Friday, December 31, 2004

walmart IMPACT wrenches

I love walmart tires, they are cheap, last a long time, and for the most part the service is fast. I can usually get out in less than 1 hour. with that said, let me tel you something...

WALMART TIRE TECHNICIANS ARE MORONS. I'll give you a few examples, ending in the telling of my most recent climatic event.

everyone knows they are suppose to rotate their tires every 3-5k miles right? well, i kinda think this is alot like that crappy propoganda that they say about changing your engine oil every 3k (I go 10k on my oil change in the diesel). so, after I got my tires I checked what the terms were on my walmart warrenty. it said that you had to go in for regular rotations, or else you wouldn't get your warrenty on the miles of the tires. I got 80k douglas tires for around 55$ each, plus probably 12$ each for road hazard warrenty junk. so, not wanting to screw up my investment I started going in every 5k like a good little customer to get my tires rotated.

the technicians were slow, they opened late (I tried to go in at 8 when they opened) and no one knew the 'correct' torque specs for my tires. now thats just plain bad business. on top of this they would set the lugnuts with the impact wrench (if you get it wrong, you screw the theads in my hub). I would stand and watch them and I was never convinced they used the torque wrench correctly.

so.. screw that, after about 3 times of going in for rotations I just do it myself. I can do it in half the time and I do it the way I like it, slow and CORRECT.

this summer I got jen new tires for the jeep. again walmart had a good deal, so we went in, they were fast to mount and put them on the jeep. now, 6 months later I go to remove the tires to put the studs on (we have alot of snow here now) and I SNAPPED A 3" extender, 1/2" drive. you know what that means? these jokers set the torque at about 150lbs when it should be closer ot 80. so see ya later wallmart. your getting a big letter from me and if i EVER have my studs stretch, break, misthread, or my lugnuts strip I'm sending you the bill.

check out my broken extender.. thanks walmart.

1 comment:

forkev said...

cheep tires.
expensive on the poor service.

10pm, do you know where your weiner is?

i'll be posting some pics of my subarus STUCK in some pretty nasty snow as soon as Keanen's girlfriend emails them. my passengers were not happy and were just joking 'i wonder if kevin can drive up there' - was not joking when i tried and was quite impressed at the differentials some how managed to power the car with the passenger side wheels COMPLETELY slipping...