Choose Your Tyre Fitter Carefully - Cheap Can Be False Economy

[Brycie]

So I've learnt to my cost that it's worth going somewhere that uses modern equipment while putting tyres on - namely the wheel gun. Apparently National Tyre use a wheel gun that has a clutch system, which stops the wheel nuts from being overtightened, where cheap garages may use an older version which will keep tightening until they're too tight to remove, unless the person using it knows what they're doing & judges it right.

I found this out today. I was pleased with myself that I'd managed to get a good deal on a pair of Avon ZZ5's. I found the cheapest deal online (Camskill on this occasion at £88.55 each) and got National Tyre to price match it. They actually quoted £197.10 for the pair including balancing, new valves & disposal of old tyres. Not bad considering I'd have paid £177 through Camskill plus I'd have had to get somewhere to fit them (Halfords quoted (£14 per tyre), so National were actually cheaper, plus I get a warranty on the tyres through National (if the tyre is damaged by bulge, puncture etc, they'll pay a certain %of the cost based on what % of the tyre tread is left, so if 90% tread left, they'll pay 90% of the cost of replacement & so on).

Went to National Tyre today & apparently the wheel nuts were so overtightened that it completely sheared the pattern off the inside of my locking wheel nut key! They managed to loosen the normal wheel nuts through brute force, but I now need to pay a Ford Dealer £35 to remove the locking wheel nuts from the wheels & £45 for a new locking wheel but set. Completely undid my good work getting a deal on the tyres, so I'm gutted.

Hopefully you might get some useful tips on getting deals on tyres & avoid wrecking your own locking wheel but key by reading this. By the way, I don't work for National Tyre. I don't even like them much after they blew my Dad's engine when they serviced it & forgot to drain the old oil before putting the new oil in, though they did pay compo after several letters. But you can't turn your nose up at the deal they've done on tyres for me a couple of times.

[JimC64]

Sorry to hear that paul mate....gutted for you, but could always be worse I guess.

I use National Tyres a lot for all my oil changes, have done for some time on the A6 and also currently on the Jag, they use the correct grade of oil and do it cheaper than I could buy the stuff myself.....it's a loss leader for them and one I'm happy to take advantage of.

As for the locking wheel nuts?
I took these of my wifes Passat and also off my A6 some years ago, recently took them off my Jag and binned them straight away, for this very reason!!

My advise - take the locking wheel nuts off and throw them as far away as you can, replace with std wheel bolts.
Who steals alloy wheels these days?
They're just so common, almost on every car.

Just a thought mate........hope this finds you well other than this PITA?

Jim

[Brycie]

Cheers Jim. You're right, it could have been worse - we could have found out at the side of a motorway with a puncture or flat, that the wheel nuts had been put on too tight.

I've never thought about not using locking wheel nuts. You make a valid point, but I reckon I'll keep them on, just for peace of mind & because I'm a creature of habit.

I wouldn't use National for servicing after what happened to my Dad's car, even though I know it was just a one off, but I recommend anybody to use them for new tyres & get them to price match what you can get the tyres for online + £10 a tyre for fitting. I called Halfords Auto Centre (by mistake) while shopping for the tyres & National supplied them to me cheaper than the guy at Halfords said his buy price was.

I do keep wondering whether I should be annoyed at the guy from National for threading my locking wheel nut key, or (as I keep telling myself) that he was right & it's the fault of whoever overtightened them last time. I can't blame him, all he did was put the wheel gun on it & pressed 'undo', I suppose.

I'm good Jim thanks, hope all's well with you?

[JimC64]

See below....

Cheers Jim. You're right, it could have been worse - we could have found out at the side of a motorway with a puncture or flat, that the wheel nuts had been put on too tight.
That would've just been a nightmare, time for the AA or RAC I think and more than a few hours delay!

I've never thought about not using locking wheel nuts. You make a valid point, but I reckon I'll keep them on, just for peace of mind & because I'm a creature of habit.
Don't have them on the A6, either of the 2 X types or my XJ and haven't had for many years. Especially with the Jags as they seem to be prone to failing and causing these issues, looks like it's not just the Jags though.
The other thing is, apart from the time and cost of delays, the potential damage to the alloys, wasting the look of the car and more costs, but appreciate your point of view

I wouldn't use National for servicing after what happened to my Dad's car, even though I know it was just a one off, but I recommend anybody to use them for new tyres & get them to price match what you can get the tyres for online + £10 a tyre for fitting. I called Halfords Auto Centre (by mistake) while shopping for the tyres & National supplied them to me cheaper than the guy at Halfords said his buy price was.
At around £130 for an oil change versus £40 I know why I go there.
The big plus for me is I know the guys, put a lot of oil change / tyre work their way and they know how fussy I am about my car. I always stay with the car and watch them during the entire process too, no SNAFU here!!

I do keep wondering whether I should be annoyed at the guy from National for threading my locking wheel nut key, or (as I keep telling myself) that he was right & it's the fault of whoever overtightened them last time. I can't blame him, all he did was put the wheel gun on it & pressed 'undo', I suppose.
I guess you'll never know!

I'm good Jim thanks, hope all's well with you?
Fair to middling mate.....MIL has MND and not long to live, so pretty crappy times in some ways, stepdaughter getting married in a few months too, wondering if MIL will make the day?
Kids all up n out doing their own thing, another 2 X type owners on the loose.
On that note, I'm hosting a Jag meet in Crieff in a few weeks time, we have around 63 cars and 112 people going, around £900 worth of prizes and Jaguar are sending along the new XE and the F type too....should be a blast

[Brycie]

Sorry to hear about you MIL mate, that's awful. I hope she gets to see the big day. I've been through similar recently too, with my FIL having Leukaemia & only given weeks. Fortunately he's now in remission.

Hope the Crieff meet goes well, sounds like it'll be a good day. Will catch up again soon, take it easy mate, my pit is calling me lol.

[Gazwould]

No garage should just gun the wheels .

It's gun so far and torque the rest .

[Guest 2]

No garage should just gun the wheels .

It's gun so far and torque the rest .

Can't agree with this enough. Recommended torque figure for most VAG cars including the A6 is 120nm.

[Brycie]

Well whoever had the rear wheels off last, certainly didn't know or care about that & it's cost us £80. Now they'll have to either heat the locking wheel but to remove it or chisel it off. Which doesn't sound good for the alloys

[Guest 2]

you can fit a normal socket over them but you'll sacrifice the socket as it'll be ruined.

Halfords do a removal tool for £17. Halfords | Laser Locking Wheel Nut Remover

[zollaf]

i have a special long power bar for doing wheels that have been done at a local tyre place. they just gun them up as tight as they can. this bar was very expensive and made by snap on and is some 4' long, but has still struggled to undo some , even with me jumping on the end of it. problem is not just broken locking nuts but it can also stretch the threads on the wheel stud or nut and can render the wheel very close to falling off if said stretched stud happens to shear.
incidentally, all guns have power levels. on the lowest they will tighten a wheel nut to about the right place, then a tweak with a torque wrench does the rest. you can buy extensions that go on your gun , they come in sets of 4 different ones, different colours and thicknesses, and they will torque to the correct level regardless of how much you try with the gun to over do it. there really is no excuse for it.