Rhett Betz

Rhett Betz Specializing in car repair and restoration from maintenance to classic rebuilds, we deliver reliable service and quality workmanship you can trust.

TO WHOMEVER DESIGNED HUBS AND STUDS — WHY. 😤I’m fixing a broken lug stud and managed to partially strip the hub. Now the...
06/11/2026

TO WHOMEVER DESIGNED HUBS AND STUDS — WHY. 😤

I’m fixing a broken lug stud and managed to partially strip the hub. Now the question: self-seal, self-tighten, or give it a little weld love?

This is exactly how a “simple” wheel repair turns into a weekend of pain, fire, and frustration. One slip, and the new lug doesn’t stay. One drop, and everything else follows.

Mechanics, please advise. I refuse to gamble with a hub holding my wheels.

TO whoever designed this pilot bearing setup on a ‘95 Rio Grande… I have serious questions.Pulled the flywheel off the b...
06/11/2026

TO whoever designed this pilot bearing setup on a ‘95 Rio Grande… I have serious questions.

Pulled the flywheel off the blown 2.5L and found a little bearing just sitting there loose. Not pressed in. Not obvious. Just hanging out like it pays rent.

I bought the OMIX replacement everyone points to, and of course it doesn’t fit. Not in the old engine, not in the new 2.5L, not anywhere that makes sense.

So now I’m stuck staring at the back of this crank wondering if I’m missing a sleeve, the wrong bearing, the wrong flywheel, or my last remaining patience.

Jeep people, where is this bearing actually supposed to go?

Because I am not bolting this transmission up twice.

TO the wheel studs that decided to snap off and ruin my entire day… I need answers.My studs broke a while back, and now ...
06/11/2026

TO the wheel studs that decided to snap off and ruin my entire day… I need answers.

My studs broke a while back, and now that I finally have time to fix them, I’m staring at this rusty nightmare wondering how many more things are going to break before the job is done.

Let me be very clear: I am not trying to turn a broken stud repair into a destroyed hub, damaged threads, seized bolts, and a full weekend of regret.

They look rough, they look stuck, and I already know one wrong hit with a hammer could make this ten times worse.

So before I start swinging tools like an idiot — what’s the right move here?

Because I’m trying to fix the problem, not create three new ones.

TO EVERYONE THINKING TRANSMISSION SWAPS ARE SIMPLE — THINK AGAIN! I’m in the middle of a swap and now staring at this — ...
06/11/2026

TO EVERYONE THINKING TRANSMISSION SWAPS ARE SIMPLE — THINK AGAIN!

I’m in the middle of a swap and now staring at this — leaking? Not leaking? Who knows! Every drop of fluid is a potential disaster waiting to happen.

Let me be very clear: this isn’t the time for guesses. Transmission leaks destroy clutches, gears, and sanity in equal measure. If you see any fluid, STOP. Diagnose. Don’t just bolt it together and hope for the best.

This is why swaps are stressful. This is why mistakes are expensive. This is why you pay attention.

TO whoever designed parts that look “almost seated” from every angle… I need answers.96 Mustang GT, bearing install in p...
06/11/2026

TO whoever designed parts that look “almost seated” from every angle… I need answers.

96 Mustang GT, bearing install in progress, and now I’m stuck playing the worst game ever: “is it in far enough or not?”

It looks close, but “close” doesn’t mean correct. Close is how you end up with a transmission back out on the floor and a whole weekend ruined.

If this bearing needs to sit flush, bottomed out, or just past a certain lip, I need someone who has actually done this to tell me before I make an expensive mistake.

I’m not guessing with drivetrain parts.

Absolutely not.

TO EVERYONE THINKING WHEEL SPACERS ARE JUST A FUN DIY ADD-ON — THINK AGAIN! Look at this setup. One wrong move with thes...
06/11/2026

TO EVERYONE THINKING WHEEL SPACERS ARE JUST A FUN DIY ADD-ON — THINK AGAIN!

Look at this setup. One wrong move with these spacers and your studs, lugs, and wheels are toast. Driving on loose or improperly torqued hardware isn’t a joke — it’s a hazard waiting to happen.

Yes, they make the wheels “look cool,” but they also make everything else exponentially more dangerous. DO NOT underestimate the consequences.

TO whoever designed leaks in the worst possible places — congratulations, you won.I’m staring at this rear main area try...
06/11/2026

TO whoever designed leaks in the worst possible places — congratulations, you won.

I’m staring at this rear main area trying to figure out if the seal is actually leaking, or if that wedge-shaped half-moon gasket below it is the one causing all this drama.

This isn’t a little drip on the driveway. This is the kind of leak that makes you question every gasket, every seal, and every life choice that led to the transmission being out.

If it’s the rear main, fine. If it’s the half-moon, fine. But I need to know BEFORE this all goes back together.

Because I am absolutely not doing this job twice.

TO whoever said “it’s definitely the rear main”… congratulations, you created a leak that wasn’t there.This customer cam...
06/11/2026

TO whoever said “it’s definitely the rear main”… congratulations, you created a leak that wasn’t there.

This customer came in after replacing the rear main seal himself, but the sealing lip flipped during install because these seals need the proper tool or a VERY careful hand.

And the worst part? The rear main wasn’t leaking in the first place.

The oil filter housing was leaking into the valley, then running down the back of the engine and bell housing, making it look like the rear main was guilty.

It wasn’t leaking until after the repair made it leak.

That is the kind of plot twist nobody wants under their car.

TO everyone who works on brakes for a living — tell me what I’m looking at here.Went in for tires and somehow walked out...
06/11/2026

TO everyone who works on brakes for a living — tell me what I’m looking at here.

Went in for tires and somehow walked out being told my rotors are “scorched.” Funny how a tire appointment always turns into a brake emergency the second the wheels come off.

These rotors are only a year old with around 18k miles on them. No crazy driving, no race track, no mountain runs every weekend — just normal use.

So now I’m wondering if this is actually heat damage, normal rotor wear, or another classic “while we’re in there” repair bill.

Because I’m not replacing year-old rotors unless there’s a real reason.

TO whoever thought driving on a loose wheel was “probably fine”… this is exactly what happens.Bottom stud spun freely wi...
06/11/2026

TO whoever thought driving on a loose wheel was “probably fine”… this is exactly what happens.

Bottom stud spun freely with a seized lug still stuck on it, the other studs are chewed up from the wheel moving around, and every single bolt hole in the wheel is now ovaled out.

Let me be very clear: this isn’t normal wear. This isn’t “just tighten it back down.” This is dangerous, expensive, and one step away from the wheel leaving the vehicle completely.

Now it needs studs, hardware, probably a wheel, and a very serious look at how long this was driven loose.

Play stupid games with lug nuts, win terrifying prizes.

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New York, NY
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