Couldn't Remove A Wheel! Your Thoughts Please

[The Dark Knight]

I decided to put the summer tyres back on the ST yesterday but couldn't remove one of the wheels (rear drivers side). Here's some background as to why...

I used a mobile wheel and tyre fitter last November who came out and balanced the wheels having put the winter tyres onto the spare rims. I had to purchase 4 wheel nuts from Ford because the locking nuts would not fit with the spare rims. After a few weeks though, I couldn't settle because there was a definite vibration through the wheel.

I then took it to a local MOT, repair and tyre centre that I have used before. They discovered that the back passenger side wheel was somewhat buckled. He further balanced the wheel to get rid of the vibration as it was only slight. Their equipment is more sophisticated than the mobile fitter hence they found the problem.

Anyway, yesterday I decided to remove the winter tyres and rims myself. They were on too tight for the wrench to even budge. My neighbour gave me a spare wrench from his old Mondeo as I only have the repair kit but they were on so tight that it knackered the wrench.

Off to the shops I went and purchased a heavy duty breaker bar and 19mm socket for £20. This made light work of the job and we sailed through the task...

Then we came to the wheel in question. The socket would not fit over the nuts which we could not understand. Then we discovered that one of the nuts had been tightened by the garage to such an extent that it was worn down and badly deformed.

It was late afternoon now so I needed a rapid outcome. I phoned the mobile fitter I used last year and he came out at 7:30pm and could not believe it. He had to use his skills and hammer a 19mm socket onto the nut in order to remove it and said I was lucky it came off. He only charged £10 so great service by him and he correctly tightened all the wheels for me.

I paid £x (need to check my statement) for the work at the garage last year, £20 for the breaker bar and socket and £10 for the mobile tyre guy.

I am seriously considering emailing or writing to the garage about this even though the amount is rather trivial. Anyone else come across this with garages?

[Shadows Entity]

Never had a garage over tighten... if anything I check it after to see if it's tight enough. I would still tell them though as they may have an apprentice etc. that needs to be told they're doing it wrong.

Maybe also if you tell them then next time you go there for a service or something they might offer you a bit of discount

[mintalkin]

thats why air ratchets should never be used to tighten wheel nuts,but how many fast fit cnt's have you seen do this and how many do you see use a torque wrench afterwards.

[stef123]

thats why air ratchets should never be used to tighten wheel nuts,but how many fast fit cnt's have you seen do this and how many do you see use a torque wrench afterwards.

Although, perfectly fine if it has a setting to limit forward torque (higher spec ones do). There are also special torque limiting attachments too.

I never use a torque wrench but I always do the final tightening with a breaker bar.

[laumk7]

I have had a garage over tighten the wheel nuts on the st220 wheels I bought for my old Mondeo years back now

My ex husband like you managed to shift one with a breaker bar and replace with the spare (I had a puncture on that wheel), my husband met me at reading with all my steels to replace all alloys for the return trip. Thing is it wrecked the wrench trying to get them off, and he hadn't thought to bring the breaker bar

So off down the motorway m25 / m4 at 50mph!

Furious at the garage the next day I demanded they remove the wheels for free, replace my wheel wrench and keep the apprentice who'd done the work away from me!

Well he didn't stay away from me and demanded to know what was going on, so I told him I didn't want him anywhere near my car - cue the father, lead grease monkey threatening me with a breaker bar....

His word against mine, I didn't press charges though in hindsight I should've

I've stayed clear of that garage since, and warned others against it

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC

[laumk7]

I have had a garage over tighten the wheel nuts on the st220 wheels I bought for my old Mondeo years back now

My ex husband like you managed to shift one with a breaker bar and replace with the spare (I had a puncture on that wheel), my husband met me at reading with all my steels to replace all alloys for the return trip. Thing is it wrecked the wrench trying to get them off, and he hadn't thought to bring the breaker bar

So off down the motorway m25 / m4 at 50mph!

Furious at the garage the next day I demanded they remove the wheels for free, replace my wheel wrench and keep the apprentice who'd done the work away from me!

Well he didn't stay away from me and demanded to know what was going on, so I told him I didn't want him anywhere near my car - cue the father, lead grease monkey threatening me with a breaker bar....

His word against mine, I didn't press charges though in hindsight I should've

I've stayed clear of that garage since, and warned others against it

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC

[MattDRX]

proper air gun should be limited to 110nm so it won't eat the nut, good work at getting it off though, I've used that method before and works every time, most likely it was tightened by hand and they used a 20mm socket so chewed it up.

poor work though, I'd write to them and explain what happened and ask for some kind of recompense for this.

[The Dark Knight]

I've drafted a letter and will send it once I have checked my old statements for the amount paid.

Thanks for the input folks.