Tire shop totally screwed up moving tires over to new wheels

[Natesi]

I bought an old car, late this summer. After getting new tires, the tire shop (Discount Tire) said 3 of the 4 wheels were bent. They wanted a fortune just for steel wheels, and since I didn’t want to mess with hub centric rings with aftermarket wheels, I bought some OE alloy wheels from the junkyard and painstakingly refinished them.

I specifically requested when they remount the tires to the new wheels to keep the front and rear tires paired together. They said of course they would – that’s “normal and expected".

Well, they put the front tires on the left side of the car and the rear tires on the right side of the car.

I realized this after I got home and started moving the tires around since I still had a vibration in the front (wanted to determine if it was the left or right front tire that was causing the vibration). Ultimately, I rotated both sides of the car and that’s when I discovered the problem.

Not only did they put both front tires on the left side of the car but they mounted one of them backwards – meaning what was formerly the outside of the tire was now the inside of the tire. They may have done this to the rear tires too but I can’t tell due to there being a lack of a wear pattern.

Anyway – I was able to eliminate the vibrations BUT now the car pulls pretty hard to the right, on the freeway.

I really don’t know if I want these idiots touching my car again. They screw something up EVERY SINGLE TIME – I’m not exaggerating. It’s a 30 mile drive in, each way, and usually a good 1 to 2 hours of wait time every time I go in there – it’s extremely frustrating.

QUESTION: If I leave everything as is, will the pulling on the freeway hurt anything and will it resolve itself? I know the alignment is good – just had it done after I got the tires, and the pulling wasn’t there before the “wheel / tire swap”.

The tires only have 3000 miles on them and the depth is the same, or virtually the same, on all tires. But of course, the wear pattern is different.

Thanks,

 

[eljefino]

Pulling, if your alignment is good, is a bad tire. Since you were good before, you might have two bad tires that cancelled each other out.

Tire shops really are a low common denominator. Nearly every chain store brags about its cheapness. In your case, overtly, in its name.

I suspect since your tread wear was even all throughout the tech lost track. Not an excuse, but an explanation.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

Bummer.
Next time, if it's that important (and you want to verify),
label the tires using CHALK where you want them to go.

 

[Natesi]

Bummer.
Next time, if it's that important (and you want to verify),
label the tires using CHALK where you want them to go.

They said they would chalk the tires, as standard practice.

They didn't.

I don't have chalk. I was going to mark them with a paint pen but it was raining out before my appointment and the tires were wet.

 

[gfh77665]

When DT told us they would not air up a tire because it didn't have enough air already in it, that says it all to me.

DT is not worth the hassel. Go to independant shops and avoid the DT hassel and stupidity.

 

[burbguy82]

I would not just think that the alignment was good just because you got it done. In other words, they might not have done a good job

 

[CKN]

When DT told us they would not air up a tire because it didn't have enough air already in it, that says it all to me.

DT is not worth the hassel. Go to independant shops and avoid the DT hassel and stupidity.

Trying to find context here-
Was the tire warm? What was the rationale here?

 

[CKN]

I bought an old car, late this summer. After getting new tires, the tire shop (Discount Tire) said 3 of the 4 wheels were bent. They wanted a fortune just for steel wheels, and since I didn’t want to mess with hub centric rings with aftermarket wheels, I bought some OE alloy wheels from the junkyard and painstakingly refinished them.

I specifically requested when they remount the tires to the new wheels to keep the front and rear tires paired together. They said of course they would – that’s “normal and expected".

Well, they put the front tires on the left side of the car and the rear tires on the right side of the car.

I realized this after I got home and started moving the tires around since I still had a vibration in the front (wanted to determine if it was the left or right front tire that was causing the vibration). Ultimately, I rotated both sides of the car and that’s when I discovered the problem.

Not only did they put both front tires on the left side of the car but they mounted one of them backwards – meaning what was formerly the outside of the tire was now the inside of the tire. They may have done this to the rear tires too but I can’t tell due to there being a lack of a wear pattern.

Anyway – I was able to eliminate the vibrations BUT now the car pulls pretty hard to the right, on the freeway.

I really don’t know if I want these idiots touching my car again. They screw something up EVERY SINGLE TIME – I’m not exaggerating. It’s a 30 mile drive in, each way, and usually a good 1 to 2 hours of wait time every time I go in there – it’s extremely frustrating.

