GKGEIGER

People that don’t know what they are doing shouldn’t touch tools,

WP0

Sorry to hear that, but this past year, I've noticed that the usual attention to detail at my usually attentive local dealership has disappeared. I've been acquiring all the tools to do all the work I can on my own car, which means I should be able to do everything but an engine/reprogramming problem. I will not be taking any of my cars to the dealership for any work, unless it's absolutely necessary.

asellus

Ehhh, there I go parroting crap I've heard all my life without actually thinking too hard about it. Static deformation is unlikely to actually be a problem on the wheel. I've never witnessed it, at least.

Assuming no torque wrench was used, unequal torque across the lug bolts was probably applied. Unequal torque on the wheel that is subsequently driven on poses some supposed risk, creating unequal stress in the metals that could then cause fractures when shocked by a pot hole or some such. You also have the heating/cooling cycles of just every day driving playing into it as well. I'm not any kind of metallurgy expert, but that screams bad juju to me with what little I know!

My primary concern would be cracking or crushing the mounting surface(s). When building an engine, the head bolts, if overtorqued, can crush the boss they clamp against. Now, wheels are considerably tougher as they aren't made out of some kind of aluminum-butter alloy like a Miata head, but the risk certainly is still there.

97supratt

You ruin the threads. I ruined the threads on a lock bolt and I used less than 100ft/lbs.

DaveGee

Heading to the dealer in the morning for an “inspection”. They’ve asked me to bring the tools with me that I used to remove the wheels. It’s a socket and a breaker bar. Sounds like they’re already looking for a way to say that the lug nuts weren’t over-torqued and that my tools are to blame. Should be fun…

DaveGee

WP0

It sounds like your dealer takes complaints seriously; I think that's a good sign. Anytime I complain about something, it's *crickets*

911.

Yeah I see what you mean. I think for this to happen, or enough to where the wheel needed replacing you would certainly know the wheel is mounted incorrectly and giving you some feedback while youre driving. Aka pulling or crazy wobbling of the steering wheel. Or worst case wheel passing you by on the road. Lol.

I'm not an expert but the chances of that happening are slim and I would think the incorrect tq on each stud being applied unevenly would result to potential bearing damage/wear faster first. And even then I dont think the OP wouldn't notice it right away, it would still take thousands if not tens of thousands of miles before the wheel bearing went bad prematurely.

Curious to see what the dealer tried to sell the OP after he takes in his car and tools used.

DaveGee

So, went to the dealer today along with the breaker bar and socket that I used only to be told that the reason the fronts were so difficult to break free was that my breaker bar isn't long enough. Right. Never mind that the same breaker bar had no problem on the rears, or that I've been using the exact same breaker bar for 20+ years. This ain't my first rodeo.

Anyway, the shop foreman says he inspected hubs, wheels and lug bolts and that everything is fine. That will have to be good enough for now and at least things are documented so if I lose a wheel or there are future related issues, I have a paper trail.

And no, I don't plan on buying a longer breaker bar.

DaveGee