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I went to get new tires last night, but before they could put on the tires I was told two of my studs would break if they continued to try and take off my wheels. I was also told that it would cost an extra $50 for them to be replaced. When I told them they were the only people to have removed the tires, during regular rotations and a brake job, he informed me that wheel studs were a wear and tear item and they were not responible. Since it was too late to get in new studs, I took the car home and told them I would bring it back another time. Was the sales guy right should I have to pay for the new stud and lug nut lugs or is he just trying to get more money out of me ?
If they wanted 50 bucks to replace 2 studs they were scamming you. Wheel studs are not rocket science to replace . Over tightening them using air wrenches is bad and will ruin the studs, but its hard to finds a place that doesnt do this. Find another place.
Studs cost about a buck apiece at an auto parts store, and any shop can put them into your hub quickly. Sounds like a job for a shade-tree mechanic. I had to replace one, and my man popped the new one in for nothing when he was doing some other work, but it looked like it took about ten minues. Which, if you're paying $80 an hour shop labor, would be $20.
Yeah, they are a wear and tear item when hotshots crossthread them and then use an air wrench because they are in too much of a hurry to get the threads started correctly!
If I were the manager there and you are a repeat customer as it sounds like you are, then I'd throw in the repair they necessitated themselves for free (or at least for the cost of the studs alone....$4.00 bucks)!
Another reason to skip the ever popular "annual" wheel rotation, imo.
The "average"/most joints use the air wrench, minus the limiter, with
abandon and wouldn't know a torque wrench, or that wheel's specific
torque spec, if it was in front of them.
Agree with the posters above: they are stiffing you on the quoted price,
and I would find a quality wheel/tire joint to get the new studs installed.
GL, mD
Heck you might even be able to replace them yourself.
I had a wheel stud on my Chevelle once that the threads were stripped....went to the parts store bought a new one for like $2 or so. Went home, took a hammer and smacked the old stud out. (they are press fitted in) and put the new stud in, good to go. Took me all of maybe 5 minutes.
Another reason to skip the ever popular "annual" wheel rotation, imo.
The "average"/most joints use the air wrench, minus the limiter, with
abandon and wouldn't know a torque wrench, or that wheel's specific
torque spec, if it was in front of them.
Agree with the posters above: they are stiffing you on the quoted price,
and I would find a quality wheel/tire joint to get the new studs installed.
GL, mD
Agree as to all.
Back when a tire rotation cost $5 and a good set of tires cost $120, and suspensions were poorly engineered, it may have made sense, I'm still not sure. But today, tire rotation is a big waste of money. And, every time some yahoo gets his hands on your car something can go wrong, just like what was experienced here.
And, I've got a lot of cars and have bought a lot of tires and I haven't seen a torque wrench in a tire store since they checked your oil when you bought a tank of gas.
hard sayin' not knowin what kind of a car this is. And or that shops rates. I ageree studs don't cost a lot, but then either the brake drum or rotor has to come off.
I don't really agree wiith stud threads being wear and tear items either since there is anit seize, and I have worked on cars made in the 1930's and before with original studs that were just fine.
If I were you I would tell that shop to arc weld junk nuts on top of yours as that heating will probably break them free. Insist on anti seize from now on too.
If I were you I would tell that shop to arc weld junk nuts on top of yours as that heating will probably break them free. Insist on anti seize from now on too.
No offense Mac_Muz but he cannot even get the shop to replace the studs they ruined let alone doing all that. If they cross-threaded them, it's not a matter of them being rusted or just stuck where anti-seize would have helped anyhow.
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