Man garages will disagree with you just because...

[Thermo1223]

So the Jetta needed to new front tires, when I got it a while back apparently the previous owner either want slightly wider tires or that all they had in stock.

Factory:

195/65/R15 91H

Current:

205/60/R15 91H

I was going to take it in a regional chain but figured I'd give the independent garage a shot since they always tell me they are cheaper. I've used them in the past for various things. Even let me bring my own oil & filter if I want and just charge for labor. The shop was sold I think...the old owner isn't out front anymore and there are some new faces.

Told him the tire size from the door not even thinking about what was actually on the car. Realized this when I got to work and called him up right away to change it. He asked why I said that is what the car came with I didn't even think about it til I got back to work.

Now I would wholly understand if it was something crazy like trying to mash a super wide 245 on there. So when I dropped it off this morning the guy behind the counter looked as if when he did put the tires on the FBI would be swarming his shop to haul him away. I seriously didn't get what the big deal was. They are a tad wider with a tiny bit shorter sidewall. Hek they are Yokohama Avid Envigors not some cheap tire anyway.

Whatever, this isn't the first time a shop cared so much about a minute detail. I dare not even ask if they would use my own oil & filter now.

 

[SatinSilver]

So they put on the correct tires at first, you call them and tell them to put on some different ones. Then don't like how they acted once you picked it up. I don't see any issues here. I'd go back to them again. No harm, no foul.

 

[Thermo1223]

No sorry I just was in there to make an appointment because the tires had to be ordered.

Crucial piece of info I'll admit. The tires are actually getting installed today.

 

[redhat]

I'm sort of dealing with a similar situation.

My Accord takes 215/60/16 which I do run for all-season/summer tires. I went to a tire shop yesterday and dropped off my four steelies and ordered/payed for them to install four 205/65/16 Blizzak WS70's for the winter. The guy mentioned a few times how if they had the car here they couldn't do that but since I just brought them rims, it was OK.

For our Impala, which we plan to use the one set of alloy wheels, looks like I will have to temporarily put the car on jack stands while I take the wheels in to get the 215/65/16 Hankook iPike tires put on. The Impala takes 225/60/16.

I understand the liability, but I guess in this day and age its an all or northing viewpoint.

 

[Thermo1223]

See I just bought some used snows for the wife's Forester, same situation, not the exact size. I wonder if hers will also be on jack stands because I don't really want to argue with people.

I get the liability too, same reason just about every shop in my area refuses to patch tires at all or if they do it is only in the very center of the tread. Luckily one shop will still do it if I need it.

Apparently as sue happy as people are the service industry is running scared.

 

[faramir9]

Originally Posted By: redhat
I'm sort of dealing with a similar situation.

My Accord takes 215/60/16 which I do run for all-season/summer tires. I went to a tire shop yesterday and dropped off my four steelies and ordered/payed for them to install four 205/65/16 Blizzak WS70's for the winter. The guy mentioned a few times how if they had the car here they couldn't do that but since I just brought them rims, it was OK.

For our Impala, which we plan to use the one set of alloy wheels, looks like I will have to temporarily put the car on jack stands while I take the wheels in to get the 215/65/16 Hankook iPike tires put on. The Impala takes 225/60/16.

I understand the liability, but I guess in this day and age its an all or northing viewpoint.


Wow. I understand the liability thing if the alternative-sized tires do not meet OE speed and load ratings---or even if they are more than, say, 3% off in diameter/rpm. But have we reached the point where shops will not install a tire that meets all OE specs and is within 1.5% of the OE diameter, just because it's not the precise size listed on the door jamb?

Oy.

 

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted By: faramir9
Originally Posted By: redhat
I'm sort of dealing with a similar situation.

My Accord takes 215/60/16 which I do run for all-season/summer tires. I went to a tire shop yesterday and dropped off my four steelies and ordered/payed for them to install four 205/65/16 Blizzak WS70's for the winter. The guy mentioned a few times how if they had the car here they couldn't do that but since I just brought them rims, it was OK.

For our Impala, which we plan to use the one set of alloy wheels, looks like I will have to temporarily put the car on jack stands while I take the wheels in to get the 215/65/16 Hankook iPike tires put on. The Impala takes 225/60/16.

I understand the liability, but I guess in this day and age its an all or northing viewpoint.


Wow. I understand the liability thing if the alternative-sized tires do not meet OE speed and load ratings---or even if they are more than, say, 3% off in diameter/rpm. But have we reached the point where shops will not install a tire that meets all OE specs and is within 1.5% of the OE diameter, just because it's not the precise size listed on the door jamb?

Oy.


Yup, that is where we are...
I took my wife's trailblazer to Wal-mart to have some tires installed I purchased online. They were a size wider, and size lower in aspect ratio to maintain nearly an identical rolling radius. THey also had a higher speed and load rating than what was required by the OEM. They pulled the blazer into the garage, pulled the first rim off the vehicle, realized the sizes were not identical, put it back together and said they could not complete the work. I pointed out the specs and tried to explain it was OK, and why...but they were not having any of it. At one point the manage mentioned that if I brought just the wheels in, they could do it. At that point I was kind of being sarcastic, but asked if I just jacked up the truck in the parking lot and brought them in one at a time they could do it...to my surprise they agreed...and to make it even more interesting he offered to let me use their tools. So...that is exactly what I did (using their tools) - jacked up one corner at a time and rolled the rims through the door. I have to say I think the work was done in about the same amount of time...although with a bit more sweat on my part.

