Dealer Completely FUBAR’d Locking Lug Nuts

Brought my truck in for frame inspection TSB, dealer completes it. Afterwards, they tell me they had trouble getting the locking lug nuts off the front wheels to remove the wheels; wheels are TRD beadlock unobtanium. They tell me they got them off but had to order new ones, so come back and they’ll replace them. In the meantime I’m driving with 5 lug nuts on my front wheels.
Fast forward to today, they call and say the new locks are in, and to come in and have them replaced. When I show up, I ask if they need to replace the rear ones too now, since the key pattern is different. They say yes. They take the truck back, I wait (forever).
Service writer finally approaches me and looks like she just saw a ghost; “they can’t the rear ones off now, come see what we’re talking about.” I go out and look, and the area on the wheel around where the locking lug nut is, is marred to absolute sh*t, and they tell me they have to now drill the stud out, and replace the stud/lug nut together.
Honestly, that’s the least of worries after what I saw. I ask them about the wheel, and make it clear that they wheels can’t even be purchased anymore. They tell me they “have a wheel repair guy” who can come fix that.
This is a nightmare. I ended up telling them NOT to put another locking lug nut on the truck, and to replace all 4 of them with the spline drive lug nuts. Now, my truck is tied up, probably all week, because of these stupid locking lug nuts.
All of this to say, if you haven’t already, please go buy the $15 mcgard locking lug nut delete kit on Amazon. I am confident the damage on these wheels is never going to look right again, and I can’t see how they could even replace the wheel at this point.

ughhhh, PFA

 

I had the tireshop cross thread my wheel nuts on and they messed up a couple of the wheels trying to get them off. They refinished all 4 since the newly repaired wheel stood out but they refinished them to the point that I couldn't tell you which wheel was messed up, they did an amazing job. Besides, I mar them up going off-road anyways.

 

I understand where you are coming from.
At one time, I too spent a lot of money modified my truck (1st Gen).
Now, I just save my money and don’t worry about the small stuff.
Sure, they should fix it. They caused the damage.

It could be worse.
Look at mine
And it wasn’t all my fault. Toyota actually had a TSB in the powder coat.
But I was out of warranty before I knew about it.

 

you can still buy those wheels.. just another part number

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...e-still-in-production-new-part-number.786141/

 

Why did the wheels need to come off to inspect the frame?

 

Locking lugs only deter 13 yo kids with a 4 way wrench and no brains on how to use it.

Maybe they are the crew at your dealer?

And did they throw in a free tire rotation with the frame inspection?

Tip, let them refinish the wheels, toss the lockers in the trash and never darken their door again.

 

Tell them to get you the same wheels in gray, they can keep the blacks ones they messed up.

 

The tire techs are incentivized to use air tools for quick turnaround, so they "nascar zip" the lugnuts on and off, and this is the shit that happens.

Which is why I no longer let shops do anything that involves them touching my lugnuts. I literally have a spare set of wheels that I keep on hand so that, when my primary wheels need new rubber, I just take in the wheels/tires by themselves. Sure the tire mounting and balancing machine can also cause damage, but most modern machines have delrin guides to account for even the worst tech.

Funny thing is these shops seem to have decided that having a wheel repair guy is just the cost of them sticking to the air tool policy. You can try asking them to do everything slowly and carefully but they have no obligation to respect your request.

You're almost better off with those old school wheels where the center cap covers the lugs:

 

By any chance to you have that TSB's number? I'd like to review it.

 

It might not have been a TSB, but a service advisory.
I believe @OZ-T had his wheels replaced.