Short version: went there to rotate tires (too far from home...) and ended up replacing 2 wheel studs taking a total of 4 hrs....

Longer version: Went there to rotate tires and the manager comes to me to show me a stud that was slightly stripped towards the tip....

no doubt my other mechanic didnt hand tighten the lug first and just drove it on with the impact wrench....but I asked them to just hand tighten it and leave it along (I came to spend $20, not more). When I finally convinced him to put it on and leave it the mechanic say wait and opens his hand to show me another lug with half a stud stuck in it!!!


At that point I go ballistic saying he must've tried tightening a lug that was already tightened because when I went back to see the first stud the other three were on already.. I refused to pay for two but still had to pay for 1...what should have been 20 ended up being 72.

And they spent hrs hammering and drilling to get the old ones out (when I asked them to use a puller and press). oh lawdy!!!

and I can only hope they put anti-seize one it....

while I was there I noticed all of my companions in the wait room came for small jobs that mysteriously grew. Best one was a mercedes that needed new battery connectors (allegedly) ended up needing to special order a battery...

This place sucks, definitely on my do not ever go back to list, not even to drop a deuce. Though I would consider deucing in front of bays if I was 10 years younger and a whole lot less sober. Bastards.

 

Umm... don't go to Strauss Auto period.

 

I've never used anti-seize on wheel studs.

 

yeah I should have waited until I got back home but was working late and sun would've went down (no powah in my nj neighborhood!!!)

 

Its gotten to a point where that happens everywhere. The last time I took my dad's car there to get a rotate, balance and align they stripped two studs as well. After a heated argument and getting the run around, we ended up replacing the studs ourselves. Seeing as it takes 110 foot pounds to tighten those lugs, and the Fit required just 80 to tighten, I'm putting my car on jacks, taking all the wheels off and borrowing my dads car to take them into town. Seeing as he also has an alignment set for the car he's building right now, I'll just do everything myself and let them only mount and balance the tires.

 

Thanks for the post! Good to know since I live in Staten Island....lol

 

Exactly why I rotate my own tires. Mine get rotated when I switch from summer to winter tires and vice-versa.

Snug down the lug nuts by hand and then use a torque wrench set @ 80 ft/lbs. Nothing ever gets damaged that way and certainly no hammering on the hub! That can lead to bearing damage.

 

Yeah they were banging away for like 2 hrs!!!

what symptoms would result from bearing damage? also any recommendations for a machine shop in NJ where quality work done such as pressing studs in and possibly replacing the bearings?



I soo need to pick up a torque wrench!

 

Yeah! you and me both!
Can't find anything good enough that's affordable, let me know what you find.


Sucks that they messed up your car like that, I cringe when seeing mechanics fire away with the impact gun, even when I let the Honda dealer rotate my tires. Well in about 5 months I hit my 3 yr mark, andI plan on doing all the reg. maintanance myself, so I definitely gotta find a good torque wrench.

Good luck, I also hope there wasn't any additional damage done to your car.

 

this wrench looks about right. The first review (Z Hester) makes me want it reeeal bad.

A lot depends on the garage. I made the mistake of getting tires once at Discount Tire. they stripped about 6 studs. Managed to do it on all wheels. Discovered it the 2nd day when one of the tires was flat; they also managed to pull the valve stem almost in half. Enough for all the air to leak out overnight. That wheel had two stripped studs. The garage they sent me to for new studs was just as bad. After I got it back home, I tried to loosen each lug nut to be sure, and had about 4 more stripped studs. They told me it was a problem with all Hondas and Toyotas. Funny I hadn't had a problem over the preceding 12 years with either my Honda or Toyota. They told me it was impossible for them to over-torque with their magical torque sticks.

After messing with them for a week they did give me my money back and let me keep the tires. The tires vibrated so badly I chucked them (Yokohamas) and got Michelins.

 

Usually a "thrumming" sound/vibration at low speeds (30-50mph). Eventually they'll seize and your wheels fall off, but by that time they sound like a helicopter is trapped under your hood.

 

wow that sucks.

next time just do it yourself. it's not even worth paying someone to do this task.

 

Comical, yet seemingly honest review (by Z Hester). The informative thing for me was that he compared the Gorilla one to ones I was looking into at Sears. Whew! good thing I didn't buy those.

+reps for the link, and many thanks.