problems, problems, problems...wheels

[szh]

well then, I apologize.

Ah, don't worry about it!

edit: AND thank everyone for their input.

You are very welcome! That is what we are here for.

Z

[bullittandy]

If all information is contained in the archive then we should lock all threads immediately as there is no reason to answer any questions as they have all been asked. The purpose of an online forum is that it is fun and it is a social outlet. People don't ask because they are lazy they ask because they want to hear a real person give them their latest opinion.

If someone is bothered by a question they consider pointless/stupid/unnescessary then they should'nt answer it.

[paranoidjack]

double post

[szh]

Ah, it's all okay.

Brian (maxnix) is of the "teach a man to fish" school of thought rather than the "give him the fish" - I am somewhere in the middle usually! We both do fine with our respective approaches.

Z

[elwesso]

Remember guys, its JUST the internet!

[paranoidjack]

Man, this SUCKS.

I lost my key to my lugs on my q. For some godforsaken reason the previous owner who put these wheels on put every lug a keyed lug. They are all the same.

I am ready to lose my ever loving mind. I have searched my entire property with a metal detector. I have ripped apart my entire house. I have gone to each and every garage/dealership/parts store within a 30 mile radius. NO ONE can match this key.

I contacted RPM (wheel manufacturer) thinking perhaps they shipped the wheels with lugs...they don't.

I have no clue what to do. Since the lugs are recessed, there is no way to weld something onto them for extraction.

I just had to vent.

[maxnix]

Remember guys, its JUST the internet!

You know, I wish it were, but I think it is an accurate reflection of where we as Americans are in the world scheme of preparing our citizens for meaningful lives. We are victims of homogenization by our own media. The school sytem is just a holding tank for the kiddies until the parents return from their low paying service sector jobs. What's for dinner? Big Macs with double fries all around!

It is the fast food mentality that everything can be catered to us on our whim. And you know the net result of a steady diet of fast food......

Oh well, maybe our new credo should be "The Lord helps them that order out."

[Falkdesigns]

Brian, it really is just the internet, and if people didn't ask questions that generated conversation, what a ///BORING site this would be. Might as well just have fun talking to yourself while looking over your FSM. Myself (and judging by how long some of your replies are, you also), I love the conversation. Get me some beer, and I don't shut up

Jack, I know for a fact that wheel shops can take off wheels w/o the key, I was kinda shocked the first time I found out. Call some of your local tire / wheel shops and explain your predicament and I'd be surprised if none of them can get 'em off for you.

[paranoidjack]

Brian, it really is just the internet, and if people didn't ask questions that generated conversation, what a ///BORING site this would be. Might as well just have fun talking to yourself while looking over your FSM. Myself (and judging by how long some of your replies are, you also), I love the conversation. Get me some beer, and I don't shut up

Jack, I know for a fact that wheel shops can take off wheels w/o the key, I was kinda shocked the first time I found out. Call some of your local tire / wheel shops and explain your predicament and I'd be surprised if none of them can get 'em off for you.

thanks kev, but I've done that. As I posted I spent the entire day and hit everything on this island. Everything. Must have talked to 15 independent shops and all 6 dealerships.

I'm headed off cape tomorrow. I'll make it a point to stop at a town fair tire...I always loved that place!

In the meantime, I'll go back outside with my flashlight and metal detector. What a f&&&&&ing nightmare this is becoming.

edit: also I'd like to say that aside from my flaming for asking these questions on this thread, I have taken quite a bit of information out of it. My DEEPEST apologies to those who were so offended by my questions. This forum really is a wonderful site, however I won't be asking any more questions. I can't help but feel as if there is some high-horse syndrome going on here.

Don't get me wrong; I'd LOVE to sift through the resources of this forum. I'd love to sit here for 3 hours a day and read all this stuff; I am NOT being sarcastic. However as a 26 year old father and homeowner, and working nearly 60-75 hours a week this time of year, I don't have much available time to do so (not to mention that after 5 minutes on the computer the woman,kid, or dog is SCREAMING for my attention). I love being able to pop in and ask the pros and get a quick answer from a kind soul willing to share. Remember kindergarten kids? However, it seems that to ask a question here, you have to be a pro in the first place and have done your research, and then what is there to ask?

