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Wheel nuts case cracked!
I think its time for legal action. If you are so inclined, please read the whole story, there is a surprise ending, of sorts.
I have 3 940 wagons identified by color, "Red" "Navy" "Ocean". For the past couple years I do all my own wheel work. I know more than a little something about wheel nuts.
I think it would be difficult to find someone more attentive to the correct wheel nut torque than I am. Of course this comes from bad past experiences including a lot of arguing with professionals. My first experience was a couple years ago (previously I was oblivious and did not do my own work). A friend was helping me change my winter wheels and tires over to to my spring set and remarked how tight the wheels nuts were. From there followed his explanation of the nuts being too tight. He tried to lubricate and then anti seize the nuts and although there has been improvement, they have never been quite right. From them on I have done all my tire changes and torqued each wheel.
A few months ago I had the steering rack on "Navy" replaced and did not consider the consequence as it involved the wheels. Sure enough when I went to do the brakes on the wheels and found I could not break the nuts on the front wheels which had been removed and replaced for the rack job. I could have used my breaker bar, but being more than slightly pissed off with the mechanic I had previously sparred with over the torque settings ("Do you want you wheels to fall off?")I went back and continued the battle over who is right, JD or Volvo engineers. He brought one of his gorillas out front and that person was not able to break the nuts. Finally using an air gun it happened. Meanwhile, I was ranting on and on about being able to remove the wheel nuts with the Volvo supplied wrench, until one of his mechanics - by now a crowd had gathered - challenged me to remove the rear wheel nuts with the wrench, since I had bragged that the rear nuts I had torqued would come off with the wrench. Because this car is the only one of the three for which I do not have winter tires, the wheels had not been switched in quite a while and when challenged to removed the nuts, I was worried that I would not be able to do so with the supplied wrench. However, it was my lucky day when I applied the wrench to the first nut and with some force, as it should be, the nut broke.
Needless to say, the laughing and taunting stopped. I went home.
Last Friday night my wife hobbled home with the "Ocean" can sporting the spare on the right front wheel. Seems she had ripped the regular tire open along the side wall by hitting a sharp curb. I was distracted by other things and when she suggested going to an NTB nearby to have the tire replaced I said OK. This was a big mistake on my part. I should have told her to just get new rubber on the rim sitting in the back and bring the car home. "DO NOT LET THEM TOUCH THE CAR". But I was distracted. However, not so much that I forgot to tell her "Whatever else you do, be sure to tell them not to torque the wheel nuts above 65 lbs.". Torquing wheel nuts has been a regular topic of discussion in our family for a while now. And my son, who had accompanied my wife when she went to pick of the "Ocean" with the ripped side wall had bragged to her that he was able to change to the spare, only because he had helped me with the wheels and the wheel nut were properly torqued. He was quite right and my argument with my mechanic had always been premised on the risk that someone in my family would have a tire problems under circumstances where help was not readily available and would be obliged to change the tire with the supplied wrench.
When my wife returned, she said the man at NTB had said to her they were obliged to tighten the wheel nuts to a certain specification, so that the wheels would not fall off. I shuddered, it was late and dark, and I went to sleep planning to check in the morning and concerned.
My concerns were more than justified. First I nail polished two studs on the front wheel to identify them, one blue, one pink. I took my torque wrench on the pink and set at 65 I tried moving the nut. Nothing. I then increased the torque by 5 lbs stopping eventually at 150, the limit of my torque wrench. Nothing. I then went to the second wheel nut and considered that I might be criticized for the first procedure by someone claiming that small increments, of 5 foot pounds, would not allow movement to be discernible. On the second nut I started at 65, went right to 100 and jumped from there to 150. No movement at all. The same side rear wheel had also been change at NTB. After all these are professionals and they told my wife that it would be best to match the front wheels and put the new tire on the rear. Of course that exchange mean another $24 charge.
I made a chart of the torque testing procedure and by this time I was in a rage.
