Why i hate tyre centres

[trikey]

Originally Posted by FLYING BANANA

I go to a a local family run business for my tyres/balancing. Run by two sisters with one brother helping out when busy. When they have fitted the wheels back on they use a torque bar, set to the correct setting, to tighten them up. They then tell you to come back after 50 miles so that they can check to torque settings.

If you go early in the morning, they open at 07.00, you get a cup of tea. And if you are really lucky you can have a bacon sarnie. But that’s only happened once for me.

Perfect..

Time to move to Bob's area I reckon!

[kelvo]

Originally Posted by torque2me

My local tc has also made a fundamental mess-up. Wheel bolts tightened so tight that it bent a power bar which had to be given extra leverage by a trolley jack handle. It's not even a "school boy" error as their trade association provides the correct advice - 'tighten to a low torque setting and then tighten to the correct torque with a torque wrench'. An air wrench set a maximum is not the way to go.

They also found a sheared locking bolt. When shown I figured it failed due to metal fatigue or flaw. Now I suspect they cross threaded it when using the air wrench on the previous set of tyres fitted.

I'd do the job myself (as I used to do) but those wheels/tyres sure are heavy when carrying them 100 yards.

Kev

I've had cars in the past where it seems that the Incredible Hulk has put wheel nuts on and had to use long breaker bars or even an impact gun to try and get them off again.

I had problems with wheel nuts on my bus. I had a puncture changed and the tyre fitter gunned the nuts back up to the point where even using a six foot scaffold bar I couldn't shift when I needed to so I ended up running it down to my local bus company and even with a 1" gun struggled. Same when I had two fronts changed, gunned then up and then put the torque wrench on them. Of course it clicked at 550Nm.

First thing i did when I got it back home was loosen off all the wheel nuts, do them up with a brace and then used a torque wrench on them (noting that buses, lorries etc have left and right handed wheel nuts). Being of an engineering background, I will always go around them twice in sequence as well.

I think a lot of tyre garages now, no longer use air tools and have battery impact guns instead and they've always used a torque wrench when I have seen them. If I haven't seen them if I've put the car in for a service I will always loosen and retorque myself. Last thing I want on a dark wet night is a puncture and to find I can't remove the nuts.

[mh007]

Originally Posted by torque2me

My local tc has also made a fundamental mess-up. Wheel bolts tightened so tight that it bent a power bar which had to be given extra leverage by a trolley jack handle. It's not even a "school boy" error as their trade association provides the correct advice - 'tighten to a low torque setting and then tighten to the correct torque with a torque wrench'. An air wrench set a maximum is not the way to go.

They also found a sheared locking bolt. When shown I figured it failed due to metal fatigue or flaw. Now I suspect they cross threaded it when using the air wrench on the previous set of tyres fitted.

I'd do the job myself (as I used to do) but those wheels/tyres sure are heavy when carrying them 100 yards.

Kev

As you say, no excuse whatsover!

Personally, I always undo the locking nut/bolt with a bar & socket, then remove the rest of the nuts/bolts with an impact wrench.

But, I never refit any alloy wheel nut/bolt with an impact wrench & the same goes for any locking nut/bolt.

[ryszard]

Hi,shortly after I bought my Jaguar,I had to take the front wheels off to add a different grill,the nuts were so tightly done up that five of the ten snapped,they have collars on them,so had to spend several backbreaking days drilling them out.The rear ones were ok due to recently fitted new tyres.Regards Ry......

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by SD1too

1. When you return home following a visit to a tyre fitter, loosen the bolts and set them correctly using your torque wrench.

That would be too late to my mind. The problem is not just one of undoing them after they have over-tightened, but in over-tightening they damage the nuts and the studs.

I take along a torque wrench, tell them not to tighten them just to snug them up and >I< will finish them off at the correct torque setting - whilst waving my torque wrench about. I then wait, watching with torque wrench in hand for the car to come back out, to finish them off (the wheel nuts, that is).

[planenut]

Having encountered similar problems in the past, I always tell the fitters that I want to be able to release the nuts. I have used the same tyre fitters for several years, though the staff are never the same. I have a bar that they gave me a few years back.

[Russp]

I collected the car from coastal mot in sheringham and they have done a proper job and the repair is not visible
It isn't rotten so God knows what happened at ats to make the hole.
I went back to ATS and complained and obviously they denied everything and I demanded to speak to the area manager and was told he didn't take calls so I said fine I'm off today I'll stay here and tell every single customer what you have done.
A bloke came in and I said to him don't bring your car here mate they have wrecked mine!
He walked out then they got the area manager on the phone
I've told him what happened and submitted a full report about incorrect lifting etc with pictures so will see what happens next

[SD1too]

That says it all doesn't it. Well done Russ.

Simon

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by Russp

I collected the car from coastal mot in sheringham and they have done a proper job and the repair is not visible
It isn't rotten so God knows what happened at ats to make the hole.
I went back to ATS and complained and obviously they denied everything and I demanded to speak to the area manager and was told he didn't take calls so I said fine I'm off today I'll stay here and tell every single customer what you have done.
A bloke came in and I said to him don't bring your car here mate they have wrecked mine!
He walked out then they got the area manager on the phone
I've told him what happened and submitted a full report about incorrect lifting etc with pictures so will see what happens next

That's very interesting Russ. Keep us posted about the result.---

[torque2me]

Originally Posted by ryszard

Hi,shortly after I bought my Jaguar,I had to take the front wheels off to add a different grill,the nuts were so tightly done up that five of the ten snapped,they have collars on them,so had to spend several backbreaking days drilling them out.The rear ones were ok due to recently fitted new tyres.Regards Ry......

Yes, have heard of the bolt/collar shearing. I always put a new set onto one of the wheels each year on my X-Type, thus they are never more than four years old. But don't the X-Type forum (and possibly other jaguar model forums) suggest using another Japanese vehicle like-for-like collard nut (supposedly better quality).

Kev