TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Jun 27, 2008 5:35 pm

I do just about everything myself and that's for a reason.
I put a DJM 3-4 kit on my 08 Tacoma a couple of weeks ago and ordered 20" wheels and tires -245/35-20 and 225/35-20's. I took the truck into Les Schwab today and explained everything I wanted. I wanted tires mounted, TPMS swapped, alignment and new lugs with locks. I told him that they were staggered sizes. The dumb fucker behind the counter nodded, but I just fucking KNEW he was not listening to me. I get THREE calls today with all kind of stupid questions. One call was about what lugs I want...AFTER the alignment was done. I said that I had called about it a week earlier and "Adam" had said that I needed to get the alignment with the new wheels on the truck because of the rake created by the staggered sizes. He now says that it's no problem (after they aligned it already and don't want to do it again). I then go to pick it up and the 245's are on the driver's side and the 225's are on the passenger's side.

Livid. That's what I am.

Anybody around Spokane want to go halvsies on a tire machine? I hate letting other people work on my shit!

Fri Jun 27, 2008 5:55 pm

If you want it done right, do it yourself.... Sorry to hear that shit man.

Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:12 pm

They thought you needed the 245's on the drivers side to make up for your head weight. :wink:

Fri Jun 27, 2008 7:29 pm

I've never been able to get along with Tire Dealers! "these tires/wheels are too big/small/worn/old etc!" I bought a tire machine and a bubble balancer at Harbor Freight and they've more than paid for themselves swapping tires and wheels around/fixing flats etc! :D

Fri Jun 27, 2008 7:33 pm

I totally hear you. Last week I got some factory alloy wheels for my 06 chevy 2500hd to replace the steelies.

Got to the tire store and explained that I wanted my original tires (12000 miles, rotated every 5000) demounted from the steels, mounted on the new bare alloys, and replaced with the tires in the SAME spot they came off. So the boys with the jacks roll up and start lifting the truck. Airguns are whizzing, lug nuts are flying, and the wheels start flying toward the tire machine. I started screaming and ran out into the garage and asked if they knew which spot all those wheels came from Got a bunch of dumb looks , and i grabbed a marker and marked them myself, cause I watched them come off. Then, after they smeared bead glue all over my new wheels, got them back on my truck, letting the jacks down they let a jack handle go and it whacked my mirror- an inch over and I would have had a dent in the door. I was just about hyperventilating by this time and I got all the guys away from the truck, tightened and torqued the wheels myself, and got out of there after lecturing the manager. Im still all worked up..............can you tell?/??????!!!!!

Fri Jun 27, 2008 7:46 pm

People don't care anymore. Les Schwab is one of the best...I don't know what happened.

Fri Jun 27, 2008 8:13 pm

If you want some fun while the family is shopping at Wal-mat, stand at the window to tire and lube. I'm amazed some of the (mechanics?) find their way home without instructions. :shock:

Fri Jun 27, 2008 8:17 pm

I’ve really enjoyed getting to know how a car works in the last few years. It’s a really great feeling to get a deeper understanding for a tool I use on a regular basis. There’s just something about setting the points and valve clearances and driving to the store with a fresh sounding engine that make me feel good inside. (Special thanks to Stannagon)

IMHO Even learning something for the first time and not doing it perfectly will at least stand up to most of the general shop work out there these days because it's MINE and I need it to work right.

Fri Jun 27, 2008 8:21 pm

Now thats funny. I went to a technical school... now I know where 90% of the people there ended up.

I had a problem with a vibration years ago on a neon. The "tire shop" that mounted the tires couldn't get it fixed. Fed up I took it to Sears because I knew the woman at the counter. The guy who did the rebalance said one of them was TWO OUNCES off. WTF... the guy who has "been doing this for twenty years, I know what I am doing!" screwed it up that bad? The machine does all the work, all you have to do is remember to change the setting to sticky weights.

I hate letting people near my cars...

Fri Jun 27, 2008 9:31 pm

I bought an old Coates 40-40A at an auction a couple years ago. It's paid for itself many times over.

Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:06 pm

i feel your pain.... took my E30 several years back to have tires mounted.... took it to sears.... not sure why, but i did... made it a point to tell the "manager" that was behind the counter that the *wheels* were directional... meaning two lefts, and two rights... i then watched the the nearly trained monkeys remove all wheels and roll them over to the tire machine... i pecked on the window and the tire guy came over... i told him "dude, make sure you get the wheels mounted back correctly they are directional"... i got a nod, a wave and an assurance that he knew it.... confident he could handle it i went to look at some crapsman tools just to kill some time(had been there for about an hour and a half already)... came back to my purdy new tires mounted and balanced and two of my wheels facing the wrong direction... went back in and talked to the manager and he was dumbfounded at how it could happen since the tire guy mounted all the tires with the "arrows facing forward"(directional TIRES).... took him a minute and me actually pointing out the two wheels that were facing backwards.... that was the last set i bought there..

Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:06 pm

I took my truck to les schwab to have new tires mounted, and when i drove off, I heard a grinding noise. I pull off to the side of the road and all my lugs on the drivers rear tire are loose. I pulled the lug wrench out from under the seat and tighten them as best i can and drive straight back. I walk in and start screaming at the manager. he went out and got the guys that were working on my truck and asked them about it. They all looked like deer in the headlights at this point. As best as i can figure out is that they didn't have my brake drum seated all the way. Anyways, I demand that they take them off again and when they put them back on, that they use a torque wrench. well, sure as shit they spun them on and hammered on them with the gun. i start yelling at the manager and demand my money back, and asking him what kind of shit outfit is he running. To top things off, the 5 idiots they had doing my truck managed to break two of my hubcaps on my pickup. seeing as my truck is 20 years old, I cant buy the caps new anymore. I got my money back, but i am now without two caps and the icing on the cake is my emergency brake doesn't work. I called headquarters and they said they would give me a coupon for free rotation and half off a set of tires. Just what i want, another fucking go around with these idiots. :roll: :roll: :roll:

Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:41 pm

I took my 5-lug wheels, 135's & 185's to get mounted and balanced at Big-O. $50 to do all 4 which is cheap. They bent the lip inward on one wheel and bent the shit out of the lug mounts on 2 others.

I think I'm gonna try this out....

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=34542

I try not to have any 'professionals' work on my house or cars. They always seem to fuck it up.

Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:04 am

I almost always have bad luck taking vehicles into shops. I took my last Jetta into the local Chevron for a tune-up prior to selling it. The car would almost not start when I picked it up. I limped it home and Billy (lugnut) found a hose that they broke...he "McGyver'ed" one on and it solved it.

I take off the plastic cover off of the engine too before taking the car in. I also remove the VW valve stem covers, as those are things that you often come home with...minus one. Some mechanics just don't care.

I, too, always watch the tire guys when they rotate. On older cars, I always remove the hubcaps before going in. I've had mine beat to shit before by idiots who did the work.

Sat Jun 28, 2008 5:32 am

Are you talking about the store on 2nd street?

I swear those jerks look like they are from a halfway house. The store on Northwest Blvd. isn't any better.

Us excluded of course, it seems that most of the residents in the area are related to each other, many times over. Eastern Washington probably isn't a mecca for Mensa members, just members in general.

Sat Jun 28, 2008 5:35 am

My wife's 98 golf, took it to a local tire place, I SHOWED THEM MYSELF how the wheel covers come off, i pulled them forward and they popped right off, the mechanic nodded and we left. Come back and they had managed to brake 2 of them trying to PRY THEM OFF with a screw driver or something. I went in and started raising hell with the manager, all he could do was shrug. At this point I was beyond pissed, I just looked at him and said "I WOULDNT LET YOU DUMB MOTHERFUCKERS CHANGE THE HANDLEBAR STREAMERS ON MY KIDS BICYCLES AFTER THIS BULLSHIT" turned around and started walking off, with that fat slob behind the counter was muttering something. People truly dont care anymore.

Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:21 am

If you live in the Oklahoma City area and don't know any better, avoid Hibdon's (local chain). When I moved here in the early 1990's, my Dodge Shadow needed my tires rotated. I swear, every Hibdon's has about 20 bays, all filled, plus cars outside lifted on fours jacks with the wheels removed. 2 hours later my car was finally done. :roll: At one point, I looked into the bay to see two stupid grease monkeys sword fighting with the air hose wands.

A friend of mine took his 1970 Bay to Hibdon's for new tires. I specifically told him NOT to go there, and I wanted his old tires for another Bay I was moving for someone. Those lying ass bastards at Hibdon's gave him a song and dance that he couldn't keep his old tires, claiming it was state law :roll: Bullshit.

Now Freddie's Tires, in Oklahoma City, is the place to go. I can leave on my lunch hour for new tires and be back to work all inside of 1.5 hours, which includes driving there and back. I get the lifetime road hazard and rotation, and every 6,000 miles I let them rotate the wheels, which they knock out in under 30 minutes. I even had the tires on my truck replaced for $20 each when two of them developed cracks all around near the rim. The manager was apologizing that it was most likely a bad batch and explained how the tires were made and that it sometimes happens. I don't care if anyone is cheaper, Freddie's will always get my business.

Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:44 am

Icy wrote: I don't care if anyone is cheaper, Freddie's will always get my business.

and that is the definition of "value".... not always the bottom line... folks, when you find someone that does what you need, how you need it, support them.... that lets the lesser quality folks die out and makes sure your favorite is still there next time you need them...

Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:03 am

Last time my wife took her KIA SUV in for service, I specifically requested that they not use an Impact on the alloy wheels. Every time they do, we have a brake pulsation.
When it came back the brake pulsation is back.
It is 50 miles round trip to take it back.

Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:12 am

Russ Wolfe wrote: Last time my wife took her KIA SUV in for service, I specifically requested that they not use an Impact on the alloy wheels. Every time they do, we have a brake pulsation.
When it came back the brake pulsation is back.
It is 50 miles round trip to take it back.
Yup--they just love using their macho air wrench that makes a lot of
big noise and warps the paper-thin rotors that we are faced with today.