QUESTION: If I leave everything as is, will the pulling on the freeway hurt anything and will it resolve itself? I know the alignment is good – just had it done after I got the tires, and the pulling wasn’t there before the “wheel / tire swap”.

The tires only have 3000 miles on them and the depth is the same, or virtually the same, on all tires. But of course, the wear pattern is different.

Thanks,

OK-it's a question beg to being asked-How many miles on the "old car"?

 

[daves87rs]

Like most places…

My DT is usually pretty good, but they did scratch one of my rims (they did offer to replace it though)

 

[Natesi]

OK-it's a question beg to being asked-How many miles on the "old car"?

It's a 2005 Elantra with 64K

 

[Natesi]

I would not just think that the alignment was good just because you got it done. In other words, they might not have done a good job

I got the alignment 3000 miles ago, just after the new tires -- and the car has been tracking great until yesterday. Now it pulls STRONGLY to the right, after they screwed up the tire placement and reversed the outside edge, on some of them.

 

[Natesi]

DT is not worth the hassel. Go to independant shops and avoid the DT hassel and stupidity.

There's another regional shop called Les Schwab, around here, but I quit going to them about 17 years ago because they kept messing things up too.

I guess I could try to find a local mom and pop's place - probably have better luck.

= )

 

[CKN]

There's another regional shop called Les Schwab, around here, but I quit going to them about 17 years ago because they kept messing things up too.

I guess I could try to find a local mom and pop's place - probably have better luck.

= )

It would be interesting to know what kind of Google reviews they are getting now and if the same employees are still employed there after 17 years.

 

[RaymondP]

Got to believe there is a serious reason for a tire to have an inside and an outside. Would fix asap. Dreading my next tire swap out as Discount Tire has been my go-to, along with Tire Rack. Front and rear are different sizes on my 3 series Beemer. Think I will take the wheels to the shop and install them in my garage. Also, will be sure to check the tire pressures before driving. Running Falken Euro Winter 439 winter tires at the moment and surviving the heavy snow weather well - touch wood!

 

[gfh77665]

Trying to find context here-
Was the tire warm? What was the rationale here?

I wrote about it in length before, it was one tire on my brothers lowboy trailer. The trailer had two wheels on each side, and was unloaded, so there was no heat or stress. In fact it was barely touching the ground. DT refused, told us to air it up elsewhere, then come back. Seriously?

 

[Pew]

I got the alignment 3000 miles ago, just after the new tires -- and the car has been tracking great until yesterday. Now it pulls STRONGLY to the right, after they screwed up the tire placement and reversed the outside edge, on some of them.

Are the tires directional and would you happen to have a copy of that alignment to show us?

I'm wondering like @eljefino stated if you had a bad alignment where the affects of a bad toe on both left and right was cancelling each other out.

The two DTs by me are usually wonderful to me but I personally know one person who's had several negative experiences with them

 

[srfdude]

I have used DT for ?20 years, maybe more. My whole family and a few friends use my account; they have never done anything that caused me any grief. Just lucky? Had a nail in a tire recently, they plugged it and rotated the tires, no charge.

 

[CKN]

I have used DT for ?20 years, maybe more. My whole family and a few friends use my account; they have never done anything that caused me any grief. Just lucky? Had a nail in a tire recently, they plugged it and rotated the tires, no charge.

The question is why are the wheels bent of his vehicle to begin with? My guess is the car was abused. Wheels don't get bent easily. The whole situation leaves more questions than it does answers.

 

[Natesi]

The question is why are the wheels bent of his vehicle to begin with? My guess is the car was abused. Wheels don't get bent easily. The whole situation leaves more questions than it does answers.

I'm not convinced all 3 wheels were bent. Only one was for sure. I think DT was partially making stuff up.

 

[Natesi]

Are the tires directional and would you happen to have a copy of that alignment to show us?

I'm wondering like @eljefino stated if you had a bad alignment where the affects of a bad toe on both left and right was cancelling each other out.

The two DTs by me are usually wonderful to me but I personally know one person who's had several negative experiences with them

Only reason why I got the alignment was because I replaced all four struts. The car has tracked great after the alignment. The pulling didn't start until they completely messed up the tire swap, this Saturday.