You'll also have to check it doesn't foul the bodywork or steering mechanism etc etc in turning lock to lock.
Or you could just take the legal view that as a professional he should have known the tyres were wrong and he should have double checked and triple checked with you and he should have warned you of the speed difference and possible insurance problems, the fact he did none of this, means it is his fault at the end of the day.
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What would I do?
I wouldn't worry about it! You got a good deal and are lucky enough to have a good mechanic. To my mind its a big fuss over nothing, much better things to do with your precious time on this earth.
The mechanic fitted the tyres that you asked for. This thread coudl have easily been "I asked for 65 profile tyres and my mech fitted 60 just because that is what was on there before". Yes, you could argue that maybe he could have called you back to confirm as there was a slight difference in the profile.
I can't believe people on here are talking about small claims court etc. I guess we are getting like the US where we all spend out time blaming and sueing each other.
Give the mech a call, tell him that you are happy with the tyres and accept that you didn't make it clear which size you wanted. Give him a compliment, say thanks for being understanding to keep it freindly for the next time you need a good mech to fix your car.
Use the money you saved towards a nice meal out or a few beers on the weekend and get on with enjoying your life!
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You're talking pap there brother
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Not much you can do without souring the relationship, if it were me, I'd let the mechanic know I was unhappy, send him a pack of hearing aid batteries and find another garage in future. i once had a 60 profile tyre fitted on one side and a 65 profile on the other by a local tyre fitter by mistake (both should have been 65), I didn't notice at the time and 3 months later the car failed the MOT due to the mix of profiles on the wrong axle. I went back to the tyre fitter and he apologised profusely, fitted me a new 65 profile for free and offered to pay for the MOT retest. I declined the payment offer due to the fact that there was a rustty brake pipe wanted doing as well to pass, but that's what I call service. Needless to say I always use the same tyre fitter when I buy tyres now.
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Just to point out, the OP actually requested 60 profile tyres, its hardly his fault if the mech has dodgy hearing or likes to roam around a potentially noisy environment on a DECT phone, so therefore the mechanic didnt fit what was asked for. Why say sorry? - it'd be dishonest to apologise for someone elses mistake however genuinely it was made. Looks like its the mech's mistake to me.
I'd just take the whole thing on the chin and carry on using the guy to save you "cutting your nose off to spite your face" If he refunded you,and provided you felt you would carry on using him, he'd only get the money back through your next service bill.
Think of all the hassle involved in cadging lifts of people etc etc to get to another garage.
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Not sure if its much help, but i had H profile tyres fitted instead of V, went back to well known tryre place and they apologised and ordered 2 more, no probs, didnt even question what i ordered.
I reckon some one has paid full price for the H ones as new though....
Jon
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Just to point out, I mentioned you would need to check aspect ratios re: MOT
I just checked and the 60 and 65 are the aspect ratios and they are too much different to pass an MOT
So you have to consider what you will do if say you get a puncture or uneven wear on one wheel. What you could do is revert back to your normal size for the new tyre (if req'd) and make sure that for the MOT you put the spare wheel on opposite it on the same axle.
If you have an MOT with 60 on one side 65 on other side it will fail.
But for normal driving outside the MOT you would want to put the odd sized wheels on the rear axle - to wear down the remaining one with the 65 aspect IUSWIM.
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But for normal driving outside the MOT you would want to put the odd sized wheels on the rear axle - to wear down the remaining one with the 65 aspect IUSWIM.
???? What?
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Ok,
tunacat (btw you shouldn't feed cats lots of tuna) has 4 tyres at the wrong size, when (for the sake of convienience I'll assume tunacat is male) he replaces the tyres he will want to gradually convert back to the correct size.......right? It's not as if he will want to buy more at the wrong size.
Ok so the scenario is 1 tyre needs replacing for whatever reason.
He now has two correct size tyres and 3 incorrect size tyres ...........yes?
But he still wants to wear down (use up) the incorrect size tyres so he wants 3 incorrect tyres on the car and 1 correct size. I suggest he puts the correct size tyre on the rear, I suggested this because of the issue of the speedometer. However, if the speedometer is based on the revolutions of only 1 of the front wheels, he could just put the correct tyre on the relevant front wheel that gives redings to the speedometer. If the speedometer runs on readings from both front wheels then I suggest to avoid confusing the speedometer to put the correct size tyre on the rear.
