I need to hurt some one at Big O

[DarrellB]

Had my new BFG's mounted and balanced at Big O about a month ago and went ot rotate them tonight at about 8:00pm and fount one of the lugnuts on the passenger side front was cross-threaded on to the stud. I took out the impact and couldn't even budge the lugnut. So I got out the 1" drive ratchet and the cheater bar and spun the stud in the hub. I have $250 Weld wheels and can't figure out how they can get the lugnut and stud out without screwing up my wheel. Going to take it to Big O in the morning when I get off work but I'm afraid they will screw something else up. :{



Do you guys have any ideas on how to get the nut and stud out?

What about a cold cheisel and smacking the end of the nut? would that split the nut or just make things worse.



Help me out here, I'm open to any sugestions. :{

Darrell

 

[mberry]

Sorry to hear that DarrellB. I'm not fond of Big-O anyway. Too expensive for me. I would kick their "tires" a few times too if they did that to me.

 

[Big White Beast]

They do make nut splitters.....

I just don't know if you can get it into the wheel to use it. They aren't that big so you might want to give that a try. Most auto parts or tool stores should have them.



Garrett

 

[wyosteve]

Darrell, I've never tried this, but it's a thought. Get several of the small cutting wheels for a Dremel tool and try to cut off the lug nut. I don't think there is anything else small enough to fit in there. I've used that method to cut off padlock where I've lost the key and works slick. BTW, I had a similar experience with Big O about 4 yrs. ago. Got my wheels rotated and after 200 miles 4 of the lug nuts came off on the highway. Boneheads apparently never torqued them down. Now I always retorque mine after any shop touches them.

 

[dseabaugh]

Go to sears and pay $15. 00 for a nut splitter and slpit the %$#@ thing in half. while you are at it get a couple of extra cuters ( chisels, wedges) what ever they call them for the splitter as I had had a couple break. You can split the nut right off with an end wrench and then bounce if off the yoyo's head

 

[Extreme1]

Take it back and let them fix it. If you mark up the wheel (which is very likely) it's your problem, if they do it it's theirs.

 

[LSMITH]

I have learned this lesson too the hard way. I had a lug nut come off and the lug backed out. The lug grabbed the sheet metal dust shield and cut the brake line with it. At the horrible noise I tryed to shut down and look to see what happened and NO BRAKES!!!! Thank God for manual emergency brakes as the traffic was heavy and moving quickly! It was a Discount Tire that hooked me up with some free damage.



I now DEMAND that I watch them install the lug nuts PERIOD. If they are already on when they come to get me they take them back off and I watch them start them by hand before running them down gently. I also DEMAND that the lug nuts are torqued with a torque wrench only PERIOD. I have heard all the excuses including "this gun is calibrated by the factory" for not torqueing them properly. I lay down the law before the work starts and make sure it is on the labor ticket in writing before the work starts. They always agree to it to get the sale, but sometimes try to wiggle out of it after the fact.



Sorry to hear about what happpened to you Darrell, but now you know.

 

[milehiscott]

I now DEMAND that I watch them install the lug nuts PERIOD.

Most garages have the signs up that they don't allow customers into the shop for insurance purposes. After I pull my truck in, I generally just stay close by. I try to stand near the bay door or some other out of the way spot. No one has ever said a word to me about being there. If you go in wearing a "I'll sue you" suit, they most likely will ask you to wait out front. If you look like you have a clue, they generally don't mind.



Hope it works out for you Darrell.



Scott

 

[LSMITH]

Scott, you can watch without being in the shop.

 

[milehiscott]

The tire shop I go to has 2 bays, brick wall, 2 bays, brick wall, 2 bays. So I can't see the back bays.



That and I'm anal-retentive and snoopy when it comes to my truck.



Hi. My name is Scott and I am a diesel-holic.

 

[DarrellB]

All fixed,well almost

Took the truck back to Big O today and got everything staitend out. There ended up being 3 stripped lugs on the front passenger side wheel. :--) They did manage to totaly devower my center cap though, but the manager said they would order me 4 new ones since I had to go through so much trouble. He said that the next time I come in to talk to him personally and he would put someone on the truck that knows what he's doing. The lugs were cross-threaded so bad that you could look down the top of the lugnut and see the stud wasn't centered in the the nut. Good thing is the manager tried to make it right, even went as far as to chewing a little a$$ while I was there. #@$%! I geuss I have no excusse now not to polish up the Welds.



Darrell

 

[Briar Hopper]

Glad they took care of you, Darrell. I've had this type of thing happen to me several times. I still haven't found a tire store anywhere in my area that knows what they are doing. They hire the guys straight out of high school, it seems, with barely 4 months of part-time auto shop classes.

I've gone off on a rant here on the forums before, about this... .

 

[hdm48]

The Les Schwab store in Lynnwood wash. is ran by one of our new members and he understands our "thing" with our trucks. Whenever I'm there having tire stuff done I can stand right next to my truck and watch. Its kind of handy too 'cause I can check the brakes and other stuff while the wheels are off. But I have nothing to worry about 'cause most of the guys working there have nice rigs and are just as picky. And they NEVER use a air gun to tighten the wheels. They use torque wrenches. They will even put my rig in 4x4 and run it up to speed to make sure all the tires are running true.

It's nice to know there is still "customer service" alive and well in a few places.



--dave--

 

[jwdeeming]

Discount Tire Co has won my business away from Big O. I got tired of having the lug nuts over torqued to the point I couldn't change my own spare tire.



Cross-threading lug nuts is just laziness. That's from sticking the nut in the impact wrench and trying to start it - hoping to get lucky - rather than starting them by hand. I've seen that stunt too.



In fairness, my wife bought her last set of tires ('99 2500 V10) at Big O in Longmont, and the service appears to be much improved. Or she caught them on a good day - I don't know which.

 

[jimk]

discount tire

I have had some frank discussions with them over tires and they have made it right evey time.

When I drive into their bay in Wichita Falls ,the guys there all ways anti- seize the studs, I tell them If they dont have any then use some of mine. They start the nuts by hand, and torque the nuts to spect. I have a snap on torque wrench in the truck for that reason.

They have tennis balls taped to the jack handle so no dents in the truck. I all ways stay with the truck, if I were told to leave I will take the truck with me period.

I allways buy every one in the shop a soft drink if they wont it. The last time my wife (new) took the miata to get tires on it she asked one of the guys in the bay if they remember me and they sure did, not sure if that is good or bad, but they wonted there soft drinks.

The next time I buy some new tires I will go there. When I have trouble with my tires, not lately, they ask what will it take to make me happy? At the time I was not happy so my reply was to get the blank blank tires off of the truck before some got killed from the tires blowing out. I got new michlem tires, no more problems. A few months later I got a recall in the mail for the

tires. They have done ok for me so far. JImk