I took my 2016 Honda CR-V for inspection on the 15th of last month, and the place I took it to is known for doing brake work (about 80 % of their business), and exhaust, inspections, and they also rent U-Haul trucks and trailers. I booked the apointment more than a month ahead, and told him that it would not need brakes, and I had taken apart the fronts and cleaned and lubed it and flushed brake fluid, but did not get around to taking apart the backs and wanted him to take them apart and clean and lube them. I also said I would supply new metal spring clips.
I put my torque-wrench in the front seat area with it set to the proper wheel lug torque of 80 Lb ft and a stubby extension and 19mm 6 point socket on it. And I asked him to please not overtighten the lug-nuts with the air gun but to please tighten them to the proper torque with my torque-wrench.
This brake shop has been in business in the Pittsburgh south hills area for as long as I can remember, and is in general thought of as doing top quality brake work.
Last week I stopped for a hogie at a local shop, and had to wait for it to be made. So I decided to pull the torque-wrench out of the spare tire area and check all the lugs to be sure none have come loose a little after 2 weeks of driving.
The first wheel I checked was the back drivers and ALL FIVE were very loose. It took more than a 1/4 turn for all 5 of them to get the touque-wrench to click. The other 3 wheels checked out OK with only one lug on the front passenger's moving a very small amount before the wrench clicked.
But all the lugs on one wheel being too loose is unexcusable, and downright dangerous. That wheel could of come off, and if it had who knows what could of happened. That could have resulted in a major accident. I was totally POed about this.
It was too late in the day to call that shop, but I called the next day. The mechanic that did the brakes answered, and was very apologetic. He did say that the other guy was the one who tighten the lugs. And that he might have been distracted when he was doing that job. But this really is totally unexcusable. A simple mistake like this could have cost somebody their life.
Just like a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, an auto repair place is only as good as its worst mechanic. And some of the clowns they have working at these places nowadays aren't worth their salt.
I know that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself but nowadays you can't even trust an inspection station to tighten the lug nuts properly when they inspect your vehicle.
I know there's some real nuts out there they're only concerned about getting enough money to buy their booze and that might be the kind of people that these places are hiring.
From now on if I ever get a car inspected I'm going to check the torque of the lug nuts before I drive it off their lot.
I had put 245 miles on my vehicle since inspection, and some of that was highway miles.
I had to pull the wheel on the opposite side and use that as a reference as to the proper size of the holes in the rim. And then pull off of the side that the lugs were loose and inspect those holes to be sure there was no damage. And also inspect the studs. Fortunately everything is OK and there is no extra wear on the wheel or studs.
Mechanics like this need a few lessons with a baseball bat in a dark alley. Some jobs that these nuts are doing can endanger people's lives if they are not done properly. And if they can't do the job properly they do not belong in that business.
I put my torque-wrench in the front seat area with it set to the proper wheel lug torque of 80 Lb ft and a stubby extension and 19mm 6 point socket on it. And I asked him to please not overtighten the lug-nuts with the air gun but to please tighten them to the proper torque with my torque-wrench.
This brake shop has been in business in the Pittsburgh south hills area for as long as I can remember, and is in general thought of as doing top quality brake work.
Last week I stopped for a hogie at a local shop, and had to wait for it to be made. So I decided to pull the torque-wrench out of the spare tire area and check all the lugs to be sure none have come loose a little after 2 weeks of driving.
The first wheel I checked was the back drivers and ALL FIVE were very loose. It took more than a 1/4 turn for all 5 of them to get the touque-wrench to click. The other 3 wheels checked out OK with only one lug on the front passenger's moving a very small amount before the wrench clicked.
But all the lugs on one wheel being too loose is unexcusable, and downright dangerous. That wheel could of come off, and if it had who knows what could of happened. That could have resulted in a major accident. I was totally POed about this.
It was too late in the day to call that shop, but I called the next day. The mechanic that did the brakes answered, and was very apologetic. He did say that the other guy was the one who tighten the lugs. And that he might have been distracted when he was doing that job. But this really is totally unexcusable. A simple mistake like this could have cost somebody their life.
Just like a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, an auto repair place is only as good as its worst mechanic. And some of the clowns they have working at these places nowadays aren't worth their salt.
I know that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself but nowadays you can't even trust an inspection station to tighten the lug nuts properly when they inspect your vehicle.
I know there's some real nuts out there they're only concerned about getting enough money to buy their booze and that might be the kind of people that these places are hiring.
From now on if I ever get a car inspected I'm going to check the torque of the lug nuts before I drive it off their lot.
I had put 245 miles on my vehicle since inspection, and some of that was highway miles.
I had to pull the wheel on the opposite side and use that as a reference as to the proper size of the holes in the rim. And then pull off of the side that the lugs were loose and inspect those holes to be sure there was no damage. And also inspect the studs. Fortunately everything is OK and there is no extra wear on the wheel or studs.
Mechanics like this need a few lessons with a baseball bat in a dark alley. Some jobs that these nuts are doing can endanger people's lives if they are not done properly. And if they can't do the job properly they do not belong in that business.
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