TimDoc 0 Posted June 19, 2011 Went to a family run tyre fitting setup in Bristol that shall remain nameless for now, had two new tyres on the front on the BKK 299s that are on the car. All sorted and drove off, going round the roundabout about a mile away and big shake in the handling, hazards on, slowed right done and coasted to a stop bout 100m from the roundabout. Got out - nearside wheel only held on with one nut! Triangle out bout 50m back up the road as was an urban dual carriageway, and as i was walking to do this found the other 4 nuts along the road, with bits of spaced scattered here and there. Oh Bugger! Called the garage who sent out a very helpful senior member of staff with a thread cleaner and jack etc to assess the damage on the roadside, checked out all threads, wheel back on and trundled back to the garage at 20mph. All threads had bits of aluminium from the spacer pushed into them, one had the thread flattened slightly on the bolt. The hub had the first couple of rings of thread stripped out of it in a couple of the bolt holes but is otherwise undamaged (new bolts dont fit that snugly though so I think the thread is not as deep as it was before), brake disk fine. The wheel had knocked the front of the caliper and taken the paint off it. Inner surface of the wheel that abutts the hub was burred where the bolts sit. The garage were pretty good, they had cleared out all the bays and closed so all could focus on getting the car sorted (also so no one was around to hear what had happened!) Cleaned up the wheel and checked balance. Cleaned up the bolts, new spacer fitted and new spigot ring inserted. Wheel refitted. Had to take the car away then as I needed it but... plan is to go back next week, using their facilities with my there they are going to take off the disk on that side and we will inspect the threads, if there is laxity in the threads when compared to another hub they will replace the hub, they are going to fit the new discs and pads that i bought the other day. I think this whole saga was down to a young fitter who didnt check the spacer was centred and that all was flush, so when the spacer slipped back into place as i went round the roundabout all the bolts were slack. This is the garages fault and so they are being really good, and are willing to pay for all replacement parts. I think they were sh**ting themselves that i was gonna blow my top and sue them or something along those lines!! Does this all sound a cosher plan re the hub etc?? Would people be taking it to another garage despite the senior guys being so switched on in this place. New hub? Tim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 1 Posted June 19, 2011 I'd give them the chance to rectify everything.. if stuff is seriously damaged as a result of their neglect, then I'd hope they'd put their hands in their pockets and cover it. And then if they refuse or they start to get funny then look elsewhere. It does sound like they gave it to a youth.. I'm sure the more senior chaps know what they're doing, and I think they're serious given how they treated the problem when you called them! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Sands 0 Posted June 19, 2011 Sounds like an horrendous experience mate but even so, firstly I'd be thanking my lucky stars that you stopped before the wheel actually parted company with the car! Truth be told, even though they obviously screwed up here, it sounds like they've done all you could expect to put things right. I guess that any organisation can have a junior member of staff have an off day; obviously it shouldn't happen, especially in an industry where you could cause an extremely serious accident if you don't do your job properly, but human error is still going to happen. However, it sounds like they've reacted exactly as you'd hope a place would when they've dropped the ball that badly. For all that they'd obviously c*cked up, I think everyone can remember plenty of times (that have happened to them or have read about on here) where a company has badly messed up work on their car and then stonewalled when confronted about it, despite overwhelming evidence of their negligence, thus cueing up a protracted and ultimately self-defeating chase for justice. I think for me the clue is in your describing it as family run. I don't take my car to anywhere where I don't know the firm or the individuals of old and trust them totally to do the job, so in your place I'd be thinking I'd keep going there, as the worst has pretty much happened (major screw-up) and they've done all they can to put it right. I'd imagine they'll be especially careful of your cars and your business in future! HTH, Ed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robrado974 1 Posted June 19, 2011 this happend to someone i once knew . as above give them a chance to rectify it , like you said they dont want you telling people what happend do they !. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted June 19, 2011 Shocking - just make sure you're back in a better position to what you started, I would expect a full refund of what you paid that day too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TimDoc 0 Posted June 19, 2011 gonna pay for the tyres as it stands, but will be asking for all the fuel costs etc to get me from bath to bristol etc. and all parts required and time used to do the repairs. T Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
