# Wheels damaged fitting new tyres



## bradley221985 (Aug 6, 2018)

Took my car to ATS last Saturday to have 2 new tyres fitted. Checked the wheels after they were fitted and seemed ok but today I took the wheels off to give them a good clean and remove the old wheel weight glue, and have now noticed where they have had the wheel clamped in the machine it has left 4 sets of dimples at the back of the barrel. The have also managed to gouge out with a screwdriver where they have removed the centre caps. Only had the wheels refurbished less than a year ago and were pretty much immaculate before this.


----------



## DLGWRX02 (Apr 6, 2010)

Ouch! Have you contacted the garage and sent them pictures? You can see by how clean the wheels are that they look fresh marks so ide say get to them sooner rather then later as corrosion will set in and it will be hard to prove it isn’t fresh damage. I would be super ****ed at that also.


----------



## bradley221985 (Aug 6, 2018)

Not yet but will be e-mailing them tomorrow.


----------



## chris chappell (Jun 6, 2007)

Another example of useless workmanship. It drives me crazy, I have been in business all my life with no complaints and no shoddy workmanship but everybody else just makes a botch up of things. It would be nice to be able to do everything yourself without having to rely on some hairy arsed workman but unfortunately sometimes you have to rely on others. Best of luck with your uphill struggle trying to get it sorted.


----------



## robby71 (Jun 4, 2006)

At least it was at a tyre place - I had a wheel refurbed and upon collection found they damaged the barrell when refitting the tyre after refurbing it


----------



## bradley221985 (Aug 6, 2018)

Hairy arsed workman is a pretty accurate description of him. Even dropped the wheels straight onto the discs when removing them aswell. Plus when I removed them today they were well over the specified 140nm.


----------



## chris chappell (Jun 6, 2007)

Of course to ATS he will be known as a grade one expert tyre technician who could not possibly have damaged your wheels as he is changing 100 tyres a week and never ever gets any complaints. You are obviously too picky, after all it's 'only a wheel' and it's only a small bit of damage where you can't even see it. Most people wouldn't even notice that sir!!!&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;&#55357;&#56865;


----------



## TonyHill (Jul 28, 2015)

Having tyres changed always fills me with dread for precisely this reason. 
Are the 'tyres on the drive' types more careful or is it just pot luck??


----------



## mx5mike (Oct 6, 2009)

My last Lexus GX 460 i bought brand new from the local lexus dealer; in the deal I purchased a set of F-Sport Wheels. when the wheels arrived and I had lexus install them; they has mounted them on the wheel machine using the inside of the wheel barrel leaving 4 sets of dimples in the wheels. I inspected the wheels when I took delivery and brought it up to the service manager. all 4 wheels were replaced. I was ****ed and the service manager was upset at his tech.


----------



## Nidge76 (Sep 16, 2016)

TonyHill said:


> Having tyres changed always fills me with dread for precisely this reason.
> 
> Are the 'tyres on the drive' types more careful or is it just pot luck??


Nope. Think it's pot luck.

I used a mobile tyre fitter a couple of years ago and they damaged both rear wheels after they decided to use a screwdriver to remove the wheel weights.

Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk


----------



## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

As has been said, you need to raise you concern as soon as possible with them. Don’t forget the gouge with the screwdriver you mention as this cannot be blamed on the equipment holding your wheel !

Hope you get it sorted


----------



## GP Punto (May 29, 2007)

Main dealers are just as bad, took a car in for a service, it was clear that the wheels had been removed and fallen face down. I complained about the damage, the Service Manager couldnt care less, said some damage was inevitable when you were working on cars. Dealership said they were not prepared to do anything.


----------



## chris chappell (Jun 6, 2007)

Same here, brand new Merc AMG alloy stood up next to jack, fell over onto jack and made a right mess of it!!
My mate took brand new BMW X5 in to main stealers for work, all wheels damaged putting it through car scratching machine.
No problem sir they will be refurbed and you won't tell them from new. Well ok then, if that's the case you put them on one of your new showroom cars and I'll have the ones off the new car. 
He got his new wheels!!

Seem to have opened a can of worms with this thread!!!


----------



## bradley221985 (Aug 6, 2018)

:buffer:Clearly used a screwdriver to remove centre caps.


----------



## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

A lot of the tyre places around here use a knife to remove the old wheel weights. I use a local wheel refurb place to fit my tyres nowadays. They are properly careful, obviously. 

Cooks 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


----------



## \Rian (Aug 23, 2017)

You will be hard pressed to find a place that doesnt damage your wheels.

First mistake taking it to a franchise/chain ATS are a big company who cater to the mass public who let the super market car washers near their car.

As mentioned don hear take it to a local company who does wheel refurbs or caters to wheel refurbish.

I purchased a brand new set of 3sdm 0.05's 6 months ago and spent a few days finding a local place who works with a refurb company, tires fitted no problem.

I dont mean to cause offence by pointing out that ATS will do things like this but its kind of obvious.

Use a local company with accountability!!!


----------



## Gixxer6 (Apr 5, 2014)

Cookies said:


> A lot of the tyre places around here use a knife to remove the old wheel weights. I use a local wheel refurb place to fit my tyres nowadays. They are properly careful, obviously.
> 
> Cooks


I had my tyres changed at one garage and the muppet then used the screwdriver or similar to scratch the wheel paint over an area in the barrel for the new weight. I only discovered this when I removed all 4 wheels a few months later to clean and seal the wheels. Very few people take pride in their work and respect other people's property.


----------



## MBRuss (Apr 29, 2011)

TonyHill said:


> Having tyres changed always fills me with dread for precisely this reason.
> 
> Are the 'tyres on the drive' types more careful or is it just pot luck??


Nope, they're worse. Local idiots who did my wheel refurb collected the wheels, leaving the car on the drive on stands and almost knocked the car off the stands when refitting them. They also dropped the wheels on the discs when putting the newly refurbished wheels back on.

Like you, I always dread having tyres changed. I had a guy come and do it on the drive once and marked all the wheels, then said it was because of the cold weather making the tyre less pliable. My thought was "well say that and don't waste my time f**king my wheels up then!"

It was like "you wanted them fitted today, today is cold, so your only option is wheel damage, which I didn't mention beforehand."

I used to use ProTyre with good results, then last time they damaged my newly refurbed wheels, despite me waiting an extra few weeks for the paint to harden before going in, and standing next to the technician as he did it to remind him the paint was fresh-ish.

Honestly, if I could find a place locally that could do the tyre change without any damage then I'd happily pay an extra £10 per wheel or something, just for them to take care:

Not smashing the wheels on the brake discs/shrouds on each corner as they remove them

Not jamming a screwdriver into the wheel finish to remove the wheel weight

Not resting the wheel flat, then putting the new tyre (with gritty dirt from the floor) on the face of the wheel and spinning it around to apply the wheel wax, leaving scratches on the wheel face

Not banging the wheel on the tyre remover, then the tyre balancer, then my brakes again

Not leaving the car teetering on trolley jacks the whole time this is all going on

Not massively over-inflating all the tyres

Not massively over-torquing all the wheel bolts with an impact gun

Not bashing the centre caps out across the shop floor

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk


----------



## \Rian (Aug 23, 2017)

MBRuss said:


> Nope, they're worse. Local idiots who did my wheel refurb collected the wheels, leaving the car on the drive on stands and almost knocked the car off the stands when refitting them. They also dropped the wheels on the discs when putting the newly refurbished wheels back on.
> 
> Like you, I always dread having tyres changed. I had a guy come and do it on the drive once and marked all the wheels, then said it was because of the cold weather making the tyre less pliable. My thought was "well say that and don't waste my time f**king my wheels up then!"
> 
> ...


Whenever I take my summer alloys to get a tyres I swap them for my winter wheels and drive them their I wouldent trust a tyre fitter to remove or replace my wheels, maybe look at getting a cheap winter set of wheels and swapping them when its time to change.

Winter wheels are also a good Idea if you have wheels you care about like it sounds you do as who likes cleaning ther nice wheels in the dead of winter and the salt can cause premature corrosion

A cheap set of fit and forget is a god send during winter and tyre changes


----------



## stealthwolf (Sep 24, 2008)

Sounds a bit weird but I used to go to an alloy shop that would change tyres without marking the alloys. I'd fit them on to the car myself.

I've since found a local place that seems to be able to fit the tyres on without marking then, including diamond cut alloys.


----------



## MBRuss (Apr 29, 2011)

At the moment I have a company lease, that had the wheels kerbed to hell by colleagues who had it before (I swear they must be blind or something), so it's not a big deal at the moment, but come July I might have my own car that I want to look after again. A set of winter wheels is an expensive option though and means you always have 4 wheels sat in the garage in the way.

I'd prefer just to find a fitter who understood the concept of "being careful".

Or a garage that would let me rent their equipment and show me how to use it.

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk


----------



## riskypicker (Apr 16, 2014)

TonyHill said:


> Having tyres changed always fills me with dread for precisely this reason.
> Are the 'tyres on the drive' types more careful or is it just pot luck??


My experience is that yes they are meticulous. I guess that they tend to be one man band operations so cant afford to repair/replace wheels and cant afford the bad press as they tend to cover fairly small localities.

Not sure of any bigger/national firms that come to you though.


