Possibly ex F! pit crew!

When working at a SAAB dealer in the 90`s, one of the things I found myself doing was fitting alloy wheels to UK market special edition models. This involved removing the wheels from the car, removing the tyres from the steel wheels before fitting them to the alloys and balancing them. I got pretty quick at it and reckon I could have done two in no more than 20 minutes, certainly if I was able to use a ramp.

they think the punter thinks they have done a better job.

Why would they think that?, its not hard to change a tyre, about the only problem you have to be careful of is the tyre bead in case it splits tyre rubber around the bead,

apart from that its an easy job and can be done in about 10-15 minutes one tyre, with balancing if all goes well, sometimes if the tyre is not pushed into the wheel well the other side can stretch and break which I have done once and seen others do it, so your very careful how fast you do it, apart from that its a doddle and sometimes the beads are difficult to seal to wheel, that can be more time consuming than putting tyre on the wheel with wider tyres but thats life.

When I need tyres I always get a price from my local trusted indy workshop, but only after I've got an internet price - and then feel guilty for wasting their time as they just don't have the volume to compete with the internet - if they charge me more for valve, fitting, balance and disposal than their add-on for tyres they supply I can live with that - they get the advantage that there's no come back if the tyres are faulty.

When I need tyres I always get a price from my local trusted indy workshop, but only after I've got an internet price - and then feel guilty for wasting their time as they just don't have the volume to compete with the internet - if they charge me more for valve, fitting, balance and disposal than their add-on for tyres they supply I can live with that - they get the advantage that there's no come back if the tyres are faulty.

Yet to buy off the interweb simply because by the time you have paid for valve, fitting, balance and disposal there is sod all saving over buying local. Once went to Kwik fit for a price on the Focus, 2 x 205 55 16 . They were £20 a tyre more than the interweb but when I said no thanks asked what I wanted to pay. The place was empty so I told them the interweb price which they matched saving me the fitting etc cost. Asked him how much tracking was (the inside edges were wearing) said free to check, £25 if it needed adjusting. Ford dealer wanted £75 for tracking alone.

Walked out with a bill for about £120 and they fitted the correct Pirellis I had asked for.

No more wear on inside edges after tracking and they adjusted it properly doing it equally each side.

I always research my tyre choice - and seem to end up with something unusual which isn't available from the big chains

These days you always get asked to have the tracking done.
Only to find the steering wheel out of alignment once it’s done.

So I manage with the tyre wear rather than fighting the steering wheel .

Go back and ask for it to be done properly, which may mean adjusting both trackrods instead of the lazy way of correcting toe-in or toe-out adjusting just one side.

In the past when I used to service my own cars I'd correct this by half or full turn in opposite direction on both trackrods, roll a few yards, repeat till straight.

Before airbags, it was quicker to take the steering wheel off and replace it, but that didn't give the right geometry so not really a good idea.

Been on the road since 1973 and in that time I have only needed 2 cars tracking. The first was in 1990 approx. when I hit a large unseen pothole that wrecked 2 tyres and bent 2 wheels. The lady in the house adjacent provided a letter that stated she had been writing to the Council about it for 3 months and they had taken no action. They eventually paid on a "no prejudice" basis for 2 tyres, 2 wheels, full inspection and a full alignment, bill was about £500. 2nd time was on a Focus in about 2010. 14,000 miles from new both front tyres were badly worn on the inside edges, impossible to spot unless you had the car on full lock or were under it. Never been knocked, I was convinced it came out of the factory like it. Cost us 2 tyres and a tracking, £120.

unless it's an exotic car then it can take as long as 15-20+ mins per wheel.

Why would an exotic car take more time? What is different about them?

Edited by Warning on 11/09/2024 at 22:57

I had 2 tyres fitted and an hour later the car tyre alarm went. Took it back to the garage who diagnosed the new tyres needed rim sealant to prevent escaping air and notification alarms. Surprised the sealant wasn’t applied in the first place. Slap dash fast fitter at work?

Not really. Sealant is only used when there is an issue. If there wasn't or you don't tell the fitter they don't use it .

What sort of an ISSUE would be on your list to be resolved by fitting “sealant “ please?

Presumably the slow issue of gas from leaky beads which were not wiped with tyre lube when the tyres were fitted ? I thought most tyre fitters always used it, if only to make shoving the tyre over the rim easier ?

I had two fittted by Halford’s On Your Drive option a couple of weeks ago. Doorbell footage shows the van arriving at 14.25 and leaving at 14.46, and that elapsed time will include dragging an airline from van to subject car and packing away again afterwards. Just one fitter.

No balancing?

New valves?

Faster than the one from Tyresonthedrive I used in August - he took a good 45 minutes for two rears on my SLK
(progressed up from my little old Pug 206 when I first started this thread!)