Quote:
Originally Posted by SpyderRentals
Hey guys, the lugs are definitely a "spline" type. The folks at Viking Motorsports in Orange County worked on the Lotus about a year ago and some tech guy stripped the ones on there now. They were nice enough to accomodate and pay for new lugs so I gotta give them props for maintaining their customer relationship with me.
Not sure how the stripped lugs are going to come out....the may have to be drilled out?
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The guy probably didn't use the tool that comes with the car. If he attempted to use a Allen (hex) head tool or even a Torx tool, he may have been able to get out the bolts - but it would have messed things up.
The Lotus tool and the lugs are 10 sided (not 6 like a Allen or Torx) and not compatible with anything else. The tool is relatively cheap (around $10) at a dealer, so it's a good idea to have a spare as it's not the toughest tool out there. Used properly (not over-tightened) it should work just fine.
As to how to get off the messed up one - that's a different matter. They make special sockets (heck I recently bought a set from Harbor Freight) that are used to "grab" the outside of the lug bolts. They may not work in the recesses of our wheels however. In any case, a good tire shop should have a variety of tools to remove stripped lugs - it's a fairly common problem for them to have to deal with. Note that I said a "good" tire shop...
As also pointed out, the early cars came with "McGard" type of "locking lug bolts" - the kind with the "clover leaf" pattern with a matching key. There were only a few different keys. Many people (including me) replaced the locking lugs with standard ones - the special tools is enough of a "lock" as it is...
Photo of McGard type of locks: