If it breaks coming apart it's on the customer, if it breaks going back together it's on the shop.
Mechanics aren't wizards nor do we have crystal balls, what if anything is going to break taking a vehicle apart is anyone's guess..... You do your best to avoid it but that's impossible when you're following behind other shops/techs sometimes.
Having an old and rusted or worn stud break off is not a big deal. It really isn’t their fault. It also should not be expensive to replace. I would be asking why the entire hub has to be replaced
I did it myself in the parking lot of a pep boys because I had a stripped stud. Took me like 3 hours with some basic ass tools and costed maybe 150 bucks.
Tbh that’s the kind of thing I would expect to happen if I attempted to do it myself, I thought I’d take it to a mechanic to avoid exactly this situation
Mechanic isn't the magic ticket out of a necessary repair, even if it's impending and hasn't actually broken yet. When you disassemble things, it's always possible that they break/won't go back together.
Just because you bring it to a mechanic doesn't mean that won't happen.
It’s tricky. It could’ve been the bolt was simply doomed and it does happen and it’s not their fault. I work mostly on older vehicles and I have a clause in the paperwork that things break when you take them apart and I’m very good at not breaking them and will try my darndest but sometimes they still break. I also like to explain this verbally: hey your 98 Jeep Cherokee is super cool and I’ve done 200 of these heater cores but the plastic components of the dash are getting brittle and while I’ll do my very best to not to break anything but it still happens.
If they had managed your expectations like that there probably wouldn’t be a post right now.
I would calmly express your very reasonable concerns with them and ask if there’s anything they can do to help out on this one. Try to work with them and try to not be earnest rather than defensive (I have a hard time with this myself.
The rule mechanics use is, if it breaks coming off, that’s the customer responsibility, if it breaks going back on the car, it’s the mechanic’s responsibility.
Now there are exceptions to rules. So, YMMV.
They are replacing a hub assembly due to a broken wheel bolt? Do they not have anyone who knows how to extract the damaged fastener and perform thread repair? I guess they don't wanna take the liability of repairing the hub🤷
I'd have to know the exact year, make & model to know for sure on the OPs vehicle but many (not all) unit bearings can be ordered & service without hub flange replacement. When I entered the industry in 1996 (Christ I'm old) the industry standard was to replace the bearing only, unless the hub flange was physically damaged. Over the nearly 30 years I've found parts manufacturers and repair shops have slowly moved away from repairing assemblies to complete replacement of those assemblies
It’s a 2018 v40 t3 inscription. They said the part is aluminum and the bolt steel bolt fused to it and broke. I understand this things happen, and that’s fine. I was just curious what other people think about this situation and seem like I’m in the wrong thinking it’s not fair. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive..
I’d like to thank everybody for your answers, they were really helpful
A Volvo has lug bolts instead of nuts. So if it broke because it was cross threaded then the proper repair would be to replace the hub assembly. I would not trust a thread repair to hold a wheel on.
Cross threaded doesn't mean that it isn't reparable. It's entirely plausible to repair it with a threaded insert. That said, I'm merely speculating at this point. I'd have to examine the part myself to make that call. It's possible that the hub flange is damaged enough to have fractured, making replacement a cheaper option than repair 🤷
Im sure most shops would not fix that with a threaded insert. There are many things threaded inserts are great for but to hold your wheel on is not one of them. I know any shop I have worked in would replace the hub assembly. It would not be worth the liability.
I wholly agree. The liability is high on something like that and most shops wouldn't touch it. I'm simply pointing out that it may be an option that he can ask the repair facility about
Really need more Info on how it broke.
I work with heavy vehicles but you can easily damage a hub bolts by forcing it off with an airgun especially on older vehicles ad they are long bolt with a relative large thread, which is usually has thread lock compound at the end.
They really should be initially loosened by hand then the threads check once loose that they are not binding and then removed at a low speed if an airgun is used or by hand.
If the bolt has been siezed and sheared off there are limited option but is possible to remove sheared bolt but it's not garenteed so you could end up with the labour for trying to remove it and for a new hub.
So it could be fair wear and tear or it could be the tech trying to do things too quickly with an airgun.
Finding out which is the hard part, depends on how honest yhe garage is.
If it breaks coming apart it's on the customer, if it breaks going back together it's on the shop. Mechanics aren't wizards nor do we have crystal balls, what if anything is going to break taking a vehicle apart is anyone's guess..... You do your best to avoid it but that's impossible when you're following behind other shops/techs sometimes.
If the stud or bolt was already damaged or cross threaded, then it’s not their fault that it broke during disassembly.
