Wheel fell of truck...whos fault?

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Sorry dude...it's on you as others have said...going back to the dealer will only waste your time and push your aggravation upwards cause they'll put it on you. My peeve is the opposite...the shops that hire a dork who wants to air-wratchet the lugs on so tight that I can't break 'em loose when I need to with a 4-way. So I'm that basterd who insists they hand-torque the lugs and stands there to make sure they do it...even so, I check mine about once a month...recent service or not.

I've tried that a number of times and the shop still hammers the !@#$%^ out of them with the impact gun. Not this last set of tires I put on the F-150 (because I put those on myself and torqued them), but the set before, I specifically asked for hand torquing the lugs. They said no problem. When I went to service the front brakes about a month later, I had a breaker bar and three foot cheater pipe on the lugs and I was jumping up and down on it to break them free. I took it back and screamed bloody murder and got an offended "well, we always torque them to spec." BS. I'm friendly with a couple local shops now and when it comes time for tires, I'll throw them some beer or something to use the tire machine and do it myself.

 

[pjtoledo]

you guys will probably scream, but I always grease the seats on lug nuts then torque 'em to 85 lbft. never had a problem, been doing it that way for, for,,,for,,,, well, I bought my first torque wrench from Montgomery Wards sometime in the 70's.
on checking the re-torque, seldom more than a minor tweak of the wrench for aluminum wheels. never anything on steelies.


Perry

 

[Will]

I was driving home the other night and the front tire fell off my truck and rested on the brake rotor.

The damned wheel should absolutely not fall off. Who does that ever happen to?

 

[tmcalavy]

If'n I'm conscious, nobody hammers the lugs on with an impact...I will take it away from them and have done so. I take my own torque wrench along when I have wheel/tire work done.

 

[wildbill23c]

Its your own fault. A wheel that's about to fall off feels absolutely nothing like a wheel bearing that is worn out. Anytime I take a vehicle to any shop for new tires or a tire rotation I always check and make sure the lug nuts are all tightened down I don't trust people I've had too many cases of stripped lug nuts (Les Schwab is notorious for this) or not torquing them down.

 

[Mark_88]

I've never used a torque wrench on any lug nuts...I crank them till they go "squoink"...or is it "Screeeeek"? but you know the sound when metal bites metal...and, so far, have not had issues with lug nuts coming loose...or, for that matter, cracking them on the side of the road when I need to change a tire.

 

[97RangerXLT]

I crank them till they go "squoink"...or is it "Screeeeek"?

And the most accurate and descriptive sound of tightening a wheel lug award goes to Mark 88!

AJ

 

[Road Angels]

After a tire shop raised the back seat in my wifes old Mustang 4" up by using the floor pan to lift it, I pull my own wheels and take them in, and do the install my self, besides it keeps some crap head on a commission from trying to sell me something I don't need, did get $600 from the tire shop and fixed it at the body shop when I worked at the steelerships, for free

 

[Andy D]

I've never used a torque wrench on any lug nuts...I crank them till they go "squoink"...or is it "Screeeeek"? but you know the sound when metal bites metal...and, so far, have not had issues with lug nuts coming loose...or, for that matter, cracking them on the side of the road when I need to change a tire.

After a few incidents with rusted hubs, I use chassis grease on the contact patch and lugs. I also have a spare and the tools to change a tire. I dont care about torque wrenches. The wheels stay on until they have to be taken off. When being R+R'ed the process is done by hand quick and easy. I use a star pattern 3 times around, the last tight being foot pressure. Anything over 75 -80 foot lbs is overkill on 1/2" fine thread studs.

 

[70roadrunner]

I had tires changed last week and requested they anti-seize the wheel studs. I was told they don't do that, it causes inaccurate torque and the nuts can back off!
I worked at that same tire shop 20 years ago, and was REQUIRED

 

[70roadrunner]

oops, hit the wrong key!
I was required to anti-seize all wheel studs, screw the nuts on by hand, and then torque. the impact was only for removal

 

[pjtoledo]

If'n I'm conscious, nobody hammers the lugs on with an impact...I will take it away from them and have done so. I take my own torque wrench along when I have wheel/tire work done.

thats why they make torque sticks. its essentially a combination socket & extension.

extensions reduce the power from a torque wrench, a proper sized torque stick will yield the correct torque. they do come in various sizes.

just a socket on an impact is totally uncontrolled, usually way too much torque, and is a definite no-no on my vehicles too.


getting back to the orignal post, was it printed anywhere on the work order or invoice about re-torqueing?


Perry

 

[kimcrwbr1]

All this politically correct crap really gets my goat!
If your dtriving down the road and you hear a funny noise like maybe a wheel bearing stop and check the wheels and bearings, do not assume you know whats wrong. No invoice can prevent stupid man up and fix the truck. It is called the school of hard knocks. If you make the shop pay for repairs it is called stealing in my opinion. Everyone here has done stupid stuff just be glad no one got hurt.

 

[john93rangerstx]

i would never ant seize a lug nut I have seen them loosen up

 

[doorgunner]

I didn't read all the post. And you probably fixed the problem by now.....

Did the dealer write down the mileage on the original receipt?
YES------if you exceeded the 50 mile re-torque rule--you lose
NO---if you did not exceed the 50 mile re-torque rule--you win.

Is there a warranty period on the original receipt?
YES----If you went past the warranty period--you lose
...........If you did not go past the warranty period and you did not exceed the 50 mile re-torque mileage----you win.

EVERYONE has to play by the rules--no matter how stupied they may be---even the dealer--if you did not break the rules--of course the dealer can always be a real jerk about it.