Broken stud at tire shop, who to blame?

[ranisron]

Well, like the title said. I went to Fire Stone this morning to get my beat up BFGoodrich gsport taken off and put on some General Exclaim UHP for the rear.

The technician broke one of the studs while taking the passenger side rear wheel off, and now I am rocking with 3 studs on pretty normal sized wheels (16x7). Store manager gave me a quote for 67.5 to replace the stud :goyou: : $7.5 for stud, and $60 for labor. I thought I would at least get a discount in replacing the broken stud, if not for free. So, exactly how does the liability play out in this situation?
Facts:
1. I saw the technician broke my stud.
2. Store manager said "just because the technician put the air gun into the lug... we aren't liable".

Since I still need two alignments (240SX and U13) from that Fire Stone shop this coming week, I am holding down my complaint fires until the alignment is done.

BTW, I got a stud for $1.05 (after tax) at Auto Zone.

[240sxDann]

I think you'd probably be better off gettin a stud and putting it in yourself.

[z32gizzle]

I worked at National Tire and Battery for 3 years and every wheel stud we broke we payed for....so thats some bull bro I would tell the manager if its their fault why not replace it for free.... dont back off cause your technically in the right to get that shit replaced for free... just my .02

[quach]

ive had that same thing happen to me. in my opinion its not worth the argument, just replace the stud yourself, its not hard at all. next time dont bring your car to that place.

[SpeedMonkeyInc]

If the stud broke coming OFF my first though is that it is the fault of whoever put the wheel on with too much torque.

[nrg]

it's such a simple fix. it takes like 5 mintues.take wheel off, take caliper off, remove floating rotors. there are the studs on the hubs. hammer off the broken stud. pop in the new .99 autozone stud. you can press it in with a clamp or just take two small N-wrench close end. put it on top of each other, and take a lug nut and screw it down. it will put the stud into place.

at every wheel/tire shop, i always take out my lugs, no one else. I've learned my leason hah

[sidnacious]

yeah they are raping you on the stud and labor. it's only like a buck or 2 at pepboys or kragen.

nrg you got 909 posts right now. get it? 909? don't mind me.

[m0rex]

Same thing happen to me. I got the stud free at autozone and pressed it out myself. Shit autozone even rents those clamps. It shouldn't be much of a pain to do. Still though that shop needs to be responsible for that. Unless you know it was your fault that it broked off easily.

[chmercer]

stud is easy to replace

bang the broken one out with a hammer

stick the new one in the back

put an open ended lug nut on it

tighten it down until it stops pulling through

done

[Phlip]

SIXTY FUCKING SEVEN DOLLARS?!!?
Guy at a tire shop broke a stud on my old S14, I stopped at Advance Auto on the way home FROM that shop, spent no more than 10 on a new one AND lug nut and replaced it without removing the tire when I got to the crib.
... perhaps you should entertain removing the wheel/tire, but DO NOT pay those fucking robbers 70 bux.

[byhi]

2. Store manager said "just because the technician put the air gun into the lug... we aren't liable". .

ok, i aksed my roomate because he works at a wheel shop, he said that you arent even supposed to use an airtool to install lugnuts and furthermore most wheel companies include pieces of paper in the box that tell you NEVER to use an air gun... so tell them that

[projectRDM]

Only issue I see here, you took your car to a tire shop. That's asking for trouble right there.
Take the wheels off, leave the car at home where it's safe, take the wheels only to the tire place. Stand and watch them dismount the tires and install the new ones.

Problem solved. The idea of giving them your entire car to play with and fuck up scares the hell out of me, especially when you see some of these kids they hire.

[atom]

ok, i aksed my roomate because he works at a wheel shop, he said that you arent even supposed to use an airtool to install lugnuts and furthermore most wheel companies include pieces of paper in the box that tell you NEVER to use an air gun... so tell them that

The shop already knows you aren't supposed to use air tools but they don't give a shit. At least that's been my experience. Air wrenchs are fast and convenient, perfect for the lazy mechanic. :goyou:

It's a total bitch, but if they won't do it by hand just take the wheels only there. My DD only holds two wheels and tires at a time so I have to take two wheel+ tires, get them mounted, then repeat. Better than some tard torquing the shit out of the lugs though.

[WERDdabuilder]

happened to me twice! didnt feel like fighting it cause i didnt have time. did it myself.

[ranisron]

hey guys, thank you for your feedbacks and comments... really appreciated it!

Yeah, looks like I will bang the stud out myself - my rear calipers were replaced not too long ago, so most of the parts are easy to play with.

I mostly hated the fact that I was being treated like an ass - I know the business needs to make a profit, but trying to take, big / one time advantage on a repeated customer is simply stupid and wrong.

