so my gf’s brakes started grinding today on one side, not a big deal. visual inspection of the rotors leads me to believe theyre fine for now. i have the night off so i go to the store to get a set of pads and go to my parents house (warm garage) to do what should be a rather quick job
i pull the car in and start losening the lugs when i see this
again, not a big deal i think to myself, and unthread all the stock lugs without an issue. then i get to the open (obv not stock) bolt. i cant get this shit off. fuck my life. i hit it with penetrating oil, let it marinate, and try again. nothing. i look at the other side, and instead of one, there are 3 of these non stock open bolts
wtf. is this a common practice among car repair shops? has anyone seen anything like this? should i tell her dad and recomend he doenst have this shop fix their cars anymore? (this isnt the first time something like this has happened, she cant remember the specifics but her older brother had a problem with the shop’s work quality in the past when he tried to do something easy ie. brakes, on her car)
thanks
im just pissed bc i cant get this sucker off. what would have happened if we got a flat???
if it’s any consolation when I went to fox to get tires for my bbs’s they put the wheels on the car for free. Few days ago I went to take them off to put my winter wheels on; on the 5th lug bolt, I couldn’t break it free. Broke 2 ratchets and 2 1/2 to 3/8 adaptors
its the stock lug not without the chrome cover on it… used to happen to me all the time. the two different metals start to “grow” at different speeds and the cover just comes apart from the nut when you put the impact gun on it.
ive tried a tire iron, a ratchet with a breaker bar (sleeve of pvc) and i still cant get it. ive broken the ficking tire iron (one of those cheap 4 way ones) a craftsman ratched and 2 19mm sockets. im throwing in the towel
we’re going honda shopping tomorrow. fuck chrysler products
my 16 year old, 220k honda doesnt have this problem, or the structural strut tower rot that we are hoping will hold out for a few more months, trannys that dont blow at 100k costing $1600 to fix, ect…
i could write a book. have you ever spent 20 minutes topping off the motor oil because the fucking OIL CAP RIPPED IN HALF? i have…
Aluminum caps oxydize happens to all Chrysler chrome capped lugs. It is now a 18mm. Bring it sears in williamsville I will get it off. Do not use a torch on an aluminum rim
Sounds like its cross threaded. Bet they didn’t bother to start it by hand and just popped the nut in the socket on the air gun and blasted it on. You are going to have to snap it off and put a new stud in there.
long term… the cheapest car is the one that you already own. it will always be. you could have the motor, trans, all the brakes go out and still not pay for a new car with the bill.
did you change the fluid? 166k so far on my wifes trans. shifts like new. 180k-200k on many folks chrysler van transmissions that i personally know. how? they changed the fluid once a year. the one guy has a caravan that runs 12.6 in the quarter mile.
yeah her neon got some rust by the strut tower. i took care of it before it got bad. it hasnt returned. rust bullet ftw. why dont you just cut out the bad and weld a little more metal in there?
yeah i did have that same oil cap issue. pair of pliers got that out and i snapped it back together and didnt tighten it so tight the next time.
i agree that accords/hondas are good cars. my ex-gf had a 89 with 230k on it before the rad popped and cracked the block.
the biggest issue that i find with people and chrysler products are that they are cheap to begin with so they dont take care of them. ive had tons of them. hell ive had tons of everything from german to jap to all of the big 3. occasional normal maintenance and my chryslers have been great. i drove a 150$ dodge aries for 100k miles with very few issues. it got retired to field/woods beater and i pounded it into trees and stuff till the brake lines popped. it had 200k on it when i sent it to the scrap yard.
i will admit that there was a period when they brought out the 4 speed auto when it was just terrible. late 80’s and early 90’s. much of the issue was people putting wrong fluid in them. they are beef though. a guy i know just ran 10 flat at 138 with a stock 1998 4 speed trans in a neon.
i do hate those gay capped lugs. all my cars have 25$ 1 piece sets or stock open end lugs with antisieze on them.
Your probably right it wouldnt of happened to a honda.The lug would of snapped in half if somebody put it on that tight.Use an 18 socket and a big breaker bar.Or get a real impact wrench and run it off.This is common on all cars,the lug nuts are cheaply made and they just have a chrome cover over them.As for the trans comment,hopefully you never have to pay to have a honda trans done,its alot more $ than $1500.
honda trannys don’t blow in 100k. or 200k in my own personal experence. fuck dude, the van has been used to trailer things but the fluid was changed religiously, her dad had it maintained up to about 90k. and I can’t fucking weld? and even if I could I wouldn’t feel safe welding a structural part of her car. maybe i’ll just buy the replacment “sleeve” the dealer offers lol that shit is a joke. trust me, I’ve looked into it.
I hate this car, so does she, she doesn’t need it and she’s getting a honda. you’re not going to sway my (or her) decision on this matter.
my mom got fed up with shit fords a few years ago, she bought a crv. she’s never been happier with a car :tup:
