New C5 Tires

I recently bought tires from TireRack.com. I wanted to change to the non-run-flat version of the W rated tire to have a better, softer ride. Including shipping, the cost was about $600 as opposed to $1,200 for the Goodyear F1 tires.

Early Saturday morning, I took the tires and Vette to a local Firestone to have them mounted for $120. So far I'm way ahead of the usual $1,350 total cost of the Goodyear tires. When I dropped the car off, I talked to a lady behind the counter about how much I like the car, and the store manager (a guy), who seemed very knowledgeable about the Vette wheels, tires and air pressure sensors in the wheel. It costs $10 extra per tire to mount because they must take extra precautions not to damage the sensor.

Conversation went like this:

ME: You guys are NOT going to put any weights on the outside of my bright, polished aluminum wheels, right? STORE MANAGER: "Oh, we would never do that! We are a REAL TIRE STORE! We know tires!! We're NOT A Jiffy Lube or K-MART!!!". (actual quote) ME: "GREAT!"

I left the car... When they called later in the day and said it was ready, my expectations were so high, I didn't carefully look at the wheels... Sunday I got it out to wash it, and HOLY COW! There were at LEAST 2 weights on the outside of each wheel...

I took it back Monday morning, and the lady I had talked to (The GENERAL MANAGER) was in the office. When I walked in, she did not expect to see me back again so soon...

GENERAL MANAGER: "Is there a problem?" ME: "yes, you guys have ruined a $2,000 set of wheels".

GENERAL MANAGER: "Oh, that can't be, I had my store manager do it personally, so that there'd be no problems!!!" ME: "You mean that the guy who I stood RIGHT HERE ON THIS SPOT and told not to put weights on the front is the one who did this!????"

GENERAL MANAGER: "Yes it was him... Oh, yes, I remember you saying that about the weights..." ME: "Let's get him in here and see what he has to say for himself..."

-------------------------------------AND NOW THE PUNCH LINE -------------------------------------

GENERAL MANAGER: "Oh, Saturday was his last day. He's moved to another city!" ME: "Well you better call him up and let him know he owes you some money."

GENERAL MANAGER: "Oh, I'm so sorry. you can have the scratches repaired" ME: "No I can't! YOU can!"

We walked out to the car. She took pictures with her digital phone camera. She said to contact someone to repair the damage, and let her know how much it is... She was very nice about the whole thing...

But, the damage is now done! The clear coat is scratched and torn, the wheel is scratched....

DAMN!

Reply to
Pappy
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You didn't stand there while they were doing this? How do you know they used the proper jacking points? Or put the sensors in the right wheels? I'm only asking since it sounds like you were dealing with an a**hole over there. You should look under your car to see how bad he screwed up the underside. Also-- the gas station by me (where I can watch the work being done) charges $60 to do this.

-Stan

Reply to
sbright

Bummer, but actually that is where the General put them on the C5 rims. Not sure where you can have them repaired but if you can get by without a complete strip and new clear coat make sure they put alodine (Iridite or Alodine 1500) on the bare aluminum before they seal it.

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We used to use it on fine threads in oxygen systems to stop corrosion. If not used the scratch can run under the clear coat and spread. The weights GM used were vinyl clad to minimize scratching. Do you have after market rims?

My C5 rims were done by a Goodyear dealer at a whooping total cost of $48 to mount 4 and dismount and re-mount 2. I moved the original 2 front tires to the opposite sides in hopes of a more quiet ride, didn't work but they wore out more evenly. I also had one mounted in Toledo OH. at Capitol Tire and they charged me $56+, so at that rate a set of 4 would have ripped me over $225 to mount.

Due to my location, yesterday I took another set of C6 rims to Tire Rack in South Bend and had them mount and balance a new set of Dunlop Sports Maxx, $60. Since there is no lip to put weights on the outside all were done properly. Young men working most jobs and a great group to work with. Very imposing facility but great people, with neat little test track out front. More BMWs sitting around then I see in a year out here in the country.

Good luck on the repair,

Reply to
Dad

The guy was trying to hose the Vette driver into paying more because he has a Vette and you didn't buy the tires there so he didn't get his commission. The only extra precaution is to not line up the tire valve with the bead breaker and remember what corner of the car the tire came from and put the new one back on the same corner. That's worth $40?

I remember my C5s both came from the factory with weights on the outside of polished wheels. Not good. Yours didn't?

This was a mistake. NEVER leave your Vette while it's being serviced, especially at a tire shop where they don't exactly have rocket scientists mounting tires.

