Good afternoon everyone. First post here and looking through the threads, I haven't seen this addressed anywhere. I am coming off 55 years of riding 2 wheels, the last two on BMWs. Recently bought a used 2014 Spyder RT Limited and was going over routine maintenance issues. Started to remove the front wheels for a brake fluid flush and discovered that it has some kind of splined lug nuts on it. It appears to have 9 splines and isn't anything like I have. Does anyone know if this is something standard from Can-Am and if so what size it is? Or is this something the previous owner installed? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Ron
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 03-23-2024 at 05:54 PM.
Reason: Removed Prefix - this is not a HowTo: DIY thread... & expanded title to briefly state the reason for the thread! ;-)
Hi SirRonny, welcome to finally getting your first post up on the Forum!
As for those 'splined lug nuts', they definitely AREN'T BRP OEM kit, they sound very much like they are the a/mkt security lug nuts that you can buy to try and stop wheel theft, and as such, they'll need an appropriately splined 'key' type lug nut that goes over them to allow you to remove the nuts & key together with the normal tool. I'll see if I can get you a pic of one type...
Have you checked thru the bike & all it's storage for an odd looking thing that sorta looks like a 'lug nut extender'?? If you can't find it on/in the bike anywhere, you might try contacting the previous owner; failing that, most tire retailers who strip & fit new tires on your car while you wait usually have a fairly comprehensive set of these 'keys' to allow them to get the wheels off when the owner/driver has no idea where the key is! OR, you might need to see if anyone can identify that particular lug nut spline so that you can buy a replacement key... And if all else fails, it generally takes about 10-15 minutes carefully using a blunt ended drift to manually hammer/drive each of the splined lug nuts off!
Hopefully, your key is stashed on/in the bike somewhere, in the glovebox, maybe even in the tool kit, or possibly in the placcy envelope the glove-box manual is usually stashed in?
Ps: The pic below is of a well-used, long-reach, narrow walled key, with the splines on the inside end away from the hex (well worn - bloody lazy tire techs using rattle guns again! ) that are designed to fit over matching splined lug nut on an alloy wheel with deep holes and little room to squeeze anything in around/over the lug nuts; there are many that are smaller, shorter, &/or fatter, but they just have a normal lug nut type hex on one end, and a fatter other end where it slots over those splines.
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 03-23-2024 at 07:16 PM.
Reason: each of...
Good afternoon everyone. First post here and looking through the threads, I haven't seen this addressed anywhere. I am coming off 55 years of riding 2 wheels, the last two on BMWs. Recently bought a used 2014 Spyder RT Limited and was going over routine maintenance issues. Started to remove the front wheels for a brake fluid flush and discovered that it has some kind of splined lug nuts on it. It appears to have 9 splines and isn't anything like I have. Does anyone know if this is something standard from Can-Am and if so what size it is? Or is this something the previous owner installed? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Ron
Welcome to the forum. A picture of what you're talking about would be helpful. what you are describing is not stock.
Al in Kazoo
All the great movements in the world began with a cup of coffee!
2018 F3-T
My mods: Can am Trailer hitch, USB and 12 volt power outlets, Gustason windshield, Bead rider seat cushion, battery harness for electric gear and battery tender, Time out trailer.
Ron, Don't feel bad. A little unrelated, but I bought a Road trek RV and went to take the wheel off. And you guessed it, splined nuts. Aftermarket stuff. Had to buy a socket off amazon that would fit. Good luck.
2005 Roadtrek Chevy 210P
2020 RT Limited-Chalk White SE6
Thanks everyone for the welcome and the information on the splined lug nuts. I will try and see if I can reach the original owner and see if he has it and failing that, I will see if I can get some measurements off the spines and order one. I will let you all know what I find out. Thanks again, I appreciate it!
Peter is correct. There is a variety of splined lug nuts each requiring its unique socket, most of which are thin wall. For instance, the McGard lug nuts on my Spyder (highly recommended) have 8 splines but other McGard lug nuts have a different spline count. And some lug nut splines are not symmetrical.
There is an Autozone in your neighborhood that offers a variety of splined sockets:
Thanks everyone for the welcome and the information on the splined lug nuts. I will try and see if I can reach the original owner and see if he has it and failing that, I will see if I can get some measurements off the spines and order one. I will let you all know what I find out. Thanks again, I appreciate it!