I called NTB, but the boss was out. I left a message for him to call back to a very very angry customer. I then proceeded to remove the wheel nuts. I began with my air gun. I set it on the highest setting. My compressor happens to be set a 90 lbs. The gun chattered away for 30 seconds and the nuts would not move. I decided to put my 36 inch breaker bar to the task. I spent $90 for this beautiful S&K model, just because of the idiots who change tires. With considerable force the nuts broke. But here is the interesting part. Using the gun, I could barely get the nuts unscrewed from the bolts. The gun chattered and the nuts slowly moved of the lugs. Of course I new what was happening, but just to check, after I had removed the nuts, I tried to finger screw them back on. I was able to get about a turn or turn and 1/2 to be sure there was not cross threading, but I could not budge them beyond that point. Using the gun, with the same slow process I reinstalled the nuts and torqued them. But I left the rear wheel alone. I understand that I can never be sure of the torque again on these bolts because the threads are distorted and possible the bolt itself is stretched. Instead of making the wheel safer by over tightening the nuts, NTB has made the entire assembly weaker.
Meanwhile, I reached the NTB store manager and let loose. I was really angry and rightly so. The only fix, was to have all ten lugs replaced and I asked "Eugene" in removing my wheels, brakes, rotors and installing new lugs for me for free, knowing full well I was not about to let him touch my car after this experience. I then sent my wife back for him to break the nuts on the rear wheel. To his credit he was polite, apologetic and acknowledged the mistake. That made me feel a little better, but not much, since I know the same thing is going on with every car NTB works on. I asked for the name and number of the regional manager and I have that now.
When my wife came back home Friday night, she said she had been told the brakes needed to be redone. She showed me the tire invoice that had a hand written note, "Front and Rear Brakes". This past week the local investigative T.V. news station ran a feature story on inspection stations in Massachusetts telling people during their annual inspection that certain work was required, most often brakes. Some of these people then brought the cars to other mechanics who confirmed that the work was unnecessary. The Registry of Motor Vehicles got involved, investigated and cited several stations that were identified in the news story. One station in particular, located near Fresh Pond rotary in Cambridge was cited twice and the new reporter interviewed the owner, who of course gave some typical song and dance, which was profoundly unconvincing.
With this background, you would think a local NTB would have been more careful. When I heard from my wife the recommendation to do the brakes and the written confirmation I knew I was being had because my own notes for the "Ocean" car confirm what I had recalled, namely that the front brakes, calipers and rotors had been replaced in February and I knew that very well because I had done the job.
Question is, where do I go from here.
This is my plan. Do I have the support of the "board" or am I over reacting?
Massachusetts has a small claim procedure. Its been a long time since I've had occasion to review the parameters of this process (as a lawyer, I generally do not get involved in small claims actions other than to tell my clients with small complaints, like this one, to go to small claims court). I think the small claims limit has recently been increased from $2,500 upward.
I plan to get an estimate from my local mechanic of the charge to remove the wheels and install 10 lugs. I think I should be reimbursed for this amount, even if I choose to do the work myself. I spent 1-1/2 hours removing greasy finger prints from my beige fabric rear seat, due to the sloppy mechanic opening the set to replace the spare tire in its well. Another reason why I usually never let the mechanics touch anything that is not absolutely necessary. This cleaning involved having to Woolite the fabric, scrub off the grease. Dry and vacuum. It all takes time. I should be compensated for this work. I took photos of the greasy hand prints.
I spent a lot of time just removing, installing and torquing the 10 wheel nuts. I think I should be compensated for this time, which is what I paid for when NTB replaced the tire.
Finally, Massachusetts recognizes a consumer protection action which awards triple damages for "Unfair and Deceptive Business Practices". I would argue, the recommendation to replace the front and rear brakes was unfair and deceptive. I am not yet sure how to calculate damages for that practice because my knowledge of the brake history resulted in the recommended job not being done. I think we all know what would have been the result with the usual customer; pads, calipers and rotors, for some where between $700 and $900. I think I'll get an estimate from another NTB.
I know it must seem like a lot of steam over a small problem, but if I don't do something, who will and the abuse will continue.
When my wife went back to the NTB, the manager, to his credit agreed the nuts had been tightened too much. Acknowledgment is a soothing condition of reply, but I still have work, time and out of pocket costs before i am restored to the same place I was when my wife brought the car for the simple work of having a tire replaced.
Watch for the next mechanic problem with the title HEAD GASKET.
Bob Franklin
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