IReallyLikePizza2
Known around here
Here is a picture of a lug nut that was brand new before Discount Tire got hold of it. Every lug nut was this bad
bidens incredible transition to electric cars
- Thread starter Old Timer
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Some of the mechs at this shops have worked there 2 weeks, prior to that they were mowing grass. Nothing wrong with that, we all gotta start somewhere and some time but they get ZERO training from the manager (the one with maybe >2 years experience if you're lucky).
Back when I had the '99 Ranger, I got a flat, I had to use a piece of 1-1/2" galvanized pipe on a lug wrench and bust off 2 wheel studs that a tire place had put on with an impact wrench. I stopped by on the way home and complained to him (nicely) and he argued that there was no such thing as an impact wrench with adjustable torque. I asked the late 30-something guy how long he had been repairing and changing tires and he said "2 years"...honestly. It was the first, and last, time I went to this guy.
IReallyLikePizza2
Known around here
If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!
Wife's 2012 Fusion had the soft (nickle plated?) shell over the steel lug nuts but the dude at Oil Express new about the issues and used a proper deep socket and loosen/tightened them by hand.
But his tire pressure gauge was off and the last 2 times I went I had to put air in her tires at the first TINY drop in temp, maybe 3 degrees.
IReallyLikePizza2
Known around here
Yep, the lug nuts are trash and thats what everyone uses to excuse their shitty workmanship
I've taken them on and off a bunch, correct sized socket and by hand plus a torque wrench, zero issues, they always looked brand new after
Not sure of the tire tech, but many of the tires of the 60's when the weather was very cold they'd keep the flat spot that the tire had naturally on the ground until you drove 10-15 miles and warmed the tire up. I had some on my first car, a '54 Ford Victoria, that would shake your teeth out and rattle the car windows until the flat spot got ironed out!
tigerwillow1
Known around here
Nice timing. I'm getting a new set of tires from Discount Tire tomorrow. I've used them a bunch in the past with good outcomes every time. I worked in a tire shop in the late 60s when the tire machines often destroyed alloy wheels, the only balance was with the bubble balancer, and all the lug nuts went on with the impact wrench running full bore.
No argument, but that's getting tougher and tougher with age, and it's not feasible any more to do DIY tire mounting and balancing. Best you can do is carry the loose wheels to the tire shop.
IReallyLikePizza2
Known around here
If nothing, take pictures of all the nuts! (That's what she said?)
That's what I did and they tried to argue they were already broken, before I showed them the images
That's what I did and they tried to argue they were already broken, before I showed them the images
I'd estimate 90% of tire issues to be a simple puncture. I've fixed dozens over the years, and usually leave the wheel on. I've even repaired tires on the Segway with plugs.
I consider tire plugs to be a permanent fix, for like $1.
Locate the leak (usually obvious with a nail still being in it, or use soapy water), pry the object out with pliers, ream the puncture with the tool, insert plug, inflate with portable compressor if necessary. Whole thing can take as little as 5 minutes if the puncture is obvious and you don't need to add air, otherwise maybe 25 minutes.
The times I've needed a spare are when I'm doing something insane and pop the tire off the bead.
One time I went hiking, and on the way home noticed a tire getting a little soft. In the garage, I pulled a 9mm bullet out of the tread. Wish I had the story of how a bullet ended up in the tire in a trailhead parking lot where maybe 10 people a day visit. Used the spare tire that time instead of plugging.
I consider tire plugs to be a permanent fix, for like $1.
Locate the leak (usually obvious with a nail still being in it, or use soapy water), pry the object out with pliers, ream the puncture with the tool, insert plug, inflate with portable compressor if necessary. Whole thing can take as little as 5 minutes if the puncture is obvious and you don't need to add air, otherwise maybe 25 minutes.
The times I've needed a spare are when I'm doing something insane and pop the tire off the bead.
One time I went hiking, and on the way home noticed a tire getting a little soft. In the garage, I pulled a 9mm bullet out of the tread. Wish I had the story of how a bullet ended up in the tire in a trailhead parking lot where maybe 10 people a day visit. Used the spare tire that time instead of plugging.
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Starglow
Getting comfortable
Those kinds of plug repairs are quick but often result in slow leaks in the tire that will never stop. The proper way to repair a tire is to take it off the rim and do the repair from the inside and then remount/balance the tire. This results in a better repair that doesn't leak air from the tire.
Smilingreen
Known around here
That is just plain mechanical incompetence or straight out laziness. But hey, it's the young generation. They are just figuring out that their first employers don't give participation trophies everyday at work for just showing up and they are really mad about it.
IReallyLikePizza2
Known around here
Hey now, I'm younger than the idiots at Discount Tire! And I have the right size sockets 
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
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'What's a socket?" sound familiar?And I have the right size sockets
I've never had even the slowest of leaks using probably 2 dozen or so plugs.
I once had a leak so small that I was losing only about 5 PSI per month. It was difficult to locate with soapy water, because the bubbles produced from the puncture were about as small as from just spraying the water on the tire. Actually used a drill bit to open the hole up enough to get the ream tool in, then plugged it. Permanent fix.
Another time I had a leak on a Segway tire, and thought it was probably from the previous tire plug I used on it. Nope, new puncture, and now the tire has 2 plugs in it. I use plugs with the cement tube it comes with, so I don't know if that does a more thorough job than the plugs without the cement.
Segway tire prior to snipping the excess plug off
I'm often amazed people would rather wait for AAA to finally get a tow, and then wait again for a tire shop to get around to the repair. You can lose a whole day in what could be as little as a 5min repair. I get that some people don't have the health to squat around a tire and use a ream tool, which can take considerable effort, especially in a tire with many plies and a small puncture. I often use a drill bit to ream a truck tire because those are usually tough.
My best flat repair story. While running a tire store in Anaheim Ca., I had
client come in for a flat repair. I grabbed a pair of dykes (don't go there) to
extract a piece of door side molding barely protruding out of the tire.
Try as I might, the dang thing would not move! So I broke down
the tire. Inside was about 6 feet of stainless steel door side molding
wrapped several times around the rim with the little nub sticking out!
client come in for a flat repair. I grabbed a pair of dykes (don't go there) to
extract a piece of door side molding barely protruding out of the tire.
Try as I might, the dang thing would not move! So I broke down
the tire. Inside was about 6 feet of stainless steel door side molding
wrapped several times around the rim with the little nub sticking out!
IReallyLikePizza2
Known around here
Well, Discount Tire didn't screw up mounting the tire on my new spare. Still probably the last time we go there, they just happened to have the cheapest tire in this size in XL load rating
I have ordered tires from Summit Racing and beat the hell
out of Discount Criminal Tire killers. I have found longevity to depend
on the country the tires were made (within the same name) not the UTQG
on the side of the tire.
out of Discount Criminal Tire killers. I have found longevity to depend
on the country the tires were made (within the same name) not the UTQG
on the side of the tire.
Smilingreen
Known around here
That tire isn't a directional tire, is it?