----------



## MBRuss (Apr 29, 2011)

GP Punto said:


> Main dealers are just as bad, took a car in for a service, it was clear that the wheels had been removed and fallen face down. I complained about the damage, the Service Manager couldnt care less, said some damage was inevitable when you were working on cars. Dealership said they were not prepared to do anything.


That's atrocious. You shouldn't have to worry about damage. I'd have stood my ground if I were you. It's difficult though.

Every time I take my car in I'm just worrying about that award situation that I'm half certain will arise, where I have to complain about the work and request a repair.

Unfortunately, pre-advising them how "picky" you are in advance seems to make no difference. Not entirely sure why it's considered "picky" these days to expect your car back without damage, but seemingly it is.

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk


----------



## \Rian (Aug 23, 2017)

MBRuss said:


> At the moment I have a company lease, that had the wheels kerbed to hell by colleagues who had it before (I swear they must be blind or something), so it's not a big deal at the moment, but come July I might have my own car that I want to look after again. A set of winter wheels is an expensive option though and means you always have 4 wheels sat in the garage in the way.
> 
> I'd prefer just to find a fitter who understood the concept of "being careful".
> 
> ...


I can understand, its hard to find space my summer wheels not yet fitted this year are in my bedroom, drive the misses crazy but ever since owning a set of summers and a set of winters I wouldn't go back to running my 3sdm 0.05s in winter, as its hard to spend half hour cleaning them every 3 days when its freezing

Finding a fitter who understood the concept if being careful is going to be a hard one as we all have a different definition of careful.

and when you work on cars all day that are not cared for and the owners don't mind the damage or don't notice it their concept of careful will NOT be the same as yours 95% of people don't inspect their alloy before or after so tyre fitters are in the habit of not being careful


----------



## MBRuss (Apr 29, 2011)

Indeed. Often I've noticed the damage and thought "sod it" because it's not worth the hassle and awkwardness of going back in and having a go at them, when they will just come out, see the scratches and look at you like you're from another planet. You seldom get anywhere with it.

Guess I'll have to try to find a good wheel refurb place locally. The ones who did my last wheels were morons. Why use a torque wrench if you're going to keep cranking hard on it after it clicks?!

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk


----------



## Kash-Jnr (Mar 24, 2013)

The best way to get round this (what I do), when you hand your car or take it in, get the manager to inspect the wheels (and after taking them off if you're anal about the barrells) noting of all damages if any and ask him if they are insured (which he should say yes) then you tell him that you will hold him liable for any damage caused by fitting. 

Also get them to clean off the tyre lube they use, the local Farmers guys I use has a jet wash so he jets the wheels down after.


----------



## V5Bug (Feb 7, 2019)

i really dont like using ats, keik fit and so on. i had to go to a kwik the other day though eugghhhhhhyuckk!!!!.

it was the only play that would test my air con with out me having to pay , the others in my area wanted like 60 quid! 

well i went in, he said yep ill check it and drove it up on the ramp, semi slammed the car door shut . then it took him 5 mins top open the bonnet . he took the engine cover off , dropped it on the floor then nearly stood on it. when i went to grab it from under his foot all i could smell was weed. but on the brighter note he said my air con was empty, i said ok. he then said he would try filling it. when he come back he said i dont know if its work but your air con gas is now full. then he said i cant test it anymore as he thought the machine was faulty lol. i said ok, got in my car and drive home. and yes my air con now works!!!!


----------



## tosh (Dec 30, 2005)

Use a wheel refurbishing shop to change tyres; if they don’t know what they’re doing, then not much else you can do. 

What does help, is having your wheels extremely clean when you take your car in. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## Derek-Eddleston (Aug 17, 2016)

tosh said:


> Use a wheel refurbishing shop to change tyres; if they don't know what they're doing, then not much else you can do.
> 
> What does help, is having your wheels extremely clean when you take your car in.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


It also helps if you carefully remove the old wheel weights as well........... it saves wear and tear on the tyre fitters screwdriver.

Derek.


----------



## blurb (Feb 13, 2008)

Derek-Eddleston said:


> It also helps if you carefully remove the old wheel weights as well........... it saves wear and tear on the tyre fitters screwdriver.
> 
> Derek.


Yep, I bought one of these for the next time I need to get any work done.

Laser Tools 6601 Wheel Weight Removal Tool

I'd also recommend cleaning them beforehand, and remove any caps, bolt covers etc. too.


----------



## Mcpx (Mar 15, 2016)

I use a local independent place, they have to provide good customer service as a lot of their work comes from word of mouth, including many people I have sent there myself. Having said that I always take my own wheels off and throw them in the back of the wife’s car whenever they need attention, that way I can check for damage before and after and I know they’ll be properly torqued when they go back on.


