Competent tyre fitting

Author
Discussion

forcedinduction7

Original Poster:

23 posts

154 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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I’m struggling to have a good experience of tyre fitting from my last few experiences. I like to keep my alloys scratch and mark free, and tyre fitting fills me with dread as both mainstream fitting centres and even premium main dealers have gouged and scraped spokes and rims in the past.

Lo and behold and as I’d feared today’s fitting resulted in one alloy being scratched up on the rim and gouged on the spokes. Is this just carelessness and not giving a damn or inevitable?

Has anyone got any recommendations of good fitting centres in Gloucestershire or wider area?

Olivergt

1,696 posts

90 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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I have no recommendations, but yesterday went in to collect my Yeti, new rear discs and pads, and it wasn't ready. Wheels off and the old discs sitting on the face of one of the wheels!

The wheels are fairly scabby anyway, so wasn't too concerned, but would have been apoplectic if it had been on one of my other cars.

I'd like to think that if the wheels had been pristine he wouldn't have dumped the old discs on one though.

CraigyMc

17,309 posts

245 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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forcedinduction7 said:
I’m struggling to have a good experience of tyre fitting from my last few experiences. I like to keep my alloys scratch and mark free, and tyre fitting fills me with dread as both mainstream fitting centres and even premium main dealers have gouged and scraped spokes and rims in the past.

Lo and behold and as I’d feared today’s fitting resulted in one alloy being scratched up on the rim and gouged on the spokes. Is this just carelessness and not giving a damn or inevitable?

Has anyone got any recommendations of good fitting centres in Gloucestershire or wider area?
I've never had any problems at a protyre/micheldever. A chains go I think they are about the best of them.

Heathwood

2,812 posts

211 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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I don’t think it’s inevitable, it’s generally a lack of care. Costco are pretty good in my experience.

PhilkSVR

1,584 posts

57 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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I have my tyres fitted by the guys who have serviced my car for the last 3 years, they know how fussy I am and I make sure they know it. So far no problems. Fingers crossed.

Rich Boy Spanner

1,562 posts

139 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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I had to go to 3 different tyre places to get wheels with newly fitted tyres balanced properly. Total apathy in the trade, nobody cares and not many know what they are doing, and it's pretty basic stuff.

stogbandard

395 posts

59 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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This is why I buy online and get my independent to fit them.

Boxstercol

221 posts

142 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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Tyre changes fill me with anxiety as soon as my tyres get to about 4mm!

I researched pretty much every ‘fitting centre’ local to me when I needed my last tyre change & eventually chose a place which had excellent reviews on Blackcircles as one of their premium fitting centres. Anyhow, cut a long story short, turned up & explained to tyre fitter that I’m really picky with condition of my wheels (they were diamond cut BMW wheels notorious for white worm & had not long been changed under warranty so were unmarked) & therefore didn’t want them marked. Response was ‘we don’t damage wheels here mate…’. Result was that both wheels were damaged with the clear coat completely removed from about a third of rim where they mounted tyre. Cue a long drawn out process via complaint & in the end Blackcircles paid for a refurb (where I ended up having all 4 powder coated).

I’ve since changed the car for a new vehicle so not thinking about tyre changes at moment, but could be tempted to pay a bit extra & maybe either take my own sourced tyres to a wheel refurbishment place or get them to source & fit tyres.. After all, they have the capability of changing tyres without damaging wheels.

John D.

18,632 posts

218 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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I've never had an issue with damage.

Had a slow flat that was seemingly invisible to two different tyre fitters though, until i finally struck gold and got it fixed.

cliffords

1,979 posts

32 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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My biggest issue is how and where they jack the car up.
Last mobile bloke had to use my soft puck as he did not have one !

He was just about to put his trolley jack on my sill .

808 Estate

2,269 posts

100 months

Friday 6th December 2024
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CraigyMc said:
I've never had any problems at a protyre/micheldever. A chains go I think they are about the best of them.
Agreed. Also the only place I know of that actually do final tightening with a torque wrench rather than a windy gun.

colin79666

2,005 posts

122 months

Sunday 8th December 2024
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Got the main dealer to replace my wheels under warranty due to corrosion. Not a mark on the replacements but they made a mess of the balancing.

Went to the local KwikFit to get the balancing sorted (dealer is miles away) and they promptly chipped the paint finish on the wheels that hadn’t even done 100 miles yet curse

Swapping over winters I tried a smaller independent given my KwikFit experience. No more damage but couldn’t balance them right.

Finally have used the local National Tyres outfit to swap the winters back. No additional damage and no longer feel like I’m driving on 50p pieces.

Seems very hit and miss. If you find a decent place stick with them.

the benno

82 posts

225 months

Sunday 8th December 2024
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Chris Mullins Tyres in Gloucester, bristol rd
Used them for years and never had a problem at all.

snotrag

14,985 posts

220 months

Wednesday 18th December 2024
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Use a wheel refurb company.

They generally have a vested interest in not screwing it up!

CraigyMc

17,309 posts

245 months

Wednesday 18th December 2024
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snotrag said:
Use a wheel refurb company.

They generally have a vested interest in not screwing it up!
My experience of the local wheel refurb place was actually the opposite. The wheels came back with more damage than they went in for.

Your mileage may obviously vary.