Last month I got some new tyres fitted at a national fast fit chain that I have used on many occasions before, and until now have always been very impressed by their levels of service. Yesterday when pulling up outside the house the Girlfriend informed me of a rattle from one of the wheels. When I checked Two of the wheel nuts were rattleing around behind the covers of my alloys. I was not able to hear the noise from inside the car so God knows how long ago they came out. I cursed myself as I would usually check the wheel nuts a week after getting any work done that requires the removal of the wheels, but with Christmas... Bad weather.... the fact the fitter was observed useing a touque wrench to tighten the nuts ... and general lazyness I had neglected to check. What is particullary scary is I have recently done alot of fast motorway miles probably with only two nuts holding on my front wheel.
Do I phone the fast fit chain and tell them?? Or just learn my lesson and encourage others not to be lazy and check?
What if it happens to the sterotypical female and her wheel falls off at speed?
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Big Vern,
Take a look at the receipt you got. Chances are there's a disclaimer on there advising the nuts are checked after 50 or so miles, or after a week.
If you phone them, what proof do you have? For all you know it could have been some toe-rag trying to nick your wheels but they got disturbed while undoing the nuts.
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it could have been some toe-rag trying to nick your wheels......
Oops, just re-read your post and that the nuts being loose behind the covers, which dimisses that theory.
Still advisable to check for tightness after the grease monkey has done his work though.
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I am not looking for anything from them, I am not that sort of person, as stated I would usually check them myself, however never seemed to get round to it this time.
The part that worries me is that I did not hear the noise and only found the problem as by chance somebody was outside to hear me pull up outside the house. Also what of the all too common motorist that would never think to check these things. I accept mistakes do happen...
The only reason I ask the question is I need some encouragement to phone them as I feel stupid enough / annoyed at myself for not checking them as per usuall after the first week and to serve as a reminder to others!
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At the place I normally go the foreman does the final check with a torque wrench on all the cars – I always stand there and watch him. Sometimes you have to wait while he’s doing something else but it seems a good policy to me and worth the wait.
Cheers
MPZ
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works both ways, Vern.
I always ensure that the pit-monkeys only tighten so far, then finish the job myself with a cross wheel spanner.
Many's the time I've nuts tightened far too much by mechanics, and you can't get the wheel off!
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I had a similar experience after getting brake work done. I had a really strange vibration coming from the rear somewhere and it turned out I had four of the five wheel nuts loose. Only the locking nut was tight.
I complained to the dealership, but they denied responsibility saying that they always tighten nuts with a torque wrench. I'm convinced it was them, but there is the chance it was someone trying to nick my wheels, so I can't fight it.
From now on I'll check them personally before leaving the premises.
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Vern
They may have used a torque wrench ( and I must say most do these days, rather than just the airgun 'one torque fits all' approach), but was it set correctly?
One trick is to say 'Oh, by the way, what torque should I use on that car?', knowing full well what it is, and make sure they give the correct answer.
Regards
John S
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All nuts were torqued up ok on the other 3 wheels I would suggest the fitter was interrupted during the front nearside wheel and missed the two that came out.
Just a thought I have 1 locking nut per wheel, I wonder did she go to torque up the locking nut 2nd and as she had done the locking nut last on all other wheels automatically put the cover on...
I guess all this specualtion is immaterial, mistakes happen , just happy that this time no harm has been done.
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... I wonder did she go to torque up the locking nut 2nd ...?
she?
she?
SHE?
You let a woman work on your car!?!
:)
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You let a woman work on your car!?! :)
A mate's chopper pilot. We went into his hanger. Blow me if there wasn't a female aircraftman working on his cab.
No wonder they only get 27 hours out of one in the desert. ;-)
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These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
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>>a female aircraftman ? contradiction in terms there, Toad.
No wonder they only get 27 hours out of one in the desert. ;-)
what? a chopper or a woman?
:)
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>> No wonder they only get 27 hours out of one what? a chopper or a woman?
I imagine both are quickly rendered U/S by chafing of sand. ;-)
--
These are my own opinions, and not necessarily those of all Toads.
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So, what torque value should be applied? I have checked and re-checked my owner's handbook to no avail.
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So, what torque value should be applied?
