46 replies to this topic

[panelbeaterpeter]

Has anyone else noticed how rubbish most tyre places are with mini's? A while ago, I brought Flo to a tyre place in Weston called Formula First, basically a kwik fit kinda place. I was having new tyres fitted. I picked the car up and they had jacked up on the floor pans, and of course as a result they were pushed up about 4 inches further up than they should have been.. I only noticed a week or so later, and managed to beat them down well enough. Last week I needed the tyres sealed around the bead because they were leaking air slightly after being sat all winter. I drove in, first thing I said was "make sure you jack it on the subframes won't you".. to which the tyre monkey said 'yeah yeah', and at the same time wheeled the jack under the floor pan.. So I pointed out where to jack it up properly and he carried on, sealed the tyres, and I picked it up later in the day. There was tyre goo and bead sealant all over my nice clean tyres and wheels, and one of the sleeve nuts hadn't been fitted with the washer, so was dangling in mid air only making contact with the hub. They had all been tightened right up with a rattle gun, far too tight, I struggled to remove them with a breaker bar, how the studs didn't snap I don't know.. They obviously have never heard of torquing them up properly..

All that was done by Formula First in Weston-super-Mare, if you have a mini and live in Weston, avoid them!!

Then today I was having two new front tyres fitted as they were barely legal and I have a long drive to Scotland coming up, and wanted them to be right.
I took Flo to a different garage which I had been recommended to, all was fine except they jacked it up on the front of the subframe where the tie bars mount, so when it was jacked up, most of the weight of the car was on the end of the tie bars.. by the time I'd noticed it was too late, I just hope they're not bent, I've had that happen before. I pointed it out to the guy and he said he would remember for next time, seemed like a good bloke. That was National Tyres, in W-s-M.

So basically, tyre places need educating in how to treat mini's!!

I hereby declare rant over.

Thank you please.

Edited by panelbeaterpeter, 24 May 2010 - 04:25 PM.

[AdamBilsy]

I work part time in a tyre fitting place, And I wouldn't trust any of the people I work with to touch my car.

[bcjames]

Atlas Tyres in Cardiff, jacked up on floor plans leaving a crack in my floor. Snapped the lugs from my centre caps, didnt balance the wheels on the insides like I had asked, and snapped a stud when refitting the wheels. The offered to sort the stud out, came out with a claw hammer and a screwdriver to remove it. I felt it safer to drive home on 3 studs and sort it all myself! Every time I need to do anything with my tyres, I feel like I should check ebay for the kit to do it myself (read: properly).

[Ipod]

I work part time in a tyre fitting place, And I wouldn't trust any of the people I work with to touch my car.

Now thats what i called bieng honest....good on you mate

[HARBER07]

This is why I take the wheels off the car for them.

[lawnmowercrap]

Thats because they're monkeys!

I work at a garage and with it being main dealer, I have to regularly pop out to backstreets to help them if they are struggling with a fault. I'd never trust anyone fron Kwik Fit / National Tyres / Tanvic. Not after what i've seen!

[evansisgreat]

I avoid all these places like the plague.
I use a mobile tyre fitter and he comes to my house, and I watch him fit it. The last couple of guys were good, they both asked me the what the correct torque for the wheels was (40-45lb IIRC?) which I thought was nice.

[Jet_black]

I think I will take the wheels of my car when I need new tyres after hearing what everyone has said.

[Boycie]

Agreed. I always take the wheels with me in another car and have them fitted like that. There's no way some ignorant air-wrench crazed moron is going to bend my original floorpans!!

I've yet to find any place that doesn't mess up the paint on the wheels and I'm really starting to have issue with the prices you pay to have one tyre fitted nowadays!!

[panelbeaterpeter]

Yes if I had another car to transport the wheels and somewhere where I could safely leave it on stands then I'd have done that, cost me £20 today to get 2 tyres fitted, and that was a nudge nudge wink wink cash deal!

[Boycie]

I know the feeling.

When I was refurbing my reverse rims, I first had to have the 1980s tyres removed (£20), then all the palava of wheel refurbishment and finally the new tyres fitted and balanced (£48). And guess what, the tyre man chipped the (brand new) paint job terribly on two wheels- back to square one lol!

Time for a TMF tyre machine?

[v8mini]

also if you take loose wheels to them they wont try and con you into a free wheel alignment check that will always be out

[chrisholland1983]

which "monkey" is going to use this TMF tyre machine then?

[minijo]

Thats because they're monkeys!

That annoys me. Not all of them are monkeys, you are showing your ignorance by generalising.

[mighty mini jack]

which "monkey" is going to use this TMF tyre machine then?

That'll be you Chris