

Choosing the right kit, you should very carefully check the bolts - it's important to see if the bolt really does not get out without a key. Do not buy too large and heavy structures - they can significantly disrupt the wheel balancing.

Not the latest criterion and bolt length is best if it matches the length of the standard bolt. If the fastening element is too long, then when screwed in, its wheel will not press fully to the hub. If it is shorter than necessary, then there is a serious risk of twisting it - it can happen even on the go.

Reliability and efficiency

So, the smaller the bolt head protrudes, the harder it will be to catch on with it using any tools. Often, the secret bolts on VAZ wheels for cast discs have practically no protruding holes in the head disk. As for the choice of the right key for the attacker, the probability of such an action is reduced to almost zero.

Another factor that affects reliability is how well the security elements are worked out on grooves, grooves and protrusions. Small grooves and grooves can pour into a big problem. The key may not enter them if they are even just dirty.

You can also note the complexity of the picture - it is important here the number of points by which the key is inserted. The larger the area of such points, the less risk of their accidental folding. An important factor is the brand and quality of the metal from which the bolt is made. More precisely, not even the characteristic of the alloy, but the resistance of the metal to drilling. Hard alloys allow you to create a more accurate picture, picking a key to which can be very, very difficult.

For example, expensive sets of Asian manufacture are made from quality Japanese steels. Of these same alloys, brake calipers are also made.

Significantly affects the level of safety of the wheels and the uniqueness of the secret bolt. It is important even the amount in which the batch of these fasteners was released. Often the efficiency is higher the fewer kits have been released. The volume of the batch can be said about the quality of the product - the simplest solutions, which cost from 150-200 rubles, are sold in huge quantities, and the selection of a key for them is a matter of one or two hours. Naturally, the smaller the lot, the higher the price.

Original secret bolts

Automakers also offer their original solutions, which are produced in the same factories where parts for machines are manufactured. The advantage of them is that in the case of losing the key in front of the driver there will be no question of how to remove the secret bolt from the wheel. A suitable key can be purchased using a unique code. The cost of such kits often starts from 3000 r.

How to remove a secret bolt

Of course, it is best to entrust this work to professionals - then these bolts, perhaps, can still be used for their intended purpose. Independently to solve such a problem can only be barbaric methods. There are also special tools that are specially "sharpened" for such tasks. And the question "how to unscrew the secret bolt on the wheel" will not excite the owner of such a set, but they are quite expensive.

You can advise very tighten the ordinary bolts on the wheel - so removes the load from the secret fastener. Then the wheel rises with a jack, and hammers on the secret from all sides. Then the wheel is lowered, and all other bolts are twisted. Are you tired? However, that's not all! Then the wheel is lifted again and the secret bolt is treated with a special compound, for example WD-40. Then standard fasteners are again installed and tightened with the greatest possible force. After that, the secret will relax, and it can be unscrewed by the head.

You can also use the extractor for the nuts. This is a fairly effective option. The extractor is simply clogged with a sledgehammer over the head, and then the bolt is unscrewed with a balloon wrench.

Summary

Here, in fact, that's all. This is a fairly reliable option to protect yourself from theft. The car owner, without removing the wheel, you can screw in the secret bolt and sleep peacefully at night.