
Originally Posted by
DSM4Life
I took my shop in for a tire rotation 2 weeks ago. I am away on business and don't have access to any of my tools. Well i finally get some time off and go home. I change my oil and i went to pop my tires off and check the brakes. The lug nuts are on so tight neither my older brother (bigger guy) myself or my electric impact tool can brake the nuts free. I figure screw this i'll just take it back to the douche that over tighten them, no biggie.
Ok so i go back he asks how he can help me. I tell him that he over torqued my lug nuts and that i can't get them off. Guy said "we normally torque them to 90lbs." I said there is no way it's at 90 but regardless can you just break them and retorque to 80lbs. He said not a problem.
So i watch the guy bring my car in, take the lug nuts off via air gun then put them back on and with the same gun. He comes in and says "here you go all done." I said ummm does that air gun have a torque setting (i saw it, I knew it didn't but didn't want to be an outright dick right off the bat) ? He said No. I said then how do you know how tight the nuts are? He paused and said "Well i just didn't push the gun all the way like the last guy did so you should be fine." I said don't you guys use torque wrenches? He said "Well, we do but if i put it on with a torque wrench it would make the nuts a lot tighter. So tight you probably wouldn't be able to get them off again." I was utterly dumbfounded.
I took my keys and went to a local mechanic. I walk in; guy says how can i help you. I said when you put on tires do you use a torque wrench. He paused and gave me an odd look and mumbled "uhhh yea why ?" I explained the story to him. He came out to my car with a torque wrench and said he will make sure they are torqued. Come to find out that about 4-5 lugs were just about hand tight! I tipped the guy and went on my way. At least at this point i know the tire won’t fall off. When i get home next week all my tires are coming off and i will make sure everything is correct. In the future i will NEVER, i mean NEVER have any of these stupid **** EVER touch my car.