Discount Tire FAILURE.
- Thread starter gregk24
- Start date
I wouldn't say getting paid $20 some bucks a corner to remove the wheel, dismount the old tire, replace the valve stem, mount the new tire, balance the tire and put the wheel back on the car is paying good money.
Years ago I would let a place like Discount Tire mount wheels for me without checking their work later, but these days I check everybody's work. It's an investment in your safety. Go buy a torque wrench. Until then, use your socket wrench to snug them down. We're no longer living in a world where you can put your safety in somebody else's hands.
Its in the small print on the tire receipt of every tire install I have ever gotten. The lawyers require it. It says have the lug nuts retorqued within 10/20/50 miles or similar.
Get you a cheap torque wrench from Harbor Freight for like $20. They get surprisingly good reviews. And the proper size socket is $4.
Riding with the lugs loose can damage the nuts, lugs, and the rim. So have them inspect everything and replace any damaged parts.
That is for sure!
Yep, in the time you've spent creating this thread, fretting, hand-wringing, calling, complaining, driving back to DT and now waiting, you coulda rotated your tires 10 times over, changed the oil for 5 of your neighbors and mowed the front and back yard.
That said, it's your time and your kidney cells lost to stress, and I do support your right to spend it as you choose.
Good luck! And let us know what they find!
I couldn’t find that on the paperwork anywhere. I’m not saying your wrong, I’ll have to re read a third time.
As the masked man said in The Princess Bride, "Get used to disappointment."
Don't think it would be the tires heating. I believe years ago DT had a spate of stripped lug nuts. I use DT also and noticed them using a hand tightened torque wrench vs. the air compressed wrench last time I was in.
Back on the road. The guy I dealt with said that both left tires were out of balance, and that he re-torqued the lugs himself. He also threw in the additional road hazard coverage at no charge.
Not sure I believe out of balance tires could have a horrible ride one day then go away the next, but at any rate I’m happy with how they handled it.
Not sure I believe out of balance tires could have a horrible ride one day then go away the next, but at any rate I’m happy with how they handled it.
In all of this did you ever just pull the lug wrench out of the trunk and give them a tug?
There isn’t one, I checked. But no.
As I said, the tires were out of balance anyway so it was worth the trip back. Plus maybe someone was coached on how to properly torque lugs.
OK fine, but that is still not an excuse to do shoddy work. If a person is not happy with their job or salary then they should find another job. They were hired to do a job properly, they chose to work at the tire shop for the wages offered. I guarantee you no one held a gun to their head and forced them to work there. Doing shoddy work is unacceptable, especially when it is working on something that can cause harm or death if done improperly.
Wow! To be fair, you don't know the circumstances of what exactly happened.
Everyone seemingly wants to infer deliberate malice at worst or personal incompetence of the tech at best. But it could have been their top tech who was managing 5 new hires, dealing with an irate customer who strolled in the bay fuming, covering phones and then got called away because the DM was on the phone wanting to know why the store was receiving poor ratings all while not providing enough payroll resources and failing to understand we're still in a climate where no one wants to work and EVERY place is hiring right now.
I know I created an extreme example but the few times I've been in DT I watch those guys (read: KIDS because that job has about the same age requirements as an NFL running back) huffing and humping. It's not an easy job and they're CRANKING vehicles through because they have to. The line is never-ending and the waiting room is always full of people who have never turned a wrench and don't know or care what it takes.
STUFF HAPPENS. Some allowance for human error has to be given. In OP's case he was inconvenienced but no one was hurt and it seems DT tried to make it right, which is what matters.
Now, if you've NEVER made a mistake in your life, by all means I'll be first in line so you can throw rocks at me.
I seem to recall something about walking a mile in a man's shoes.....
If I were a betting man I'd bet 90% of BITOG users couldn't last a week in the DT bay crouching, lifting, throwing, mounting tires all day AND I'd bet in that week there would be at least ONE vehicle where they'd forget to get EVERY SINGLE lugnut with a torque wrench
Stuff happens. Doesn't mean you're incompetent, only that you're human.
I like the idea of getting a torque wrench; the cheapie HF wrench will be fine for wheel lugs.
Or you could buy a really nice one, say $150 - $200, oe more.
Why? I have a beautiful oid Bonney 250# model; I look forward to pulling it out and using it!
Some of us are sicker than others...
Glad you got it straightened out. Everyone makes mistakes; no one got hurt. All good!
Or you could buy a really nice one, say $150 - $200, oe more.
Why? I have a beautiful oid Bonney 250# model; I look forward to pulling it out and using it!
Some of us are sicker than others...
Glad you got it straightened out. Everyone makes mistakes; no one got hurt. All good!
You missed my point. 2010 Civic said $20/ tire is not big money, I agreed. But if getting paid $20 per wheel is not satisfactory and a person is rushing through the job and allowing cars to roll out of the shop that are dangerous then they shouldn't be doing that job. It's really that simple. FTR I made mistakes, none that put a person in danger though.
Actually, you completely missed my point (plus that tech isn't seeing that $20 per wheel, he's probably seeing $16 per hour). BUT THAT'S OK! We can agree to disagree! Onward!
I'm with the others who say that after any kind of tire work, it is wise to loosen all of the lug nuts and re-torque to proper spec. That eliminates the possibility that they are on way too tight and may be difficult to remove if you need to fix a flat along the road somewhere and also ensures that they are tight enough.
I did have a weight get flung off one time just a few miles after having a set of new tires mounted and balanced, I heard it go up in the wheel well and had a pretty good idea what happened so I returned to the dealer and had the tire rebalanced. Stuff happens is correct. And to quote the late, great Ronald Reagan, "trust but verify".
I did have a weight get flung off one time just a few miles after having a set of new tires mounted and balanced, I heard it go up in the wheel well and had a pretty good idea what happened so I returned to the dealer and had the tire rebalanced. Stuff happens is correct. And to quote the late, great Ronald Reagan, "trust but verify".
