Do you need to remove the wheel to do a brake flush?? I took my Chevelle to Merchant's to flush the brakes. I pick it up, take it back to work, pleased with the fact that the brakes are nice and firm. On the way home from work, I hear knocking (wobbling) from the front driver's side wheel. I pull over about a mile from home, and notice that the lock on my wheel is loose. CRAP. I shake the wheel and it feels firm so I pray and try to get home. As I'm turning the corner on my street, WHAM. The car falls to the ground and my front driver's side wheel goes rolling up the street!!!! Car is all smashed up. I call Merchants right there from the road and they say they didn't remove the wheel to do the flush. I'm taking it home from the shop from doing a brake flush, and the wheel comes off- but they had nothing to do with it?? It's my word against thiers. WTF can I do!!!??? The wheel was on there before. Why would it come off on the way home. I drove it down there. Drove it to McDonalds. Drove it to work. But when I drive it home, the wheel comes off. I am PISSED.
My wheel came of in traffic, on the way home from merchants'
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Would a shop like merchants take your wheels off to do a brake flush?
Do you need to remove the wheel to do a brake flush?? I took my Chevelle to Merchant's to flush the brakes. I pick it up, take it back to work, pleased with the fact that the brakes are nice and firm. On the way home from work, I hear knocking (wobbling) from the front driver's side wheel. I pull over about a mile from home, and notice that the lock on my wheel is loose. CRAP. I shake the wheel and it feels firm so I pray and try to get home. As I'm turning the corner on my street, WHAM. The car falls to the ground and my front driver's side wheel goes rolling up the street!!!! Car is all smashed up. I call Merchants right there from the road and they say they didn't remove the wheel to do the flush. I'm taking it home from the shop from doing a brake flush, and the wheel comes off- but they had nothing to do with it?? It's my word against thiers. WTF can I do!!!??? The wheel was on there before. Why would it come off on the way home. I drove it down there. Drove it to McDonalds. Drove it to work. But when I drive it home, the wheel comes off. I am PISSED.
Do you need to remove the wheel to do a brake flush?? I took my Chevelle to Merchant's to flush the brakes. I pick it up, take it back to work, pleased with the fact that the brakes are nice and firm. On the way home from work, I hear knocking (wobbling) from the front driver's side wheel. I pull over about a mile from home, and notice that the lock on my wheel is loose. CRAP. I shake the wheel and it feels firm so I pray and try to get home. As I'm turning the corner on my street, WHAM. The car falls to the ground and my front driver's side wheel goes rolling up the street!!!! Car is all smashed up. I call Merchants right there from the road and they say they didn't remove the wheel to do the flush. I'm taking it home from the shop from doing a brake flush, and the wheel comes off- but they had nothing to do with it?? It's my word against thiers. WTF can I do!!!??? The wheel was on there before. Why would it come off on the way home. I drove it down there. Drove it to McDonalds. Drove it to work. But when I drive it home, the wheel comes off. I am PISSED.
Re: Would a shop like merchants take your wheels off to do a brake flu
Now, what MAY have happened is the standard courtesy check. (read - what else might we be able to report wrong and sell parts to this guy for)
Like - lets inspect the pads, brackets, calipers, rotors, check for leaks, etc. If that was done then they pulled the wheels. Any note of inspection on your receipt? If so ask them how they inspected it all without yanking a wheel. Do they include the standard checks with every service? Any hand or fingerprints on the wheel / rim (always a grease print somewhere when these guys pull wheels)
Just things to look at. Sucks about the car, terrible to hear. Hopefully you have insurance. And be thankful it wasnt worse - could of hurt yourself, the car worse, could of happened doing 90 on the freeway, could of lost that tire and had it hit a kid....I know it sucks but it could of been worse. Good luck.
Not if you have a rack. Makes it easier on stands in your garage but figure a shop is using a rack or a pit and taking the wheels off to bleed would waste time (IMHO).
