46 replies to this topic

[chrisholland1983]

no i think a non tyre fitter should have a go its not as easy as it looks

[panelbeaterpeter]

Thats because they're monkeys!

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

A common term for people who fit tyres in the garage trade is "tyre monkeys".. or it has been wherever I've worked anyway. I know your other half is a tyre fitter, apologies if any offence was taken, none was intended

[panelbeaterpeter]

no i think a non tyre fitter should have a go its not as easy as it looks

And I agree, took me a while to figure it out!

[Domlin]

I had 2 new tyres fitted today, with all 4 wheels balanced and tracked...
No worries at all, and they jacked up on the subframe without me even asking
They also gave me a free minilite wheel that they had laying around, and put a tyre on it to use as my spare

[me madjoe 90]

Concidering how much it costs to run a garage nowerdays, Id say the prices are about right

Any way if they lowerd them i wouldent get payed as in the end the person at the bottem of the garages hirercy i.e the younger lads who get the rubbish jobs suffer the crappy pay

[AdamBilsy]

Concidering how much it costs to run a garage nowerdays, Id say the prices are about right

Any way if they lowerd them i wouldent get payed as in the end the person at the bottem of the garages hirercy i.e the younger lads who get the rubbish jobs suffer the crappy pay

We generally charge 5 a tyre fitted and balanced.

[Boycie]

I wouldn't mind paying top dollar if I knew it would be done without damage!!!

I know it's very difficult to change a tyre without marking a wheel, but come on- mine were 70-profile tyres, not some rubber-band 30 profiles or whatever they go down to nowadays!

I've changed tyres without a machine in the past, the sweat-inducing tyre lever and bead-breaker way and I didn't do any more damage than mr tyre fitter did with his £5k machine lol.

[Dan6061]

Stop using all the big franchise companies!
I used to work at a Just Tyres, and I hated it. All their prices are way too high, and there are a lot of dodgey people in that company. I just made sure that I wouldn't become one of them.
I then went up to one of the independant tyre fitters in the industrial estate and asked for a job, soon got offered a trial-day, and i'm still there now.

Myself and my boss are so fussy. The coloured dots on the tyres must line up with the valves so we get the balancing done properly, the DOT codes must always be on the outside edge - Wheel balancing aswell. When tyres are formed, the dot codes are at the bottom, so all the heavy particles end up at the bottom, so it becomes the heaviest side.
We only use stick-on weights on alloy wheels, as the knock-ons scratch the paint off, and also look horrible!
All the tyre soap is wiped off before going back on the car so it doesn't look messy.
We do use air guns, but only to nip up the nuts/bolts. Then they are torqued up to manufacturer spec'.

That's all I can think of for now, but my point is that not all tyre fitters are bad!
All I can suggest is that you hunt around for some independant guys on the little industrial estates. My boss will happily do a bit of work for cash, it's much easier.
We don't need to rip people off at work either, we hate the thought of it! If you treat customers with respect, then they come back to you.

[yorkshirechris]

We don't need to rip people off at work either, we hate the thought of it! If you treat customers with respect, then they come back to you.

^^ That's the sort of attitude which many independent places have because they actually value your custom. A "tyre monkey" (trying not to cause offence hence the inverted commas) in Kwik-Fit isn't bothered if you come back or not because after you there's 1000 other bog standard Focus-driving labrador-owning mortgaged-3-bed-house two-kids sunday-football sort of people who will happily take their car there without a second thought

[Dan6061]

That's it. The majority of my boss' customer base know that they won't get ripped off, so they literally leave us the keys and say '2 again on that please!' don't ask for the price or anything. Took me a while to get used to that actually!

[GreaseMonkey]

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

Someone call me?


I know how you feel Peter, at the moment I don't fell like getting tyres fitted to my refurbed alloys as I know they'll end up chipped.

[yorkshirechris]

If I can afford it, I actually go out of my way these days to go to an independent shop even if it's more expensive. This goes for anything - furniture, a bite to eat, even plants I resent places like B&Q.

[Burnard]

I know what you mean which is why im dreading having mine changed.

Would i be right in thinking that if they chip the wheel, the garage should in fact pay to repair or replace them?

[Shifty]

no i think a non tyre fitter should have a go its not as easy as it looks

Pah!!! How difficult can it be

[Burnard]

no i think a non tyre fitter should have a go its not as easy as it looks

Pah!!! How difficult can it be

Fail top gear quote.