Whinge

[Wezzel]

Why do the monkeys in tyre shops and garages insist on using air hammers to tighten up wheel nuts?

Today I thought I would take the alloys off for a good clean. God the nuts were tight (even with an extending wheel brace). Got them all undone on the first wheel until I got to the locking nut - then SNAP! shattered the wheel nut key into a thousand pieces.

Trip to the stealers on Monday morning now (with the logbook) and hope I don't get a puncture in the meantime.

Doh!

 

[GrahamC230K]

I haven't been to a shop that uses air tools to fit wheels in a long time, you must be unlucky and I can appreciate your annoyance.

You are lucky it was your key not the nut that broke too.

I have heard too many tales of sheared bolts on MB's too for your average liking

 

[pluggers]

Most of the garages around here use the air wrench to undo the bolts then use it to spin them up again, then finishing off with the torque wrench.But in every case I always mentioned to the guy doing the tyres not to use the air wrench on the security bolts.

 

[Flash]

Most of the garages around here use the air wrench to undo the bolts then use it to spin them up again, then finishing off with the torque wrench.But in every case I always mentioned to the guy doing the tyres not to use the air wrench on the security bolts.

I always am polite and nicely ask them not to use an air gun and have the nuts removed manually - I usally go to places where I am standing next to the car and watch them do it.

If u go to a Stealer then make sure you tell the SA to instruct w/shop not to use an air gun and mak ethem not on paperwork that there is no damage to nut housing area on teh alloy wheels.

Flash

 

[del320]

I always am polite and nicely ask them not to use an air gun and have the nuts removed manually - I usally go to places where I am standing next to the car and watch them do it.

Flash

Kwik-fit don't need to be asked - hand tools as a matter of course plus an invite to have wheels nipped up again after a couple of hundred miles.
And they have always matched or bettered any other quote.
And they do the wheelbarrow for free

 

[Flash]

I would not take any of our cars to Kwikfit from my first & last experience - took ex g/fs car down for tyre change and they broke/cracked 2*hub caps in the process and all of them were using air guns. The local one to me does not even have proper high tech tracking alignment/equipment.

I now use an authroised Perelli tyre Dealer/fitter that has the latest state of the at equipment on their premises and they allow you to stay with your car the whole time.

Flash

 

[Wezzel]

Well, I've ordered my replacement locking wheel nut key. Just a few pennies short of twenty quid!. The poor technician had to come out to the car park with a box of 30 master keys in order to find which one I needed. Sod's law - it was about the 25th one he tried.

 

[pluggers]

Sod's law - it was about the 25th one he tried.

I hate sods law it happens to me as well