Tyre Fitters - Oh Good Grief!

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Wezzel

Active Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2005
Messages
365
Location
West Molesey, Surrey
Car
C220 cdi Sport Estate
When are tyre fitters going to get their act together. Surely their profession isn't rocket science?.

On Saturday I was getting some tyres fitted to the wifes car at a place near Hampton Court. I was watching some guy fitting tyres to a very nice new black E class cdi estate. The tyre fitter cranked the nuts up extra tight with an air hammer and then jumped into the car and reversed it out of the bay in his dirty overalls. He had been sitting on the dirty/oily floor of the garage and did not put any plastic or paper on the drivers seat. :eek:

It was lucky that the vehicle had black leather and not cream cloth seats.

When I had my tyres fitted recently in Bracknell I was pleasantly supprised to see the fitter using a torque wrench. Unfortunately, whilst waiting to pay I noticed how he was using it on a nearby Beemer. He was again tightening the nuts to within an inch of their life with an air hammer and them checking them with the torque wrench. Obviously the wrench just clicks as the nuts are already overtightened. It is all done just for show.

Sometimes I despair. Perhaps I will take my own wrench along in future and insist on tightening the nuts myself. I may even take my own plastic sheet for the seat. ;)
 
Wezzel said:
Perhaps I will take my own wrench along in future and insist on tightening the nuts myself.

I do but sometimes I am told that I am not allowed on the shop floor (H&SE). In that case I ask them to roll the car to the door and do my own wheel nuts there. If they are using a torque wrench, just for fun ask them what ft lbs they are using. (should be 81).
 
The standards vary. Place I use is quite good but they still overtighten the wheel bolts because that is the default setting. The Torque Wrench is used to verify the wheels are on really tight, not to the correct Torque for the vehicle.

Why? Because although they might get a bit of grief now and then if something shears off and they have to listen to people like us moaning, that is as nothing compared to what could happen they were found to be "negligent" in terms of having undertightened something that came adrift.
 
This is a bit of a cop out really. You do not see other mechanics overtightening things "just in case they come loose and cause an accident". Surely when a vehicle manufacturer states the recommended torque setting they have a built in safety factor.

Tyre fitters will look at a chart on the wall to check what pressures to inflate tyres so perhaps they should look at another chart to check the torque settings of the wheel nuts.

Even if they overtorqued them by a few pounds "just for luck" it would be an improvement.

I recently shattered a wheel key on an overtightened nut and had to fork out £20 for a replacement. This wouldn't have been much fun when getting a puncture on an unlit rainy motorway.
 
I confused the tyre fitters last week when I insisted on locking the adaptive damping before they jacked it up (as per the handbook), and unlocking it again afterwards :)
 
I confused the tyre fitters last week when I insisted on locking the adaptive damping before they jacked it up (as per the handbook), and unlocking it again afterwards
__________________
Bill

Yeah, I got funny looks at a place when they lifted my 560 to change a wheel. They couldn't understand why the wheels didn't drop down. They thought they had got the lift caught on something and put it up and down until I rushed over and informed them I had locked the suspension...lol...
 
Tyre fitters are morans -best place for chaning tryes/wheels/alloys for MB cars is Hughes of Beaconsfiled - ask for "big Steve" - tall guy with pony tail and he does superb job and manually removes the bolts and uses torqure wrench - his a top man and has done me plenty of favours and is soo friendly.

3 weeks ago my Dad had used the Sprinter and unforuntaley drove over a big lump of metal lying in the road which totally destroyed the tyre - my Dad took it down to the nearest ATS which was down the road and replaced the tyre with a brand new Continental same spec as originals - my Dad also clocked the moran tyre fitter fitting the new tyre without even balancing it and just before he was about to fit it onto the Sprinter mentioned that he "better balance the wheel/tryre..." and the idiot then did so afterwards and got teh right hump... I too also cuaght them trying to fit a new tyre and when I had a puncture on the same vehilce without even balancing the wheel... ATS/Kwik Fit etc. are all cow boys....
 
