Okay to trust the local service shop-jacking/lifting?

Simple problem for a not-to-mechanically inclined newbie. Slow leak in right rear tire. Need to get it addressed (patched/sealed/valve stem whatever). Wondering if I should jack the car myself (with the stock Pcar jack in the trunk), remove the wheel, and take just the wheel in....OR trust the local shop (Sears Auto or similar) to get the car on a lift and address the wheel themselves. I always hate it when these shops touch the car, so many things that can go wrong. Riding clutch, improper lift points, etc. Are these fears justified, or should I just let them do their job? If I do it myself, the only issue I can see is that I haven't got a torque wrench, so I would be 'feeling' it out when putting the wheel back on. I suppose I could do that, and then ask the shop to adjust the torque appropriately afterwards..

I'd take the wheel off, may even get faster service that way. Our cars have pretty obvious jacking points. Hard to miss, unlike the older 911s. If you're really concerned buy some red/yellow paint and spray the jackpoints...

Buy a torque wrench. You will end up using it more than you think.

Think that's what I will do Mitch. Can I get away with any old wrench...given the limited amount I'll use it? Are there any compatibility issues with the wheel lock key and various wrenches?

If you want to get one inexpensively, get the Craftsman. If you want something better, get Snap-On. I'm sure there are many choices that are just as good. Make sure to un-wind it before storing and it will last forever. There are no issues with the lock key. Any wrench should do, although I recommend 1/2" drive.

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.

If you're only planning on using the wrench to torque the wheels this should suffice. All you'll need in addition is a 19mm socket. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...Itemnumber=239

jlb - what city are you in? perhaps someone here can recommend a place they trust.

Thanks Eli and Blackcab, I'm just north of Chicago...and I know of a few places for the more major work, but for simply fixing a tire I was hoping I might be able to take it to a joe-schmoe shop.

While your at it, buy a floor jack too.....a decent one really isnt that expensive. You can also buy some ramps and do your own fluid changes.....but I'm getting ahead of myself. :-)

While I agree a floor jack is a good thing to have, every mechanic I have talked to has said not to change the oil on a car that's on ramps unless you did 4 ramps (not really very safe...I guess you could use jackstands in conjunction) or if you parked the car flat overnight, then pushed it up the ramp (and they aren't trying to get me to pay them to change the oil, they say this knowing I'll just squeeze real tight). Richard

If you have the side skirt upgrade, they need to be more careful especially when using a low-rise scissor type lift. If they're not careful, they could damage the side skirt. Also, some shops are less careful about the wheels. I had mine chipped at Discount tire one time when they pried off the tire. IMHO, that's a bigger risk than messing up the jacking. For torque wrench, I would recommend the Precision Instrument (mainly for tires and more heavy duty work) http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/PRE-C3FR250F.html They used to make torque wrenches for snap-on. That's what some tire shops use and the flex head really makes a difference. Also, no need to reset for this type of torque wrench. - Ahsai

Speaking of wheels, you want to make sure the place you go to uses european (sometimes referred to as mercedes - not sure why, maybe they were the first to use this style) wheel weights. They are 2 piece weights and won't mar the wheels.

I had a similar situation. Took the wheel off myself and took it to my usual tire repair place (here in LA). Another consideration is make sure that the shop has a marless tire removal machine (I think that's the name), this will prevent getting your wheel scratched, the machine only pushes on the rubber not the wheel. I got the Craftsman torque wrench as suggested previously. Tightening the wheel lugs with the torque wrench will guarantee even force distribution on the brake rotor, and decrease the likelihood of warping. Best!

Wow, thank you for all of the suggestions and information. I appreciate it.

BTW, if you're in the DC area just head over to Radial Tire in Silver Spring. They don't have lifts, so they just use jacks, but they know where to put them since these guys see plenty of lowered Porsches and BMWs not to mention a handful of track cars (Paul, the owner, is an instructor for BMWCCA driving school, so naturally he gets tons of BMWs in there, but I've also seen quite a few turbos and carreras). You have to ask for the euro weights, but they do have them, and of course since they are used to high dollar cars they don't bang up your wheels.

If you plan on doing any occasional work on your car you might want to invest in a floor jack and some jack stands. I bought a 2 1/4 ton floor jack at Sears for $30. I figured I would use it 4 or 5 times per year, so I didn't need top of the line. It comes with a carrying case and is fairly compact. I also got some Sears jack stands. Here is a link to the floor jack. http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00950523000