Brake drum hell!

Replaced the tie rod ends couple weeks ago. Tires bald...

Need new front tires. Finally find a place that has 165-15's IN STOCK...
Go to tire place against my better judgement with the car instead of just
taking the rims in. They put my '66 on the lift... cringe... I asked for
them to use floor jacks. Thank god they didn't run the lift up through my
floor pans, then they put the HUGE impact gun to the wheel locks on my
EMPI's screwed up 3 of them... ok cheap ones from Auto zone. Put new tires
on rims - thankfully no scratches or gouges in the aluminum. put new tires
on car and brrr brrrr brrr with the impact from hell and they pull not only
one but 2 studs out of the drum... I asked them to tightened the lugs by
hand... damnit! I thought they broke the studs.

Now each wheel is missing a lug (locks) and one front wheel is missing 2
studs. the studs held, but they pulled the threads right out of the drum!!!
I cant drive my car without thinking that the ones will pull out causing the
wheel to fly off!

what the hell!! now I suppose I need a new brake drum... actually 2.
(always replace in pairs for wheel and brake stuff) My drums have the type
stud that threads into the drum. 12mm x 1.5.

This sucks. I suppose I needed new drums any way because I think one of the
front ones was warped and I don't know if they had been turned before. but
now I have to spend $55 a piece for German drums. Great and this close to
Christmas, and I still need a front end alignment.

Has that happened to anyone? Threads pulling out of the drums?!!! I
haven't. UNLESS maybe some one had screwed them up before and put in
heli-coils.

Anyway - Merry Christmas to the damn tire monkey that screwed up my
drums... BAH Humbug.

Moral of the story.... Watch where you take your antique VW too. Getting
new tires? take the rims off and take them into the tire place - leave the
car at home.

************************************************** **************
dragenwagen
1966 Type I - Daily Driver
1969 Type I - Undergoing heater channel replacement
http://www.ramva.org/dragenwagen
"Old VW's Don't Leak Oil, They Mark Their Territory."
************************************************** **************

If you requested that they tighten the lugs by hand and they still used an
impact, I'd hold them responsible for at least part of the damage. Maybe
they'd be willing to offset part of the cost?
Andy

"dragenwagen" > wrote in message
...
> Replaced the tie rod ends couple weeks ago. Tires bald...
>
> Need new front tires. Finally find a place that has 165-15's IN STOCK...
> Go to tire place against my better judgement with the car instead of just
> taking the rims in. They put my '66 on the lift... cringe... I asked for
> them to use floor jacks. Thank god they didn't run the lift up through my
> floor pans, then they put the HUGE impact gun to the wheel locks on my
> EMPI's screwed up 3 of them... ok cheap ones from Auto zone. Put new
> tires
> on rims - thankfully no scratches or gouges in the aluminum. put new
> tires
> on car and brrr brrrr brrr with the impact from hell and they pull not
> only
> one but 2 studs out of the drum... I asked them to tightened the lugs by
> hand... damnit! I thought they broke the studs.
>
> Now each wheel is missing a lug (locks) and one front wheel is missing 2
> studs. the studs held, but they pulled the threads right out of the
> drum!!!
> I cant drive my car without thinking that the ones will pull out causing
> the
> wheel to fly off!
>
> what the hell!! now I suppose I need a new brake drum... actually 2.
> (always replace in pairs for wheel and brake stuff) My drums have the type
> stud that threads into the drum. 12mm x 1.5.
>
> This sucks. I suppose I needed new drums any way because I think one of
> the
> front ones was warped and I don't know if they had been turned before.
> but
> now I have to spend $55 a piece for German drums. Great and this close to
> Christmas, and I still need a front end alignment.
>
> Has that happened to anyone? Threads pulling out of the drums?!!! I
> haven't. UNLESS maybe some one had screwed them up before and put in
> heli-coils.
>
> Anyway - Merry Christmas to the damn tire monkey that screwed up my
> drums... BAH Humbug.
>
> Moral of the story.... Watch where you take your antique VW too. Getting
> new tires? take the rims off and take them into the tire place - leave
> the
> car at home.
>
> ************************************************** **************
> dragenwagen
> 1966 Type I - Daily Driver
> 1969 Type I - Undergoing heater channel replacement
> http://www.ramva.org/dragenwagen
> "Old VW's Don't Leak Oil, They Mark Their Territory."
> ************************************************** **************
>
>

On Sat, 18 Dec 2004 15:52:18 -0600 "dragenwagen"
> wrote:

>Has that happened to anyone? Threads pulling out of the drums?!!! I
>haven't. UNLESS maybe some one had screwed them up before and put in
>heli-coils.

I think you mentioned alum wheels. I think problems like this seem to
happen MUCH more often when the lug bolts (you don't have studs) are
too short for your wheels. With too little thread engagement, there is
too much stress on the remaining threads and they can strip out.

I agree with you on the air impact wrenches. I take my torque wrench
with me and torque them myself after they have loosely installed the
bolts.

-
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Jim Adney
Madison, WI 53711 USA
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