Grrrr!!!!! Tyre "service" providers

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Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Shortly after the local B** J*** shop did a wheel alignment and tyre rotation on my County, I had it up on the hoist to check wheel bearings before a trip. A 1/2" drive air impact wrench would not move most of the nuts. Had to go and borrow a 3/4" drive which struggled with some. Would have been just bloody great to get a flat down the Diamantina.

Not a sign of anti-seize being used either.

I went back and made my thoughts known to the manager. I suggested that IF they got any more business from me then I would expect to see the fitter loosen the nuts with the on-board lug nut wrench and then re-tighten them using a torque wrench.

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I have in the past had to borrow a 3/4 drive set and use ten feet of pipe on the breaker bar to loosen a wheel nut. That was the same outfit that some years earlier managed to remove a lot of paint off the County wheels, and when queried, admitted they used a shifter on the wheel nuts "because it is such an unusual size". Unfortunately they are the largest tyre place in Dubbo! Hard not to do business with.

John

John, I can't recall the standard Dunlop wheel nut tension, but the HD 130 rims call for 120-130lb/ft, 163-177Nm.

Just found it in the manual ('94-'98 MY) and the standard rims call for 80lb/ft, alloys 96lb/ft.

My stepson 'works' in that industry so I sat him down last night and read most of this thread to him (I couldn't leave him to read it himself - attention span of a gnat)...

Basically, he said that they all have a set of torque wrenches that are specific for each range of car tyre size - but limited to 3 sets covering the whole range.

Most of the guys, however, get lazy and just fire the things on. He is actually more aware of th problem, though, after he rattle-gunned a set of wheels on my vehicle for me and, when he got home, I made him try to take them off using the standard brace that comes with the vehicle. He is young and strong - and couldn't shift them - so I gave him a lecture about old farts like me stuck on the side of the road without a hope in hell of getting a flat off...

My other comparison for him was 'what if it was your mother stuck on the side of the road...'

He gets it (that convo was about a year ago) but admits there are many who don't


and he knows those guys at the Yass store - and my family have spent time at a BBQ with the Regional Manager from that outfit - while what he said and offered are designed to take the sting off your experience, I really doubt there will be any retraining - just a point made at a weekly meeting about the complaint.

And anyone offering me a free voucher to go back and taste a second experience of their less than satisfactory service would just be laughed at...



just my 2 cents...

I have recently purchased a set of 5 Khumo Kl71's from tyrepower in labrador, gold coast queensland. their service was excellent, they did the nuts up properly to tourque setttings and offered to change over for free from lh to rh rotation if I damaged a tyre that required directional change. their price was also right! I recommend this service to anyone in SE Qld.

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

It would probably be worth having - but I certainly should never have to use one on a wheel nut. Thanks for telling me they work - I have wondered.

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John, they work all right, I also use whenever my air powered rattle gun fails to undo a nut/bolt, like bolt in crank snout of 300TDi and 2.25 diesel, I agree you should never have to use one on a wheel nut, Regards Frank.

When we were in Alice last year we needed a couple of slow leaks fixed. This was a major tyre outfit and they used a torque wrench, no rattle guns. First time I'd seen that. Mind may have been only coz I was standing there.

Any work I get done at a tyre place, where I'm not watching, I re-tension the wheel nuts myself as soon as I can. ( as well as being too tight some have been loose ).

i think i will do that in the future

I use a small tyre place in Boulder for both mine and the wife's vehicles. Usually I stay there while he is doing the job, and more often than not help him out (there's usually only the one bloke working there).

I have noticed that, while he uses air powered rattle gun to remove wheels, he always uses a torque wrench when fitting, whether on my vehicles or on others that I have seen him working on.

One of the advantages of using a small "owner operated" business.

Years ago a mate ran a small McLeod's tyre shop in Lobethal SA. Their rattle gun was specially modified so it could not do more than spin on the nuts hand tight. (although off was full power). Then he applied the torque wrench. That was company policy.
I believe you can get torque limiting sockets to go with rattle guns but I haven't used one.

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Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

you are right John,,

but they'd rather do it that way than have your wheel fall off. Which is their worst case scenario.

They dont really care about you trying to undo the nuts.

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The real worst case scenario is that the m*r*ns (read "professionals") stretch your studs and they then break! Only for the fact that Land Rover studs are bigger than most at 9/16"BSF or alternatively 16mm that it doesn't happen that often with our vehicles. Today I removed a broken 9/16"UNF stud from a hub and I will bet it had been tightened with a rattle gun. Try breaking a 9/16" quality bolt!
It regularly happens with smaller studs that are overtightened.
Torqued up properly to specifications they will not come undone - and that can even be done with an airtool.

Bob