'I Had to Drill Them Out:' Mechanic Goes to 3 Different O'Reilly’s Trying to Find A Part. Then Another Tech Steps In
"Be wary of who you guys let work on your vehicle."
Beware of who you let work on your vehicle. They might not be as knowledgeable as they seem.
Going to the mechanic is already an ordeal in itself. You never know if you’re going to get taken advantage of—be it an unfair price or being falsely told something needs to be urgently replaced—or if you’ll have to leave it in the shop multiple days, rendering you car-less.
Now a mechanic is saying you also need to worry about whether your mechanic is even competent enough to know the difference between a part your car needs versus one that’s considered optional.
Content creator @deth93_ often posts about his work as a mechanic. Recently he cautioned viewers to be mindful of who they let repair their vehicles after witnessing an unusual interaction at an auto parts store.
“Be wary of who you guys let work on your vehicle,” @deth93_ says.
@deth93_ explains that he was at an O'Reilly Auto Parts when a mechanic came in “[expletive] and moaning” while he dug through parts.
Not finding what he was looking for, he approached a worker, @deth93_ says.
“I've been to all three stores. Nobody has these in stock. I need them now to put this vehicle back together, and I can't find them. I don't understand why nobody carries them in stock,” @deth93_ recalls the mechanic saying.
The other mechanic explained that he was working on a 2009 Buick and needed screws “that keep the rotor from coming off the vehicle.”
The store manager was confused and asked what happened to the original screws.
“He's like, ‘I had to drill them out.’ He's like, ‘But the threads are good, so I need to put new ones back in,’” the TikToker says.
“Just leave them out. Just leave them out. That's only there for assembly. So they don't fall off and hit somebody,” @deth93_ yells at the camera in frustration.
While this makes it seem like the mechanic is a doofus who doesn’t know something seemingly basic, the car community is actually quite divided on the matter of whether you should or shouldn’t replace rotor screws.
Keep or Toss Rotor Screws?
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Rotor screws are critical for vehicles that use lug bolts instead of studs, a design common on German, Fiat, and Chrysler models. Without the screws, lining up the wheel, rotor, and hub can be difficult, especially during roadside tire changes, Shop Press states.
Even on vehicles where the screws are not strictly required, they help ensure correct alignment. Dorman engineer Simon Marenda explained to Shop Press that “rotors are usually going to be hub-piloted. The lugs can have wider tolerances so the rotor will fit over them easily before having to climb over the hub flange when you’re installing them.”
Shop Press notes that the retaining screws essentially finish the job of piloting the rotor correctly and also keep it steady during brake reassembly. It compared the practice to balancing a wheel before reinstalling it, arguing that skipping rotor screws leaves the job incomplete.
Others insist rotor screws are more trouble than they’re worth. Owners of older vehicles, including Ford, Subaru, Toyota, and Chrysler models, note their cars never used them.
In an online forum, those who think you can safely toss rotor screws argue that the lug nuts and bolt pattern alone secure the rotor to the hub assembly, making the screws redundant. One driver called getting rid of them “a permanent upgrade to make every job easier.”
Forum users also emphasize that the screws were originally designed for factory assembly, not long-term use.
Comments on @deth93_ reflect the divide among those who say you should keep rotor screws and those who think it’s safe to toss them.
“Hardware store has ‘em,” one pointed out.
“If it were my car they wouldn’t get replaced. No use wasting time to locate these when they have no purpose after assembly. I’m not going to move my vehicle around without the calipers attached, so it’s a literal waste of time and money,” another wrote.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to put it back to assembly line spec. That fella I'd let fix my vehicle and I'm a master tech of 15 years,” another countered.
Motor1 reached out to @deth93_ for comment via TikTok direct message and comment. We’ll update this if he responds.
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