The anal amongst us

PiKe · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:28

When you have to have new tyres fitting do you go to the trouble of asking the tyre fitter to be careful not to damage your alloys or do you just throw caution to the wind and let the gods decide?

Matt82 · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:29

i ask them. just say they were refurbed not long ago so be careful with them

cymatty · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:30

I take them to a place where I would not have to tell them to be careful.

Columbo · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:32

I drive a Focus C-MAX diesel these days.

Alloy damage is the least of my worries..!!

Firestar_3x · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:36

Yep, i've asked them in the past, but then again i only take my cars to garages i trust.

Jez · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:38

I generally watch over all work that is ever done to my cars as much as i can, every time i have had a tyre fitted in recent times i have stood right next to them and watched them do it. As a result they probably get annoyed at me, but i am yet to have any mishaps

snowdog · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:39

Nope, my alloys are worth bugger all...

LizardKing · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:40

Whats the point in asking, its not like they throw them around unless specifically asked not to. Its like asking a chef not to burn your steak.

DM · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:43

Jez said:
I generally watch over all work that is ever done to my cars as much as i can, every time i have had a tyre fitted in recent times i have stood right next to them and watched them do it. As a result they probably get annoyed at me, but i am yet to have any mishaps

That's me as well.

agw_01 · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:47

Jez said:
I generally watch over all work that is ever done to my cars as much as i can, every time i have had a tyre fitted in recent times i have stood right next to them and watched them do it. As a result they probably get annoyed at me, but i am yet to have any mishaps

This.

I tell them where to jack the car and also not to tighten the wheel nuts as I'll do them by hand.

Jez · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:49

agw_01 said:
not to tighten the wheel nuts as I'll do them by hand.

I need to start doing this. The last time i had a flat i almost broke my spanner by having to jump on it at the side of the road. It took me ages to change the wheel

Housey · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:51

My wife had 2 front wheels damaged on her Golf GTi by a tyre fitter a few years back and it cost them 2 new wheels. I had actually taken said tyre fitter to inspect the wheels prior to starting work (they were diamond cut and a right sod to work with) as I was worried he would mark them and sure enough he did, 2 nice indents from the tyre machine on both wheels. I went to the manager to complain and got the normal "they were like that when they arrived not our fault mate" attitude only to walk him into the garage, introduce him to his own tyre fitter who confirmed it was his mistake and then showed him the 2 photo's I had taken on my phone, just to be extra careful.

Fact is most garages ARE smash bang wallop merchants and you need to lay it out before hand your terms if you have concerns.

Confused · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:52

I only get my dad to do stuff like that to my car, so he knows not to damage them!

He managed to put new tyres onto a set of wheels which had only been painted 2 days previously without a single mark, whereas the next set of tyres placed onto them, 2 years later, by a mobile fitter organised by the new owner, managed to scuff and chip the paint to absolute hell!

agw_01 · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:55

Jez said:
I need to start doing this. The last time i had a flat i almost broke my spanner by having to jump on it at the side of the road. It took me ages to change the wheel

One knackered sill and damaged alloy wheel told me not to trust anyone working on my car.

Jez · 12 Apr 2010 at 15:58

agw_01 said:
One knackered sill and damaged alloy wheel told me not to trust anyone working on my car.

Im more thinking the use of air guns and spanners the size of houses to tighten the nuts after a tyre change

Definitely going to tell them to leave them loose next time!

PiKe · 12 Apr 2010 at 16:03

Going to make a point of pointing out the jacking points, I thought they might have used one of those under body lift things.

MikeHiow · 12 Apr 2010 at 16:05

I take mine to a friend with a garage, and do them myself - its the only sure way.

It does help that he has a very nice piece of kit to do it with. Everything is PU tipped to avoid scratched.

Tomsk · 12 Apr 2010 at 16:19

cymatty said:
I take them to a place where I would not have to tell them to be careful.

Ditto. My local tyre fitter takes care.

snowdog said:
Nope, my alloys are worth bugger all...

Well, my alloys cost a bit when I got them, but I consider them to be worth bugger all now.

Gib_Gib · 12 Apr 2010 at 16:23

I don't bother with telling them about my alloys (they are slowly getting curbed by the missus) but I watch where they are about to jack up the car from and if the do it in the wrong place I tell them. ( I have had to get tyres replaced in quick fitting garages on Sunday afternoons where ever I am spending the weekend at the time, otherwise I go to my local who is careful)

I once had to get a car fixed due to a YTS kid in a garage washing my car a little too vigorously in the garage while the car was being serviced, I ended paying for the recovery but the garage fixed it for free.

After the house the car is my most expensive possession, I am going to look after it.

Gaijin · 12 Apr 2010 at 16:28

I did with my RAYS, it went something along the line of:

"Please be careful with my RAYS, they are like my children"