Check your lugnuts after a rotation!

[BlazerBoyLT98]

I went to town fair tire and got my tired rotated, they did not tighten any of them to the proper spec, on the way home which would be a 165 mile trip from Sunday River Maine. I got a loud humming which sounded like a wheel bearing, then I got some vibration, went to change lanes and the ass end of my baby slid all over the road. I immediately pulled over with my wife and two kids in the car. I get out, drivers side front nothing wrong, passenger side front nothing wrong, passenger side rear nothing wrong, I turn the corner to the drivers side rear and I see a lug nut on the ground, I think what a coincidence, I bend down and pick it up, not only is it a lug nut but it is a lug nut still attached to the stud! I look at the rim and it is leaning heavily inward, I take a closer look, 4 out of the 5 studs and lug nuts are missing with one bent stud and lug nut holding the damn wheel on!!!!!!!!!!!!! So after saying about 1000 swears I called AAA to come get my truck. The tow truck driver gets out and says it is either vandalism or the last place that took my tires off (Town Fair Tire) screwed up. He tightens that one last lug nut before putting on the flat bed. Once on the flat bed he says for shits and giggles lets see if any other lugs are loose, sure enough every lug is loose and all wheels are wobbly. So I get it all fixed for $120.27 from another shop that I trust and they inspected everything for me and said amazingly nothing is out of round and the wheels were not damaged. So I called Town Fair Tire and amazingly they picked up the bill right away and also said if I think anything is wrong they would be happy to replace my tires for the same size and the choice of any 15 inch rim I want that they carry. I am just glad everyone is safe and that the bill is being picked up even though them not doing there job could have killed the 4 of us!

[billibong]

Glad to hear that everyone is alright. I have always checked my lugs within a mile of having the wheels off at any tire place. It has been more than once that I have found that they were only slightly more than hand tight.
Good point, we should all check our lugs more carefully after work has been done.

[DetroitMuscle]

NTB told me that it was my fault the lugs wern't torqued down after they put new tires on for me.


Atleast you got your bill picked up for you, they wouldnt even pick up the tow bill and it was 2 miles.

[OverBoardProject]

Thanks for the reminder. I just rotated mine a few days ago and forgot

[dmbrisket 51]

Originally Posted by DetroitMuscle

NTB told me that it was my fault the lugs wern't torqued down after they put new tires on for me.


Atleast you got your bill picked up for you, they wouldnt even pick up the tow bill and it was 2 miles.

that is total horse shit, they may play hard up front, but the last person to touch a given system (this case tires) is liable for it and all damage occuring from them screwing the hootch

[DetroitMuscle]

Originally Posted by dmbrisket 51

that is total horse shit, they may play hard up front, but the last person to touch a given system (this case tires) is liable for it and all damage occuring from them screwing the hootch

The guy turning the impact on the car didnt speak english, he got suspended for 2 days and i got shafted, I even had to buy a new wheel due to them not doing thei job, its ok, i found a new tire place that works just fine and is alot cheaper.

[CCLARK2000]

Glad all are fine. It is situations like that that I stay with my vehicle,
regardless wheathr it is in for tire rotation or Warrenty repair ect/
If they refuse to allow me to stay with the veh, The veh leaves with me.
2 reasons..
1. as you posted
2. and you may learn someting you could use down the
road.

C

[Brian R.]

It's amazing - Even if you're only watching from a view window across the bay, if the guy knows you're watching, he does a much more careful job.

[laxman21]

Originally Posted by CCLARK2000

Glad all are fine. It is situations like that that I stay with my vehicle,
regardless wheathr it is in for tire rotation or Warrenty repair ect/
If they refuse to allow me to stay with the veh, The veh leaves with me.
2 reasons..
1. as you posted
2. and you may learn someting you could use down the
road.

C

I get the old parts so I know they fixed it.

Plus I use a mechanic I trust!

[jsgold]

That is just plain bad. I have seen people overtighten lugnuts too, usually by an inexperianced rookie. Loose ones are much worse though. As a rule I watch when possible especially if I have to go somewhere new. Suprising sometimes what you see. Will go check all lugnuts after this post as we have had two sets of tires put on recently.

[dmbrisket 51]

Originally Posted by laxman21

I get the old parts so I know they fixed it.

Plus I use a mechanic I trust!

you must realy trust them if you request your parts... and for some jobs (most accually, tires, a window swtich, fine if you wait), if you stay it is rediculus, you may not think much of it, but a customer in the way is a serious safty hazard, for one, your an extra body in the way, looken over our sholders so we can't concentrate as you ask questions and want to be educated, so the tech pays attention to you and doesnt have 100% attention to the issue at hand, his job, licence and YOUR LIFE, hoists will sometimes stick, and if they stick and the teck looked away for a split second, do you want to be anywhere near when a 4k pound vehical lets lose to the ground? and as a serious question, what if you neede major work? are you (someone with far less if any training and far less experence) going to stand over our sholder (trained, certified, licenced) and calmly watch us with a hammer to your vehical to seperate a tie rod end from a knuckle? or a torch on an exhaust stud? and then the major work your there for is a warped head, your willing to wait while the head is shipped out and machined? or should you be called when we get it back and wait for you to get there?? the work is done quicker, and much safer if you leave

[OverBoardProject]

Originally Posted by dmbrisket 51

you must realy trust them if you request your parts...

Actually I like to see some old parts, espeially spark plugs.

They often give you clues about your vehicle that the mechanic might not think of telling you.

[dmbrisket 51]

but obp you know more then most people going to a machanic, and part of getten my edumication was psyc classes, and thats because the machanicly impaired can't handle all the information we could tell them about their vehical, and we would be at a stand still tryen to educate the plublic, with a thousand questions, when instead we could give a quick 20 min overview, answer any questions from that, and get on to the next job, most machanics are on commision, so the longer they take on a job or talk to the customer, the less food on their plates for their family

[laxman21]

Originally Posted by dmbrisket 51

you must realy trust them if you request your parts...

Sorry for the confusing response. I ask for the parts when I don't use my regular mechanic that I trust to make sure that they are replacing something.

I get them from my regular mechanic anyways so I can see how they failed. And he doesn't mind that sometimes I used him for diagnostic purposes(paid) and than fix the problem myself.

[OverBoardProject]

I usually pay mine for a quick diagnostic by taking him out for a coffee.

There are certian advantages when they own their own shop, pick their own hours and like going out for coffee.