Why the bleep don't tire service center use torque sticks. My WalMarts did before they shut down for the virus. Ed
I guess you should check your lug nut torque
- Thread starter A_User55555
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I feel your pain. A certain chain that sounds like "tired stoned" once tightened my lugs to the point where I had to struggle to get them off with a 4-way lug wrench. No way could I have removed them with the stubby factory wrench that came with the car. I was so ticked I was about ready to drive back, give the stubby factory wrench to one of their guys and demand they remove the lugs using only the factory wrench.
Now I always check them after I buy tires, but since I started buying tires from the local chain I've found they usually don't have their wrenches at the "cold weld" setting.
Now I always check them after I buy tires, but since I started buying tires from the local chain I've found they usually don't have their wrenches at the "cold weld" setting.
HACKS
"Cold weld setting" that's funny!
Back in the days of retreads, non radial tires and old jalopies, I just made sure they were real good and very tight whenever I changed a tire. Never had one fall off, never damaged any studs. Nowdays I get it done at the tire shop, no problems.
Some years ago we had a Toyota and the dealer did the same thing. Not only that, all four Toyota center caps were changed with plain generic center caps with no logo. The tech or someone stole the logo oe ones. I didn’t notice at the shop. What I did? Torqued the wheels and never went back. No way to prove anything so why bother.
I take my truck to NTB where I bought/buy my tires. I went to hs with the manager. He's a darn good mechanic too. He has his guys keep the impacts at a low torque setting when installing the lug nuts. Then, they come back with a torque wrench to MAKE SURE the lug nuts are torqued to the correct specs. I don't know if that's an NTB rule, but I know he sure does enforce it!
Two weeks ago my mother in law who is in her eighties, called and said there was a bumping noise in her car. She brought it over and the rear wheel was about to fall off. She recently had a brake job. I could spin all the nuts by hand with a socket on them. Fortunately she avoided a catastrophic event.
Last time I broke out my precision instruments torque wrench in the parking lot at discount tire.. they were all good. (i set the torque wrench to +15ft-lb and they all moved slightly)
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- Feb 27, 2019
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Always torque your wheels properly but also always retorque them after 60 miles or so.
This ^^^^^^^^^^^^
And I'll add why I stay away from oil change places as well, and do it myself. I don't care to do it. (Who enjoys crawling under cars, and struggling with heavy wheels and tires)? But it goes under the old saying, "It you want something done right, do it yourself". Most of these places gorilla drain plugs and lug nuts on. They don't want either coming loose, and have to deal with the consequences. So most are in the habit of over tightening both.
The end result many times, are either stripped oil pan threads, or stretched lug studs.... Or both. There is no need to have to deal with either. I've used anti seize on all of my lug nuts for over 40 years, and have NEVER had a problem with a stuck lug nut, or had one come loose. There are charts that tell you exactly how much to reduce the torque that needs to be applied to a lubricated thread, as opposed to a dry one, that will give you the same clamping force.
I learned to use anti seize on lug nuts when I worked at a service station in the Midwest as a young kid. We lost count of the amount of wheel studs that we broke off, trying to get dry, frozen, corroded, over torqued lug nuts off. Especially in the Winter and Spring, when customers changed from snow tires to Summer tires, and back again. It became such a problem the owner gave you one warning. After that you were fired if you failed to apply anti seize to a wheel stud. That always stayed with me, and it's why I still use it to this day. That, and the fact I've never seen a reason not to.
This is yet another good reason to stay away from these places. Most people don't bother to check the torque on their lug nuts. They trust the monkeys at the tire center. Most people also do not carry tools with them in their vehicles. All they have is the crappy "lug wrench" that came with the vehicle. Which, as you noted, can make it all but impossible to change out a tire on the road, should you get a flat, and have lug nuts that were over torqued by Godzilla at the Save-A-Buck Tire & Auto Center.
Your only solution at that point is to call for road assistance. Assuming you have a cell phone, and cell service available. All of that can be avoided by checking the torque at home, in your garage, with the wrench that came with the vehicle. Not finding out on the road, in some God forsaken place in the middle of the night. This is especially true for women who travel alone.
Went to a Firestone Service Center near my house for a state inspection, my regular place was out of stickers, and asked they rotate the tires while it was up in the air. The waiting room had a full window to the work bays and they pulled my Audi into the first bay right by the window. I felt conflicted as I'm sure being able to watch I'd probably bite my tongue in two lol.
Pleasantly surprised as they covered all the requirements of the inspection and rotated the tires AND adjusted the psi in the tires as I run 36 psi front and 33 rear.
The lug bolts were all given a light ugga dugga and then the final inspector torqued them down and none of the wheels were scratched.
Pleasantly surprised as they covered all the requirements of the inspection and rotated the tires AND adjusted the psi in the tires as I run 36 psi front and 33 rear.
The lug bolts were all given a light ugga dugga and then the final inspector torqued them down and none of the wheels were scratched.
Had a new set of tires installed on the convertible last week. Had Firestone do it. I watched the tech use a torque wrench of some sort.
I've gotten into the habit of loosening & re-torquing when I get the car home, after Caliber Collision broke a stud on my Focus. I don't know what Firestone has that torque wrench set on, but Mustang lug nuts are supposed to be torqued to 150 according to the owner's manual (not a number I necessarily agree with). They were far beyond 150, as they were nearly lifting my 200lb @$$ off the ground to get them loose with a breaker bar.
Make a habit of doublechecking the professionals' work. They're not as professional as they once were.
I've gotten into the habit of loosening & re-torquing when I get the car home, after Caliber Collision broke a stud on my Focus. I don't know what Firestone has that torque wrench set on, but Mustang lug nuts are supposed to be torqued to 150 according to the owner's manual (not a number I necessarily agree with). They were far beyond 150, as they were nearly lifting my 200lb @$$ off the ground to get them loose with a breaker bar.
Make a habit of doublechecking the professionals' work. They're not as professional as they once were.
When I was doing a brake job on my wife's old Crosstrek this spring, the Tire centre had tightened the rears too tight. And they went across a salty and a snow, slushy Winter.
The good ol' cross wrench wouldn't do it, so I got out my 2-foot 1/2" breaker and a special lug socket. Still no deal, no-go.
I went inside and told the wife that they over tightened the lugs and they are doomed. So I gave the bugger the big twist and broke the stud. Luckily only one broke.
Man the lugnuts had really chewed into the wheels. Guess the service managers don't care, so the wrench monkeys don't care either and besides they likely have a gripe with their employer.
Notice there that I didnt call them techs or mechanics
The good ol' cross wrench wouldn't do it, so I got out my 2-foot 1/2" breaker and a special lug socket. Still no deal, no-go.
I went inside and told the wife that they over tightened the lugs and they are doomed. So I gave the bugger the big twist and broke the stud. Luckily only one broke.
Man the lugnuts had really chewed into the wheels. Guess the service managers don't care, so the wrench monkeys don't care either and besides they likely have a gripe with their employer.
Notice there that I didnt call them techs or mechanics