Re: [Chrysler300] Causion

[Ray Jones <hurst300@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Roger, it looks like they should have been willing to help in any way 
they could. In your case, which is not the norm, you are a great 
customer, and should be treated as such. But your original post proves 
my point, it's not the kind of job they are used to. Or  equipped to 
do. I also must watch and/or be involved when I let others work on my 
stuff. I'm a retired Master Tech and know how I want it done. I worked 
all my Professional career as a "flat rate" mechanic. I retired not as 
wealthy as I could, by selling my customers only what they really 
needed right now and advised them what would be  needed later. I always 
felt it was better to have loyal customers than angry ones.
I don't even want to think about what goes on in the kitchen....

I worked on quite a few cars with very pricey wheels and very picky 
owners. It was a fun challenge  to me to keep the added weight to a 
minimum. Also, less chance to have a "comeback" from a thrown weight.

Chrysler 300 lesson here is: Balance and mark  the wheel first, then 
add the tire. Slower, but more precise.
Regards, Ray


On Jan 4, 2005, at 10:24 PM, Roger Schaaf wrote:

> 14.00 per hour at this store for these guys.   You are correct that I 
> did
> not buy the tires there as they do not sell Diamondbacks, however have
> purchased 6 new sets of tires from these guys the past 4 years.  My 
> family
> members and neighbors have also given their business to these folks.  
> The
> last set cost me 280.00 per tire for my XJR Jag(18 inch wheels).  So I 
> am
> not just an average rumdum customer who buys his tires elsewhere at a 
> cheap
> price and have someone else mount them just to save a few bucks.  My 
> real
> point was that never trust anyone to mount your tires if you are not 
> there
> to watch and guide.  In fact I hate to have any work of any kind done 
> on my
> cars or motorcycles by any shop where I can not watch the action.  As 
> most
> of us know and can all relate tales of woe, a large percentage of them 
> are
> totally incompetent, will cheat you royally when given the 
> opportunity, sell
> you much of what you do not need at grossly inflated labor 
> charges(perhaps
> you all have not heard of the so called "flat rate scheme" so popular 
> in
> California.  I know there are many honest competent shops out there, 
> but
> picking the pepper out of the flyspecks is about as hard as buying the 
> right
> stocks that will be going up and not be going down.  So I do most all 
> of my
> own work and service where possible.  I have the same feeling when 
> eating in
> restaurants where I cannot see what is going on in the kitchen.  Would
> probably really give me a good case of religion if I did however.
>
> Taping or gluing weights on the insides of the wheels is what I was
> suggesting as a method to almost get a good dynamic balance in the 
> hands of
> a competent tire guy using a decent balancer.  Most guys either cannot 
> or
> will not take the time(preferring to just pound a bunch of weights on 
> the
> outside of your multi-hundred dollar aluminum or wire wheels).
>
> Take a look at the beat up edges of some of the aluminum wheels that 
> you
> will see on late model cars.  Much of what you see could be curb rash, 
> but a
> large percentage of it, is the result of mounting/dismounting of tires 
> using
> machines not designed to protect these wheels from damage and or poorly
> trained technicians who should be doing some other line of work.  
> Someone
> else noted too, those who just "cinch" them up with their 400 ft pound 
> air
> wrench, thereby stripping threads or warping hubs and wheels.  Watch 
> the
> action when they remove your lug bolts with their 400 pound air wrench 
> when
> they are doing your reverse threads on your 300.
>
> Does all this make anyone else want to watch next time you get your 
> tires
> mounted at Costco?
>
> Roger Schaaf
> 300 B Calif
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ray Jones" <hurst300@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "Warren Anderson" <wranderson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: "Listserver" <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
> <macthehammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Roger Schaaf" <obiwan10@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 2:44 PM
> Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Causion
>
>
>> There were 2 basic problems with this tire story.
>> First and foremost, THEY did NOT sell the tires. (So don't care much)
>> Secondly, anybody working there for minimum wage isn't that interested
>> in mounting  "Problem"  tires, not to mention "tubes". What the heck
>> are they?. Most kids have never  seen them.
>>
>> And if they didn't know how to  balance Statically (just measure the
>> wheel and push some buttons on the Balancer), they don't need to work
>> on my tires.
>>
>> Before retiring, I worked at an Acura dealer and was the NSX tech. Had
>> to mount and balance tires on them and each tire was different. Fronts
>> and Backs and Lefts and Rights. You just had to focus!
>>   I always spun the bare rim first and marked it's heavy spot, if any.
>> Then when balancing the tire/rim assembly, if the heavy spot was near
>> where the rims heavy spot was,  I broke it down and shifted the tire
>> around the rim to get a better (less or no weight) balance.
>>
>> And when balancing, I hid stick-on  weights behind the webs, almost
>> dynamic balancing. I deal now with a "good ol' boy" Rural shop, and
>> they mount everything from 8" wheelbarrow tires to 38" Heavy equipment
>> tires. Some with tubes and tread liners. They also have a pipe bender
>> and custom make duals....you ought to hear my Dakota!
>>
>> Ray
>>
>> It's getting time for y'all to be polishing up your rides for the
>> Spring Meet! Be there, or be Square!  Ray Jones
>>
>> On Jan 4, 2005, at 11:02 AM, Warren Anderson wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>> A couple of years ago I replaced my bias Remington's with 
>>>> Diamondback
>>>> radials(had to do this twice as on the first set the whitewalls all
>>>> turned
>>>> brown).  I had ordered them by phone and when they arrived by UPS, I
>>>> threw
>>>> them in my B and headed for the local tire store to have them 
>>>> mounted.
>>> Mind
>>>> you this was a store called Wheel Works and they were one of many
>>>> stores
>>> of
>>>> a large chain of tire stores who you would assume would know 
>>>> something
>>> about
>>>> tires and TUBES.
>>>
>>>
>>> We have seen a number of serious problems generated by tire shops. 
>>> Big
>>> chain
>>> tire shops and local specialists. One common big mistake they make is
>>> in the
>>> use of air tools to reach final wheel fastener torque. With or 
>>> without
>>> 'Torque Sticks', air wrenches on street driven vehicles cause a lot 
>>> of
>>> problems. I did notice that the Flagstaff Sam's Club tire shop uses
>>> manual
>>> torque wrenches.
>>>
>>> A rotating static balance can be accomplished with weights in only 
>>> one
>>> plain. The dynamic balance is only accomplished with wheel weights in
>>> two
>>> planes (when weights are required).
>>>
>>> It is good practice to powder (talc and I have used baby powder when 
>>> I
>>> did
>>> not have tire talc) the inside of tires when tubes are used. Always
>>> inflate
>>> fully and deflate then reinflate to road use pressure.
>>>
>>> Tire shops that deal with passenger car tires and truck tires should
>>> have
>>> people that can deal with tube tires in an expert manner.
>>>
>>> We are not a tire shop but do work with tires like the ones on a 
>>> local
>>> fleet
>>> of Hummers http://hummeraffair.com/. The tires are bias ply things 
>>> from
>>> Mickey Thompson as all radial tire production is supposedly going to
>>> Iraq.
>>> Run flats for these vehicles are GREASE lubricated between the outer
>>> and
>>> inners. These we will not be working with; one very good man, one
>>> hard, full
>>> day to change out four tires we have been told.
>>>
>>> Warren Anderson
>>> Sedona,AZ
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>



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