| Author |
Message |
Dennis (Bighead)
Junior Member
Username: Bighead
Post Number: 226
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - 5:03 pm: | |
I take my wheels and tires to Costco. Seriously. Or Wal-Mart, if you prefer.
Why? Obviously, it's cheap. $9/wheel for mounting and balancing. But as importantly, these guys do NOTHING EXCEPT mounting and changing tires. They don't do alignments, they don't do oil changes, they don't do batteries, they don't do ANYTHING ELSE all day except change tires. So they've gotten pretty good at it. And Costco (and Wal-Mart) hammers its customer service and satisfaction. They have the same equipment as the "fancy" tire shops.
And best of all, at least at my local Costco, from where I stand behind the counter, I can watch the guys changing the tire - and the guys know that I'm watching.
I've never had a wheel scratched.
And, FWIW, at Watkins Glen, the nearest/best place to get tires done is the local Wal-Mart; they've done tons and tons of tires for everything from 308s to 355 Challenges to $$$$ cars.
vty,
--Dennis
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Marcus Mayeux (Mmayeux73)
Member
Username: Mmayeux73
Post Number: 540
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - 9:15 am: | |
Thanks craig and Mfennell for your suggestions. It may be anal, but it is better than having your wheels re-surfaced.
-I will use the interview approach next time (I can totally picture someone doing that-that's great!)
Marcus |
Mfennell70 (Mfennell70)
Junior Member
Username: Mfennell70
Post Number: 163
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - 8:22 am: | |
Look for the good Hunter machines. 350? I can't recall. It's also best, in my experience, to have it done at a tire shop rather than a dealer, no matter how high end. The guy working at the tire shop does this all day, every day, and knows the tricks to do it right.
I've found a small little shop locally who does my tires and all of my friends'. $25ea for 17", $35 for 18" IIRC. |
Craig Dewey (Craigfl)
Member
Username: Craigfl
Post Number: 675
Registered: 1-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - 5:47 am: | |
I may be crazy, but I interviewed the tire installers before they even saw my wheels & tires. The first places I started with were medium size, private shops registered with the Better Business Bureau. Then I talked with service managers and finally the actual installer as well as looked at the type of equipment used. The person that did mine was not a 16yr old part time but was early thirties, worked there 5+ years and was factory trained on the new machine. The machine had no metal parts touching the wheel-- only plastic. They did an excellent job --- mount and spin balance for $20.00 each. |
Marcus Mayeux (Mmayeux73)
Member
Username: Mmayeux73
Post Number: 539
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 5:48 pm: | |
Thank you for the feedback, much appreciated!
I will check around.
Marcus |
Steve Magnusson (91tr)
Intermediate Member
Username: 91tr
Post Number: 2098
Registered: 1-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 4:22 pm: | |
It all depends on the skill level/equipment of the installer IME so it's a cr*p-shoot. Sometimes this pisses them off a bit (as in, you've got the gall to doubt their abilities), but it might help to ask if they can handle "painted wheels" before the work just as a way to indirectly raise the possible paint damage issue beforehand in case something does go wrong. I've had very good luck with my local Discount Tire (i.e., they've got a good senior guy and the manager insists that only he do the exotic work + they understand how to do a 2-plane balance from the backside only -- a good indicator of a tire shop's overall abilities IMO), but I take the wheel/tire assemblies off the car myself beforehand because I don't trust them with not damaging the chassis (a grunt with a floor jack tweaked the flat gussets on my ex-308), and I take the wheel centers out myself. But there's nothing much else you can do Marcus, other than keep looking/trying other shops. I had a very bad experience with my local Goodyear tire shop on my first F tire change here in CO so that's when I tried DT -- just got lucky. |
Lawrence Coppari (Lawrence)
Member
Username: Lawrence
Post Number: 766
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 4:21 pm: | |
About 2 years ago a woman wrote in to a Mercedes list that I contribute to complaining after she went to have her oil changed. Oil was drained buth then they determined they did not have the filter in stock. They sent her on her way without refilling the oil. You can imagine what occurred next.
She eventually got a new engine/labor out of them but it took time and perseverance. |
Pat Pasqualini (Enzo)
Member
Username: Enzo
Post Number: 929
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 3:28 pm: | |
That is nothing compared to some of the things I saw while working at Sears years ago. I saw atleast 3-4 cars that fell off the lift, 1 that they punctured the gas tank on a lift and a couple that were in for oil changes that left with no oil in them. |
Marcus Mayeux (Mmayeux73)
Member
Username: Mmayeux73
Post Number: 538
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2003 - 2:21 pm: | |
I personally run into numerous situations and stories concerning customers changing their tires and getting notches on the wheels. This includes discount tire and NTB. Just the other day I was looking at tires and over heard a customer complaining that this is the second time it has happened to him when getting new tires. I cannot tell you how many stories I have heard in the past. Where do you go and what precautions do you/can you take? Does an F-dealer do them for you? This has happened to me that is why I am asking.
Best regards,
Marcus |