I just bought my xterra a few days but I realized today that it has locking lug nuts. The key is no where in the car and the dealer can't find it either. Any ideas on what I can do? Are there any places that have skeeliton keys?

Did you check in the back cargo area under the carpet where the lug wrench and other tools are stored?

Did you buy it new or used? Either way, I would take it back to the dealer and politely insist that they rectify the problem by either finding the proper key or getting the locking nuts off for you and replacing them with others.

I checked everywhere in the car and I would prefer not to go back to that dealer. Can I maybe take it to an autozone or something?

Any shop with an air wrench (tire shop) can bust them off. They will be destroyed and have to be replaced.

YOu can get something like this
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00952165000

Another effective method is to take a 12pt- 19mm deep socket - You should be able to beat the deep socket over the round wheel lock- The deep socket will fracture- but it should grab on to the wheel lock - enough for you to remove-
I have manage to remove 4 wheel locks with a single deep socket - I prefer Craftsman 19mm 12pt - 1/2 drive socket since I can get a free replacement.

Definately try the method I suggested- I have done so without any damage to aluminum wheels

Before the EPA, we would spray them with freon and then you could just take them off with a pliers. Now the impact wrench method is the tip of the day and any tire shop can do it in about ten min.

Mine came that way from the dealer too. I almost bought one of the socket thingys it uses from the dealer near me (bought the X far from home) when we couldn't find the socket either. The parts department guy was very helpful but we found it while there tucked in the glove box under the manual. But the point is that it is probably a Nissan part that they can easily give you a replacement for at the dealer. It may have been a Nissan option like the lock for the spare tire that was offered.

I had to take a set off for a friend and they are like these.
http://www.mcgard.com/automotive/details.asp?lock=LockConeTuner.jpg&key=KeyTuner.jpg

So what I did was took my air grinder and grinded down two flat spots one at 12 o'clock and the other at 6 o'clock and put a set of vise-grips on the flat spots so it has a bite and used a pipe and cranked them off that way..It worked pretty good..

One of our guys had a great method... he welded a socket onto each locking lug nut and took 'em off with a ratchet

The dealer told me its $55 to get the stock ones off and $40 to replace them. Ouch

Buy a nice 4" angle grinder for the $50, then grind off two sides of each locking lung nut. Use a wrench on the flats you ground off and take them off, then purchase some McGuard locking lung nuts for $20 and put them on.

You have now saved $20 and have a nice new grinder to add to your tool collection.

They want to charge you take the locksoff? Am I understanding that right? This is more than a pain an the ass issue, it is also a safety issue. What is you pop a tire and get stranded? Then you are screwed and it is the dealer that sold you a tire with a lock that did not have a key. I would really consider mentioning that to them and see how much they want you to pay. ---Good Luck---

I think i'm gonna take it to a tire shop tomorrow. How do I get the plastic caps without damgeing them. I'm afraid that it'll crack when I pull it off.

just put both hands around them and compress them a bit and pull. They will come off and not break.

My Xterra came with a key , but none of my tires have the locking lugs.

You just bought the truck from the dealer, and you are going to go through all this trouble to remove them yourself, or pay someone to do this? Screw that! If it was me i would be back to the dealer, demand to either get me the right key, or put a new set of locking nuts on, with a new key. This is just my 2 cents.
I would not care if the dealer was a bunch of jerkoffs. I would sit there and watch them do it.
Why would you shell out the money to buy the tool, and do it yourself? Why would you bring it somewhere and pay to have it done? When the dealer must do it for free? I guess you have money to throw away.

XTERRANJJOE couldn't have said it any better

tell them they are full of crap with how they are trying to charge you for this sorta stuff.

why should you pay for their screw ups

Did you try any of the methods suggested to you?

Its the dealeres responsibility to supply you with a key or to take them off! PLAIN AND SIMPLE!

That is what i am saying. But i guess he has the money to throw away.

Just make a big stink about it with the dealer and they shoulod replace it. We had the same problem when we got our X. We brought it to the dealer and they took them off and replaced the locks with regular lug nuts. They have a master key to take them off. Should take less than a half hour.

Alright I put up a big stink about it. They ended up taking care of it. Free of charge. Thanks boys. The moral of the story ... I love my xterra.