Dealer over-torked lug nuts - warped rotors now!

Ok, here is my problem. About 17 months ago, I went to Huntclub Honda in Ottawa, Ontario Canada to get the 50K scheduled maintenance done on my 2001 Honda Prelude SE. So, they did their things and that was that. The next day, I decided to put snow tires on my car (all four wheels). If I'd been smart, I would have just brought them to the dealer and told them to change them when they had the wheels off checking the breaks etc, but I was in a rush and didn't have time to organize.

Anyhow, there I am in my driveway the very next day and I start with the first wheel. I'm using a lug wrench to get the lug nuts off (duh!?!) and I am finding it close to impossible to get them off. The first one alone, I am standing on the lug wrench bouncing up and down, trying to get it to budge. I weigh about 185 pounds. So, there I am, jumping up and down on the lug wrench and the nut finally starts to budge. Now, I know coming-off torque is supposed to be greater than going-on torque, but the next day after they were removed/reinstalled? And to that extent???!

So then get this.... I pull out a gauged torque wrench which tops out at 220 foot pounds. I literally am off the scale pulling with the next lug nut, so that the needle is buried at the end of the scale. So here I am wailing on the torque wrench and, you're not going to believe this, the male part of torque stick comes off the bar and stays in the socket which is still on the lug nut on the rim??!! I flipped it over (double sided) and tried a few more nuts (I didn't go past 220 foot pounds this time) just to see and none of them would budge. I then removed every one of them with the lug wrench, each one of them with me standing on the wrench, bouncing up and down trying to get them to come off. It took about an hour and a half.

In the end, I went back to the dealer the next day and told them my story. They gave me a free oil change and noted on the computer file that my lug nuts had been over tightened.

I posted this tale of woe to the Usenet and many people responded that one of the problems I'd have to worry about is warped rotors. Well, about 6 months after I brought it in, they were doing some more maintenance and the mechanic said that my rotors were warped and that they should be changed. As soon as I brought up this whole story and involved a manager, the story became that the warping wasn't severe and I could probably get away with not getting it done and that really the warping was only on the front rotors and if it had been because of over-torking the lug nuts on all wheels, then all the rotors would have been warped, not just the front. I didn't have the time or inclination to fight with them, so I just decided to leave it and fight the battle later.

Here is my question; I am thinking I need break work done. Do I have any case to get the rotors partially paid for by the dealership? Any approaches I should take? Advice? Thanks,

Rob

Dealer over-torked lug nuts - warped rotors now!

Reply to
bertbarndoor
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Difficult to say. First off, I am in Ottawa also and this is common problem for me here. That is why I bought a torque wrench and I do tire rotation myself. If Camco (my acura dealer) does an inspection of the brakes, I do remind them of the 80 pound-foot/torque and then check once I am at home, just to make sure. They have been good, but you never know with these monkeys...

Here is one possibility. Get your file from Huntclub honda where it listed your complaints. Get the brakes check elsewhere and if the rotors are warped, keep them as evidence. Make sure to have the mechanic explain why they are warped and confirm the cause. Get an affidavit from this expert. Go back to the dealership with all this information and ask for them to pay the whole job. If you do not ask, you will get nothing. At best, what I think is fair is that they pay for 50% of the job.

Good luck and keep us posted...

F
Reply to
Frank

The front brakes heat up more than the rear and are thus somewhat more sensitive to warping.

Do you feel any pulsation in the brake pedal? If not, then your rotors are probably ok for time being. Still, it might be good to get them inspected and have the tech measure and report the actual runout. If the rotors aren't warped, then you now have two reasons to find a new mechanic.

Eric

Reply to
Eric

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