bored

[unkamonkey]

My closest tire shop had already screwed up the lug nuts and studs on my rig. At least they paid for what they screwed up but they wouldn't pay me to fix it. Sorry, I know what sort of work you do so I did it myself.
The next time I went in for a tire rotation I went to the next shop down the road and I pulled right in and they went right at it. Oooo Kaaaay, the socket they had for the inner wheel nuts was worn out so it rounded off the nuts. Call in the guy in the service truck because he had newer stuff. We got it done but I asked them about fixing what they had messed up.
They asked me where to go for parts, 2 hour round trip so I sat in the doorway of the camper and had a beer. Nothing worth watching on TV.
So, bored.
I worked in a tire shop for years so I could find the broom and I started sweeping. The manager came out to ask me what I was doing. I explained it and asked him if he wanted a beer. He stomped back to his office.
I swept up around 1/2 of that shop and by the time it was done, they just told me to get the heck out of there. Not perhaps in those words but I didn't get charged for anything either.
And people wonder why I carry those new sockets around in my camper?

 

[skippythedog]

Tee hee What is the best combination of tools to be self reliant where wheel work is concerned?

I'm a former MAC Tool dealer, so I already had a 4 foot torque wrench; got one of those torque multipliers (aka Nut Buddy, w/ the leg on it) on it's way (for lug nut removal only). Can a rear dual be torqued w/ only an extension and wrench or do I need a support/pivot point (like the Ken-Tool 32610)? shown here : https://youtu.be/hsrLFrUVsRo....the nut shoulders seem almost tall enough to torque w/ an extension that just clears the rim, along w/ a fresh socket.

Even the tire jockeys have no good advice....completely dependent on their rattle guns...:ar15:

cheers

 

[javajoe79]

I hate when shops won't own up to their mistakes or do so begrudgingly. I remember once I got new tires at a firestone store. The next day I see a missing lug nut. Upon inspection the stud is broken. So I assume it's a random occurrence and replace the stud. As I'm putting the wheel back on, two more studs break before even being torqued. At that point I'm pissed. I go back to the tire shop and they try to tell me that studs are a wear item and they break sometimes. I told them I'm in the industry and I know exactly what happened, the tech hammered them on with his bad *** impact gun, and they would be reimbursing me for my time and parts to replace every wheel stud. They eventually caved after I threatened to get corporate involved. Several more studs broke while removing wheels to replace studs. From then on, if I need tires, I watch or I just bring them the wheels

 

[skippythedog]

I hate when shops won't own up to their mistakes or do so begrudgingly. I remember once I got new tires at a firestone store. The next day I see a missing lug nut. Upon inspection the stud is broken. So I assume it's a random occurrence and replace the stud. As I'm putting the wheel back on, two more studs break before even being torqued. At that point I'm pissed. I go back to the tire shop and they try to tell me that studs are a wear item and they break sometimes. I told them I'm in the industry and I know exactly what happened, the tech hammered them on with his bad *** impact gun, and they would be reimbursing me for my time and parts to replace every wheel stud. They eventually caved after I threatened to get corporate involved. Several more studs broke while removing wheels to replace studs. From then on, if I need tires, I watch or I just bring them the wheels

:victory: I might be partially to blame:

As a former MAC Tool dealer, I was supplied w/ special 1/2" shank to 1/2" shank socket.
Its' sole purpose was to hook up 2 rattle guns head to head to see which was more bada$$ and would turn the other backwards...

Guilty as charged.

My purgatory is now driving a light commercial truck that the auto tire shops have no 41mm sockets for and the commercial shops only have 1 inch impact wrenches set to 600+ lbs.

Fate.

 

[javajoe79]

:victory: I might be partially to blame:

As a former MAC Tool dealer, I was supplied w/ special 1/2" shank to 1/2" shank socket.
Its' sole purpose was to hook up 2 rattle guns head to head to see which was more bada$$ and would turn the other backwards...

Guilty as charged.

My purgatory is now driving a light commercial truck that the auto tire shops have no 41mm sockets for and the commercial shops only have 1 inch impact wrenches set to 600+ lbs.

Fate.

