If I got a judge who was also a shade tree mechanic, I could have gotten away with justifiable homicide. I took my car to a shop about 6 months ago for new tires. Today, I discovered their trail of carnage. My left front brake was squeaking, so I went to take the wheel off and apply some goop. My jack pad was missing. In fact, most of the fasteners for the rocker panel were missing. Apparently the goons jacked the car behind the wheel well and popped everything off. No need to tell me! Ok, fine. I tried to break free the wheel studs. No luck. Got an extension for my breaker bar. Got 3 of 5, rounded off 2. Now I'm boiling. Went back to the shop, where to his credit, the owner said he'd make things right. Or not. They could only get off one stud. So I brought the car home and I attached a picture of what followed. Yes, that stud head is almost perfectly round. Why yes, that is a broken Cobalt drill bit lodged in the shank. So when the torque spec is 88 foot pounds for a wheel stud, don't put the wheel on with a f*@+ing impact gun rated for 250 foot pounds! Ok. I feel better now.
I had the something similar happen to me once. We had new tires and rims mounted, then on a trip on the interstate the next weekend we had a flat. Holy S*&%! After I found braker bar, then STOOD on it to loosen the wheel bolt, it finally came off. All of this in the Florida summer heat and humidity. Livid to say the least. I think they torques them to about 8000 ft/lbs.
Anyway...a trip back to the shop (where I personally knew the owner) they profusely apologized and made everything right.
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
I've had the old super torqued bolts too, total laziness with an airgun.
But also a brake caliper put back on rotated 360 degrees (the hose totally twisted) and a couple of wheel bolts sheared off. They didn't mention it and clearly hoped I wouldn't notice. When I pointed it out the boss pointed to a 5 series out front and said 'that's my car, I've got a sheared bolt too - it's absolutely fine to drive' - rigghttt..
This is why I do 99% of things myself now.
Had over tightened lugs on my both Lexus and BMW last year. Was able to get the lugs off the 8, but the lexus was just to damn tight. Had to take it back to where I got the tires the year before. It may have started to become an issue over there, because for the first time I saw them use a torque wrench (I've used them forever and never noticed a torque wrench before).
My Cars - 1991 BMW 850i - mine for fun, 1993 Saab 900c - mine for fun, 2008 Lexus is250 - my daily driver, 2003 Dodge Durango - my wife's, 1994 Acura Legend - gave it to kid
"I will tighten my own bolts with my own torque wrench, thank you very much.... it's not that I don't trust you.... it's just that I don't trust you."
This happened to me on a V8 Quattro, I actually had to jump on the extension, the bolt finally came off with an explosion and sparks flying... no kidding.
Since we're sharing and all...
Alfa Romeo GTV-6 - finally got a 6-foot cheater bar (no joke) and was hanging from it when I felt a tear in the fabric of space and time. I woke up on the ground with several pieces of shrapnel in the garage that used to be a Craftsman (the good kind) socket that had literally exploded.
You're lucky you got it out. In my case I could not drill it, ended up having to put in a new hub.
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