Tyre fittters!

I've not had a bad experience like that for years, seemed much more common years ago- the independents I've used actually use a torque wrench!

Mind you, I change wheels/tyres November and March, so often have the tyres fitted to wheels off the car, and fit the wheels myself.

As fro pressure, most of them just do 30psi :-/

I bought the missus a telescopic wheel nut wrench for this very reason. Although I expect she would just call out the AA if a tyre went flat. I always assume they never needed to adjust the tracking as I've never once seen any tell-tale marks on the tracking rods or ends.

They don't normally check unless you ask. They definitely adjusted mine; the steering wheel is straight, and has less tendency to wander ot very low speeds.

Chris

They did ask, and charged for it :-) But like I say, I eventually decided that since it never seemed to get touched, they weren't actually doing anything that would disturb it.

I've changed the track-rod ends a couple of times (first pair I bought were badly made with a boot guaranteed to get crushed as soon as the nut got tightened), but I line up the wheels very approximately with a long piece of wood from front to back. It seems happy enough, but then I'm not exactly an exciting driver :-)

Because most their customers don't care as they wouldn't dream of checking tyre pressures let alone changing a wheel themselves - even if they had a "spare"?

The clue was the parenthetical comment in your second para ;)

Most places don't check the tracking unless you ask them.

On the other hand, some of the National chain retailers will offer a free 10 point safety check including tracking. There is a good chance that they will find your tracking out and then want to charge £40 for the front wheels and £20 for each of the back wheels, and add VAT.

My local independent charged £25 for checking and adjusting when I recently had the front two tyres replaced. It took around 15/20 minutes to put the car on the lift, set-up the equipment and for the adjustment.

Having watched a fitter using a torque wrench recently, he just used it as picked up. Didn't check the torque setting against a chart. And put so much effort into it he might as well have just used a plain lever of the same length. A torque wrench does not limit the torque if you carry on pushing hard after it clicks.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

I've seen that, too.

I'm in the middle of trying to sort out wheels and tyres on my "new" range Rover, which came with RRSport wheels and a spare tyre but no spare wheel. The wheel nuts are different between RR's and RRS's of this vintage. Mine had the wrong wheel nuts. It has taken a lot of online faffing and droning on forums to get to a stage where I have wheels and nuts about to be delivered here. In the middle of all this, working through my 2-page list of faults to get sorted, I decided the tracking needed sorting before the inside edge of the front tyres got down to the fibre. Booked into ATS ("we don't do tracking, we do wheel alignment") for

Not sure of any of them, but I won't be going back to ATS.

I have never had toe-in done perfectly on a car with R&P steering. Always ends up with the steering wheel not quite pointing ahead. Even if it came from the factory correctly set and had nothing altered since. Generally, they simply set the toe-in to be within tolerance, but not adjust it either side equally, or whatever.

You could have got a set of michelins tyres for less, professionally fitted by Michelin trained techs, nitrogen filled, balanced on a regularly re-calibrated machine, and they not only use a torque wrench, but every thing is double checked by an independent fitter, they all sign the bill to it as well. (Costco)

Though you would need the tracking done elsewhere.

It is something I often correct on services, so lots of places are like that, a nearby place with a laser set up first locks the steering wheel in the straight ahead position, before checking the tracking, it is the best way.

Thanks, but I don't have Costco membership, and there's not one near enough to me to entice me to get one. I also wanted specific Dunlop tyres as the reviewed characteristics fitted my usage.

Not sure how enthusiastic anywhere local to me would be to do that!

Chris

Yep, the place I used yesterday has new premises and equipment, and used a gadget to lock the steering wheel.

The machine they used looked mighty complex, and produced a printout with alignment details of more than tracking.

Chris

Hmm, 4 x Maxxis AP2 (All season M+S) 195/65/15 95H XL for £212 fitted and balanced?

We are yet to do that (but will) as we have only driven the couple of miles home since.

Not good.

And (partly) why we run Punctureseal in all our vehicles. ;-)

I think that sort of tolerance could be forgiven as I understand it can even vary if the sun was on one side at the time but I guess they should get the actual pressure right, although they also vary, depending on the load / speed and personal preference?

I would generally be happy that they inflated them all to a

The thing that worries me is how few places understand the red / yellow dot markings and so don't bother with them?

I have also watched a tyre fitted go to jack my Uncles Reliant Robin up under the diff ... till I pointed out how many wheels there were at the front ... and seen them fit asymmetric tyres inside out and directional tyres the wrong way round. ;-(

They jacked a mates van up under the front floor, folded the floor up then denied any responsibility for it. Luckily his dashcam is on 24/7 ...

We have bought second hand vehicles with 3 tyres of one size and one of another and the last came with 4 different makes and tread patens.

Considering tyres are the only contact your vehicle has with the outside world, I generally try to go for something that might offer the best grip in the worst conditions as the rest should be easy to deal with. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

These were 195/45/16 Dunlop Sport BluResponse. The price wasn't actually too bad.

Chris

These?

I could have done the tyre removal and fitting myself (my mate has a proper machine) but would still need to get them balanced. Plus there is the getting vehicle jacked up and all 4 wheels off at once etc.

I told our local place we could get them for £51 online (plus balancing, worst case, another 20 quid) but said I wouldn't expect them to match that price, just get close enough to make it worth our while. When they came up with £53 a corner (all in), we jumped at it. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Yep; bear in mind 40 quid was for adjusting the tracking, so the tyres were

I looked at all the options, including having AA Tyres fit them at my home (they don't do tracking), and I was happy with the price I paid, and the quick and friendly service.

I just wish they would get the little things right!

Chris

Checking may be free. Usually charge around £10 per twiddle.

So if you have toe at each corner it's £40.

Some cars have camber as well - usually RWD multilink but very few places have the kit to measure that. AKA a spirit level and rule.