As soon as I am done with the alignments on the S13 and U13, I am off to BBB to file a complaint.

[McRussellPants]

As soon as I am done with the alignments on the S13 and U13, I am off to BBB to file a complaint.

Going to the BBB over $1.05 and 20minutes of your time fixing?



Better bust out the big guns brodiddily.

[ranisron]

McRussell - I don't disagree with you on my allocation. However, I consider the time filing a complaint as my study break for the CPA examination. Studying for accounting can get quite boring.

Again, thanks for the comments guys.

[silverarrow27]

It should be whoever that did your wheel change before by over-torquing or they stripped it on.Other than that they are tearing your rear end wide open with that outrageous charge.

[sncs14]

Consider this a lesson learned. I usually take my wheels off to have tires mounted and balanced, and take them to the shop in another car. The last time I need to have that done I procrastinated and had no other choice but to drive to the shop. Now I have a palm dent in my front left fender thanks to a redneck jackass that though I didn't know anything about my own car. Needless to say I'm not using that shop anymore and I'm buying another set of wheels to avoid this happening in the future

[gotta240]

LISTEN>......


THE PEOPLE WHO REMOVED THE WHEEL ARE NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT, I REPEAT, NOT AT FAULT AT ALL.

If they broke it while putting the lug nut back ON, then yes, they should pay for it... However, because it broke while being removed, it is the fault of whoever previously installed them...... How can they prevent breaking the nut while REMOVING it? they cant.

[!Zar!]

Was it an aftermarket or stock stud?

And as stated before, whoever put it on, must've done so impropperly.

Don't get angry at the dude who was doing his job propperly.

Just slap the new one on. Takes 20 mins.

[Pank]

if it broke while he was taking it off, its not his fault at all. dont create hassle for this shop, when they didnt do anything wrong. suck it up and buy the part, or yell at the guy who put the wheels in before hand.

['90RPS13]

I would jus pick up a new one and replace it. Save alot of stress and time. Now if they had bent your rim putting a tire on like a shop did to my uncle, I would raise holy-o-hell. *a

[Siizzzoooo]

I used to work at Firestone.

The trick to your situation is to complain to the District office.

you will get it fixed free of charge.

As a note to your situation, Firestone IS liable for the stripped stud. Any technician who suspects and stripping or anything of that nature is required to stop immediately and notify his manager of the situation.

That way, they can TRY to sell you a new lug stud, not after the fact.

anyways, just call the district office and complain

[s13silady]

its not the TECH's fault,if he was taking OFF the wheel. the previous person that put the lugnut back on could have crossthreaded it.

but anyways $70 is not worth it for 1 stud...

[ranisron]

understood gents...

I usually take off my own wheels and bring new tires to the shop for mount and balance. However, I slacked off this time - since I was needing an alignment.

Lesson learned - I'd better be consistent with my own shit.

[BigVinnie]

That sucks man. I remember when I had some studs broke off at sears. They pretty much gave me the same shit Firestone gave you. It really isn't there responsibility though since the previous person cross threaded it,or if some one tightened it too tight and stretched the stud making it weaker. (that is the only circumstance why they would break IMO)
We all learn from lessons like this..

[Realchaos1]

lol, mechanics are crooks.

I got my OEM studs from Piston Service, .45 cents per, easy install.

that shows how much crooks these mechanics are

[theicecreamdan]

lol, mechanics are crooks.


some are, some aren't. I'm not worried about what a mechanic tells me, I would be very cautious about anything a service advisor tried to sell me though.

[eds13]

its their fault. they should replace it. peroid

[chmercer]

ps - its fine to use an air gun on lugnuts if you use a torque stick

also if you use an airgun always make sure to hand thread the nuts on the first couple threads to avoid xthreading

i myself use an electric impact

[!Zar!]

its their fault. they should replace it. peroid
They are not at fault.

Explain your faulty reasoning.

[redsuns3838]

its true, they are supposed to notify you.
i went to american tire when i was on crappy 4 lug and stock wheels, now i only let wheel supply work on my tire and wheels but anyways story is;

they couldnt get a nut off and the technician comes in and tell sme *it looks like its stripped, if i keep going at it, its going to probably break the stud, what u wanna do? * i let him go ahead and break it since i didnt really care, its only a buck for a new stud.

but atleast he followed the correct protocall

[Pank]

the last reply was over a month ago....

[koukimonster139]

ok wtf. Obviously if it broke coming off, the lug nut was cross threaded onto the lug with an impact or just plain too tight. The shop did you a favor cause without breaking that stud your wheel wasnt ever coming off again anyway.