Wheel refurb Edinburgh area
- Thread starter AlS3BE
- Start date
sparkymark75
Registered User
Got a new one. This is for the scrapes on the inside of the wheels when I was getting new tyres.
The face still looks great which was the bit I was more worried about so they did great on that front. Probably when they mounted the wheel it scraped along the brake disc or calipers. Noticed today the front caliper has a weird scrape on it just under the S which wasn’t there when I cleaned it over the weekend. That’s broken through the paint and to the metal like someone keyed it.
I’ve decided I hate cars now
Flying Scotsman
Registered User
So true....my RS6 replacement alloys were all damaged by an incompetent mechanic when installing new tyres....face damage and rim damage. All four replaced with new ones at the tyre shop's expense... that was an expensive lesson for them. Needless to say that shop did not get the job of fitting the tyres on the new rims. I found a shop with a touchless tyre replacing machine ...really neat to see in operation and not a mark on the alloys and I am fussy!!!
This is a similar machine
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX43c-gBamk
Not many tyre shops around here would invest in a machine like this at probably 10 times the cost of a traditional human operated machine.
My problem wasn’t replacing the tyre on the wheel more to do with removing/mounting the wheel on to the hub. There’s no machine to do that yet unfortunately. There are however guide pins to use to reduce the risk. I got 3 sets of the Audi plastic ones to stop me doing that when I’m switching winters/summers. I’m quite anal/ocd when it comes to these things too. Definitely beyond ‘fussy’
The guide pins work really well, and as well as avoiding damage make the job much easier.
But have you ever seen a tyre fitter use them?
But have you ever seen a tyre fitter use them?
Don’t think I have but then I haven’t had tyre fitters damage the inside of the wheel. Always seem to be outside/face and one of the dealers I used to use damaged the bores holes where the bolt goes through on 3 out of 4 wheels with an air gun.
Cant win unless I do it all myself.
How does one find a tyre fitter who will treat your wheels with care? It’s very hit and miss. The last two tyres I had fitted seemed fine, with no damage on the wheel faces. But when I had the wheels off for cleaning, both had indentation patterns on their inners caused by the jaws of the fitting machine. Not easily visible when the wheel is fitted, but intensely annoying to me, and very expensive to fix.
I would happily pay a premium for a quality service, but all my local fitters seem only concerned with competing on price. With tight margins and pressure on quick turnaround this doesn’t encourage careful work, or support salary levels which would attract skilled staff.
I’m aware that companies selling alloy wheels often offer tyre fitting, and I wonder if they might be a better prospect?
I would happily pay a premium for a quality service, but all my local fitters seem only concerned with competing on price. With tight margins and pressure on quick turnaround this doesn’t encourage careful work, or support salary levels which would attract skilled staff.
I’m aware that companies selling alloy wheels often offer tyre fitting, and I wonder if they might be a better prospect?
Some dealers aren’t any better.
It’s pot luck. Some are better than others.
I’ve used an old basic tyre machine and changed tyres on my old cars before and never damaged my own alloys but then I took my time and care. Tyre fitters whether dealer or kwik fit don’t want to spend 30-45 minutes doing 1 tyre. It’s more like 10 minutes with an air gun.
Flying Scotsman
Registered User
Dead right, it come up to the skill and patience of the tyre fitter, unfortunately most are not very good. Most shops use metal scrappers or screwdrivers to get the weights off!!!
I had to do quite a bit of research to find a shop that had a touchless machine and knew how to take balance weights off with no damage. They use a specially designed tool that grips the wheel weight that removes the weight but leaves the adhesive strip which is then removed with adhesive remover.
I had to do quite a bit of research to find a shop that had a touchless machine and knew how to take balance weights off with no damage. They use a specially designed tool that grips the wheel weight that removes the weight but leaves the adhesive strip which is then removed with adhesive remover.
