locking wheel nuts

[MikeDX]

I just noticed that my locking wheel nuts on the alloys are rather rusty! Is this normal?? I'll take a pic tomorrow when I can actually see, but I'm hoping its just superficial

[Mattj]

Best idea would be to replace them mate - can get some MacGuard ones from halfords for about £30-40 if I remember right

Prob that i had on my old pug was that once the locking key bit rusts - you leave yourself vunrable to the mechanism failing and thus the nut breaking - then the only way to remove it would be to have the bolt drilled out - a very skillful and expensive job - so id prob aire on the side of caution and just replace them

[MikeDX]

Hmm thanks Matt. I suspected as much - I think I will try and pop them off this weekend and get some copper grease under them at least until I can get a new set! I wonder if renault will replace them if I go and complain....

[AlexB]

It seems simple. Remove the bolt, clean it and cover in cv-grease, waxoil or a mix of candle wax and oil, which is the same. Put it back and plug the hole with something. Copper is not needed in this context. Why would one want to add a third metal to the combination of two, which already suffers from the local Galvanic effect?