But as I explained for the MOT he would have to remove the incorrect tyre (which is opposite the correct size tyre) and replace it with the spare which is another correct size tyre, so that the car will pass the MOT.
ok now?
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Like Aprilia, I am almost too stunned to respond.
Apart from some very specific exceptions which are noted in the MOT manual, you should never use differing sized tyres on the same axle. Full-stop!!!
To recommend this course of action to others is quite reckless - it's on par with the suggestion of disabling the ABS!! Horatio's approach to car maintenance does tend to lurch and skid towards the cavalier and unsafe end of the spectrum.
Tunacat has only two options;
1) get the garage to put the correct tyres on
2) inform his insurers, and check they are OK with these tyres, and, after checking that there are no potential fouling issues, use the tyres as they are, accepting that the speedo will not read correctly. (In all likeliehood, the speedo will still be safe, although a check with a gps might be helpful)
Number_Cruncher
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I took aprilia's "what?" to be genuine confusion, not moralising.
I don't give two hoots for your moralising, give your opinion on "nanny" road safety by all means but I'd appreciate it if you didn't direct it at me with your (what I take to be) personal attacks.
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Horatio, I don't know you personally, and hence, I can't make personal attacks. However, I can point out that the advice you have given in this thread was spectacularly incorrect and unsafe. So, nothing personal - purely technical!
Number_Cruncher
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How can you say a MAX 7mm difference in ride height (not taking into account intervening wear on the incorrect tyre at the time of the puncture), is "spectacularly incorrect and unsafe"? People up and down the country regularly drive around with differences of 4mm or thereabouts with no problems whatsoever. and here you are saying that an extra mm or 2 or 3(Max) suddenly makes the car unsafe. Doesn't make sense to me.
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Infact people regularly have more than 4mm because in addition to the tread wear a worn tyre will sag more than brandnew tyre so when they put a new tyre opposite a worn tyre the diff will be more than 4mm.............and you call this spectacularly unsafe?
Plus my advice was not incorrect because I flagged up correctly the car would not pass the MOT with odd tyres on the same axle.
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But as I explained for the MOT he would have to remove the incorrect tyre (which is opposite the correct size tyre) and replace it with the spare which is another correct size tyre, so that the car will pass the MOT.
Did you consider what the reason for the MOT forbidding this is?
I think you'd have to be some sort of fool to consider running with different sized tyres on the same axle.
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Fine, I'm a fool, get over it.
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It's a difference of 7mm in ride height, big wow! and that's not taking into account any wear on the incorrect size tyre at the time 1 of the tyres has to be replaced (for whatever reason)
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Is ride height the only thing effected? What about rolling radius? The difference it makes to the suspension? I'm sure there are more differences besides, but I'm no mechanic.
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It happened to me once, about 18 years ago. I drove more than half a mile on them too, before I realised something was odd (speedometer, ride and handling didn't seem right). They were replaced, without quibble, after I said they should have checked with me, as the tyres they fitted were so different to the ones they replaced.
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Incompetance.
to take 60's off and put 65's on without at least checking with the owner is a best a severe mistake or at worst shear incompetance, either he fits new tyres or someone else does and you see him in the small claims court.
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And in the court he says "thats the size he said he wanted !"
His word against the other? Don't think it will get very far !
Far better to go back to the seller, explain the problem in a civilised manner and talk about a compromise where he gets the "right" tyres and the supplier doesnt lose too much money etc!
Something like how it should be without all the threats (that never help) of court and sue etc.
Every trader hears this a lot, not just motor traders I add, and even though the spoken word has the same lawful equality as written words, unless there is proof of that conversation then the 2 sides will never agree what was said so how can the court?
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I did something similar to this with the Astra - accidently bought the wrong profile tyres on t´internet, not my finest moment. The ´wrong´set went on eBay, incurring quite a loss, and I had to buy another set - don´t tell Mrs Barchetta.
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The seller won't lose out. The tyres are 99.9% new so he'll fit them to the next customer who needs this size.
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Before the tyres the speedo was probably reading 3% fast. Now its probably spot on the money.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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