 

[faramir9]

Originally Posted By: Thermo1223
See I just bought some used snows for the wife's Forester, same situation, not the exact size. I wonder if hers will also be on jack stands because I don't really want to argue with people.

I get the liability too, same reason just about every shop in my area refuses to patch tires at all or if they do it is only in the very center of the tread. Luckily one shop will still do it if I need it.

Apparently as sue happy as people are the service industry is running scared.


Try Firestone. The one up here is great in all ways except some of their prices. Best chain auto shop I know. They are independently owned so that could vary. The tires I had installed there were OE spec per door jamb, but I think the guys I dealt with would listen to reason on going minus-size for winter tires. (Unless the winter tires did not meet the OE load rating spec; in that case they might have a point.)

 

[SwampSurvivor]

If it's not the OE spec'd size they won't touch it.

Luckily i have separate winter and summer wheels. Otherwise I'd be in trouble.

They don't like that I run 185/65-15 instead of 195/60-15. Thank you personal injury lawyers!

This weekend I'm going to buy TWO 185/65-15 snow tires. I'll probably cause someone to have a heart attack.

 

[faramir9]

Redhat: Note that the iPike in 215/65/16 is rated 98T, per the Hankook site. (not that speed rating should be an issue with a snow tire; in this case it exceeds OE spec, I think.) I assume your Impala came with 225/60/16 GY Integrity? If so, they are rated 97S. The diameter difference is about 1.3-1.4%, per tire size calculators.

Would love to hear any rational argument for refusing to install the iPikes, other than "That's not what the computer says."

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: faramir9

Would love to hear any rational argument for refusing to install the iPikes, other than "That's not what the computer says."


There's a team of ambulance chasers salivating at the chance to sue a tire shop over installing "wrong" sized tires.

 

[faramir9]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
If it's not the OE spec'd size they won't touch it.

Luckily i have separate winter and summer wheels. Otherwise I'd be in trouble.

They don't like that I run 185/65-15 instead of 195/60-15. Thank you personal injury lawyers!

This weekend I'm going to buy TWO 185/65-15 snow tires. I'll probably cause someone to have a heart attack.


Even for *** winter *** tires they will not install a minus zero-sized set that meets all OE specs?

Unreal.

 

[eljefino]

Get one of these already.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: faramir9
Originally Posted By: Miller88
If it's not the OE spec'd size they won't touch it.

Luckily i have separate winter and summer wheels. Otherwise I'd be in trouble.

They don't like that I run 185/65-15 instead of 195/60-15. Thank you personal injury lawyers!

This weekend I'm going to buy TWO 185/65-15 snow tires. I'll probably cause someone to have a heart attack.


Even for *** winter *** tires they will not install a minus zero-sized set that meets all OE specs?

Unreal.


Nope. The door placcard says 195/60-15 ... that is ALL they will install. Period. Quite asinine if you ask me.

The snow tires are actually a hair taller and seem to have a higher load rating.

 

[surfstar]

Then how does Discount Tire Direct get off by offering these (2000 Civic) as my tire choices?:

185/65-14
Original Tire Size

The tire size listed is the most common original fitment for your vehicle, however some vehicles have different original equipment tire options. Please check your current tires for the appropriate size.

Optional Tire Sizes

Plus Zero
175/70-14
195/60-14
195/65-14
205/60-14
215/60-14

Plus One
175/65-15
185/60-15
195/55-15
205/55-15

Plus Two
175/55-16
185/55-16
195/50-16
205/45-16
205/50-16
215/45-16

Plus Three
195/40-17
195/45-17
205/40-17
215/40-17

Plus Four
215/35-18

 

[IndyIan]

They probably just look at the load ratings, equal or higher is good enough! And it is really, there's nothing magical about the tire size the factory picks. For a regular car, it hardly matters IMHO. Look at how different a snow tire is constructed and performs compared to a UHP tire of the same size? I've run a range of tire sizes on the Neon, and they all drove fine, the overall balance of the car remained the same, wether 155/80R13 snows, or 205/50R15 R compounds.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Get one of these already.

I have a Coates 20-20...

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Don't need that, I have ...

 

[NMBurb02]

Originally Posted By: surfstar
Then how does Discount Tire Direct get off by offering these (2000 Civic) as my tire choices?:

185/65-14
Original Tire Size

The tire size listed is the most common original fitment for your vehicle, however some vehicles have different original equipment tire options. Please check your current tires for the appropriate size.

Optional Tire Sizes

Plus Zero
175/70-14
195/60-14
195/65-14
205/60-14
215/60-14

Plus One
175/65-15
185/60-15
195/55-15
205/55-15

Plus Two
175/55-16
185/55-16
195/50-16
205/45-16
205/50-16
215/45-16

Plus Three
195/40-17
195/45-17
205/40-17
215/40-17

Plus Four
215/35-18

DT did a plus zero for me on the Burb so the two tires I was buying would match the two that the PO had put on shortly before I bought it.

Do the tire shops you all have had problems with also sell wheels? If so, I would think they would be fine with doing non-OEM tire sizes, as not doing so would seriously limit their aftermarket wheel offerings.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I think it also depends on the state's liability laws.

NY is crazy about that stuff. If YOU steal my car and crash into someone, I can be held liable.