good garage experience

Not bad but I have had tyre places use an air wrench to do up the nuts then use a torque wrench afterwards but having neglected to set any torque on the air wrench thingy. As a consequence I had to use a large bar to undo the nuts later.

The message from "Kostic" contains these words:

It's happened every time I've bought tyres in the last few years - but that may be because I go to discerning tyre shops. Or possibly 'cos I'm there watching.

Must say though that 80ftlbs is rather high - my Montego's supposed to be 53ftlbs Escorts 59ftlbs, Carlton 66ftlbs.

But did you see him consult a chart and set the torque wrench to the correct value? And did he then use the torque wrench correctly?

My experience says no.

The last person who used an impact wrench on my wheel nuts (especially the locking one) will never do it again.

It's not often that I raise my voice but who in their right mind would use such a thing on a locking wheel nut (and no they were not only using it to a certain setting before finishing off by hand). When I then insisted he took all the nuts off and re did them BY HAND it took his full weight stood on the brace to get them off.

Is this a nationwide ( nearly said national ) offer, on all sizes of tyre?

Wonder where my nearest National Tyres is :)

Tom

Been there and done that this morning, they're only T-rated tyres which are almost totally useless for anything remotely modern.

(In my case, it was a 205/60R15, which they have in a T-rated tyre - what kind of car uses that size of tyre and can't exceed 119mph?)

My Jag that hasn't moved in months due to dead gearbox?

And this has what to do with tyres or National?

Think about it, ffs!

Ok, so I'm being pedantic, bur seeing as this is a uk newsgroup, lets use uk terminology and call them wheel nuts. Why do the yanks have to call them lug nuts anyway? What do they lug? Mike.

I wouldn't bother. The choice of tyres on the deal is only Avon or Barum, and they're overpriced to start with. Their 175/65x14 Barum is normally £38 plus valve and balance (say another £6.50?) so about £44.50, the Avon is £53 (about £60 fitted?) Extortionate! It still only makes slight sense with one free considering the limited choice of crap brands.

I can buy quality budgets for £26 and premium (Conti or Pirelli) for £38 all inclusive.

They are offering tyres in speed ratings higher than T, but not in all sizes.

Press advert is here

The message from "Mike G" contains these words:

Perhaps they have ears like hub studs.

A Nova?

I used to get great service from Halfords garage in Battery Park, Selly Oak, Birmingham - even when it was taken over by the AA ...

Who eventually degraded the service and shut it down..

I got H-rated tyres, but they are 185/65R14

-- Best regards,

Konstantin Begun

No, I don't think they consult any charts (this is asking too much from a garage !) and probably are using one setting for all cars. But he told me the numbers and according to Haynes manual, 110Nm is within the spec for my lug nuts. Of course, it might not be for other cars.

-- Best regards,

Konstantin Begun

I am not American (and not English either), just picked up the term, probably reading too much from Amrican sources :-) They are wheel nuts for me from this point on :-)

-- Best regards,

Konstantin Begun

Then there's no point in using a torque wrench over an air gun. Air guns can only deliver so much torque too.

Indeed.

Of course BMW etc use bolts rather than studs and nuts. ;-)