Airguns and tyrefitters

bainbridge · 21 Oct 2017 at 18:16

Got 2 tyres put on the GFs car today and specifically asked the road wheel bolts to be tightened manually to 110nm.

I was keeping an eye on the fitter from the reception area but my concentration waned when he got the first wheel off and was chatting for ages with another fitter over by the tyre removal machine, then started looking at his phone.

A while later I heard the airgun whizzing away, turned round and he'd done up the bolts with the airgun

I told the manager when paying and once home loosened them off and torqued them. With an extendable wheel brace I had to put all my weight on most of them to loosen them (there was a horrible shrieking noise) apart from one which was barely finger tight!

Won't be using them again. I've moved from South Bristol to North Bristol and instead of driving across town I used a local fitters from the same chain. My last local place didn't hang around but at least they took the care to torque up the bolts manually.

Rant over.

shauncr91 · 21 Oct 2017 at 18:21

Shouldn't have to even ask about doing up wheelnuts correctly, it should just be done to start with. Place I get my tyres done only uses a torque wrench, airguns are for removing nuts.

Housey · 21 Oct 2017 at 18:31

If I go to a tyre fitter I have never used before, I stand with them as when I haven't in the past it's gone wrong, once bitten. I also carry a torque wrench in the front of my car but to be fair I can't think of the last time a tyre fitter didn't torque up the wheel nuts. I just had 4 wheels repainted last week and I know they torqued them back on (and put a superb balance on them too!) and even invite you back anytime for a torque check of your wheels. The garage trade is sadly one of those trades that is frequented by some right cowboys. Seems you found some more today.

sovietspybob · 21 Oct 2017 at 19:09

I found a decent place local to me which actually seems care and uses a torque wrench so they always get my custom now. No excuse not too really as using the rattle gun saves them all of a minute.

Orionaut · 21 Oct 2017 at 20:01

This is how you should use an impact gun to do up wheel nuts...

https://www.capritools.com/impact-sockets-sets/torque-limiting-extension-bars/

InvaderGIR · 21 Oct 2017 at 20:10

If you're in Bristol then I recommend Brunel Tyres ( http://www.bruneltyres.com/ ) they've been decent whenever I've gone in and seem to pay attention to what they are doing...at least when you take in something not run of the mill, can't say I've paid any attention when they've been doing bolts on other people's cars.

If you're North of Bristol...yeah...can't help.

Dis86 · 21 Oct 2017 at 20:29

sovietspybob said:
I found a decent place local to me which actually seems care and uses a torque wrench so they always get my custom now. No excuse not too really as using the rattle gun saves them all of a minute.

Place near me does. They asked me if I knew the torque values first so I knew I was on to something reasonably good. They even advised to check them after a few miles and then days. Something I do anyway but was nice of them to say it.

agw_01 · 21 Oct 2017 at 21:12

I ask to jack my own car up and take my own breaker bar.

I've had cars damaged in the past so am not prepared to take the chance again.

Not had a problem with most people letting me get stuck in. If they did, they'd lose my custom.

I'm not an arse about it though, I'll happily have a chat with the guys and let them know why I'm so particular. I think some of them enjoy speaking to another car enthusiast.

chaparral · 21 Oct 2017 at 21:39

bainbridge said:
I told the manager when paying and once home loosened them off and torqued them. With an extendable wheel brace I had to put all my weight on most of them to loosen them (there was a horrible shrieking noise) apart from one which was barely finger tight!

You should see that fun I have at undoing lorry wheel nuts that been done up with a powerful 1" airgun

Nasher · 21 Oct 2017 at 22:24

Tyre fitting places always do it way to tight. They probably don't understand that it's actually more dangerous :/

Hades · 21 Oct 2017 at 22:50

I found a great informant place near me recently. They even checked what torque I needed on the car and then checked with me that it was the one I wanted. I went back a month later for the other car.

SpeedFreak · 21 Oct 2017 at 23:03

Who did you use (so I know to avoid them)?

bainbridge · 21 Oct 2017 at 23:37

SpeedFreak said:
Who did you use (so I know to avoid them)?

Ablefit on Muller Road. The Ablefit branch on Bath Road in Brislington is very good.

Diagro · 22 Oct 2017 at 02:31

I don't use a torque wrench on my own wheel nuts.

You can kinda feel when they are tight enough, and as long as you check every few hundred miles after then it should be fine.

robj20 · 22 Oct 2017 at 06:45

Diagro said:
I don't use a torque wrench on my own wheel nuts.

You can kinda feel when they are tight enough, and as long as you check every few hundred miles after then it should be fine.

You check them every few hundred miles? I would need to check them every couple of days. I don't really care how they tighten the wheel nuts I will check them myself once and leave them.

Diagro · 22 Oct 2017 at 10:43

robj20 said:
You check them every few hundred miles? I would need to check them every couple of days. I don't really care how they tighten the wheel nuts I will check them myself once and leave them.

Well yea.

I have experienced wheels nuts lossening due to powder coated alloys before. So I tend to check at the same time I check oil

agw_01 · 22 Oct 2017 at 10:46

That's probably because the powder coater coated the mating face of the wheel, which means the wheel isn't sitting true against the hub.

That's a fault of the powder coater and not really normal behaviour from properly powder coated wheels.

robj20 · 22 Oct 2017 at 11:32

Diagro said:
Well yea.

I have experienced wheels nuts lossening due to powder coated alloys before. So I tend to check at the same time I check oil

That sounds over the top. Even when I had an RX8 I only checked the oil every 1500 miles or so.
Something is very wrong if your car requires oil every few hundred miles, and needs nuts torquing up.

Diagro · 22 Oct 2017 at 14:21

robj20 said:
That sounds over the top. Even when I had an RX8 I only checked the oil every 1500 miles or so.
Something is very wrong if your car requires oil every few hundred miles, and needs nuts torquing up.

Yes ofc.

But it's the habit I have gotten into since owning my Clio 172

DXP55 · 22 Oct 2017 at 16:45

I had two new tyres fitted to my 1984 Mazda 626 - - didn't take much notice - paid and went home - months later came to remove nuts and was hell of a job - They gave the young lad the job of fitting wheels and he put nut in socket and wound them on - two on each wheel were stripped - Not much I could do by then except I had to make a hub holder out of 1/4" thick angle iron to hold hub un[t while the garage at work used hydraulic press to get wheel bearing out so could take the hub off to get studs out - I was not amused. - Mazda changed the hub design on next model.