Does anyone steal alloy wheels anymore?

[GarethFishr]

When I put my wheels on the car, I bought a set of genuine BMW locking nuts.
Coming to fit the spacers and obviously, those bolts are now too short.

However, sat looking through 2 sets of 4x locking wheel nuts (different size front & back spacers) I'll have now paid 25% of the price of the wheels in wheel nuts..

Wondering whether the risk of people stealing wheels has gone away now almost every car has them?

 

[brillomaster]

Perhaps on the latest and greatest 22" range rover alloy, but i didnt bother with locking wheel nuts when i bought new 18 inchers.

Arent crims more likely to jimmy the keyless entry system and steal the whole car? And if they really did want the wheels do you think a locking wheel nut is really going to stop them?

 

[Silverzedtom]

Same as all things theft related in my opinion, you can’t stop them but you can slow them down. Someone who steals alloy wheels probably comes prepared with various locking bolt keys having already had a good look at the bolts previously.
Id agree that there’s probably just as much chance they’d take the whole car.

I don’t really worry about the car as I’m too busy worrying about all my tools in the van, much more likely to go missing, especially at the moment it seems

 

[Vbstein]

Unlikely, just like sat nav and stereo thefts dont really happen anymore.

 

[Number5]

What sort of wheels have you got and where do you live please ?

 

[GarethFishr]

Good logic that all the locking 'keys' are not unique.

Turns out when I've tried to fit the spacers, they've sent a two less 40mm long bolts with the fronts so they can't go on anyway. Ended up ordering the locking wheel nuts.

 

[buzyg]

Some one's gonna nick your cuppa.

 

[Zedtastic]

With car manufacturers cutting costs wherever they can, it surprises me that they fit lockung wheel bolts from new. My best guess, is there is some legal reason. Maybe to attain a certain insurance band?
I've got spacers fitted to my Z4 with staggered extra long locking bolts, but on my X3 i didnt bother. I really would be surprised if someone would want to steal the 18" alloys I have fitted to either.