I'm not trying to brand a red letter on my back here, please understand. You guys are great. But some of us aren't as sharp, don't have as much time, don't have as much experience, or are simply unable to figure some of these things out on our own with life's restraints.

Furthermore, if such questions are a waste of time, then why respond and perpetuate that which you do not condone? Why not hit "back" instead of "post" and let the poster figure out that their archived questions are on THEIR shoulders.

I have to go. This time it's the kid screaming for my attention. Again, thanks to everyone, and one way or another I will get this resolved.
Modified by paranoidjack at 4:40 PM 8/3/2006

[ceningolmo]

You have the right idea... keep asking all the questions you want. If you hadn't asked your questions this time, we wouldn't have gotten the great response that Z gave.

It won't take you long to figure out which members posts you can skip entirely knowing that they won't be adding any appreciable information to the conversation.

Personally, I love all the conversation from the rest of the fellow newbs. I don't always have time to post/read/ask/answer all the things that interest me on this forum. BUt, its nice to know that I can do a little reading every day or two and get some great information in current conversation.

[paranoidjack]

^^thx man.

Last night I took my spare 1/2 drive extension and ran it to the grinder. Ground down a couple lines on it and it pounds perfectly into the lugs, actually squared them out and gave me more than enough bite for removal.

I talked to Town Fair Tire today, and it was very odd...basically I told the guy I wanted 255/40/19's, and he kept asking me why. Told me a million times that 91 load index was sufficient, despite me telling him many others had told me otherwise. He said now that I can get the rims off, have them balanced and see what happens. I'll do that first before I spend $1200 bucks on new tires.

[Falkdesigns]

Tell that tire guy to STFU!! It says on the door jamb tag 95, it says in the owners manual 95, so tell that fool not to argue with you, and give you what you want, and what the car requires

[AZhitman]

^ And coming from Kevin, THAT's saying something!

Ask the tire guy for the phone number to their Legal Counsel. Let counsel know they're placing unsafe tires on cars and you're with a large automotive publication.

[paranoidjack]

damn you guys always have such conviction in your "voices."

I didn't go there.

update tomorrow, going to try to extract the remaining 15 bolts right .....nOW..

[Peterofdevon]

I have a drive shaft in good order.

FYI

Peter

[email protected]

[paranoidjack]

The nightmare is over.

We rounded down a 1/2 drive extension a bit and pounded it into the no-key lugs and took out 18 of 20 of them with difficulty. # 19 rounded to the point where the head was about to flower and render it useless, so we welded a bead into it for our "tuner tool" to get a bite on. It worked on the first attempt and 19 was out.

20 was the real biotch. Neither of us really thought of the ramifications of pounding on lug nuts. Class, anyone? YEAH why don't you pound the lug right out why dontcha? Pounded it hard enough to keep the tool in, but unfortunately also enough that when we tried to twist it off, what was left of the stud splines stripped and we had a lug-still-attached, loose stud. After an hour of trying to pound it back in from the back we managed to get enough bite that our tool (which we made sure to pound in as hard and far as we could while the stud was still loose) was able to twist off the reformed lug nut.

So got all 20 off....hooray!

Went to autozone and bought another set, delicately put them all on, and brought my car to Sears (WHY DID I DO THAT) to have all the wheels balanced. I really hoped this would eliminate my horrible shaking at 80 mph.

It did! The good news is that at all speeds my car is finally smooth and no problems.

The bad news is that desptie my telling the sears guy that he HAD TO REMOVE/INSTALL LUGS BY HAND, they neglected to do so and marred the wheels up a bit. At this point I am just going to get some touchup paint and call it a day. I do have to replace my tires, seeing them up on a lift I saw what little tread was really left. That stinks at $300/pop, but it is what it is. Can't ***** about gas and tire cost when rolling in a q45 on 19's.

