A tyre shop has knackered my locking wheel nut head

[Pig benis]

Hi chaps,

I'm not sure where I stand on this, but here goes.

Two/three weeks ago I took my car to get some new tyres at a garage that I was recommened too. It wasn't down to price, but I liked how the manager really cared and he wasn't the typical tyre fitter (we all know the type).

There was no problem what so ever until today when I was having a new clutch fitted and my mechanic (top bloke) had to remove the N/S/F wheel, however he was unable to do so, due to the tyre garage fitting the locking wheel nut by the Hulk. There is no hope in hell the locking wheel nut will come off, as all it does is go to round off. Now my mechanic was still able to drop the g/box, but it is costing me another hours labour to do so. As one can expect, I am pretty pissed off. I did say that could they do them up properly with a torque wrench and to the correct setting, as this isn't the first time I have had this issue.

Now I have had extra cost for catching the train home (was going to drive), an extra hours labour on my car and a set of locking wheel nut keys/nuts. I will be calling the garage tomorrow morning, I wanted to do it today but after a stressful day in the office, I would have lost my cool at the tyre shop.

Would it be out of this world to ask for them to pay for the removal of the locking wheel nut and for a set of new ones? The extra hours labour I will take on the chin and take it as a lesson for not trusting anyone with my fking locking wheel nuts.. Seriously, it isn't hard to understand. I am an IT engineer and if I setup a database/network my way and not to how the client wanted it, I would want to put it right at a cost to me. I hope this tyre shop has the same approach to business.

Thanks for any advice
P.B

[m8rky]

Difficult to get a resolution to that.The tyre fitter will blame the garage and vice versa for the time and aggravation I would suggest sucking it up and not use that tyre firm again.
It would depend on the condition of the locking nuts as well they do get chewed up with mis use and may have been chewed too far when reassembled at the tyre firm.All very hard to prove and espescially after 3 weeks.

[thinfourth2]

Locking wheel nuts are basically the devils work

[northandy]

Had something similar last year, went to swap to winter wheels and couldnt get one of the bmw locking studs off. Had had 2 new tyres fitted by a local tyre fitter id used for years.

Ended up taking it to bmw as it was next to where i work, they even broke their locking key as well, had to use a bolt extractor, cost me about £35 for the labour and new key from bmw.

Was knarked but not a thing i could prove, so sucked it up and moved on.

[Pig benis]

Oh now that is a shame. I will still call them tomorrow though, as I sort of know the owner through someone. I'm not looking for a refund, but maybe a little bit of extra knowledge on their behalf will save other people having the same issue.

Absolutely, I HATE locking wheel nut keys as no one seems to know how to tighten them up. On my previous car I was watching this mechanic tighten up my other nuts with an air wrench (idiot) and then he loaded up my locking wheel nut key. Before I had time to run over and stop him, it was too late. I'm not an angry type of person, but ignorance boils my piss, especially on such basic car mechanics. Oh and people who will tighten up the nuts with a breaker bar etc and then use a torque wrench, complete fktards! The last garage who fitted my tyres had no idea what they did wrong, so I got them to remove the nuts and torqued the nuts up properly. I hope I taught the mechanic a lesson, but I probally got called a bellend as I drove off

[fangio]

I was watching this mechanic tighten up my other nuts with an air wrench (idiot) and then he loaded up my locking wheel nut key.

And there's the rub. Locking nut manufacturers specifically state not to use a windy-gun on them.

[lescombes]

A lot of factory locking nuts/bolts are basically cheap crap..... Peugeot for one....best changing them for decent ones .
Pug ones are a simple and crap design made of really soft steel....
With your vehicle, whatever the make.... tyre shop will blame a garage who will blame the tyre shop.... got to take it on the chin my friend sadly

[cptsideways]

Thats why any sensible garage or mechanic will suggest you bin them & replace with normal nuts.


They are utter crap all of them

[miniman]

Surely any decent mechanic will have a set of removal sockets? They only cost £30 or so.

[Sir Bagalot]

I've had similar problems and there is only one solution. Remove the locking nuts yourself before, and replace afterwards yourself.

[davepoth]

Steel wheels don't get stolen, so no need for locking wheel nuts.

[vrsmxtb]

Unless you've got a prestige car, or live in the estate from hell, who really steals alloys anymore??

I bought some decent ones for my Mazda as the wheels are really nice ones. My Skoda ones were overtightened by an airgun monkey and had to be drilled out, ruining two alloys in the process. Fortunately the alloys were due to be replaced anyway in an insurance claim. I haven't replaced them with new locking ones, especially now as they're off twice a year for winter tyre change.

[super tech]

Ive only had problems with lockers when they have been overtightened or when someones slipped off and damaged them. If used correctly there fine, its just the using correctly bit most seem to forget, Ive made tyre places undo my wheel nuts and and torque them up when they have just gunned them on.

[Pig benis]

Thanks for the advice chaps.

I'm glad I didn't just phone up the tyre garage straight away now. I probably would have looked some what of a tit.

I don't intend on keeping this car for much longer, as I noticed an LPG station down the road, so I'm after my first lpg'd V8. Until then, I will replace the lockers with 4 standard nuts.

P.B