Why I hate tire shops

[Jeff N.]

So, about 2 months ago I take the bimmer in to get the tires flopped side to side on the rims. Needed to do that to mitigate some wear.

Take it to the local, reputable tire shop and sit there for the hour this is supposed to take. Have a very clear discussion with the shop manager that

a) I want the tires flopped side to side on the rims. Not rotated.
b) NO hammer on weights. Tape weights, only in inside of the rim.
c) Torque the wheels to 80lbs

Here's the results.

- pickup attempt number 1. Two of the four tires flopped. Other two rotated only. Send the car back, wait another 30 minutes.

- Pickup attempt number 2. Tires now flopped correctly. Hammer on weights installed on rears. Have discussion with Shop Foreman who concurs this is wrong. Watch shop guy tear of weights with pliers nicking powder coating. Have second discussion with Shop Foreman, who cuts price in half for mistakes.

- Last night. Go to investigate front end clunk, need to remove front wheel. Get out typical breaker bar / 17mm socket setup. Huh...sheesh..this is tight. Uuuuugh...puuuuush...SNAP...WTF??? Hmm. That Craftsman 3/8 socket wall just broke. Get 1/2" socket out. Repeat. SNAP! $#%@^ another broken socket wall. Get out tire iron...kick loosen all 5 lug nuts with full body weight.

Soooo...what do you want to wager that homey at the tire shop ran the lug nuts down with the impact wrench? They must have been at least 150lbs or more.

Of course, I only did one wheel. I'm frosted enough to go back to the shop and make bit of scene as I tell them to correctly re-torque my wheels. Grrrr. PISSMEOFFIDIOTCAN'TFOLLOWSODAMNBASICINSTRUCTIONSEV ENTHOUGHTTHISISWHATYOUDO EFERYSINGLEF'INDAY.

Oh..the shop for those local? Les Schwab at the corner of 148th and Northup. Bellevue WA. Stay away. Evil.

[Qube]

Think this is the third story at least about tire shops screwing up. Always try and watch them work so you can slap them as soon as they pickup that impact wrench! :( Of course, the really anal will have them put in writing, a warranty of sorts should their negligence in chipping the coating cause corrosion.

[GoldenOne]

I feel your pain, i think i may have been one of qubes three stories...except they rotated staggered wheels...long storyyy...painful memories...if anything goes wrong..have your mechanic fix it and bill them!

[Russell]

My positive experience
MY local tire store has treated me very well. I take the car in every 5,000 or so miles and have each tire rotated and balance. Rotation is free since I bought the tires there. They use the Hunter system to balance. Balance is perfect every time. They use a torque wrench to tighten the wheels at the spec I ask. Since i have stock wheels, not issue with clip on weights. never seen a scratched wheel. I sent an e-mail to the tire store's owner complimenting the shop for their work. I have used this place for 15 years at least.

BTW, 40,000 miles on and plenty of tread left on Bridgestone Turanza H tires.

[Maximabello]

Next time go see Russ @ FTL (http://ftlperformance.com/) in the Juanita/Bothell area.

It's a side business so you can go up at night or on the weekend. Does the work while you wait and is less expensive. Call ahead for an appointment though.

[Martin in Bellevue]

Next time go see Russ @ FTL (http://ftlperformance.com/) in the Juanita/Bothell area.

It's a side business so you can go up at night or on the weekend. Does the work while you wait and is less expensive. Call ahead for an appointment though.

And last year we had the same conversation, but I stated that is where yer money goes with StrictlyBMW. Sure, they cost a little more up front, but the wheels aren't damaged, & ya have a fairly good assurance that things won't go bad. &, yer throwing some money at a decent group of guys.
Oh well, let's anticipate the same whinning again next year.

[632 Regal]

I'm definetly one of them 3 stories but mine was more painful with Big O tire bending one brand new wheel and scratching 2 others. Discount and my endless wheel balance problems and out of round tires "must be the car, this is the second set of tires".

[Jeff N.]

...but isn't it a sad indictment that those boobs who do this every single day STILL can't get something that simple right?

Russ it is. BTW, I quit doing Strictly after you know who (yes - him) hammered on rim weights on the 850 rims. That was sort of the end for me.


And last year we had the same conversation, but I stated that is where yer money goes with StrictlyBMW. Sure, they cost a little more up front, but the wheels aren't damaged, & ya have a fairly good assurance that things won't go bad. &, yer throwing some money at a decent group of guys.
Oh well, let's anticipate the same whinning again next year.

[Martin in Bellevue]

...I quit doing Strictly after you know who (yes - him) hammered on rim weights on the 850 rims. That was sort of the end for me.
I thought Strictly might have been out since yer drill walked away while we were trying to get a front crank nut loosened.
That Russ is definitely a good option. I went over there with Erik once. His wife has an impressive e36.

[DanDombrowski]

And I was the other....

After hearing their "ASE Certified Tech" tell me that vibration is caused by bad alignment, impact wrenching the lugs on 30 secs after I said to use a torque wrench, and insisting that they know how to align a BMW, but know nothing of the weights required, I just don't trust any of them.

Unfortunatley, since I don't have my own tire mounting machine (yet :) ), I have to go somewhere. Of all the tire shops I've been to, I'd have to say that the Goodyear ones are pretty decent. They may just be good, or they may remember me from correcting them a few times, who knows. Probably neither and I just got lucky. In any event, least number of mistakes from them.

Jeff, I feel your pain.