An extra 800 pounds. I don't think that is a broken stud
Having an old and rusted or worn stud break off is not a big deal. It really isn’t their fault. It also should not be expensive to replace. I would be asking why the entire hub has to be replaced
Then what’s wrong with it?
What kinda bolt are they replacing for that price?
It’s the whole wheel hub they are replacing
I did it myself in the parking lot of a pep boys because I had a stripped stud. Took me like 3 hours with some basic ass tools and costed maybe 150 bucks.
Tbh that’s the kind of thing I would expect to happen if I attempted to do it myself, I thought I’d take it to a mechanic to avoid exactly this situation
Mechanics have the skills and tools to deal with things when they break. That doesnt mean old rusted seized shit wont break.
Mechanic isn't the magic ticket out of a necessary repair, even if it's impending and hasn't actually broken yet. When you disassemble things, it's always possible that they break/won't go back together. Just because you bring it to a mechanic doesn't mean that won't happen.
It’s tricky. It could’ve been the bolt was simply doomed and it does happen and it’s not their fault. I work mostly on older vehicles and I have a clause in the paperwork that things break when you take them apart and I’m very good at not breaking them and will try my darndest but sometimes they still break. I also like to explain this verbally: hey your 98 Jeep Cherokee is super cool and I’ve done 200 of these heater cores but the plastic components of the dash are getting brittle and while I’ll do my very best to not to break anything but it still happens. If they had managed your expectations like that there probably wouldn’t be a post right now. I would calmly express your very reasonable concerns with them and ask if there’s anything they can do to help out on this one. Try to work with them and try to not be earnest rather than defensive (I have a hard time with this myself.
The rule mechanics use is, if it breaks coming off, that’s the customer responsibility, if it breaks going back on the car, it’s the mechanic’s responsibility. Now there are exceptions to rules. So, YMMV.
They are replacing a hub assembly due to a broken wheel bolt? Do they not have anyone who knows how to extract the damaged fastener and perform thread repair? I guess they don't wanna take the liability of repairing the hub🤷
Some newer vehicles do not allow extraction and replacement of a wheel stud. You have to remove the hub for that.
Removal of a hub for service is not the same as replacement of the hub.
Removal of a hub sometime requires a brand new wheel bearing which comes with a new hub.
I'd have to know the exact year, make & model to know for sure on the OPs vehicle but many (not all) unit bearings can be ordered & service without hub flange replacement. When I entered the industry in 1996 (Christ I'm old) the industry standard was to replace the bearing only, unless the hub flange was physically damaged. Over the nearly 30 years I've found parts manufacturers and repair shops have slowly moved away from repairing assemblies to complete replacement of those assemblies
It’s a 2018 v40 t3 inscription. They said the part is aluminum and the bolt steel bolt fused to it and broke. I understand this things happen, and that’s fine. I was just curious what other people think about this situation and seem like I’m in the wrong thinking it’s not fair. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive.. I’d like to thank everybody for your answers, they were really helpful
A Volvo has lug bolts instead of nuts. So if it broke because it was cross threaded then the proper repair would be to replace the hub assembly. I would not trust a thread repair to hold a wheel on.
Cross threaded doesn't mean that it isn't reparable. It's entirely plausible to repair it with a threaded insert. That said, I'm merely speculating at this point. I'd have to examine the part myself to make that call. It's possible that the hub flange is damaged enough to have fractured, making replacement a cheaper option than repair 🤷
Im sure most shops would not fix that with a threaded insert. There are many things threaded inserts are great for but to hold your wheel on is not one of them. I know any shop I have worked in would replace the hub assembly. It would not be worth the liability.
I wholly agree. The liability is high on something like that and most shops wouldn't touch it. I'm simply pointing out that it may be an option that he can ask the repair facility about
Also, I said the wheel bolt, not wheel stud. I'm aware of the prevalent European practice of using bolts instead of studs 😉
Really need more Info on how it broke. I work with heavy vehicles but you can easily damage a hub bolts by forcing it off with an airgun especially on older vehicles ad they are long bolt with a relative large thread, which is usually has thread lock compound at the end. They really should be initially loosened by hand then the threads check once loose that they are not binding and then removed at a low speed if an airgun is used or by hand. If the bolt has been siezed and sheared off there are limited option but is possible to remove sheared bolt but it's not garenteed so you could end up with the labour for trying to remove it and for a new hub. So it could be fair wear and tear or it could be the tech trying to do things too quickly with an airgun. Finding out which is the hard part, depends on how honest yhe garage is.
Thats like 1k usd. For a wheel hub? Those things are at most 2-300 usd.