AL-KO wheel lock
I recently tried to fit a brand new Al-Ko wheel lock onto my brand new Coachman Acadia. The locking bolt turns twice into the receiver then seizes tight, very annoying. I rang AL-KO who suggest its potentailly the fault of the dealership who fit the receiver. They suggest it may need tapping with a tapping tool. As you can imagine on a brand new product with a warranty I am unable to consider this. Problem is the dealership are closed for the lockdown and therefore not able to be contacted to review.
Has anyone had any similar problems with this pricey AL-KO product. So far not impressed with AL-KO ?
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I thought Al Ko receivers came already fitted the backing plate of the Brake drum?
I take it you have the correct wheel insert for the type of wheel fitted to the c/van?
By your post it may well be what Al Ko have said and the receiver has been cross threaded and will need a Tap to rethread it it is quite easy for that to happen if insert not line up when trying to tighten the bolt
you will need an M20 Tap
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Thanks both ,exactly right re the size a M20 if that's what it needs. It is definitely the right size having double checked with Coachman and AL-KO prior to purchase.
Going to have to leave it until the dealership service centre reopens and join the que to get it inspected.
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Have you tried fitting the bolt without the lozenge?
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As per noneplussed have you fitted the bolt a few turns without the lozenge, if it can be fitted note the position of the bolt relative to the wheel opening and ensure the bolt is actually central by moving the caravan ( the receiver is often not fitted true to the openings). Even if it appears centred the bolt head is often off centred making it impossible to tighten the lozenge into position. After having used three wheel locks the best way to fit the lock is line up an opening, fit bolt, check for centre, adjust caravan if necessary and fit lozenge.
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Not the fault of Al-Ko if someone at dealer's has duffed up the threads! Especially when they provide a special bolt with a plain section to lead onto the hole. There should also be a small yellow plug to use when the lock is not fitted so that dirt cannot get into the thread. It is possible someone has burst that and part is lodged inside. Have a look straight into the hole with a torch. (Don't be tempted to stick in a finger).
I would expect the dealer to claim all was well when you picked up the caravan and any "cross thread" is your responsibility. Shoving a tap through the hole will indeed make a new thread, but quite likely not following the original threads. Better practice would be to clear the thread by coming in from the back with a spare M20 bolt. It will pick up on the true thread first and "persuade" the mis-alligned metal back into place. This can be helped by filing down the threads on the end of the bolt to give it a taper. It is not tool steel like a tap and is less likely to do damage. Just don't know if on your type of axle there is enough space at the back.
Fortunately these bolts don't actually need to be tight at all, so a dodgey thread will work just as well.
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Initially my Alko lock was a right pain in the you know what to screw in.I eventually overcame the tightness of the bolt by clearing out the receiver stud with penetrating oil spray,and then I used a anti seizure grease and kept freeing it up without using the lozenge.
I keep an old 35mm film container (remember those!)full of the grease,and dip the bolt in that regularly.
After seeing what a pain they are to fit,and don't forget they have to line up exact,and I mean exact,plus on my Coachman you only have 4 positions on the wheel to fit the lozenge,I would be very doubtful it is cross threaded.
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Thanks everyone , I did the tightening very cautiously as I am used to delicate fittings with a carbon framed bike. The bolt was tried without the lozenge and attempted a dozen times, each one stopping after 720 degrees of turn.
I am loathed with everything being brand new and never having fitted one previously to 'give it some' and force the thread. I am just going to play it safe and refer to the dealership to inspect as it difficult to view the inside of the receiver , which can be seen to be clear and clean apart form a nice blob of grease.
What is helpful is the response here from members and the fact that it would seem not to be a common fault with users. Although I do agree they are a bit of a faff to fit, not only finding a gap in the wheel spoke to line up / not a tyre valve but on a coachman Acadia its every second spoke gap as the alloy pattern goes in and out as Fozzie points out.
Still not clear however if as AL-KO state the dealership fit the receiver or if its comes as standard with the AL-KO chassis ???
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I understand it is factory fitted by AL-KO. I tried to get a retro-fit on a previous caravan and was told it was not possible.
If you find trouble in aligning here is a tip. The yellow blanking plug (that I don't think you seem to have) is a fiddle to fit and remove because it is behind the wheel - so get a short bit of plastic tube that just fits onto it, I use the overflow pipe from a sink.Use that to fit and remove, but also can stick the tube onto the plug and fiddle the motor mover to get it centered.
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To the OP.
I had the same experience on our previous van. Needed threads clearing out with a tap...here's what I purchased.....M20 x 2.5 tap
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I had this....took the caravan back to the dealer for them to “tap”” it and when he saw it, he said that they had supplied the wrong Alko wedge for the wheel.
suggest you do what someone else suggested is try the bolt minus the Alko wedge and see if it works then
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