I've just returned home (carless!) with a fairly unhappy clan after getting a flat tyre and falling foul of the dreaded 'ridiculously over tightened locking wheel nut' problem. I'll take the hit for not being aware the wheel nuts have all been fitted by Thor but I've only had the car, a Ford Fusion on an '06, for a few months although I know someone will say I should have checked.
But what irks me a little is that I've gone from flat tyre to being stranded in the middle of nowhere and a taxi and two train journeys home with the wife and my girls aged 7 and 11 despite having Comprehensive RAC breakdown cover.
Here is what happened; I notice a problem and pull in to discover the flat but then managed to crack the locking nut a little due to the uber tightness. The rest of the wheel nuts were starting to splay the head of the socket spanner before I admitted defeat and called the RAC. They were out very promptly and with the proper extended spanner the standard wheel nuts loosened but the locking nut key disintegrated.
I was left with the choice of an 'expensive' tow back home or a temporary plug that would get the car to a local RAC approved garage. Hearing the word expensive left me option 2 but being a Saturday morning nobody is able to drill out the locking nuts (which is what I'm told is required) until Monday. Now while I'm thinking 'how the hell am I going to get my family home? what am I going to do without the car? How am I going to get back here? Never mind how much it will cost, all I see is the garage manager and the RAC guy looking at me incredulously when I say I'm going to try and phone around for another garage to maybe do it today. Needless to say that was unsuccessful.
So I've finally arrived home from a journey that I can only say was emotional and after a few quick searches I've discovered this is not uncommon and there some products e.g. dynomec that can sort this out and even that the AA carry these with them.
Like I said, my main aim is for people to check their wheel nuts particularly the locking variety. But I'm just a bit curious about a few other thing:
1. Why don't the RAC carry these kits for such a common problem? I'm guessing that it boils down to being the drivers responsibility but that's no reason not to help the thousands of people who suffer from inept wheel fitters.
2. How come the RAC guy kept saying it would be 'expensive' to tow me home. He didn't discount it as an option but kept saying it would be 'expensive'. Without a garage open to do the job he might as well have left the car in the countryside until Monday really so his obligation to get me to a garage seems pretty pointless.
3. Drilling out the locking nut? This is the bit that's worrying me. I am sure the RAC rep and the manager of the garage have many years of experience but seems strange they are unaware of some of the options it took me 5 minutes to research. I'd like to know if I should leave the car there at the mercy of the 'RAC approved' garage on Monday or seek out an alternative.
Any thoughts would be welcome and much appreciated.
Daz
But what irks me a little is that I've gone from flat tyre to being stranded in the middle of nowhere and a taxi and two train journeys home with the wife and my girls aged 7 and 11 despite having Comprehensive RAC breakdown cover.
Here is what happened; I notice a problem and pull in to discover the flat but then managed to crack the locking nut a little due to the uber tightness. The rest of the wheel nuts were starting to splay the head of the socket spanner before I admitted defeat and called the RAC. They were out very promptly and with the proper extended spanner the standard wheel nuts loosened but the locking nut key disintegrated.
I was left with the choice of an 'expensive' tow back home or a temporary plug that would get the car to a local RAC approved garage. Hearing the word expensive left me option 2 but being a Saturday morning nobody is able to drill out the locking nuts (which is what I'm told is required) until Monday. Now while I'm thinking 'how the hell am I going to get my family home? what am I going to do without the car? How am I going to get back here? Never mind how much it will cost, all I see is the garage manager and the RAC guy looking at me incredulously when I say I'm going to try and phone around for another garage to maybe do it today. Needless to say that was unsuccessful.
So I've finally arrived home from a journey that I can only say was emotional and after a few quick searches I've discovered this is not uncommon and there some products e.g. dynomec that can sort this out and even that the AA carry these with them.
Like I said, my main aim is for people to check their wheel nuts particularly the locking variety. But I'm just a bit curious about a few other thing:
1. Why don't the RAC carry these kits for such a common problem? I'm guessing that it boils down to being the drivers responsibility but that's no reason not to help the thousands of people who suffer from inept wheel fitters.
2. How come the RAC guy kept saying it would be 'expensive' to tow me home. He didn't discount it as an option but kept saying it would be 'expensive'. Without a garage open to do the job he might as well have left the car in the countryside until Monday really so his obligation to get me to a garage seems pretty pointless.
3. Drilling out the locking nut? This is the bit that's worrying me. I am sure the RAC rep and the manager of the garage have many years of experience but seems strange they are unaware of some of the options it took me 5 minutes to research. I'd like to know if I should leave the car there at the mercy of the 'RAC approved' garage on Monday or seek out an alternative.
Any thoughts would be welcome and much appreciated.
Daz
