Roger, it looks like they should have been willing to help in any way they could. In your case, which is not the norm, you are a great customer, and should be treated as such. But your original post proves my point, it's not the kind of job they are used to. Or equipped to do. I also must watch and/or be involved when I let others work on my stuff. I'm a retired Master Tech and know how I want it done. I worked all my Professional career as a "flat rate" mechanic. I retired not as wealthy as I could, by selling my customers only what they really needed right now and advised them what would be needed later. I always felt it was better to have loyal customers than angry ones. I don't even want to think about what goes on in the kitchen.... I worked on quite a few cars with very pricey wheels and very picky owners. It was a fun challenge to me to keep the added weight to a minimum. Also, less chance to have a "comeback" from a thrown weight. Chrysler 300 lesson here is: Balance and mark the wheel first, then add the tire. Slower, but more precise. Regards, Ray On Jan 4, 2005, at 10:24 PM, Roger Schaaf wrote: > 14.00 per hour at this store for these guys. You are correct that I > did > not buy the tires there as they do not sell Diamondbacks, however have > purchased 6 new sets of tires from these guys the past 4 years. My > family > members and neighbors have also given their business to these folks. > The > last set cost me 280.00 per tire for my XJR Jag(18 inch wheels). So I > am > not just an average rumdum customer who buys his tires elsewhere at a > cheap > price and have someone else mount them just to save a few bucks. My > real > point was that never trust anyone to mount your tires if you are not > there > to watch and guide. In fact I hate to have any work of any kind done > on my > cars or motorcycles by any shop where I can not watch the action. As > most > of us know and can all relate tales of woe, a large percentage of them > are > totally incompetent, will cheat you royally when given the > opportunity, sell > you much of what you do not need at grossly inflated labor > charges(perhaps > you all have not heard of the so called "flat rate scheme" so popular > in > California. I know there are many honest competent shops out there, > but > picking the pepper out of the flyspecks is about as hard as buying the > right > stocks that will be going up and not be going down. So I do most all > of my > own work and service where possible. I have the same feeling when > eating in > restaurants where I cannot see what is going on in the kitchen. Would > probably really give me a good case of religion if I did however. > > Taping or gluing weights on the insides of the wheels is what I was > suggesting as a method to almost get a good dynamic balance in the > hands of > a competent tire guy using a decent balancer. Most guys either cannot > or > will not take the time(preferring to just pound a bunch of weights on > the > outside of your multi-hundred dollar aluminum or wire wheels). > > Take a look at the beat up edges of some of the aluminum wheels that > you > will see on late model cars. Much of what you see could be curb rash, > but a > large percentage of it, is the result of mounting/dismounting of tires > using > machines not designed to protect these wheels from damage and or poorly > trained technicians who should be doing some other line of work. > Someone > else noted too, those who just "cinch" them up with their 400 ft pound > air > wrench, thereby stripping threads or warping hubs and wheels. Watch > the > action when they remove your lug bolts with their 400 pound air wrench > when > they are doing your reverse threads on your 300. > > Does all this make anyone else want to watch next time you get your > tires > mounted at Costco? > > Roger Schaaf > 300 B Calif > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ray Jones" <hurst300@xxxxxxxxxxxx> > To: "Warren Anderson" <wranderson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Cc: "Listserver" <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; > <macthehammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Roger Schaaf" <obiwan10@xxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 2:44 PM > Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Causion > > >> There were 2 basic problems with this tire story. >> First and foremost, THEY did NOT sell the tires. (So don't care much) >> Secondly, anybody working there for minimum wage isn't that interested >> in mounting "Problem" tires, not to mention "tubes". What the heck >> are they?. Most kids have never seen them. >> >> And if they didn't know how to balance Statically (just measure the >> wheel and push some buttons on the Balancer), they don't need to work >> on my tires. >> >> Before retiring, I worked at an Acura dealer and was the NSX tech. Had >> to mount and balance tires on them and each tire was different. Fronts >> and Backs and Lefts and Rights. You just had to focus! >> I always spun the bare rim first and marked it's heavy spot, if any. >> Then when balancing the tire/rim assembly, if the heavy spot was near >> where the rims heavy spot was, I broke it down and shifted the tire >> around the rim to get a better (less or no weight) balance. >> >> And when balancing, I hid stick-on weights behind the webs, almost >> dynamic balancing. I deal now with a "good ol' boy" Rural shop, and >> they mount everything from 8" wheelbarrow tires to 38" Heavy equipment >> tires. Some with tubes and tread liners. They also have a pipe bender >> and custom make duals....you ought to hear my Dakota! >> >> Ray >> >> It's getting time for y'all to be polishing up your rides for the >> Spring Meet! Be there, or be Square! Ray Jones >> >> On Jan 4, 2005, at 11:02 AM, Warren Anderson wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> >>>> >>>> A couple of years ago I replaced my bias Remington's with >>>> Diamondback >>>> radials(had to do this twice as on the first set the whitewalls all >>>> turned >>>> brown). I had ordered them by phone and when they arrived by UPS, I >>>> threw >>>> them in my B and headed for the local tire store to have them >>>> mounted. >>> Mind >>>> you this was a store called Wheel Works and they were one of many >>>> stores >>> of >>>> a large chain of tire stores who you would assume would know >>>> something >>> about >>>> tires and TUBES. >>> >>> >>> We have seen a number of serious problems generated by tire shops. >>> Big >>> chain >>> tire shops and local specialists. One common big mistake they make is >>> in the >>> use of air tools to reach final wheel fastener torque. With or >>> without >>> 'Torque Sticks', air wrenches on street driven vehicles cause a lot >>> of >>> problems. I did notice that the Flagstaff Sam's Club tire shop uses >>> manual >>> torque wrenches. >>> >>> A rotating static balance can be accomplished with weights in only >>> one >>> plain. The dynamic balance is only accomplished with wheel weights in >>> two >>> planes (when weights are required). >>> >>> It is good practice to powder (talc and I have used baby powder when >>> I >>> did >>> not have tire talc) the inside of tires when tubes are used. Always >>> inflate >>> fully and deflate then reinflate to road use pressure. >>> >>> Tire shops that deal with passenger car tires and truck tires should >>> have >>> people that can deal with tube tires in an expert manner. >>> >>> We are not a tire shop but do work with tires like the ones on a >>> local >>> fleet >>> of Hummers http://hummeraffair.com/. The tires are bias ply things >>> from >>> Mickey Thompson as all radial tire production is supposedly going to >>> Iraq. >>> Run flats for these vehicles are GREASE lubricated between the outer >>> and >>> inners. These we will not be working with; one very good man, one >>> hard, full >>> day to change out four tires we have been told. >>> >>> Warren Anderson >>> Sedona,AZ >>> >>> >> >> > > > To send a message to this group, send an email to: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx For list server instructions, go to http://www.chrysler300club.com/yahoolist/inst.htm Yahoo! 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