well, actually, it's the future in-laws '01 camry not mine, but i was the one who found the problem while attempting to inspect the front brakes...
a year ago the car was brought to brakes plus for front pads. ever since they have been squealing, and it had gotten so bad it sounded like a desert hare getting eaten by a coyote.
so I attempt to pull the front wheel off. about 3/4 turn out on each lug nut was all I could muster, at which point they were locked and would not turn at all in either direction. but they were loose enough that the wheel was banging around loose on the hub when i attempted to drive. so we had to have the car towed to brakes plus for repair. they had to break each wheel lug to get the wheel off.
next day I go there to check on things - the tech was just about ready to tighten the new lug nuts with a high power air impact driver, so I run out into the garage and stop him just in time. i told him to snug them by hand and then use a torque wrench. he looked at me like i was nuts and goes to get his manager, who i was already well acquainted with. I tell him not to let an impact driver touch my wheel lugs. he shrugs and says "fine, but every garage in the country uses them". so I pick up the broken lugs that were still strewn on the floor and tell him never again on my car - do it right, use a torque wrench.
btw - they also cracked a hub cap in the process, and returned the car with the brakes still squealing (said no trouble found). so I later inspect the brakes and find glazed rotors/pads and no shims. I deglazed them with 50 grit sanding wheel and installed universal 3M adhesive shims. they are now whisper quiet.
a year ago the car was brought to brakes plus for front pads. ever since they have been squealing, and it had gotten so bad it sounded like a desert hare getting eaten by a coyote.
so I attempt to pull the front wheel off. about 3/4 turn out on each lug nut was all I could muster, at which point they were locked and would not turn at all in either direction. but they were loose enough that the wheel was banging around loose on the hub when i attempted to drive. so we had to have the car towed to brakes plus for repair. they had to break each wheel lug to get the wheel off.
next day I go there to check on things - the tech was just about ready to tighten the new lug nuts with a high power air impact driver, so I run out into the garage and stop him just in time. i told him to snug them by hand and then use a torque wrench. he looked at me like i was nuts and goes to get his manager, who i was already well acquainted with. I tell him not to let an impact driver touch my wheel lugs. he shrugs and says "fine, but every garage in the country uses them". so I pick up the broken lugs that were still strewn on the floor and tell him never again on my car - do it right, use a torque wrench.
btw - they also cracked a hub cap in the process, and returned the car with the brakes still squealing (said no trouble found). so I later inspect the brakes and find glazed rotors/pads and no shims. I deglazed them with 50 grit sanding wheel and installed universal 3M adhesive shims. they are now whisper quiet.