I imagine the value will be different for every make of car. Vauxhall for instance suggest 90Nm (66lbf ft)
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So, what torque value should be applied? I imagine the value will be different for every make of car. Vauxhall for instance suggest 90Nm (66lbf ft)
Unless it's current Astra when it's 110Nm (81 lbf ft) which shows how much you need specific data! There are also, in some cases, variations between steel and alloy wheel fitments on the same model of car.
Regards
John S
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>> Vauxhall for instance suggest 90Nm (66lbf ft) >> Unless it's current Astra when it's 110Nm (81 lbf ft) which shows how much you need specific data!
John S, just consulted my Vectra handbook, and it's the same setting as the current Astra, 110Nm. Up until now I've only been tightning them to my previous Cavalier torque. You're right, it just goes to show even with different models produced by the same manufactuer, the results can vary. I must confess though to only torquing up the locking wheel bolts, the other bolts I guess with a star brace. After many years of tinkering with both bike, car engines, and associated running gear, you tend to get a feel for how tight something should be with a convensional spanner after using a torque wrench a few times.
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Dynamc this I imagine is something that is gaugable by some sort of magical instrument? Otherwise I haven't the slightest clue what you are all talking about.
HF
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HF,
The magical instrument is commonly known as a torque wrench. Looks similar to a standard socket wrench, but you can set it so that it makes a noise when the correct tightness is achieved.
Example picture at: www.utahsba.com/images/photo/torque_wrench_1P.jpg but come in all different shapes and sizes.
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Thank you, as always Dynamic :)
HF
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I would suggest tight enough for you still to be able to get the wheel off at the roadside.
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Very similar thing happened to me once when I was shunting forward in a queue and noticed a rattle coming from the nearside front wheel.
Pulled into the BP garage a mile down the road, checked and had one nut rattling around inside the cover and another loose.
Fortunately since the time I had an exhaust fall off and drove 17 miles with it showering sparks everywhere, I now drive the first and last 5 minutes of every journey I make with the radio off, so I can hear it theres any unusual noises coming from the car.
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Friend of mine bought a Mk3 Golf which had aftermarket alloy wheels fitted. About 2 weeks later was driving to work at about 80mph and one of the front wheels departed company with the hub. Luckily it rode up into the wheelarch and he was able to pull up safely onto the hard shoulder.
Turned out the wheel studs weren't only loose but also too short. The bright spark he bought the car off couldn't be bothered to fit new studs aswell....
Jimmy
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What i discovered on my first car was even more scary. i bought the car in february 01 and at the end of that year roundabout november i decided to go to ATS for the free winter health check. it turns out there were a few faults that meant i shouldn't have been sold the car as it wouldn't have passed it's MOT.
One of these problems was that on one of the wheels. where there should have been 4 nuts holding the wheel in place there were only 2, the ATS mechanic said the nuts were there but not engaging, they were simply revolving loose, i know it must've been like that when i bought it because that particular wheel had not been taken off the car at all while i'd owned it.
Slightly off-topic but, another equally (or possibly more) dangerous fault was that there was nothing holding the battery in place - it was simply sitting on a metal plate with a slight lip to stop it sliding off completely! Being a naive new driver with no other drivers in the family and not mechanically minded i didn't realise this was a problem at the time but i hate to think what would've happened if i'd had a crash - instant fireball as the battery was catapulted to the opposite side of the engine bay!!
Needless to say i'm becoming increasingly mechanically minded so at least i've got a vague idea of what's right and what's dangerous.
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A few years ago a colleague had some work done on a wheel at a small garage. Later on the motorway the wheel came off, car overturned. He survived intact and claimed successfully for damage against the garage. Scary.
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Driving downhill on a dual carriageway with a trailer fully laden with logs I suddenly heard a loud bang and scraping noise and at the same time I was overtaken by the offside wheel of my trailer, I watched with horror as the wheel which seemed to be gathering pace was being avoided by the following traffic, this seemed to last ages as I watched he wheel first go to one side then the other and finally come to rest on my side.
I shudder to think of the consequences if the wheel had bounced over to the other carriageway.
On my return home with my still fully laden trailer courtesy of the AA I found that the holes in the wheels had been elongated to fit the hubs (mini wheels jap hubs)!.
I and other innocent motorists were very lucky that day
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