I need another tire shop

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TrailBeast

TrailBeast

AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Joined
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The ONE thing I allow someone else to touch on my car and they can't seem to get it right.
For the second time in a row now I have taken my car down to have tires changed and balanced and the first time I get out on the hiway with it and it shakes the hell out of the car and I have to take it back.

Now I know it's not a huge deal, though a little inconvenient since unless I take out to the hiway and run it I can't trust it to be right.
I also know using a balancer correctly isn't rocket science. (if they would let me I could do it myself) having used them for half my life.

Sometimes I don't get it out in the open (freeway or whatever) for a couple of days, but then find out that it's way out of balance when I need to go somewhere.

When I took it back today after yesterday's tire change the guy says "are you sure?" :violent1:
I told him any time the front fender jumps up and down an inch or more driving straight down the road at 65 it's pretty obvious, so they pull them back off and the drivers side was .5 ounces out and the passenger side was .75 out.

At first they tried to put a service jack under the middle of my frame connectors.
Although it probably wouldn't have hurt them any being 2x3 .085 wall it still pissed me off that they would do that.

I guess I'm going to have to find my own tire machine and balancer. :D
 
I feel your pain. We had the MIL's 2003 Ford Explorer at the local Ford dealer for some rear parking brake work. Got it back, and the next day she said it had a strange feeling when driving the vehicle. Checked the lug nuts and the rear driver's side were loose. Get out the four-way and tighten all the lug nuts on all wheels.
 
Take it to America's Tire if you have one in your area. I've always had good luck with them.
 
I talk **** about the morons who have done it before in the past, and make sure the grease monkeys laugh with me when I tell them how dumb someone would have to be to poorly balance a tire...

I find that I get good results after such a conversation.
 
I know, since I got the Dart I got a manual tire changer and static balancer off CL and do my own

I got screwed pretty good by Les Schwab, and if you add up the mistakes they made on Mom's car before she died, that's at least 4-5 mistakes

So I went to another "well known" brand (around here) and explained to them that "this was their chance." This was "the" new set on the old 86 Ranger before I sold it. I made it less than 10 miles. Got on the freeway W and the front end about waltzed outta the thing. Had to go back and "relax" in their showroom while they decided to rebalance the damn thing.
 
It is well worth it to just handle it yourself.
 
Usually an out of balance tire will only cause a slight vibration. 3/4 of an oz isn't that bad. What kind of wheels do you have? What style lug nuts? What kind and size tires did they put on?
 
I always get a chuckle when I see a car with new tires, with the red and yellow dots anywhere but where they should be, and lotsa weights..
 
skep419 said:
Usually an out of balance tire will only cause a slight vibration. 3/4 of an oz isn't that bad. What kind of wheels do you have? What style lug nuts? What kind and size tires did they put on?
Click to expand...

Ok, lets call it a hop then, :D

It's fine now after the second balance.
 
Big O did an alignment and lifetime balance on 4 new tires. I have been back 4 times for balancing. Once was in Utah after driving from So. Cal. on the new tires. Guy took our name, punched it up in the computer and said, come back in a half hour...Damn that was fast. Smooth as glass on the way home. Second time was due to a side wall bubble, got a new tire. They have treated me pretty good there. 3rd time was after I hit a 2X4 on the freeway and threw a few weights. I didnt tell them I hit a piece of a house at 75....
 
At least you weren't a 17 yo kid who was just learning about old cars and couldn't figure out why his 75 Scamp was sitting low on the passenger side (LCA bushing was shot) so he took it in to the "main" tire/suspension shop in town. Main mechanic puts it on the lift, bounces the suspension a little and says "there's your problem! That's not suppose to move!" And promptly WELDS THE LCA PIVOT TO THE LCA!!!! Yea, I don't go to that shop anymore unless absolutely necessary.....
 
pishta said:
Big O did an alignment and lifetime balance on 4 new tires. I have been back 4 times for balancing. Once was in Utah after driving from So. Cal. on the new tires. Guy took our name, punched it up in the computer and said, come back in a half hour...Damn that was fast. Smooth as glass on the way home. Second time was due to a side wall bubble, got a new tire. They have treated me pretty good there. 3rd time was after I hit a 2X4 on the freeway and threw a few weights. I didnt tell them I hit a piece of a house at 75....
Click to expand...

On the house note it makes me think of the day when I was driving down the road at about 65 or so and there was two pickups not far in front of me and the front one had furniture in the bed.
Well, a dresser fell out on the road on it's back and slid to a stop at the edge of the road.
The truck that lost it suddenly hit the brakes and started pulling over and the second truck swerved right over there and DESTROYED that dresser.
There was wood everywhere and the second truck passed the one that lost the dresser and just kept on going.
I was busy avoiding splintered dresser pieces and never really noticed what the truck that lost it did, but I was cracking up over the pure and obvious intent of the woman driving the second truck.
 
I like Del's solution, Greg doesn't have that option. Greg,been there myself. (Sad when a customer know more about tire balancing than the so called"tire tech".....)
 
Greg I've had off-road tires mounted on lifted trucks at Advanced just there off the 69, my girlfriend gets up to 90 in a 3/4 ton on 35s and it's as smooth as it can be, I would give them my business over and over, also the guys over at northern Arizona alignment seem to really know their stuff, but they don't mount tires. How's the 72 coming along?
 
I have few friends who work in tire shops, all small ones, not chain store crap.
I only go to the shops they work at.
Never had a problem with balance issues, most of the guys I know have been doing it for 10+ years.
 
dSwinger said:
Greg I've had off-road tires mounted on lifted trucks at Advanced just there off the 69, my girlfriend gets up to 90 in a 3/4 ton on 35s and it's as smooth as it can be, I would give them my business over and over, also the guys over at northern Arizona alignment seem to really know their stuff, but they don't mount tires. How's the 72 coming along?
Click to expand...

My oldest Daughter used to work at that Advance store, and I was actually thinking of going there next time.
Just doing little stuff right now with it being a little cold to spend much time per day on it.
New stereo, all new aftermarket cluster gauges with LED lighting and new lenses, brakes and stuff like that.
Probably changing the passenger side manifold today because the crossover butterfly plate shaft is too worn and leaks exhaust pretty bad.
Should be a breeze since I put all that stuff together with anti seize. :D
I have the one that came off my car when the headers got put on, so I'll consider that one (I know for a fact it's better) or I may just cut it out and put stove bolts through the holes from the inside.



sireland67 said:
I have few friends who work in tire shops, all small ones, not chain store crap.
I only go to the shops they work at.
Never had a problem with balance issues, most of the guys I know have been doing it for 10+ years.
Click to expand...

Around here they don't pay enough to keep anyone that long, so you end up with a guy with little experience at it.
 
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