In lieu of my 91 load index 225/35/19's, I will put a minimum 95 load index 245/40/19. This is the closest overall diameter to stock.

SO ALL IS RESOLVED. I want to thank everyone for your help and input. It has been indispensable in resolving this issue. Thank you very much.

-jack

[paranoidjack]

Excellent! Best to be safe!

You should make sure to get at least a 95 load index tire, at least an H-rated tire and nothing less than a Grand Touring tire (if you want to save some money) - preferably one of the other ones from Tire Rack. As I mentioned earlier, 19" tires are not going to be inexpensive! And they will wear a bit more quickly ... you should expect to see about 15,000 to 20,000 miles of usable wear from them.

Although you are living in New England, it is NOT important to get all-season tires (which still do not do well in snow), since you will need to get winter tires for the snow anyway - if my many years of living in MA and NH are any example!

Here are my suggestions:----------In a 245/40-19 size (since these are approx 26.5" to 27.1" diameter, there will be a nominal - albeit relatively insignificant - speedo error):

1. Bridgestone Potenza RE050A. 245/40-WR19 XL in a 98 load index. Do not get the 94 W or 94 Y load index tires - ask for the XL (extra load), they are all roughly the same price from http://www.tirerack.com, btw.

2. Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position. 245/45-YR19 in a 98 load index.

3. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx. 245/40-WR19 XL in a 98 load index. Again, get the XL version.

4. Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. 245/40-WR19 XL in a 98 load index. Again, get the XL version. These are my personal favorite tires now, btw. Price at Tire Rack is excellent, plus there is a "$40 cash card" special going on.

5. Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. 245/40-YR19 in a 98 load index.----------In a 255/40-19 size (diameter is average of 27.0, so the speedo error is a tiny bit worse, but still relatively insignificant .. actual speed will be about 1 to 2mph faster than an indicated speedo value of 60mph):

1. Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position. 255/40-YR19 in a 96 load index.

2. Continental SportContact 2. 255/40-YR19 in a 96 load index or the XL ZR19 in a 99 load index.

3. Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. 255/40-YR19 in a 96 load index. Price at Tire Rack is excellent, plus there is a $40 cash card special going on.

4. Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. 255/40-YR19 in a 96 load index.

5. Yokohama ADVAN Sport. 255/40-YR19 XL in a 100 load index.----------In a 255/35-19 size (the speedo error is least, since the average diameter is near 26.1 inches):

1. Bridgestone Potenza RE050A. 255/35-YR19 XL in a 96 load index. Do not get the 92 Y load index tires in this size - ask for the XL (extra load), they are both roughly the same price from http://www.tirerack.com, btw.

2. Continental SportContact 2. 255/35-YR19 XL in a 96 load index. Again, do not get the 92 W load index tire in this size.

3. Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. 255/35-YR19 in a 96 load index. Price at Tire Rack is excellent, plus there is a $40 cash card special going on right now.

4. Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. 255/35-YR19 XL in a 96 load index.

5. Avon Tech M500. 255/35-YR19 XL in a 96 load index. The price on these tires is lower than the others at Tire Rack. This is not available from other sources, by the way.----------My only concern with the 255/40 or 255/35 width tires is that they may be a bit of a tighter fit in your Q45 than the 245/40-19, but it should work. Give Tire Rack a call and ask - they generally have folks who can help out with this fitment issue.

If in stock, Tire Rack can also deliver overnight (with a credit card purchase, of course) and you can get them installed locally - Tire Rack has installers listed in every area in the country.

Of course, since you are travelling soon, you may have no choice but to go with a local tire installer. Use the Tire Rack prices to negotiate with them. Typically, you should be able to get to about $10/$15/$20 per tire over the Tire Rack prices, since shipping costs about $10 to $12 per tire from Tire Rack!

Regards, and good luck!

Z

Mods should really take this efforted post and place it where it will not be lost forever. Right maxnix?