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Costco did not want to sell me new tires...

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by cyberpriusII, Jul 19, 2024 at 3:24 PM.

  1. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Now I’m on a tear: marked one foot from fulcrum (one 3/8” and 1/2” torque wrenches, 9” on the shorter 1/4” one, and adjust by 9/12), put a known weight at the marks, with the torque wrenches roughly horizontal and set to that weight. Shifting the weight fore and aft of the foot mark (or 9” mark) allows you to see the threshold conveniently.
     

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  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    On a tear or a wild goose chase. I loosen the lugs and torque myself EXCEPT when Costco has touched them. They use a torque wrench. Most shops simply use their air tools.
     
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  3. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Torque specs are more about avoiding overtightening than not getting the nutz tight enough - and most of the tyre jockeys at the big box stores use torque sticks - which are generally consistent enough to prevent warping a paper-thin rim, etc.
    They're also (mostly) 'good enough' at getting you near the actual desired spec - IF properly used.
    If the 6 (5? 4? :eek: ) lugs are each torqued one or two ft/lbs above or below spec I think that you're still good to go.
    If not - the only way to detect this is to correct it anyway.

    I do not gladly let other people fumbledork with my vehicles but I also do not have the ability to mount my own tyres - so every now and then I have to loosen these and use a for-real torque wrench to torque my lugs.
    Even with my declining abilities, I'm still able to rotate 20" tires and criss-cross torque them to 60# and then to 140#.....and yes.
    I know.
    Most people say that this old school and one should simply criss cross to 140 ft/lbs and you are done.

    People make mistakes every day at their jobs.
    I know I still do at mine.
    The last set of tyres I bought from a trusted friend's shop came home with one lug loose.

    Simple mistake - detected and corrected, and a lesson learned for a 16-year-old learning about attention-to-detail. ;)
     
    #23 ETC(SS), Jul 23, 2024 at 8:45 AM
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2024 at 8:52 AM
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    On our ‘81 Civic, one time our toddler son unscrewed and handed us one of the 4 lug nuts. I’d forgotten all about that lol. God we were young and complacent in those days, lol.
     
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  5. ColoradoBoo

    ColoradoBoo Senior Member

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    Yep those torque sticks are very handy....I have a set of 5 that I use with my electric lug nut gun and they are 65/80/100/120/140 but I really only use the 65 (for cars with torque of 80) and 80 (for cars with torque of 95 or 100).

    I've, also, heard we're supposed to recheck the torque after driving but I've never seen any actually need it...just do the torque twice when putting the wheels back on.