Quote:
Originally Posted by Piper1
I vowed never to go back to a Pep Boys after my first and only experience 23 years ago with them.
My Jr year taking auto tech 1, we just went over that week about using impact guns rotating/changing wheels/tires. Always start by hand NOT just putting lug nut in impact gun socket going to town to ensure no cross threading and do final tq checks with a tq wrench.
I needed new tires, took my '90 cav to them for all 4 tires. 1st indication something was wrong 2 wheels had overly long valve stems 2 wheels had extremely too short for the wheel valve stems. The week after, I go to do my own brakes. Go to loosen lugs before lifting car and "snap" broken lug stud. The oh**** moment is hitting as the second lug to loosen "snaps". My dad takes it back to them and they not only over tq by impact gun they also cross threaded EVERY lug nut when they used the gun never using a tq wrench. Every lug stud snapped and had to be replaced.
Their response to it all "Oh it's normal and happens a lot"
Every time I pass by a Pep Boys that comes instantly back to mind.
Now when I need new tires my car will be on the spare set of wheels snow/summer so I can get which ever I need simply by taking the wheels into my tire shop to have new tires mounted and toss the wheels back in the jeep to bring home and mount them to the car myself. I found out some tire shops won't mount/dismount wheels if you have spacers so I got into this practice a long time ago for this reason. If on the happens stance I take the car in to have new tires put on rather than just bringing the wheels to them I simply ask if they can use the torque wrench instead of the impact gun and they're always more than happy to as I sit and wait for it.
I couldn't imagine how furious I'd be now if anyone were to cross thread a lug bolt when tightening a wheel on any of our cars that use lug bolts instead of stud/nut.
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Oh man. This is the first time out of all the others. It must be the mechanic that did mine. They are usually torqued down because I stand there and watch but this time I did not due to pandemic measures. I tried loosening the lug nuts but it snapped off my 3/8 to 1/2 inch drive converter. Like how the hell do I get these loose?