Sounds like she was a manager really on top of the store operations. Maybe too many managers?

And you are the one that has to do this?

I'm assuming you used an installer approved and recommended by Tire Rack? If so, make sure Tire Rack is informed of this problem.

Dave WI

Reply to
Dave

I've had this conversation with a buddy of mine that buys tires online and takes them in for mounting. I told him I'd rather buy the tires and have them mounted at the dealer. He insists he gets a good deal. I would be worried about something happening like with Pappy here. I mean, if you're going to buy Goodyears, have a Goodyear shop mount them. If you're buying Firestones on Michelins, have their shop mount them. I buy Michelins at Costco for my F150, but I don't think I'd take my Z06 in there for a Pilot or Supercar tire!

I can go right over to the neighborhood Shell station and they'll mount anything I want, including me. (hehe, side humor). But let's face it, a tire installer is at the bottom of the mechanic food chain. They ain't the computer technicians over at the Mercedes shop. What they think is right might not be proper for a highly engineered automobile. Why not buy your high tech tire from a shop that maybe has been trained on how to properly mount them?

Bottom line, you've saved a few hundred bucks, got your nice wheels screwed up, and now have to deal with the anxiety of repeated trips and calls to the tire shop and taking time off to go to small claims court. What did you save?

Ed

Reply to
Spud

HELP - ya know, I never spent much time thinking about how the pressure sensors work. My only idea was that they were ultra short range transponders, with a receiver next to each wheel - in which case, it wouldn't matter which sensor/transponder was in which wheel, as the location would be coded by the receiver. So my stupid driver question is - are the sensors coded for a specific wheel ?

I'm just thinking about this, because I'm getting warnings about high pressure in LR this last week & I would have expected it to be in the RR. Guess I'll have to actually check the pressures manually myself.

I had a new RR rim & a new pair of GS-D3's on the back recently. I am embarassed to say I went to Discount Tire - but they normally do an acceptable (to me) job & I normally get the car back quickly with no problems.

DOH !

Reply to
Rufio

Yes, but can be reprogramed with a magnet on the C5, takes a special tool J46079 to do it, or an after market tool for about $325 for the C6.

A magnet is needed. one that is strong enough and its poles need to be on both sides of the valve stem, by the wheels rim to just below the valve(inside of wheel).

Press dic option button until display is blank. Hold dic reset button for 3 sec. Press dic options button again, till the TIRE TRAINING msg appears. Press dic reset button till the LEARN L FRONT TIRE msg appears. Put magnet tool on the left front valve. The horn will sound indicating LF pressure sensor is programmed. repeat magnet procedure on tires as follows: goto RF goto RR goto LR

I think the high pressure limit is about 42 PSIG.

Tire dealers that want repeat business will do that.

Reply to
Dad

I'm having a similar problem since I had the rear tires replaced. The LR tire is warning me of high pressure yet when I check it isn't any where near

42 lbs. The LR is not matching what I see on the gauge either. Could it be that they put the left rear tire on the right hand side, or is my problem the same as Rufio's? I see the tire monitors go up in pressure as the tires warm up but it just isn't matching the readings I get when I manually check it with a digital gauge. The fronts are working fine.
Reply to
Steve Horrillo

Thanks for the feedback guys.

No, I didn't stay with the car as they said it would be several hours till it was ready. Shame on me!

I may have been ripped off on the price.

The installer Tire Rack recommended (Express Oil Change) said "oh, I can't do them without screwing them up", (seriously!!!!!). He then recommended the Firestone.

If it had weights on the outside, I don't remember. Someone mentioned that they may have been vinyl coated.

The A$$Hole even told me without prompting that he'd use lead tape!

I found a company near me,

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and called them. They said they could strip and polish them but they couldn't put clear-coat back on because it wouldn't stick (?????)...

They recommended a manual repair kit from autozone. Any ideas on that, guys?

Thanks Pappy

Reply to
Pappy

Try this place:

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Dave WI

Reply to
Dave

THX. Think I'll just remember. Then I'll get them swapped back, next tire change. I normally get through rears in about 12-18 months.

Reply to
Rufio

Lucky you. :) I was told by a Goodyear rep that South Florida roads are the hardest on tires because a lot of the roads are made from crushed up sea shells and beach sand. I took a close look and sure enough you can see little shell chips imbedded in the pavement.

Reply to
Steve Horrillo

While we're telling tire shop horror stories, here's an "ohmigod moment" for you.

