wife is so helpful&loving. she took truck to costco for tire rotation/balance.

vash · vash's Garage

and they stripped 3 of 6 lugs on one wheel. they only rotated the passenger side, and gave the truck to my wife with a big "sorry", looks like you are effed.

wow. i figured one stripped lug would stop the ambitions tech..but NOOOOO...let me try another and another.. i think two guys tackled my truck. the driver side guy. failed.

ugly, but i got them off. i'll rotate them myself. maybe roll them in for the free balance.

wish i could drink booze. waaaah.

Zeke · 07-19-2011, 06:27 PM

Save the nuts and give them personally to the general manager.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

And tell him, "replace these at your cost - correctly - or these won't be the only removed nuts I'll be holding in my hand"

This is why I am adamant about doing all my own work, despite the inconvenience. Way too many idiots in this world running around with air tools/power tools/paint cans/you-name-it. Stupid can result in big headaches fast when combined with any of the above.

rusnak · 07-19-2011, 07:20 PM

Tire stores have the most incompetent help in the automotive/ mechanical world.

Seriously. Tire changers are at the bottom of the totem pole. Don't expect them to know how to use a torque wrench or properly use any sort of tool.

lisa_spyder · 07-19-2011, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

And tell him, "replace these at your cost - correctly - or these won't be the only removed nuts I'll be holding in my hand"

Oh choice words

!

That's what I would do...and being female I would follow it up with "I can assue you pain not pleasure would be your experience"....

What is it with chain stores and air tools and rattle guns??? No-one removes anything by hand now. Can't tell you the damage we see through the workshop from previous repairers. Just shameful.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Maybe smear some blood on your shirt before you make demands.......

widgeon13 · 07-20-2011, 03:39 AM

I think the fact that they are in such a hurry to get the nuts back on they use the torque driver and not their hand to start threading, stupid idiots.

Zeke · 07-20-2011, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by widgeon13

I think the fact that they are in such a hurry to get the nuts back on they use the torque driver and not their hand to start threading, stupid idiots.

They think the lug nuts all work like the ones in NASCAR.

oldschoollear · 07-20-2011, 07:42 AM

Bad deal. I just read your post on Tacoma World; I assume that was you.

aigel · aigel's Garage

I have had very good luck with Costco tire services. Never an issue in years. I do however check their torque when the wife gets home.

George

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Last several tire changes I've need I literally cut the old tires off the rims myself with a sawzall (no disposal fees that way) and taken the bare rims down to the shop with the tires (either off of Tire Rack or Ebay) and asked how much to mount/balance? Usually $20-or-so a tire. No fuss, no muss. Very little for them to screw up.

I have a tire replacement coming up on my m/c - I'll be doing that one the same way.

I don't trust shops. I just don't. They're mills and your work is simply an obstruction to be gotten through so they can get to the next guy more often than not.

Evans, Marv · 07-20-2011, 09:09 AM

I've had decent luck with Costco tire service also. At least where I go the torque numbers are good, but I've found out their tire pressure numbers are only approximate. I always check the tire pressure & adjust it when I get home.

Embraer · Embraer's Garage

i took my 911 to Discount Tire when i had the tires replaced last time.....i wasn't expecting much, but was completely surprised when the manager asked me to come back and supervise them jacking the car up, removing the wheels, and then replacing/properly torquing them. the manager stood there with me while the tire guys did the work....kind of funny how they treated the car like it was a rare supercar. it was appreciated.

speeder · speeder's Garage

The tire stores that I use in L.A. are more than competent at changing/mounting/balancing tires. That is a real shame. How exactly did they strip your lug nuts? Or was it the studs?

BRPORSCHE · 07-20-2011, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Embraer

i took my 911 to Discount Tire when i had the tires replaced last time.....i wasn't expecting much, but was completely surprised when the manager asked me to come back and supervise them jacking the car up, removing the wheels, and then replacing/properly torquing them. the manager stood there with me while the tire guys did the work....kind of funny how they treated the car like it was a rare supercar. it was appreciated.

