spare wheel used for the first time.

[exosteve]

I went to work today (again).and on parking up I heard a hissing noise and thought, eh up heer we go trouble again.
but I didnt get frustrated I just thought id sort it later.
so after cleaning a few windows and going back to the car the rear tyre was as flat as a pancake.
not to worry I think weve got the kit to sort it out!
I really didnt fancy using the jack supplied (now binned) but got everything ready anyway.
everything was going swimmingly until I tryed to get the wheel locking nuts removed.(they must be the shittest designed locking nuts to ever be owned by me.(soon to be binned).
so it was a call to the AA while I cleaned a few more windows.
wow ten mins later they were there.
he got the locking nuts off without much mither. rusty spare wheel fitted.
jobs a good un.
Im going to try and ad a pic of the custom wheel nut he left me with.
ste

 

[Terranical]

I had a similar problem with locking wheel nuts, first time I had to remove a wheel the adapter broke the wheel nut! Had to chisel it off with a gert big lump hammer and a chisel, followed by a big mole wrench - ironically, I decided to bin all the lockers and fit ordinary wheel nuts and all three came off sweet as a nut!

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

You get days like that... I hate locking wheel nuts, first thing I do is replace them with proper nuts, as they can be so much trouble, as you now know. I got stranded in the roadworks on the M25 a few years ago, when my locking wheel nut key sheered off as the nut was so tight. Ended up loosing an entire day as I had to be recovered to a volvo garage, and wait for them to weld a nut into it, so we could then get the wheel off. I got them to check the others, and one of the others was the same. so lucky I got it done at the same time.

I take it, he did not leave that on the road wheel of the car...

 

[exosteve]

yes all the lockers are history.
but look at that frickin socket the AA man left on cuz he couldnt get it off the nut!
can you Imagine what that could do if it flew off at speed. it could litteraly kill someone.

 

[exosteve]

You get days like that... I hate locking wheel nuts, first thing I do is replace them with proper nuts, as they can be so much trouble, as you now know. I got stranded in the roadworks on the M25 a few years ago, when my locking wheel nut key sheered off as the nut was so tight. Ended up loosing an entire day as I had to be recovered to a volvo garage, and wait for them to weld a nut into it, so we could then get the wheel off. I got them to check the others, and one of the others was the same. so lucky I got it done at the same time.

I take it, he did not leave that on the road wheel of the car...

what you see is what an experienced aa mechanic has left me driving around with. including the socket

 

[Terranical]

what you see is what an experienced aa mechanic has left me driving around with. including the socket

Should do wonders for the wheel balance!

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

So he didn't think to swap it with one of the spare wheel nuts... At least on the back it's not as dangerous.

You would be safer driving on 5 nuts than having that on the wheel... it's bloody dangerous...

I think you should write a letter to the AA, with a picture of that enclosed, as, like you say, not only will your wheel balance be out, but what if it came off, that could kill someone.

 

[exosteve]

So he didn't think to swap it with one of the spare wheel nuts... At least on the back it's not as dangerous.

You would be safer driving on 5 nuts than having that on the wheel... it's bloody dangerous...

I think you should write a letter to the AA, with a picture of that enclosed, as, like you say, not only will your wheel balance be out, but what if it came off, that could kill someone.

he tried to get it off with a crow bar and a few other bits and then said **** it i cant be arsed.
not the kind of attitude you would expect from a recovery company.
espessialy as he was working for a woman as i left my wife to it while i carried on working.
im going to contact the aa and complain see if i get owt free.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

You should, there is no excuse for that on any car, but on the T2 and most other 4x4's with a spare wheel on the back, you have 3 spare wheel nuts on the back door. At worst case, he could have left the flat in the boot, and used the nuts, or as I said before put the bodged one on the spare wheel.

Go for it..

 

[exosteve]

going to sort this out asap.
I thought it was quite amusing at the time and I was chilled out.
thinking about it now,it was shoddy work that I pay 200 quid a year for.
my wife is paranoid about it flying off and killing someone.
the tyre that was punctured,to be honest Id rather even not bother pay a tenner for a fix as its shit and they all need replacing and rather keep saving.
meanwhile, do I need to repair an AA mans repair (ie change that one nut)which rather makes me think Ill save my 200 notes a year.
or drive around with a 4 oz chunk of metal spinning at high speeds.40 ish lol.
with a wobbley steering wheel a club footed wife and a 5 year old in the car!
the answer is obviuos. I have to change it before it goes anywhere else and kills someone.
I will be posting after photos the nut and socket to the AA wit ha serious letter of complaint.

 

[exosteve]

after complaining to the aa head office.they came out and fitted me a shinny new set of locking nuts.
they were worried I was going to goto the press.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Well, that is some consolation... I still hope the guy gets a hard time though, as that was so bad and dangerous.

Glad you got it all sorted, and even more glad you had the brains to know just how dangerous that was, does not bear thinking about, if you had thought, "well an AA man did it, so it must be OK to drive like that"