Ryus

This is probably my first rant LOL!

I remember reading a rant recently from someone that went to Wheels-Direct. Anyways, I wanted to get some tires and thought "what can possibly go wrong with just buying tires and having them installed?".

When I was at the place, I asked the dude if they torque the wheels properly and he said they do. So I got my tires mounted and balanced and installed on the car. I remember the recent rant was about them not tightening the lug nuts, so I brought my torque-wrench in the trunk just in case.

When they finished, I drove out to somewhere to make sure all the lug nuts were tight enough with my torque wrench, and surely they were and thought nothing of it.

When I got home I wanted to re-tighten the lug nuts just in case they were too tight, and what did I find? They friggin tightened the lug nuts (and my wheel locks) mother-fcukin goddddamned too tight!!!!!!!!

There was no way I could even physically remove the wheel locks (McGards) as once I applied force with my T-bar the key slips! Even the regular lug nuts required an enormous amount of strength to loosen! I do have seperate rims and tires for winter so I know how 80-ft/lbs feel like. This felt like 150-ft/lbs or something!! I would have been fucked if I got a flat tire somewhere, as the stock lug bar would have no way in hell been able to remove those lug nuts.

So I went back there and told them they tightened the lug nutw waaaay too tight, and one of the dudes said it might be corrosion on the lug nuts and studs. I told him no, 80-ft/lbs would not feel that tight and plus, I just changed out my winter tires recently so corrosion is not the problem.

So I drove the car around to the garage where they tried to loosen the lug nuts. When I was at the back explaining the situation to the person, it seemed like I was a retard or somethin, until the person tried loosening the lug nuts himself. With a compressor, it required a bit of force to start loosening the two of the wheel locks, and when they went to the passenger side, the friggin wheel lock key broke. They then tried to hammer a socket in place to remove the wheel lock but couldn't. So they brought my car to a auto-shop nearby to have them removed.

They also replaced the wheel locks with some new wheel-locks, but not McGards.

All I'm trying to say is, these guys install wheels and tires all day long, and a simple job like tightening up the wheel lugs couldn't even be done correctly. I went to this place because their price was decent, next time I'd rather pay the $20-$30 premium of other places where people know do good work.

At least they took care me. This place has the adapter for torquing with the air compressor but I guess some of the workers are lazy and just don't care to properly install things. What a shame, because this place could have had better word-of-mouth.

Advice: Go there at your own risk

Stock R

My friend also had the same problem with them. He bought his winters there and had them installed as well. Spring came and he brought his car over to my place to switch over to summers. The torque wrench simply would NOT loosen the bolts. I had the car in gear, hand brake up, and back wheels on ramps. We turned the nuts so hard that the car actually rolled up the ramps. We had everything lubed up as well. Ended up taking a break after we split my socket in half.

What we ended up doing was use the stock wrench and slipped another metal tube over it to make the bar over 2' long. I figure we put at least 200+ lb-ft torque on it before they started coming off.

Shops just use an air wrench and tighten them on. Almost always too tight.

Ebony

Ryus, at least you got taken care of. They still have not compensated for any of the damages they caused to my rims and calipers. When I went back to see if I could get the other 2 lugs put back on that were missing, the dude with the dreads made it look like he was doing me a favour. I'll second your vote to never use them ever again. I would advise anyone on this board to do the same, find another place, pay extra, at least you'll know the work is good.

Frost YO[SMCR]

what a custy shop.

DaGizzer

I have never heard anything good about this place. I'll make sure to stay far away from them.

engsr

^^ Same. The only thing good thing I've heard about Wheels Direct is their prices. Their customer service makes up for the difference.

Blue Dragon

^^ They should use torque sticks. These are special socket that attaches to the impact gun, and then it slips once the specified torque is reached. Most wheel shops don't give a ---- about you or your wheels. You are just another annoying customer demanding that they use a torque wrench on your wheels.

I have never bought from wheels direct. I went there once to buy my Subzeros when I had my teg, even after haggling with the guy for best price, I went over to Tireworld, and they gave me a lower price right off the bat without even haggling.

I refuse to buy rims or tires in Canada, these tire dealers are rediculous with the prices they charge compared to the US. Even shipping, brokerage fees and duty, its still cheaper to get it from the US.

non-VTEC

they probably just used their 500ft/lb impact gun to tighten your wheels.....they obviously dont give a ----.

TRY10

heres my experience i wanted a set of wheels they had and asked them if they were in stock the guy told me that they were at their warehouse and a guy would deliver them within the hour since i drove for over two hours to get there i decided to stay and wait, 2 and a half hours later of the guy telling me hes gonna be here any minute i swear, sure enough the guy shows up with the rims 2 hours and 45 min later when i was told WITHIN the hour. well i didnt care i was happy my rims were their finaly i wasnt getting them actualy put on the car but they had to be balanced and mounted so they did that put them in bags for me and put them in my car wich i thought was a nice gesture, stupid me 30 minutes later on the highway decided to take a look in one of the bags and see my new shiny rims, hahaha when i opened the bag the idiots ordered and mounted and balanced the wrong COLOUR it was the rim i wanted but the wrong colour and when the guy ordered it from the warehouse i made sure that he specified the colour i wanted, so i had to drive back and guess what i waited another hour and a half hahaha for a second i thought i worked their other customers thought so , finaly my right colour rims came in and u know what realy pisses me off is i never got a sorry for any troubles we have caused u or anything like that, so to that place i say ---- U ********, and wouldnt recommend it to anyone whos even thinking about going there ..................

RED GSR 92

They used a Impact gun on Wheel Locks. A Big Big NO NO.

Isnt this the place that Damaged Pauls Volks??? And then told him to Get the ---- out of the shop.