I was careful to the point of obsession about my 93 roadster. Not only were my original wheels never curbed, they were literally unscratched, at seven years old and 8,000 miles. I would blow the brake-dust away with Dust-off before washing the wheels, and used two different wash mitts for the tires and the wheels.

When my GSC's finally started to get that "not-so-sticky feeling," I bought F1's from Tire Rack and entrusted the mounting to an Oregon outfit, Les Schwab, which has an excellent rep. i made two mistakes: not all franchises in a chain are equal, and I too failed to stay and observe the work.

The bozo who mounted my "tars" not only scratched up one rim, he completely destroyed the sensor (no new replacements available) and hid it in his locker instead of telling the boss.

This fiasco ended up costing the shop almost $700 in parts alone, and I had to locate a (salvage) LTPWS sensor online for them.

All because I didn't stay and hover over the "tech" all through the process. It's not easy finding people who you can trust to work on your Vette. When you do, you have to remember them at Christmas, birthdays, and anything else you can think of.

Reply to
Angelo de Mussi

Same suggestion. Find a local tire shop that's good, knows Corvettes and has honest prices. For me, factory stores and chain discounters were sometimes good and other times not. Average SoCal tire jockey leaves after 4 months or is promoted to commissioned sales.

I switched to a local tire store, 27 years in town. Owner writes all the jobs, makes sound recommendations with no sales pitch, orders any make/model of tire I want with no quibble, usually beats Discount Tire by a couple of bucks, and the tires are never 'blems.' Road hazard insurance is available but not pushed. Has steady employees, foreman knows Corvettes, has a well maintained alignment rig w/knowledgeable operator. ($ 62 bucks for 4-wheel align on the C5). Makes good bucks from swap-outs for several new car dealers. Shop foreman watches the jobs. His Mom answers the phone and keeps the books. Fresh coffee in the showroom a couple of times a day. No hand prints on the car when they are finished. Doesn't fix flats for free.

Few guys like to be "hawked" by an anal customer. Find a shop where you don't need to watch the job and then don't offend them by doing so.

Reply to
PJ

I bought a set of Falcons on E-Bay and they were shipped right to my condo on the 8th floor....UPS LOVED me for that one and I had a friend who can build and has built racecars put them on for me which isn't easy w/the sensors and all. I bought the polished chrome wheels on e-bay as well....check out the recent prices....they've come down. I have a "99 Pewter with the Targa top and Love this baby.....looks brand new and I drive it most every day....major head turner....I wash her by hand and am so happy it's not a bigger car to wash by hand!!! My oil sensor just froze on me and I hear they're wicked to get to to change...any Ideas? Why do you call yours a Hooker Car?

VetteLova

Reply to
cyndy

Welcome to the group Cyndy,

Why is it that I think that UPS person didn't make the whole delivery in the specified 90 seconds from arrival to departure?

A "Hooker Car" is a C4 Base Coupe that's Wedding White on the outside and Bordello Red on the inside. First heard the term in the mid-'90s right after I bought it. I'll share that here but not with my grandkids. Maybe someone else here knows more about the origination of the term.

Hey, the Pewter is a great color on the C5--light and shadow falls across that color nicely. Hope you get the OP sensor fixed. Enjoy and don't forget to wave.

Reply to
PJ

Reply to
Bob I

Hmmmm. That sounds vaguely similar to the original 300.

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen ___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is original posting -- ___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring." -- Ann Hayman Zwinger

Reply to
Barking Rats

FYI, I purchased a new set of Goodyear run flats from Discount tire and they tried to balance the wheels using inside weights. They finally gave up and told me the rims were bent and recommended I have them replaced by GM. Went to my local Chey dealer and they used the special Corvette weights on both the inside and outside. The tires balanced fine and the weights don't look that bad.

Do not even try to use the junkie stick on weights. They look bad and did not work on mine.

aRKay

2001 BK/bk/6-SPD Coupe
Reply to
aRKay

Well, I'm just about done with the fiasco surrounding my new tires.

As you may remember, I got the tires from Tirerack.com, had them mounted and balanced at Firestone. I found that to balance them, they had used several lead weights hammered on the outside, ruining the clearcoat and scratching up the wheels. I took the lead weights off myself to assess the damage and then had a knowledgeable technician at the same Firestone store balance the wheels again. He used the stick on lead weights on the inside of the rim. Excellent job, totally out of sight, and not on the clearcoat. unfortunately the damage was very noticeable and permanent.

A few emails and phone calls later, a gracious Firestone District Manager has ordered four new wheels, to be put on Monday!

It all turned out ok. Pappy

Reply to
Pappy

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