Tunner Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Alloys and tyres for a GTI, if all 4 corners were stolen, without any damage to the car, It would cost about £2000 to replace. The locking bolts supplied with my GTI were very similar to the bolts on my TT. By a fluke, I had forgotten to pass on the locking bolts of my TT to her new owner. The audi 'KEY' bolt fitted the the Golf GTI! ALARM BELLS. The Audi locking bolts have only 10 combinations and the 'key' bolts can be bought over the counter. My assumption is that the VW factory bolts have a similar number of combinations? I quickly bought a set of McGard's following a conversation with an Audi Techie I know. A famous 'tool' company known throughout the engineering world has a reverse thread tool that fits a universal socket. When applied to a locking bolt like the VW ones, it cuts into the metal, then turns the bolt in an unlocking direction. Audi and thier road side assistance use them when owners forget thier locking bolts. In other words, if you DONT want to find your alloys removed and your car damaged, invest £30 in a set. 5 min to fit. Whilst my TT was parked outside our house one night, I found that all the centre caps had been removed. My guess is that the alloys were about to be taken. McGard 1 Scum 0! Invest please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonl Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 wouldn't removing a wheel activate the alarm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Another vote for the McGards here, I'm a long time user Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tunner Posted August 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 It might do, but can you hear your alarm all the time? If you run to the car assuming you hear it, is the thief going to run away, or use the wheel brace to injure you? I understand that if you are careful, you can easily remove an alloy even if the car is slowly lifted. If you are happy that the OEM alarm and OEM locking bolts are sufficient, then fine. £30 quid is much less than my excess! My theory is that the manufacturers fit so called 'locking bolts' for the wrong reason? With a bolt that is so easily removed, VW have done thier bit by fitting a lock, but can make a lot of money from after sales insurance replacements? If you fit a locking bolt, get one with a revolving collar, the 'Snap' tool cannot bite into it, or of a really hard metal that blunts the tool trying to remove it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felixthecat1 Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Good advice. What's £30.00 these days? The cost of half a tank of decent fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tunner Posted August 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Whilst in no way endorsing them, I bought mine from: www.priracing.com Arrived within 48 hours. I used to bang on via the TT forum's and I will do so here. Your wheels are NOT protected if you trust the VW bolts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentandy Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Tunner what size are required? I thought about ordering these a while back but didn't know which ones I needed.. then it kind of got put on the back burner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentandy Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: the point raised about the alarm. I've just realised I don't actually know what my alarm sounds like or what it protects! I know there's a switch to the side of the drivers seat but what does it do? Does it have an anti-tilt/tow sensor for instance for if someone did try and steal the wheels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ucjtckc Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 AndyW, for McGaurd you need 28018SL. I've just ordered a set for mine off a member on the UK-MKIVS forum through a group buy. Cost was about £28 but don't know if he's still running the group buy as he's been having trouble with his supplier (mine took ages to come through...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanH Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 I don't know what it sounds like either! Memo to self - set off alarm tomorrow morning to find out. Sometimes, on a hot day, I leave the car with sunroof open and windows down a couple of inches. The top switch on the driver's side door pillar disables the interior alarm sensor(s), so that it won't be triggered by the movement of air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Doe Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Memo to all concerned ...check TSN groupbuys for Mcgards. Well worth the investment I can assure you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentandy Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Memo to all concerned ...check TSN groupbuys for Mcgards. Well worth the investment I can assure you [/ QUOTE ] Is that still on? Seems like an old groupbuy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippytwo Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 [ QUOTE ] AndyW, for McGaurd you need 28018SL. I've just ordered a set for mine off a member on the UK-MKIVS forum through a group buy. Cost was about £28 but don't know if he's still running the group buy as he's been having trouble with his supplier (mine took ages to come through...) [/ QUOTE ] Is this for the 18s? Do you know what the torque wrench should be set at? Thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteHArtMart Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 McGard get a big thumbs up from me also - well worth the small outlay! - I guess you all knew that already!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skifly Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 well might be a good idea for someone to set up another groupbuy on them a quite a few of us have cars coming next week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodger00 Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 McGard bolts are the business and as someone put it £30 is much better than having to shell out £2000 on four new wheels&tyres. I have had some McGard bolts before in the past and they really did last the test of time while others rusted and bent during wheel removal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 [ QUOTE ] well might be a good idea for someone to set up another groupbuy on them a quite a few of us have cars coming next week! [/ QUOTE ] ....I'm up for buying some (though my car is garaged). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yahoo Posted August 28, 2005 Report Share Posted August 28, 2005 Anybody considering sorting out a group buy? If so, I'll jump on the band waggon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBM Posted August 29, 2005 Report Share Posted August 29, 2005 I got some McGards from the TSN group buy. Money well spent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Doe Posted August 29, 2005 Report Share Posted August 29, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Anybody considering sorting out a group buy? If so, I'll jump on the band waggon. [/ QUOTE ] Whooah!!! As before, there is an ongoing groupbuy for mcgard's: http://www.tyresmoke.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/319488/an/0/page/0/gonew/1#UNREAD Info attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBM Posted August 29, 2005 Report Share Posted August 29, 2005 Yep - thats where mine came from! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulkbear Posted August 29, 2005 Report Share Posted August 29, 2005 [ QUOTE ] The locking bolts supplied with my GTI were very similar to the bolts on my TT. By a fluke, I had forgotten to pass on the locking bolts of my TT to her new owner. The audi 'KEY' bolt fitted the the Golf GTI! ALARM BELLS. The Audi locking bolts have only 10 combinations and the 'key' bolts can be bought over the counter. My assumption is that the VW factory bolts have a similar number of combinations? [/ QUOTE ] Yes there are 10 combinations and if you look in the centre of you locking bolt key the should be a number (0 to 9). with the bolts being a poor design you can just hammer any locking one of the ten in and remove the bolt. I must say that the mc guard bolt am some of the best i have seen. ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tunner Posted August 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2005 The reason for my post was to wake folk up here as to the pathetic bolts fitted by VW. You have a choice, hope the alarm will deter scum, or spending £30 to ensure your wheels are likely to be still on your car when you return to it. McGard are £30-£40, my insurance excess is £150 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted August 29, 2005 Report Share Posted August 29, 2005 Hi Tunner....Did either your insurance premium or excess reduce as a result of fitting McGards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonl Posted August 29, 2005 Report Share Posted August 29, 2005 I think he's just making a point Red... I'm up for a set BTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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