Don't trust your local tyre fitter....

Jev88

Jev88

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FourWinds Windsport 6.8L V10
I really, really should have known better, trusting a commercial tyre fitter to replace a ruined tyre and switch out with spare wheel I had been running.
He went off to check torque settings and used his gun to start the nuts and then moved on to torque wrench to finish - 7 nuts all good and you guessed it - last nut SNAP!

Duncan from Star Spangled Spanner to the rescue sourcing me 8 new studs and luckily a commercial truck station opposite the tyre dealer is willing to take the studs out and fit new (fingers crossed we can still get away for the weekend).

I am well aware that tyre fitters often don't even bother to use torque wrenches and blast them on with the gun, but despite requesting the torque wrench I wrongly assumed he had a clue about what that setting should be.
 
New tyre fitted on the car last week. Fitter used the windy gun on the locking bolt which is definitely a no-no because it can easily be rounded off.

He had plenty of time (I was the only customer in their workshop at that time) and should know better.
 
Tyre fitter used a torque wrench on my car.
I asked what it was set at?
Told him that was wrong so he showed me the wall chart.
I showed him the cars owners manual.
He said the book was wrong and he had to follow the wall chart torque.
I don't think Chrysler would get their own info wrong.
Got home and re-torqued to correct rating.
 
Any time I've had the wheels on car or mh worked on at any tyre place I always check and redo when I get it home..
Pretty well every time they are on far to tight.. thats just instinctive..I seldom use a torque wrench for wheel nuts but have on the odd occasion just checked the feel with a torque wrench especially if it's a vehicle I've not worked on before.. but once I get the feel of it never found the need for torqueing wheel nuts.
Andy
 
pappajohn said:
Tyre fitter used a torque wrench on my car.
I asked what it was set at?
Told him that was wrong so he showed me the wall chart.
I showed him the cars owners manual.
He said the book was wrong and he had to follow the wall chart torque.
I don't think Chrysler would get their own info wrong.
Got home and re-torqued to correct rating.
Click to expand...
One source of information may've been newer than the other and adjusted for changes in accepted settings. 🤔
 
Just had my tyres replaced. I had to insist they used a torque wrench when they were done instead of just "3 duggas" on the impact wrench. I probably ought to check them myself as I don't trust that they actually set the torque wrench to the correct settings either.

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kevenh said:
One source of information may've been newer than the other and adjusted for changes in accepted settings. 🤔
Click to expand...
If the vehicle manufacturer and wheel manufacturer have agreed a setting then that is the setting for that vehicle and wheel size combination.
Newer vehicle/wheel combinations may be different but they can't change an existing setting at will.
 
Not taken a car or m/h to a tyre depot for over 20 years now as I got fed up with dented chassis rails etc. from poor placement of trolley jacks.
I now just take the wheels themselves in even though it's an inconvenience.
That doesn't stop the morons putting a tyre on the rim with the tyre's heavy point near the wheel's heavy point and then adding 80+ grams of lead to balance it though, when if they'd done it correctly 10 or 15g may well have done it.
Trying a mobile tyre fitter that I can watch like a hawk next time..
 
bb746 said:
Not taken a car or m/h to a tyre depot for over 20 years now as I got fed up with dented chassis rails etc. from poor placement of trolley jacks.
I now just take the wheels themselves in even though it's an inconvenience.
That doesn't stop the morons putting a tyre on the rim with the tyre's heavy point near the wheel's heavy point and then adding 80+ grams of lead to balance it though, when if they'd done it correctly 10 or 15g may well have done it.
Trying a mobile tyre fitter that I can watch like a hawk next time..
Click to expand...
Not just bad placement of trolley jacks, but missing contact pads as well.

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ms a little strange that they used a torque wrench on seven studs and the eighth one snapped.
Possibly a stud that had been stretched before or even faulty, not unknown.
 
I have had to replace two sets of locking wheel nuts on my car and one on the wifes car after they have gone in for a service at Toyota & Nissin. The kys are not designed for a torque gun. I tend to remove the locking nuts before I take them in now
 
Jev88 said:
Yes they are great but won't touch my 19.5" tyres (RV)
Click to expand...

Forgot you had changed, maybe they could recommend somebody for future reference.

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bb746 said:
Not taken a car or m/h to a tyre depot for over 20 years now as I got fed up with dented chassis rails etc. from poor placement of trolley jacks.
I now just take the wheels themselves in even though it's an inconvenience.
That doesn't stop the morons putting a tyre on the rim with the tyre's heavy point near the wheel's heavy point and then adding 80+ grams of lead to balance it though, when if they'd done it correctly 10 or 15g may well have done it.
Trying a mobile tyre fitter that I can watch like a hawk next time..
Click to expand...
What is the Tyres and wheels ‘heavy point’
thanks.
 
matamoros said:
ms a little strange that they used a torque wrench on seven studs and the eighth one snapped.
Possibly a stud that had been stretched before or even faulty, not unknown.
Click to expand...
Or it could have been wound right up by the gun and just the slightest hint of anything was enough for it to snap,,?
 
Nigel L said:
What is the Tyres and wheels ‘heavy point’
thanks.
Click to expand...
If you spin a wheel on its own it would need a corrective weight opposite the "heavy point" as no wheel is perfectly made. Spin a tyre on its own and it would not be equally weighted all round either. Stick the heaviest point of the tyre next to the heaviest point of the wheel and you need a big weight to balance it on the opposite side. If you rotate the wheel so heavy points are opposite each other that would negate each other somewhat.
 
I use a guy in Riddlesden west yorks, behind the coop if it's local to anyone.

Good guy and cheap..

Cheers James
 
gus-lopez said:
Or it could have been wound right up by the gun and just the slightest hint of anything was enough for it to snap,,?
Click to expand...

Could well have been, could also have been previous over tightening, who knows, lots of strange things happen with truck wheels including studs shearing.
 
Jev88 said:
If you spin a wheel on its own it would need a corrective weight opposite the "heavy point" as no wheel is perfectly made. Spin a tyre on its own and it would not be equally weighted all round either. Stick the heaviest point of the tyre next to the heaviest point of the wheel and you need a big weight to balance it on the opposite side. If you rotate the wheel so heavy points are opposite each other that would negate each other somewhat.
Click to expand...

How would one go about determining those heavy points with any accuracy?
 
matamoros said:
How would one go about determining those heavy points with any accuracy?
Click to expand...
It takes more time than most fitters want to take. Mark the wheel first. Fit tyre and balance, mark wheel and tyre, move tyre 90 degrees and measure again.... You can work out by what weight now needed and where according to the balance machine. If weight required goes up you are moving the wrong way. Weight required goes down, you have moved the heavy points apart.
 
If that’s your bus in your avatar , you may find the torque setting stamped on the end of the studs , I know mine has

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