Kwik Fit - snapped locking nut key

Horizon81

EdGasket wrote: »

This is one of the reasons why I change wheels myself. The other being the damage that careless fitters do to the car when jacking it up in any place that takes their fancy. If I need tyres fitted, I take the wheels off, stick them in the boot of my other car and take them to the tyre place for fitment. When I only had one car, I would take in wheels one at a time while running on the spare.

Had too many instances in the past of being unable to undo the wheel nuts and/or damage to the car after letting tyre fitters loose on it!

You're totally right. Most of them just roll a jack under there and start cranking, not looking where they're jacking. Cue folded seams/bent floors etc. Yours is a very cautious approach but if you're a car lover I can understand! Most people couldn't care less and would never look under their sill, until it comes to emergency scissor jack time and you realise the sill point is a mangled mess!

newbie1980

from what i gather kwick fit try and only use torque wrenches now as the air gun overtightens the nuts hence then breaking

vaio

nickcc wrote: »

Did the tyre fitter use an air impact wrench to try to remove the locking nut as this will break the peg type locking nut tool. Later locking nuts are not usually the peg type and are far more robust.

I suspect this could well be the answer

forgotmyname

The locking nut keys do snap. As long as he used a hand tool and not a power wrench put it down to bad luck and buy a new key.

If he used an air wrench etc then i would be moaning to them.

A decent tyre garage will have the tools to remove your locking nuts.

fivetide

When was the wheel last off too?

If the others came off you'd have thought that they'd all have been just as tight so the lock nut should also have come off.

However, if the last time the wheel was off was a long time ago and/or the nut is cheap one and/or the last fitter didn't put anything like copperslip on there to stop the whole thing corroding it might well be that with saltwater, the nut has effectively welded itself to the bolt.

Just another option to consider.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Agreed, Kwik Fit Fitter not to blame here unless he shoved an air impact gun straight on and tried to undo the locking nut with that, in which case he is to blame, lockers should be cracked loose by hand.

He couldn't fit the wrong tyres because he couldn't get the wheels off.

Still reckon you are better off at an indy tyre shop with experienced geezers doing the job.

nickcc

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Agreed, Kwik Fit Fitter not to blame here unless he shoved an air impact gun straight on and tried to undo the locking nut with that, in which case he is to blame, lockers should be cracked loose by hand.

He couldn't fit the wrong tyres because he couldn't get the wheels off.

Still reckon you are better off at an indy tyre shop with experienced geezers doing the job.

Not sure about using the small independants, used my local for two new front tyres on ali wheels, used the air gun to remove all the nuts including the locking nuts then tightened them all back up with the air gun and no sign off a torque wrench, or copaslip on the studs Loosened them all off when I got back home and torqued them up correctly. Company I worked for a few years ago used KTS and later ATS for all our tyre maintenance, all their fitters were correctly trained and always used the correct equipment including torque wrenches and tyre cages, but they would never have used Kwik fit.

EdGasket

A good rule of thumb is 'always avoid anything with Kwik/quick in the name'; more haste less speed!

gilbert_and_sullivan

nickcc wrote: »

Not sure about using the small independants, used my local for two new front tyres on ali wheels, used the air gun to remove all the nuts including the locking nuts then tightened them all back up with the air gun and no sign off a torque wrench, or copaslip on the studs Loosened them all off when I got back home and torqued them up correctly. Company I worked for a few years ago used KTS and later ATS for all our tyre maintenance, all their fitters were correctly trained and always used the correct equipment including torque wrenches and tyre cages, but they would never have used Kwik fit.

No thats fair comment, i meant to include the pro tyre suppliers in my post too.

Luckily we have some really good small/medium indy tyre shops round my way as well.

colino

Unfortunately this does happen sometimes and, unless the other locking nuts/bolts are off, you either need to get another key or get your friendly, local tyre fitter to get them off. Thereafter I would get ordinary nuts/bolts from the scrappy and do away with the locking ones. When did you last hear of ordinary alloys being nicked?
Not sure about the wrong tyres being supplied (you could have taken it up with the guy there and then) and why the car is now disabled.