ha ha Just Brakes ha ha lol WTF!

[GEORGIA GABE]

ok, some background.... I own and manage an auto repair shop in Ga.... One of my regular customers ( 1984 f250 long bed truck ) calls me up from just brakes and says that he was trying to get an estimate on his brakes. They told him all kinds of stuff about what it needed but the one thing that caught my ear is

" They are having trouble getting the drivers rear wheel off. They have already broken two breaker bars and it still wont come loose. We are waiting right now on the tool guy to show up with a BIGGER impact gun!"

Ok, on some old 3/4 ton and larger trucks the drivers side lugnuts are left hand thread, they turn backwards! I dont expect joe blow to know this trivia fact but someone who considers themselves professionals! WTF... I tell my customer to stop them and tell them that they are turning the lugnuts the wrong way...They get pissed at him and start telling him that he doesnt know what he is talking about.

So he tells them to put it back togeather and brings it over to my shop....He knows that I am more expensive than the cheap brake places but hey...when I see a big L stamped on the end of a stud on an old truck I know what it means...
just had to share/

gabe

 

[BranndonC]

thanks, now i know to look for big "L"'s. lol good story

 

[Brocky]

Good one! They hate to be wrong don't they.

 

[GEORGIA GABE]

they only did it on the really old trucks. I suspect that the rear end was swaped out of an older truck. They (ford) thought it would be safer that way... the lugs would not work loose due to the rotation of the tire.... they figured out that that wasnt true obviously but there are a few still running around. What kills me is the mentality of "If it Dont fit Get a bigger hammer and force it" break one breaker bar ok, maybe.... youve never seen these before... break two breaker bars..... NO, at least look at the threads sticking at least an inch out from the lugnuts and examine the twist on the threads BEFORE you put all you got into it.

it just kills me

 

[wildbilzrydn]

My first ever car was a '68 Dodge Charger, and someone sold me a old set of slotted mags for it. I did the drivers side first, all went well, but on the passenger side I broke two lug studs off in a row.
I showed my Dad when he got back that day and he's the one that showed me the "L" stamped on the end of the stud.
I'm suprised I didn't get a boot in the a$$ for that one....

 

[tRustyK5]

Had a '68 Dodge Dart with left hand threaded lugs too. Had an 8 foot cheater bar on it...didn't break the stud and I fairly quickly figured it out.

Rene

 

[diesel4me]

mopars !!

My brother in law had a flat in my sisters 63 Dodge Dart years ago--he tried changing the tire --(not much of a mechanic,but he'd done a few before!)--he snapped all 5 studs off and figured it was just rust that made them break off!--he was pretty embarrassed when I told him what "left hand threads" were,and to watch out for the "L" on some studs!..

I got 10 new right hand studs and changed both drivers side wheels,so they were ALL right hand thread after that. I dont know why they thought lugs would unscrew,no matter which way the wheels spin!. .what happens when you back up??

 

[3 on the tree]

My 81 E350 ambulance has the left handers on the drivers side, with NO L stamped on them. Damn, I fought those things a while before the little light came on above my head. I thought mother Mopar was the only one to engage in that insanity!!

 

[GM Man]

I found this out the hard way myself on a Dodge Dana 60 rear. Almost broke my damn arm.

 

[cbbr]

That's why its so important to bite the bullet and pay a good mechanic to work on your junk. The quicky places around here are loaded with refugees from Autozone.

 

[89GMCSuburban]

I still see that on semi trucks

 

[Leper]

My 71 Duster had half left hands on it. A guy I know was removing the ring gear on his front axle and did not know about the "L". Broke 2 bolts and pulled the threads out of another hole before he asked about it. A thousand miles on the ring/pinion and now has to replace and reshim.

BUT....... The first time this happens is also usually the last time it happens. Unless you are a complete idiot.
Same thing applies to taking your car to "JUST FLAKES"