----------



## Rowan83 (Aug 21, 2007)

This happened to me in August on a brand new wheel.

I took it to the so called 'best tyre fitter' in the area. When I complained to the owner he advised me that it was normal from the clamping machine and no one in 20 odd years had complained..... 

I wasn't happy though... after a botched repair job they did eventually offer to buy me a new wheel but they didnt have any at the SEAT factory and it was 12-16 week wait... in the end I sold the car.


----------



## Turkleton (Apr 18, 2010)

Rowan83 said:


> This happened to me in August on a brand new wheel.
> 
> I took it to the so called 'best tyre fitter' in the area. When I complained to the owner he advised me that it was normal from the clamping machine and no one in 20 odd years had complained.....
> 
> I wasn't happy though... after a botched repair job they did eventually offer to buy me a new wheel but they didnt have any at the SEAT factory and it was 12-16 week wait... in the end I sold the car.


You sold a car because of some minor wheel damage?


----------



## SadlyDistracted (Jan 18, 2013)

GP Punto said:


> Main dealers are just as bad, took a car in for a service, it was clear that the wheels had been removed and fallen face down. I complained about the damage, the Service Manager couldnt care less, said some damage was inevitable when you were working on cars. Dealership said they were not prepared to do anything.


Perhaps you should have taken a wheel brace to the mangers car and said "Damage in life from apathetic people is inevitable" so suck that up?

We should have a name and shame for tyre services to allow folk to make considered decisions, nothing defamatory mind?

Not Goods and Goods?


----------



## blurb (Feb 13, 2008)

Sod's law struck last night - Kerbed an alloy and not a fitter in sight to blame !!


----------



## Mcpx (Mar 15, 2016)

GP Punto said:


> Main dealers are just as bad, took a car in for a service, it was clear that the wheels had been removed and fallen face down. I complained about the damage, the Service Manager couldnt care less, said some damage was inevitable when you were working on cars. Dealership said they were not prepared to do anything.


I would have simply said I wasn't prepared to pay anything, some losses are inevitable when you provide poor service. Pretty sure that would've got their attention.


----------



## wayne451 (Aug 15, 2016)

GP Punto said:


> Main dealers are just as bad, took a car in for a service, it was clear that the wheels had been removed and fallen face down. I complained about the damage, the Service Manager couldnt care less, said some damage was inevitable when you were working on cars. Dealership said they were not prepared to do anything.


That happened with a mate of mine and a Vauxhall dealership, although they were a little more helpful.

His was a Nova with a 2.0 16v conversion etc. He had an immaculate set of 16" Irmscher Softstsrs on it. They did something and it was evident that the wheel had fallen face down.

They did replace the wheel (and let him keep the other as a spare) but they flatly refused to work on modified cars thereafter...


----------



## bradley221985 (Aug 6, 2018)

Well after over a week and having to send yet another e-mail I have finally had a reply from ATS. They want me to go in on Friday so the manager can have a look at the damage. Not holding my breath.


----------



## bradley221985 (Aug 6, 2018)

Well after going in the manager wasn't there to look at the wheels so 3 of the monkeys looked at them and took photos for him to look at and get back to me. As for what they said about the damage, the dimples can only be caused by clamping the wheel outwards not inwards and we never do that. And as for where you can clearly see the centre caps have been removed with a screwdriver they said we never use a screwdriver and knock them out with the shaft on the balance. Absolutely full of ****. The worst thing is the manager along with one of the monkeys were the ones who fitted the tyres. I know they damaged the wheels they definitely know they did but they're just gonna deny it. Supposed to hear from the manager on Tuesday but pretty sure I'm just gonna get a load of bull**** about how it couldn't of possibly been them.


----------



## Arvi (Apr 11, 2007)

Sorry to hear this. Will need to start implanting micro cameras onto each wheel so that you can record footage of them changing the wheels and using it as evidence if there was damage.


----------



## bradley221985 (Aug 6, 2018)

After keeping on at them I have finally got what I was after. They have accepted responsibility for the damage they caused and agreed to pay for them to be repaired. Better yet they have let me choose where I want them to be repaired.


----------



## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

bradley221985 said:


> After keeping on at them I have finally got what I was after. They have accepted responsibility for the damage they caused and agreed to pay for them to be repaired. Better yet they have let me choose where I want them to be repaired.


Great news :thumb:


----------



## beatty599 (Sep 18, 2016)

bradley221985 said:


> After keeping on at them I have finally got what I was after. They have accepted responsibility for the damage they caused and agreed to pay for them to be repaired. Better yet they have let me choose where I want them to be repaired.


I wonder what the outcome would be with diamond cuts alloys, and they couldn't be repaired if were previously recut twice. Would they have to buy new alloys?


----------