I have always had good experiences with Discount.

Stand up company down in these parts.

Tim Hancock · 07-20-2011, 09:50 AM

I could rant for hours about all the BS I have gone through getting tires and alignments done/attempted at local tire shops (like NTB, Tireman and BelleTire) over the last 10 years or so.

I have had floors dented, fender/rockers smashed, aluminum lugs impact wrenched, low front valances scraped, wheels scratched, clip-on weights installed on aluminum wheels, poor balance jobs, tie-rods destroyed (due to not using a counterhold wrench), Floor mats/seats/headliners oil stained etc. I now do ALL of my own alignments with digital levels/strings and I always remove my wheels and take them in loose. I have almost gotten into fist fights with shop supervisors and I have dropped the F-bomb multiple times in front of other customers when arguing with store managers after proving to them (I had started taking digital pictures of everything when I dropped the cars off) they effed up something on my car.

I WILL buy my own tire machines someday soon and will then never have a need to let todays crop of dumb@ss technicians at these places ever touch my cars again.

25 years ago kids working at these shops knew how to turn wrenches.... Today that knowledge for the most part has been replaced by video games/Facebook/cell phones.

pwd72s · 07-20-2011, 10:10 AM

I use a local independent...before buying I used word of mouth advertising from a neighbor. Yep, they torque wrench...

speeder · speeder's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

I could rant for hours about all the BS I have gone through getting tires and alignments done/attempted at local tire shops (like NTB, Tireman and BelleTire) over the last 10 years or so.

I have had floors dented, fender/rockers smashed, aluminum lugs impact wrenched, low front valances scraped, wheels scratched, clip-on weights installed on aluminum wheels, poor balance jobs, tie-rods destroyed (due to not using a counterhold wrench), Floor mats/seats/headliners oil stained etc. I now do ALL of my own alignments with digital levels/strings and I always remove my wheels and take them in loose. I have almost gotten into fist fights with shop supervisors and I have dropped the F-bomb multiple times in front of other customers when arguing with store managers after proving to them (I had started taking digital pictures of everything when I dropped the cars off) they effed up something on my car.

I WILL buy my own tire machines someday soon and will then never have a need to let todays crop of dumb@ss technicians at these places ever touch my cars again.

25 years ago kids working at these shops knew how to turn wrenches.... Today that knowledge for the most part has been replaced by video games/Facebook/cell phones.

I recently had a horrible experience with an alignment shop that has been in business for over 80 years. It was with my Mercedes and I don't want to type 2 paragraphs recounting the story because it will ruin my day. It was like I'd walked into the Twilight Zone, just horrible service and attitude. The only thing that I took away from the experience is that I should walk, (or more accurately, drive), away at the first sign of incompetence or bad service. There are plenty of fish in the sea willing to take your $$ and do a better job + communicate.

I am very particular and knowledgable about alignment and tires/wheels, any shop that will not allow me to witness the work as it's being done is automatically eliminated. This of course does not mean that I have a right to interfere with them doing their job but it's possible to observe while staying out of the way and make sure that your baby is being treated right. As I am a mechanic myself, I have no problem telling someone that they suck if appropriate and I heap praise when warranted as well.

Baz · Baz's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by rusnak

Tire stores have the most incompetent help in the automotive/ mechanical world.

Seriously. Tire changers are at the bottom of the totem pole. Don't expect them to know how to use a torque wrench or properly use any sort of tool.

I always thought prison guards held that distinction

I hope you get things sorted out - good luck!

speeder · speeder's Garage

Alignment is not rocket science. It's not even yo-yo science. If someone takes more that 30 minutes to do a normal alignment, either there is a problem with the car or they do not know what they're doing. End of story. I'm not talking corner-balancing or ride height setting, etc... I'm talking normal alignment on a street car. The longest part of the job is normally setting up the car on the rack and installing the equipment.