[Qube]

My positive experience
MY local tire store has treated me very well. I take the car in every 5,000 or so miles and have each tire rotated and balance. Rotation is free since I bought the tires there. They use the Hunter system to balance. Balance is perfect every time. They use a torque wrench to tighten the wheels at the spec I ask. Since i have stock wheels, not issue with clip on weights. never seen a scratched wheel. I sent an e-mail to the tire store's owner complimenting the shop for their work. I have used this place for 15 years at least.

BTW, 40,000 miles on and plenty of tread left on Bridgestone Turanza H tires.

If you really want to compliment them, CC to your local/regional news rag, and they'll love you :)

[KenB]

Add me to the list of bend over the Hunter machine, hammer ons instead of stickys, nicks and scratches, over-torque, lost hub rings and 7 balancing attempts without rings. All after specifically stating what was required before the fact...

gun, please.

[CharlesAFerg]

Incorrect, they don't allign BMWs every day, just poor stupid smucks who have no idea what they're paying for. Quite frankly, what they do is good enough for most shitty-ass american/asian cars anyways.


...but isn't it a sad indictment that those boobs who do this every single day STILL can't get something that simple right?


When I first got the car I was confused about wipers okay... o we looked through their little manual which didn't show any for my car... so they started to take off my wipers and they forgot to put cloths under the windows and the arms were raised.
GUESS WHAT!
*snap*
Broken windshield!

Les Schwab (again
Corner of 185th and Walker rd.
Fred Meyer parking lot
Beaverton, OR 97006

Again...Stay away...EVIL
Took 2 months to get a window quote figured ot for a decent windshield.
Stupid bastards.
-Charles


So, about 2 months ago I take the bimmer in to get the tires flopped side to side on the rims. Needed to do that to mitigate some wear.

Take it to the local, reputable tire shop and sit there for the hour this is supposed to take. Have a very clear discussion with the shop manager that

a) I want the tires flopped side to side on the rims. Not rotated.
b) NO hammer on weights. Tape weights, only in inside of the rim.
c) Torque the wheels to 80lbs

Here's the results.

- pickup attempt number 1. Two of the four tires flopped. Other two rotated only. Send the car back, wait another 30 minutes.

- Pickup attempt number 2. Tires now flopped correctly. Hammer on weights installed on rears. Have discussion with Shop Foreman who concurs this is wrong. Watch shop guy tear of weights with pliers nicking powder coating. Have second discussion with Shop Foreman, who cuts price in half for mistakes.

- Last night. Go to investigate front end clunk, need to remove front wheel. Get out typical breaker bar / 17mm socket setup. Huh...sheesh..this is tight. Uuuuugh...puuuuush...SNAP...WTF??? Hmm. That Craftsman 3/8 socket wall just broke. Get 1/2" socket out. Repeat. SNAP! $#%@^ another broken socket wall. Get out tire iron...kick loosen all 5 lug nuts with full body weight.

Soooo...what do you want to wager that homey at the tire shop ran the lug nuts down with the impact wrench? They must have been at least 150lbs or more.

Of course, I only did one wheel. I'm frosted enough to go back to the shop and make bit of scene as I tell them to correctly re-torque my wheels. Grrrr. PISSMEOFFIDIOTCAN'TFOLLOWSODAMNBASICINSTRUCTIONSEV ENTHOUGHTTHISISWHATYOUDO EFERYSINGLEF'INDAY.

Oh..the shop for those local? Les Schwab at the corner of 148th and Northup. Bellevue WA. Stay away. Evil.

[fkong777]

i watch the tech like a hawk now ..Many tech have tried to use an Impact wrench.. I had my share for tire guys ripping up my chrome wheels... ARG!!.

Seriously.. anyone with more brain will not be mounting tires for a living..

Just for laughs.---- It seems that an impact wrench gives the tire tech some sort of empowerment.. It pissed them off when you have to make them use a torque wrench.. It is like taking there power away.. LOL..

Q: WTF you have to tighten my wheels so tight?
A: I do good job... I make reel tight....

[Paul in NZ]

so jeff.what is the cause of the clunk????

[Ross]

I am sooo lucky to have a guy near me who has a good tire shop. That's all they do and they do it well. They don't sell or do anything besides tires!
If I ask them to put weights on a certain way they do and clean the rim before putting the stick-on weights in place. They will rotate a tire on the rim in an effort to use no weights if you want. Always properly torque the wheels too.
Anyone around NW Chicago should try KO tire in Elk Grove.

Chain tire stores, muffler shops,SEARS and trans. outfits are always to be avoided. Almost without exception they are incompetent and dishonest on top of it. These are the ones that give the business a bad name.

I've personally witnessed attempts at selling replacements for known good parts, watched a "mechanic" apply brake anti-sqeal to the friction surface(really!)and use coat hangers as welding wire. All at chain type shops.

A good indy or a dealer you can afford are your best friend, or struggle through it yourself like so many of us here. Tires and alignment are pretty tough for us DIY's though.
Sometimes it's good to vent.

[DaCan23]

Which is why some day I will own a tire changer & balancer.... hate going to tire shop....

When I got new tires on the E24 I brought in some new Genuine BMW stainless steel valves.... get home and 2 are leaking, had to take all the wheels off and drive back in the E34 for them to redo.

Heres a story.... neighbor goes and buys new tires.... shop puts the bolts on so tight that it snapped his hub.... driving down the road at 40mph and his whole wheel w/ hub attached fall off and he crashes into the curb...

[Alan_525i]

This is why I don't go to a tire shop. My mechanic mounts them himself. And he uses at least half his brain when he does so.

[632 Regal]

im tempted to buy a mounting and balancer...just if I could get them to fit in the trunk to bring home.

[Tiger]

They deliver... Which is why I actually own a tire machine ans has a balancer to use... I might spring for my own balancer someday... but the tire machine I bought with my uncle is huge! stays with him.