Date:         Fri, 25 May 2001 14:01:04 -0400
Reply-To:     "Fitz-Randolph, Douglas" <Doug@BEACONMARKETING.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Fitz-Randolph, Douglas" <Doug@BEACONMARKETING.NET>
Subject:      Re: Sears disaster - Steve's solution
Content-Type: text/plain

Steve Schwenk wrote:

You guys are nuts!  I NEVER trust those places .... not
after they scratched all 4 alloys doing an alignment
and ruined most of my $13 lug nuts.  Now, I take 4
wheels into the shop in my car and pick them up when
done while the van waits on jack stands in my garage.

I'd like to add:

Even if you don't go as far as bringing j-u-s-t the
tires & wheels to the shop, DO remove your centercaps
if you've got alloy wheels. My 15" SA 5-spoke alloys
have a center disc help on by a single hex screw. If
the guy in the shop doesn't use a metric hex key,
chances are he'll round out the hex slot, and if he
isn't really careful re-threading the hard, steel
screws into the soft, aluminum wheels, he'll ruin
the threads.

This is why I know that you can get an exact
replacement screw either from the little screw that
holds your disc rotors in place while the wheel is
off, or from a BMW motorcycle dealer if you've
already tossed your disc rotor retainers.

And this is why I own a metric tap and die set.

I won't even go into all the different the ways a
tire guy can scratch things up trying to remove
the old VW disc-style hubcaps if they don't have
the little $1 wire loop tool.

Be safe and make things as s-i-m-p-l-e for the
tire shop employee as humanly possible!!!

> Doug Fitz-Randolph
> Freeport, ME
> '90 Syncro