Could be wrong, but I'm at the local tire shop right now and they are hammering on my Disco -- literally.

I kindly asked them what they hell they were doing, and they explained that whoever last mounted my alloy wheels used the wrong tool and "crimped" the tin sheaths on the lug nuts. I didn't know this, but I guess the alloy looking lugs are just "alloy look". The guy apologized but said they see this all of the time with Rovers and some Jeeps that pulled a similar trick. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this tire shop has been around forever and so I'm inclined to believe them.

So glad I found this out at the tire shop, where they've already managed to get three of the four wheels off, and not on the trail or side of a road somewhere if I punctured a tire. What was Land Rover thinking?!? [:@]

I'm sorry, but if all it takes is some half wit tire kid in a rush to screw those expensive $$$ lugs (and potentially the owner should they need to remove said wheels in a pinch).

Think I'll be sticking with steel wheels for the Disco, unless someone knows of a replacement alloy lug that is solid. Also a reminder for why I never take my cars to tire shops (I usually just bring the wheels and tires) and keep 2+ sets of wheels to support the latter strategy.

 

I had to hammer the lug wrench on when I did my brakes.

 

I had to hammer my wrench on too. Unfortunately, I had one of the covers pop inside the wrench. I keep a hammer in the truck just in case I have a flat now. I guess I am going to have to spend the $8 on one new lug nut....=(. I don't know of any solid nuts that look pretty either, other than the genuine ones.

 

If you know how last removed and reinstalled your wheels, take the damaged lug nuts back and demand they buy you new ones, I did and they wrote me a check for over $200 for a new set.
As for now, buy your seld a socket, 1 1/16" 6 point and keep it in the truck so when you go to a tire store they won't screw up your nuts again.
Mike

 

Picked up a 1 1/16" socket this weekend for my torque wrench, but it's just a cheap one and I'll look for a nice strong one for pneumatic tools. I'll probably be swapping and rotating my own wheels going forward, and hopefully any other shop I take the Disco to will be LR experts going forward, i.e. JC Rover or a dealership.

Lesson learned. Again, I'm just happy to have learned about this screw up sitting in the air conditioned comfort of a tire shop and not on the side of a road/trail somewhere.