I contacted the company that installed the wheels, and they gave me enough info to be able to search and find the correct socket on Amazon.
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 03-24-2024 at 08:51 AM.
Reason: Fixed quote display ;-)
2005 Roadtrek Chevy 210P
2020 RT Limited-Chalk White SE6
Not sure how much Spyder wheel theft there is out there. The splined lug nuts will discourage a lazy thief. But there are good, inexpensive tools out there that will zip any of the splined lug nuts off just as quickly as the stock, standard ones. You're much better off parking in a safe area than depending on specialty lug nuts. The serious thieves just pick the whole bike up and haul it off. Lug nuts and all.
The lug nut openings of the PPA wheels, which I have (highly recommended) are much smaller than BRP wheels so the usual lug nut cannot be used (I tried, even with thin wall sockets). The McGard spined lug nuts are smaller diameter to match the wheels but even then the matching socket has thinner walls than regular thin wall sockets. And yeah I have two sockets, one in my tool chest and one on my Spyder.
The serious thieves just pick the whole bike up and haul it off. Lug nuts and all.
Yep happened to my Integra Type R parked in front of my house. Just one event in a long chain of expensive mistakes.
2014 Can-Am Spyder RT-S SE6 Freeway Commuter Pod
2016 Royal Enfield Classic 500 Fair-Weather Mountain Bike
Not sure how much Spyder wheel theft there is out there. The splined lug nuts will discourage a lazy thief. But there are good, inexpensive tools out there that will zip any of the splined lug nuts off just as quickly as the stock, standard ones. You're much better off parking in a safe area than depending on specialty lug nuts. The serious thieves just pick the whole bike up and haul it off. Lug nuts and all.
I didn't do anything but a thorough cursory glance, but I can't find reports of ANY Spyder wheel theft in Oz (there's a few people trying to GIVE Spyder Wheels &/or tires away tho, especially the early 14" jobbies! ) and who's gonna want a pair of dinky 3 stud 15" rims shod with 165/50-ish or maybe even something like 175/60 tires on them anyway, especially since they're not really usable on anything else??
Sure, steal the whole Spyder, a good roll-back or tilt-tray operator should take less than a minute from pulling up to heading outta there with the Spyder aboard, maybe less if they've got a competent off-sider?! But to bother stealing just the rims & tires??? They'd hafta be nuts!! Or incredibly stupid/stoned?!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 03-24-2024 at 06:38 PM.
OK guys, I have found the splined lug wrench. I didn't know there was a "tool kit" under the seat of the bike. Looked there and lo and behold, it was in the "tool kit." It is a McGard and the wheels are PPA. So it was just my bad at not knowing that there was a place for tools. This makes me feel much better as it would have made installing the speed bleeders and flushing the brake fluid a problem without it. Anyway, that mystery is now solved and I want to thank everyone for the welcome and good advice. See you on the road!!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 03-25-2024 at 11:55 PM.
Reason: ow x 2 ;-)
OK guys, I have found the splined lug wrench. I didn't know there was a "tool kit" under the seat of the bike. Looked there and lo and behold, it was in the "tool kit." It is a McGard and the wheels are PPA. So it was just my bad at not knowing that there was a place for tools. This makes me feel much better as it would have made installing the speed bleeders and flushing the brake fluid a problem without it. Anyway, that mystery is now solved and I want to thank everyone for the welcome and good advice. See you on the road!!
Glad you found the tool kit and 'special lug nut' tool for your wheels.
Have fun with your brake fluid service.
The Speed Bleeders are the best way for doing this.
ENJOY YOUR LIFE WITH A SPYDER
Ryde with a Friend and be Safe
What are these Splined lug nuts?
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) that are designed to fit over matching splined lug nut on an alloy wheel with deep holes and little room to squeeze anything in around/over the lug nuts; there are many that are smaller, shorter, &/or fatter, but they just have a normal lug nut type hex on one end, and a fatter other end where it slots over those splines. 
Originally Posted by SirRonny
) and who's gonna want a pair of dinky 3 stud 15" rims shod with 165/50-ish or maybe even something like 175/60 tires on them anyway, especially since they're not really usable on anything else?? 
Or incredibly stupid/stoned?! 
x3