Now, what MAY have happened is the standard courtesy check. (read - what else might we be able to report wrong and sell parts to this guy for)
Like - lets inspect the pads, brackets, calipers, rotors, check for leaks, etc. If that was done then they pulled the wheels. Any note of inspection on your receipt? If so ask them how they inspected it all without yanking a wheel. Do they include the standard checks with every service? Any hand or fingerprints on the wheel / rim (always a grease print somewhere when these guys pull wheels)
Just things to look at. Sucks about the car, terrible to hear. Hopefully you have insurance. And be thankful it wasnt worse - could of hurt yourself, the car worse, could of happened doing 90 on the freeway, could of lost that tire and had it hit a kid....I know it sucks but it could of been worse. Good luck.
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Re: Would a shop like merchants take your wheels off to do a brake flu
Probably didn't want to get old brake fluid on your wheels/tires. :yes:
Probably didn't want to get old brake fluid on your wheels/tires. :yes:
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1,826 Posts
Ditto, why did you drive it home with the knocking?
Because when I checked it, and pushed it, and tried to rock it as hard as I could, the wheel still felt sturdy. My thinking was that maybe it was the lock (??) making all that noise because all of the other lugs felt snug. I would have never guessed in a MILLION years that I would turn a corner and all FIVE would snap off.
Re: Would a shop like merchants take your wheels off to do a brake flu
I kept driving it because when I got out and checked it, and pushed it, and tried to rock it as hard as I could, the wheel still felt sturdy. My thinking was that maybe it was the lock (??) making all that noise because all of the other lugs felt snug. I would have never guessed in a MILLION years that I would turn a corner and all FIVE would snap off.
I kept driving it because when I got out and checked it, and pushed it, and tried to rock it as hard as I could, the wheel still felt sturdy. My thinking was that maybe it was the lock (??) making all that noise because all of the other lugs felt snug. I would have never guessed in a MILLION years that I would turn a corner and all FIVE would snap off.
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5,065 Posts
The wheel felt sturdy because there was a 4,000 lb car holding it down, it's not going to rock until you're driving. I can see you discounting it, though if you thought it was something else making the noise - but if you felt the wobble you really shouldn't have kept driving it that way.
It's very possible that they had nothing to do with the wheel coming off - i've come close before to having a front wheel come off, the front axle was apparently bent and worked the wheel off.
But at the same time I don't believe in coincidence...
It's very possible that they had nothing to do with the wheel coming off - i've come close before to having a front wheel come off, the front axle was apparently bent and worked the wheel off.
But at the same time I don't believe in coincidence...
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14,049 Posts
Re: Would a shop like merchants take your wheels off to do a brake flu
Did you give them the lug lock key when you dropped it off? If not, how could they have removed the wheels in the first place? If you had the lug lock key with you on the drive home, you should have checked ALL the lugs on ALL wheels with a lug wrench when you pulled over to check on the wobble.
Did you give them the lug lock key when you dropped it off? If not, how could they have removed the wheels in the first place? If you had the lug lock key with you on the drive home, you should have checked ALL the lugs on ALL wheels with a lug wrench when you pulled over to check on the wobble.
what's up with this? did the nuts fall off or did the studs break off? there's a big difference between those two deals.
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57 Posts
Yeah very good points brought up. Was there a brake inspection? Did they have access to your mating wheel lock socket?
At some of these places they have some very unintelligent people and could had taken the wheel off not knowing any better.
As much as i hate to admit it , i have a had a wheel come off in my teenage years on a duster i had. Its an awful feeling and feel for you and your ride. But just cover all your bases and make the best of it because like said before, could had been worse in so many ways.
At some of these places they have some very unintelligent people and could had taken the wheel off not knowing any better.
As much as i hate to admit it , i have a had a wheel come off in my teenage years on a duster i had. Its an awful feeling and feel for you and your ride. But just cover all your bases and make the best of it because like said before, could had been worse in so many ways.
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120 Posts
you may want to talk to a Lawyer, simple fact is they just serviced the brakes and you had a wheel off/accident. I used to work at an automotive shop and I have seen companys pay out big$ when this happens - at least for safetys sake - what if that happened on the highway- disaster!
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