BTB 500 said:
I confused the tyre fitters last week when I insisted on locking the adaptive damping before they jacked it up (as per the handbook), and unlocking it again afterwards :)
How'd you do that then?
 
GregE240 said:
How'd you do that then?

Highly complex - there's a red button, next to the ride height rocker switch!

Edit: was the first time I'd tried it ... was relieved it worked!
 
Last edited:
GregE240 said:
Strange, I haven't got that on mine......although mine is a '90....

Check the handbook under 'jacking'. I don't know if ADS changed over the years.
 
If you're near Hampton Court, try Teddington Tyres on Kingston Rd, just north of the Thames. Independent, and they use a torque wrench.
 
Which tyre place was this Wezzel? Was it the one near the Scilly Isles or the one further into Molesey near the resevoirs? (or another one that I can't think of! ;) )

Would be interesting to hear.

Will
 
Wezzel said:
Sometimes I despair. Perhaps I will take my own wrench along in future and insist on tightening the nuts myself. I may even take my own plastic sheet for the seat. ;)

Or why don't you just, not go to a 'tyre fitter' type place? :confused: ;) :) :D
 
Standards do vary...but from my experience it is usually garbage...It doesnt matter how many times i have told tyre fitters to "watch the alloy wheels please bud " when removing the tyres...or .." try not to scape them with the machine please"...are my usual comments....It got to the stage a couple of years ago that i made any tyre fitter inspect the alloy first before he changed the tyre so he knew there was no damage prior to removal ...yes you do come over as the " awkward customer " but at least you are guaranteed them being careful...Just for the record one large tyre company thay you cant get better than.... have paid for three of my alloy wheels to be refurbished over time due to them damaging the alloys....I have now found a very small outfit now run by a very enthusiastic young guy who not only is cheap but gives quality service..
 
I didn't want to name names but what the hell!

It was Esher Tyre and Exhaust near the Scilly Isles.

Thanks Tim I will try Teddington Tyres next time.
 
Wezzel said:
I didn't want to name names but what the hell!

It was Esher Tyre and Exhaust near the Scilly Isles.

Thanks Tim I will try Teddington Tyres next time.

Thats very interesting Wezzel-Esher tyre and exchaust managed to damage my partner's alloy wheel on a 3 day old Peugeot 206 CC, even though before the fitter started work I said the car was less than a week old and to be extra careful with the alloy! Typical....Oh and by the way do they have a working, calibrated balancing machine in use yet...They had been running for weeks with no balancing machine? How you can fit tyres and not balance the wheels beggars belief!
 
Good thing is if Stealer changes ur tyres and damages the alloys then they have no choice BUT to replace it with brand new ones if you stand ur ground... (we have been there and got a good result... ;) )

Why did ur partner not take car to Peugeout to sort the tyre issue out if only 3 weeks old ?
 
I use Teddington Tyres.... Chris, the guy who owns it is a lovely guy ! always ready to have a deal....... ;)

However...... they have never used a torque wrench on any of my cars.... :rolleyes:

I expect they have one, and would use it if you asked them to, but they don't do it automatically......

But all in all, as said before, an very friendly easy going independant, and they run adverts in the local paper stating ' WE WON'T DAMAGE YOUR WHEELS ! '

I've always had good service from them, and would not hesitate to recommend them !!
 
Flash said:
Good thing is if Stealer changes ur tyres and damages the alloys then they have no choice BUT to replace it with brand new ones if you stand ur ground... (we have been there and got a good result... ;) )

Why did ur partner not take car to Peugeout to sort the tyre issue out if only 3 weeks old ?

Didnt take it to Pug simply because we didnt want to get ripped off for a new tyre by them. It had a nail in the sidewall of the tyre so it wasnt repairable. Teddington tyres sound good too. If you arent bothered about a smart workshop, try KP Tyres in Ewell......very cheap deals, but unable to comment about the service as I have only been told they are "cheap"
 

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