Garage broke lock nut tool.

vicky111

Hi,

I left car into garage to get front brakes replaced, 05 Avensis, guniune lock nut tools fitted, They were able to replace one side, but the lock nut tool broke when they went to remove the other wheel, There saying that the nuts were over tightened last time wheels were refitted, which was over a year ago when i got tyres replaced., Can this happen? or do i hold the garage replacing the pads to blame, There saying that they cant be held responsable for a bolt breaking when there working on the car if it was over tighten last time. I can see there point, Just looking for views.

Thanks

colm_mcm

This happened on my car. idiots using air wrench to tighten lock nuts.

What the garage said is quite plausible.

You may be able to order the adaptor from McGard (pretty sure they supply uk Toyota cars) once you have the code on the key.

nogoodnamesleft

It wouldn't be uncommon for garages to over tighten wheel nuts. Normally lock nuts are ment to be done up by hand but some garages use the air wrench which over tightens them.

bucketybuck

It is extremely common for people to overtighten wheel nuts. I work in commercials and sometimes it can be a nightmare. One of the tyre companies will have been out to fix a puncture or something, and you will find that they have just rammed the wheels back on and used an inch air gun or something to tighten the nuts. They may has well have welded on some of the nuts we have seen.

The garage can sometimes be in an impossible situation. Through no fault of their own your studs/nuts are seized in their sockets, what can they do? The very act of trying to remove the nuts is what results in them being unusable afterwards.

I'm not saying some apprentice didn't destroy the tool needlessly, but I would refrain from going in all guns blazing, this was not necessarily incompetence.

Nissan doctor

If the wheel nuts are tightened to the correct torque then lock nut keys won't/can't break, especially good quality ones so its very unlikely they are lying.

Its happened to me hundreds of times at this stage as too many garages don't even bother to check the torque,they just lash them on with the gun.

David09

Got a pair of tyres fitted to my own car recently. I was watching yer man fitting the wheels and was silently waiting for him to pick up the air gun to tighten the locknut.
Needless to say, I pounced on him just as he attempted it and gave him a mouthful.

Nissan doctor

David09 wrote: »

Got a pair of tyres fitted to my own car recently. I was watching yer man fitting the wheels and was silently waiting for him to pick up the air gun to tighten the locknut.
Needless to say, I pounced on him just as he attempted it and gave him a mouthful.

:eek:





....sorry.:o

corktina

yeah happened to me too. Eejit fitter was then hammering away at it (and my 200 euro a corner wheels) to get it off! I left smartish and will NEVER go back there again....

Panzer Paddy

I work in a garge in Waterford city and i am afraid that overtightened wheel locknuts is quite an everyday problem. unfortunatly you dont know if the lock nut has ben overtightened until you go to remove it and unfortunatly most lock nuts are made with quite a soft metal, especially ford, rover and mg lock nuts and it does happen that the lock nut warps or splits between the splines. its not normaly the guys fault who is opening the nut, its just his misfortune that he had to find out the hard way if its over tightened. has happened me a couple of times so i know how it feels. my advice is to apply very gentle pressure and see if the lock nut is 'slipping' with gentle pressure, if it slips once then the pattern has been damaged bofore and therfore inform the customer straight away, if it grips very good, apply gentle pressure and you shouldnt have to go to town on it to remove a lock nut. if its overtightened, inform the customer and pass it back to whoever tightened it last.

SilverBell

I wonder could you get them to replace the other bolts, then tighten them up to spec. This might relieve some of the load on the lock nut, then try to loosen it.
Not sure if it will work in your case......just another suggestion...