Turbocharger Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 My road tyres are wearing out, my offroad tyres have a puncture. I want to combine the two sets but in the interim (ie just after my holiday) I want to move some tyres about to get best life out of the TracEdges I have. I want four tyre/wheel combos broken down and rebuilt, so I head out with £20 in my pocket, £5 a wheel. First guy says he's too busy - that's fine. Second guy says he's not really interested in that kind of work - fine too, thanks for the honesty. Third guy says there's a European Directive preventing fitment of second hand tyres - that's b*llocks, but I trot on. Fourth guy says they're too big for his machine - I don't mention the LR-size tyres that he advertises for sale and move on. I don't appreciate being lied to. Fifth guy is open till 5pm, but apparently 'just closing' when I rock up at lunchtime. Sixth guy just flatly says no, since I haven't bought the tyres from him. There's nothing going on in his shop and three guys stood idle (including manager) but he doesn't want my business. Becoming hacked off now. Seventh guy reckons he's liable if a tyre is cut or damaged and explodes on the road, at any point in its subsequent lifetime, so turns me away. Kwik-fit: "Good afternoon sir, no problem, that's £35 a wheel please." I'm gobsmacked. £35? I'd rather struggle with tyre-levers for £140. I'm wondering if it'll be easier to just splash out and buy a set now instead, and leave the two 'spares' at the side of the motorway somewhere. Finally, I went to a real back street in a one horse town, asked to see around the back and then went to the bottom of the garden, and round the back again. I made sure it was a particularly back-street day, spoke to man 'out the back' and pointed out that there was no pressing need for a receipt. There my second hand tyres were wedded with my wheels (and balanced) for £10 a corner. (Of course, the cash machine in nowhereville stings me for £2 to withdraw another £20, but that's my fault for being naive) I used to get tyres knocked apart and back together for a fiver wherever I was passing - what's happened?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 3/10. No humour, little anger and no piccies. Must try harder.... Alternatively, try Nationwide tyres - do mine for "a drink for the lad" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Tyre place down the road from me are supposed to charge an absolute fortune (they're part of a national chain) for changing tyres they haven't sold. Can't remember what the list price for swopping the disco's five tyres onto new rims and balancing them was, but he suggested we agreed a more reasonable price and he put it through the till as a selection of jobs that totalled that price. It still wasn't that cheap - from memory about thirty or forty pounds - but it was a lot less than the chart on the wall said he was supposed to charge me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Bloody hell! i just use two crowbars and a compressor on mine! sometimes, if i'm feeling lazy, i'll just use my teeth! B) seriously though, has anyone used those "tyre-iron" things.... any good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I've a pair of tyre levers only used them twice, to much like hard work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I sell tyres at work so have access to a proper tyre fitting machine. Much easier than tyre levers and quite cheap too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I sell tyres at work so have access to a proper tyre fitting machine. Much easier than tyre levers and quite cheap too I bet the fuel bill to your shed would affect things though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 The tyre bay is unheated. If people are cold then they should be working harder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 My local Kwik-fit was only too keen to help when I announced that I was intending to pay cash and expected a good discount... I am not sure if the boss was away that day or not. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 The tyre bay is unheated. If people are cold then they should be working harder I meant fuel for milage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddyplugger Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Surprised that Kwack Fit even gave you the time of day, they quoted some european directive to me, but when asked to qualify, the gimp explained it was just an email from head office saying they dont fit other peoples tyres. Local Tyre chain did 2 of them for "just buy the lad a pint, mate" They do still exist you see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I had a similar issue getting some tyres I bout off here fitted. Most of the places I asked wern't interested unless I had bought the tyres from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I meant fuel for milage. You might have a point there, at 25mpg and 90p a litre it would cost about £1300 in diesel to drop them off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR90 Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Well I have to commend Southampton Tyre and Rubber on Burgess road. Got D4x4 to deliver the simex to them and they fitted and balanced them to my old scabby 8 spoke just fine for a quite acceptable price. I think I was most impressed by how well they'd managed to balance them, the truck is much better over the old simex.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I had two tyres swopped on my old daily (nasty old VeeDub polo) at ATS, was expecting twenty quid or something ridiculous but the guy just did it for free, spot on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 I always use Kwik-fit to do that job. Used to charge you cash and get the YTS lad to do it fin his lunch time for about £20. Do it here in Aus too Kwik-fit will fit tyres to rims. Had to get my tailer tyre rims swapped over . Mind you they say the same in Aus about Kwik-fit . Can't get shi**er than a Kwik-fit fitter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 i use kiwkfit too, cause my mate jamie works there so i get it done for free. used to use discount tyres in worthing, was about £7.50 a corner to fit & balance. they dont seem as keen since i took in a tyre off the bead & said its full of mud but i cant clean it as i cant get it off the rim. they wacked it on the machine & guess where the mud went? well i did warn them! mind you last time i stood in kwikfit waiting for a quiet mo i ended up helpin with 2 mots... wonder if i can get mine done cheap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasterdly Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Bloody hell! i just use two crowbars and a compressor on mine!sometimes, if i'm feeling lazy, i'll just use my teeth! B) seriously though, has anyone used those "tyre-iron" things.... any good? evening, i use tyre levers to change the tyres on the coaches we have at work, its quite easy once you have done a couple, mind you, its just as well they last for years ! the trye levers are about 3 ft long ! I put my 235's tyres on disco rims without any problems, just used liberal amounts of duck oil. cheers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagent Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 i've done them myself using tyre levers, its easier putting them on than getting them off.... the farmer next door to my dad does them now... £5 each, fitted and ballanced Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted October 8, 2006 Author Share Posted October 8, 2006 I've done them with levers before ... and after the three hours of struggling and chasing the bead around the rim, I decided £5 a tyre was a bargain. For £35, I'd rather struggle though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_warne Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 TC I can't believe that! Last time I had all the Simex off the rims I paid £10 at lunchtime for 5 and they're a pain to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoatBuoy Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 i'd of thought your garage would of had a fitter Jon. Anyway was that tyre any good or was it a waste of 40 miles? Keef. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Jon i agree its annoying, i got charged last time i wanted to change them as well!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Lee at NDT&E in Cullompton - "buy us a drink next time we see you in the pub" or "bit busy now, do it yourself, you know what to do". I love modern balancing machines! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted October 8, 2006 Author Share Posted October 8, 2006 Keith - we do have a tyre guy but he's only doing bus stuff and... well, I've seen him working at 5am, not pretty. The tyre's fine, thanks for hanging on to it for so long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.