Yeah they claimed to use torque sticks so there is no way they could overtorque. I told them torque sticks aren't meant to be used on a mega impact gun set on kill with the shop air pressure maxed out.... They had no clue

 

[unkamonkey]

I used to work in a tire shop as I said and we had some lug nuts the small rattle wrench wouldn't take off so back to the large 4 way. I twisted off 2 studs on the front wheel of the truck.
My brother and neighbor decided to help me change wheels on my Jeep. Mike has a battery powered impact wrench that we used. I didn't think it would do squat but it worked quite well, well enough that I couldn't get the nuts off later on 1 side so I had him come over to get them loose. He was more than willing to put them back on. No, I'll do it myself.
I was swapping to the winter tires on my Volvo and I'm out in the yard on my knees with the tools from the back of the wagon. Mike wondered why I didn't borrow the impact gun. You put things back on the car with what you may need to remove them on the roadside.
I told you about my experiences with tire shops. I was out with my even larger 4 way to get the lug nuts loose on the right front of the Mitso. UMmm, a jack stand to support the other end of the wrench and a 5' pipe that I had to stand on , I had to bounce on it to break the nuts loose. If my math still works, that means they were torqued to something like over 1,500 lb/ft.
If I remember they should be torqued to somewhere between 325 to 398 lb/ft.
There are several horror stories on this site and that's why I change my own wheels.
Of course the LH threads messed with them as well in a shop. I ignored the no customers sign and pointed out the large L stamped on the end of the studs.

 

[pugslyyy]

I have decided that either tire shops use a real torque wrench, or they lie.

I try to be there whenever they touch my nuts. So far, I've found only one place that treats my nuts properly, with the care they deserve.

 

[SkiFreak]

I try to be there whenever they touch my nuts.

So many comments have run through my head after reading your post, none of which probably comply with the forum rules...

 

[unkamonkey]

I have decided that either tire shops use a real torque wrench, or they lie.

I try to be there whenever they touch my nuts. So far, I've found only one place that treats my nuts properly, with the care they deserve.

I'm not going to speak about touching your nuts. Never did it, never will.
My favorite tire shop understands that I know as much about tires as they do and they have no problem with me out in the shop. If I drive in with one of my Jeeps I end up talking with a shop guy for several minutes about Jeeps that have been in their family.
Sometimes I have to show them how to put the wheel covers back on the Volvo. Goofy system.

 

[Czechsix]

Yep, good torque wrench, a nut buddy, a good selection of sockets, adapters and extensions. Plus a good set of ken tool spoons and bars to fit your particular wheelset....because those damned tires don't take themselves off when you need to boot them. I still use a rattle gun to buzz the nuts off and on though, much faster. I just don't use it to torque stuff on.

I've got singles, can't help you on the dually issue.

 

[unkamonkey]

I've run trucks with duals for over 40 years and only had a problem once with a rock stuck between them. I admit they can be a bit strange on an ice/snow covered dirt roads but given the price, I'm not changing.

 

[Airmapper]

Where I work we get the scrap from tire shops all over. Sometimes I go pilfer around in the bins looking for something useful, and surprisingly they throw away good stuff. I got handfuls of spare lug nuts, I find valve stem removers, tread gauges, never need to buy a valve stem cap...

Anyway, I see dozens upon dozens of broken torque sticks in there every time I look. They must go through them like candy, and if used properly, I don't see why one of those shouldn't last unless they are beating the hell out of them.

 

[dlh62c]

I've run trucks with duals for over 40 years and only had a problem once with a rock stuck between them. I admit they can be a bit strange on an ice/snow covered dirt roads but given the price, I'm not changing.

Getting a rock stuck between the rear duals can happen. In a muddy track, the duals will load up with mud.

https://youtu.be/DFs7fiYXSzQ

 

[unkamonkey]

I've seen the video before and given where the battery box and waste storage tanks are on mine, It wouldn't work so I went at it with a hammer to break up that nice piece of granite, Silver Plume Granite as I recall. I thought about saving it but why? it went over the ditch. It would have been easier and quicker to just take off the outside dual and let the rock drop to the ground.

 

[unkamonkey]

One thing about rattle wrenches is that they have different torque depending on which way they turn. It doesn't really matter as they can easily over torque a Fuso lug nut. Back to why I do my own wheel work.