Snow, flat tyres and more...

['The Gaffer']

Friday, one of my van front tyres got a puncture so swapped with the spare, in doing so my locking wheel nut socket shattered . Ok I thought, must get a new tyre put on and buy a new socket. Both tyres were due a change this week anyway.

What I didn't reckon on was the other front tyre also going down leaving me stranded last night, plus the heavy snow today

Easy enough to get a new locking socket from Vauxhall - or so you would think. I was told all I needed to do was take the socket to the spares department and they could identify it by a number stamped on it. Could they ****!!! "We will need the box sir"

After a two hour drive in the snow that normally takes 15 mins taking my missus to work in her car, I didn't really want to hear that but soldiered on and drove back to the van to pick up the plastic box. Two hours later after fighting with the snow and traffic again I returned to VX spares dept and gave the guy the box.

"That's no good I'm afraid sir, we need the cardboard sheet inside with the key number on it" WHAT?!!! You are having a laugh, the only way to I.D your locking socket is by a stupid piece of cardboard??? Vaux owners beware!!

Anyway, drove back to the van again hoping that someone had sensibly put the stupid piece of cardboard in the service folder, no such luck.

Along comes Martin (Reluctant from the BKCC) and offers a hand. First we try chiselling the locking wheel nut, no go Next out comes the welder and Martin welds a solid piece of bar to the nut. We hammer and twist with a big pair of stilsons... Damn, the nut didn't even flinch and the solid metal bar was twisting . Time to smash the alloy wheel off I was thinking but Martin, being the optimistic one, gets the oxyacetylene torch out and heats up the wheel hub. A few hammers and twists later out she comes.. Phew A big thank you Martin. Next up was a trip to the tyre fitters, so out into the traffic and snow again, and hour or so later I was back putting my wheels on - Sorted

Out again to pick the missus up from work, come back to the van for the last time and we both drive home.

What a day, and had to cancel some work too

Well that's off my chest now, you can see a pic of the offending nut here, http://bristolkitcarclub.co.uk/smf2/index.php?topic=521.msg3930;topicseen#new obviously been air ratcheted on by a numbskull.

I still have to try and identify the socket though as both rear wheels are effectively locked to the van, and knowing my recent run of bad luck, I'm bound to get another punture

[Bulldog Bri]

Nightmare 

Had a similar one a few years back with my Scenic, the socket that was for the locking nuts spilt and wouldn't grip fully the nut, after calling out my breakdown we endded up with me bracing myself and pushing with my foot to hold the socket in place while the AA man did the twisting.

Not bothered with any locking nuts since. 

[paintman]

Bin there.....done it.     Got 2 sets in the garage!!

['The Gaffer']

Guess what... Had a look in every nook and cranny of the van this evening and found the piece of cardboard with the key number on it . Somehow it had managed to find its way into a void behind the passenger seat

I have never opened the locking wheel nut box, so someone must have been thoughtless in the past, probably the same idiot that did my alloy wheelnuts up with a air ratchet.

Anyway, at least I can order another key now and just hope I dont get a punture in the rears before I get it.

All's well that ends well.

[Bulldog Bri]

Result 

[paintman]

Lucky b***er!!