Every Discount Tire is run/managed by different people; the degree of service always depends upon the quality of the employees. So your mileage may vary based on how good your local DT is.

I just returned from the Discount Tire store at 160 Woodstock Square in Woodstock, GA; I stopped in to have my tires rotated.
Being a dark/rainy/slow night, the MINI was up on the rack right away, wheels off, tires rotated, and right back on.
I had alerted them that the R56 has a different torque value than the R53; I asked them to be sure to torque the bolts to 103 ft.lbs.

That’s where it got ugly. The guy doing the work said that the DT spec sheet showed 90 ft.lbs. and that he was required to follow the sheet. No matter what.
So I told him that he had a number for the older car, that the new cars are 103. He said it didn’t matter, had to follow the rules. We went back and forth for several minutes. I started to get aggravated by his attitude so I grabbed my manual and pointed it out to him --- he told me to get out of his store.
I carry a torque wrench with me so I went out in the parking lot and torqued my lug bolts to the proper amount. In the 37 degree rain.

The guy doing the work was the manager, btw.
And, if anybody’s keeping score, I had a heart attack in October and a cardiac catheterization last week; I’m not supposed to exert myself or get excited….

So, for the greater good of the MINI community, please take a moment to send a form to DT and inform them of the correct torque specs for our cars. You don’t have to do a rant (like I did), but it behooves us to set them straight.
Who knows how many cars are leaving Discount Tire stores with loose lug bolts?
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/ini...merFeedback.go

Update: It appears that they've updated their data-base to 100 ft.lbs. No need to use the link to contact them.

 

I guess their rules are their rules, and that so for legal reasons. At least you were diligent and made it right. I am surprised that an owner's manual would not override what they had in the computer. I am curious if their computer had year models listed and if 07+ had the wrong specs.

 

No good solution to this. Who say's that they'll even get setting it to
90 right. 90 should do for the short term anyway.

And then, one should re-torque them after a drive as well. Ordinarily a
good time to verify that it's done right the only way one truly can - by
doing it yourself.

But on the one hand, I wouldn't want to risk starting a bleed at my cath site
by stooping and pulling on a torque wrench either several days after someone
put a hole in a big artery in my groin.

As a professional in a different field than auto mechanics, I often ask myself,
what has happened to professionalism, pride and integrety nowadays?
It's deteriorating.
Well aren't I Mr. Middle-aged Sunshine today!

 

I have done tons of business with DTD over the years but it was only buying tires online. I'm very pleased with their prices and fast shipping.

 

I was at Discount Tire here in Columbus not too long ago having a set of tires rebalanced. I noticed the same thing you did Bill. My cars an early 2006 so the error didn't effect my car. I pointed it out to the manager & explained that MINI had changed the torque specs for late 06 & newer MINI's because of the change to 14mm lug bolts. He shrugged his shoulders & said thanks.

It is hard for me to fathom that when you showed that guy the proper spec in your manual he responded with get outa my store. I wouldn't have argued, I'd have just grabbed the wrench when he set it down & retorqued them myself.

Take care, hope you feel 100% soon.

 

As a professional in a different field than auto mechanics, I often ask myself,
what has happened to professionalism, pride and integrety nowadays?
It's deteriorating.

Touche to these comments. Why should we live in a world where we feel like great service is somone who does what they are supposed to do in the first place.

When people thank me for excellent customer service--my comment--thanks alot , I appreciate it BUT I'm just doing what I get paid for.

 

I have also found that they will adjust the tire pressures to whatever the computer says.....

 

It's funny, the torque chart on the Discount Website says:

BMW / Mini
745 & 760 2002-05 100 ft-lbs
Mini Cooper 2002-05 105 ft-lbs
All other models 1982-05 90 ft-lbs

 

I would certainly refer to a "current" manual to a "who knows when the data was downloaded " computer readout BUT I guess they are afraid of litgation if there were a problem. My guy always pulls the manual out and gets his specs from there but he has a privately owned shop.

 

That is a pretty good over torque for a 02-05 MINI.

 

Wow, and I thought our local DT walked on water. I have spent a small fortune with these folks over the past decade and they wouldn't begin to give me **** about something as simple as this!

And I too had a stent placed via catheteriztion in Dec, so I feel your pain, but relax dude, there are more important hills to take!

 

One of the members of the AtlantaMINIS has had his left-front wheel come off at speed twice (once on two different cars). Discount Tire in Gainesville, GA owned-up to the responsibility on one occasion and paid for his substantial repairs. That's why I carry the torque wrench around with me. And that's why I make sure to point out the correct figures to DT (and other) tire shops.

I was mostly pissed at his attitude; he got increasingly belligerent until I broke and shouted at him. It was like he enjoyed having his company torque rule and enjoyed being able to be contrary to a customer. A person like that won't succeed long in a service industry and shouldn't be in a leadership capacity.
They were all in the age demographic that I'd call "kids" too and that didn't help; they were horsing around in the bay when I got there ---- pushing each other around, including the manager.
I'm 44 btw. Not over the hill yet (I hope) and much to young to have had my widow-maker MI.

I bought the tires there and the service that day was tremendous. I had the tires ordered; the shop called me when they came in. They were mounted, the wheels were sponged-off, and they were set to 103 ft.lbs. as I requested.

 

I'm glad it worked out well for you.

