Brought my RX-8 into what I believed was a respectable tire shop in my area for a wheel balance. I'm watching them from outside, all seems to be going normal, they put the wheels back on and lower the car. Then the car goes back up, and the left rear wheel comes off, and I see a shower of sparks...so I walk over to see what the hell they were doing

He was cutting the wheel stud in half because he claimed the end of the stud was "knubbed" and he couldn't get the lug nut back on!!! So i start flipping out, run into the office and tell them this is unbelievable and a major problem. They tell me they do it all the time, they've been in business for 30 years. I said it needs to be fixed...they tell me to go to a shop down the street that they use. I say that's not acceptable, I want the car fixed at the Mazda dealership. Finally, after threatening to take them to court, he agrees he will have it fixed at Mazda, which requires an entire new hub assembly.

WTFF!!!

 

imagine if you hadn't been watching

 

wtf ...

also why would you need an entire new hub assembly? He wasn't able to punch out the stud?

 

I was told by Mazda that you must replace the entire assembly

 

Wow....that's insane.

Just the other day, I had Firestone put my wheels on for me. They somehow destroyed one of the TPMS. Thankfully they fixed it, but haven't heard of that one yet.

 

no, you just hammer the damaged stud out and put the new one in.
Ive done it, super easy. the only thing is if theres not enough space in the back of he hub, you will have to remove a couple of things.
studs can be damaged they are hit by something like the wheels.

 

I bet that has changed.
WTF is wrong with these people... first the cutting, then not knowing how to replace a stud...

 

I hate tire shops for this reason. Last time I bought tires they put the regular black valve caps on and kept my metal ones. I went back and the guy claimed they always put back on what the customer brought in, suggesting I was trying to get some free valve caps. When I didn't buy his BS, magically a tech appeared with four slightly used metal valve caps.
Glad you caught what they were doing, you should seriously file with the BBB.

 

wow, what a load of BS, cut the stud? wtf ?

and I'm so shocked that they have no idea now to replace a wheel stud?

well, don't need to get **** off anymore, a brand new wheel hub cost them couple hundred bux + labor, that should teach them "NOT TO FUXK WITH CUSTOMERS CAR"

 

Calm down if they just cut off a thread or two it's no biggie and for all you know the thread was jacked up anyway.

Oh, and I replaced my studs this weekend for new longer ones, they can be had a most autoparts stores and replaced individually.

 

Mazda did replace just a single wheel stud. I was just incredibly pissed that they did this without telling me. I don't want cut studs on my car that's all.