Although I consider you fairly lucky they only wanted
to argue over 90 lbs.

Normal 'customer service' by mechanics today is:
fire up pipe of crystal meth and put your tires on
with a 350 lb air hammer.

I feel really happy I might have found the last honest
mechanic on planet earth locally.

 

Discout tires torque is a joke. Not one that I have seen knows the proper way to torque and the way they drop the torque wrench you can bet your pay check the calibration of the torque wrench is way off.

 

In the "real world" torque wrenches are a joke. Even if they are calibrated before they leave the production facility they still get loaded/unloaded, forklifted, stacked, trucked, warehoused, shelved, dropped on the counter, sacked, trunked, unwrapped, and then used.
Then they sit in a tool box or the trunk of a car until they get used again. Might be months.
I am guessing some might say "Its better than nothing". I say it pretty much is nothing.
You could use your microwave oven to set the torque. Just as effective, plus it has a digital readout. And it can warm up a sammmich.

I am sure there are companies out there that pay to keep there tools in proper calibration. This opinion does not apply to them. All you have to do is ask. If you get that deer-in-headlights look, get them to nuke your lunch.

 

Harrison't Motorsports is just a couple of miles from my office; they have torque wrenches that NASA would drool over. Top-shelf kind of place that just works on Bimmers and Minis.
Harrison's

I just went to DT because I'm not all that wealthy...

 

Sorry to hear of your issues with DT. Most places just use the air gun and honk the bejeezus out of them until it is almost impossible to get them off by hand.

Short of taking a car out on the track, I have never understood the fixation with using a torque wrench on wheel lugs. I have been doing my own tires for 30+ years by feel. I tighten the lugs while the car is in the air and snug them up after lowering the car to the ground. I have never had an issue. By this I mean that when it comes time to take the lugs off they come off and I haven't had any lugs coming loose while driving. To each his own though and YMMV.

Hope you are doing well with your recovery from the procedure and that this hasn't set you back any.

 

The old fashioned beam type torque wrenches don't really need calibration.
As long as it reads 0 with no load, and it isn't buggered up, and you apply
pressure to it at the correct angle, they're pretty fool-proof.

Here's one for lug-nuts (0-150 ft.lb. range) for only $30.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...+torque+wrench

 

cristo,

I'm with you bro, but it's still not on my "List to buy" for my Mini! Actually, I make my daughters change their tires and tighten the lugs on their cars so if they get stuck, they can get the lugs off. I then apply a little extra "Torque" to make sure they stay on.

 

A moment of sanity is needed here. Discount Tires is a great company to buy from. I am always treated courtiously and they err in favor of the customer. Lets get real. They torque the tires to 90 pounds and the spec says 103 pounds. Customer has torque wrench and does simple adjustment. Discount Tire is a large company has has firm and fair guidelines that they have to follow or face liability issues. All in all, it is better to undertorque wheels slighly thant over torque massively. The customer overreacted.

 

The STORE MANAGER was rude to a customer; the customer had health issues. I don't use it much, but I've got the handicapped hanger thingie. I don't like being a (technical) cripple, but I am.
The brat sent a heart patient into a cold rainstorm saying, "get out of MY store."

I received a polite apology from DT corporate management with a promise to escalate and follow-up.

The biggest issue, besides the lack of professional ethics, is that an unaware motorist could very likely be sent on their way with under-torqued bolts. There have been very real instances of this happening and wheels coming off the vehicles at speed. If DT is improperly torquing the bolts on our cars as a matter of corporate policy, it must be addressed aggressively to protect our community.

 

I think that it's a liability issue. In the sue-happy world that we now live in, if he did anything other than exactly what his computer told him to do, when the bolt sheared off due to over-torqing, a customer could demand that he pay for the repair. If he under-torqued the wheel and it came off, he'd be liable for the repair and possibly someone's life. That's why they have the policy.

If he agreed to follow the manual that you showed him and something went wrong, how would he prove to a jury that he was following your specific instructions (especially if you were dishonest and denied the fact that you made the request)? If you were an owner of Discount Tire, would you want any grease-monkey making a legally binding decision like that on the fly? They set policies like that to remove the decision point to a more appropriate place in the hierarchy.

I wasn't there, so I can't diagnose the disfunction in the conversation (something that I am trained to do and teach others to do). I can understand that you wanted what you wanted (reasonable to want the correct torque) and that the manager was bound by an appropriate store policy to do what he had to do (reasonable to protect his company from law suits). Something broke down in the communication of these two opposing desires or the willingness of both of you to accept that things could not go your/his way.

 

Photo copy the page of the manual and attach it to the paperwork that the store maintains?
Signed disclaimer?

 

Sure... if you want, as an owner of the company, to entrust the legal liabilities of your entire business to someone who has absolutely no legal training or understanding of contracts. Did they check to make sure that it was the correct manual for the car (that you have a late '06 manual but are driving an early '06)? That they could even know precisely, for every make, model and year of car in existance, when the torque values change? Would a legal agreement need to be signed? Would they have to explain the dangers of under/over torquing to you? Would it need to be notarized? Did they verify your signature against an ID? How long do they need to maintain the documentation and at what cost?

I'm sorry. I personally would not trust that decision in the hands of someone at the lowest level of the organization who does not have any training in the matter.

 

Not to make light of the situation but if you're not supposed to get excited perhaps a MINI was not the right car to drive.