I had new tires put on my r98 web spoke wheels today, and the tire shop scratched off a significant amount of clear coat and put some scratches right into the aluminum rim in the process. Three of the four wheels were affected. It's my understanding that the r98 can't be refurbished because it's a two piece and it's not supposed to be reassembled with the existing bolts. Is it unreasonable to ask to be reimbursed the value of the three wheels? I know it's just cosmetic, but I'm pretty frustrated as the wheels were in nearly perfect condition.

 

as a mechanic this is my opinion of what will happen , even though you may be 100% correct in saying the shop caused the damages , the shop will require you to show proof that the wheels were not damaged before the tire mounting and that they were damaged immediatley upon your recieving of the car. unfortunately lots of customers who are not honest blame shops for damagaes so this is the manner in which shops try and protect themselves from false claims

 

Some of the shops that handle tires and all of the dealerships I go to inspect the wheels before service and mark down any existing damage so that they will not be blamed for any new damage.

Some shops don't want to deal with runflats and some shops don't accept alloy wheels due to risk of damage claims.

I have an "understanding" with my tire shop that I will be responsible for small damage and they will do their best not to cause damage when working on my wheels.

If you don't have documentation for the damage or lack of on your wheels before and after the tire installation, the shop will not be able to tell if the damage occurred right after you left the shop by other means. It's a little different if you don't accept the car due to damage.

 

You guys were basically right. The shop accused me of blaming pre existing damage on them. However, the cause of the damage was pretty clear and they finally admitted that they might have done it. They are having a wheel repair service refinish rims.

 

Sorry to hear about your heartache.

Please understand that mounting wheels is a forceful event, and some clear coast scratching is virtually inevitable. Scratches through the base coat or down to the metal would be out of line and sign of carelessness, but clear coat will take some beating. That's just how it goes.

Another thing - unless you are a regular customer with the shop and have some pull with management - most shops will disclaim any responsibility for the damage unless the scratches are egregious _and_ you can prove that they did it (video or photo evidence required). Basically, depending on the damage, it's either "cost of doing business", or you are "SOL".

HTH,
a

P.S.: R98's can be repaired. Either professionally, or DIY: http://www.mini2.com/forum/wheels-ty...t-project.html

 

Not with the right equipment. We have a Hunter TC3700 at work, EVERYTHING that touches the wheel is plastic, or rubber. I've done 24" low profile 10" wide wheels with zero damage or marks anywhere on the wheel. Its a kick-*** machine.

http://www.hunter.com/tirechanger/tc3700/index.cfm

 

where I go ...

I have built a relationship with my tire guys and I go into the shop with them . . . if I don't like what I see they STOP and we talk....

obviously NOT a chain shop . . .

 

+1 right equipment wont damage wheels

 

as long as the duck heads are non marring, and they are using silicone spray, its pretty hard to damage a wheel (if it is free of chips/corrosion/rust). as some one else said, ive mounted all tires from 40x14.5 20's to 305/30R22 etc... all brand new wheels out of the box, and with a plastic duck head and silicone spray (and a propperly lubed tire bead of course), they always leave free of marks.

hope your situation works out though. every shop is different, even among chains (which i worked in). customers that had the same chain shop in their town, would drive 3, 4, 5 towns over to us because we had good management and service. dont let a bad experience discourage you. there are good places out there.

 

Perfect equipment + guerrilla with a wrench == unlimited damage potential!

Three two independent shops in my area renown for quality tire mounting use either Beisbarth, Corghi, or older Hunter equipment. I will go with an experienced hand using properly calibrated equipment over expensive gear every time.

The latest Hunter TC3700 (install) and GSP9700 (balance) equipment can usually be found at large chain shops (Firestone, STS, American Tire, etc). When operated by part-time employees and high school drop-outs, top-shelf equipment turns into a weapon of mass destruction. I would not trust them to correctly mount a tire on my kid's bicycle.

YMMV,
a

 

I've been to a number of shops, the only good one was Firestone and I brought them just the wheels off the car. It's very hard to find a competent people in this area.

 

This is true, but you'll be glad to know that my students (I teach.. auto tech at a college level) leave my class knowing how to use the equipment with real hands on training with decent sets of wheels. I'm proud to say that my last class mounted and de-mounted a 18" low profile wheel/tire set without nick or scratch.. and that was 20 students in a row in a lab one day!

But, I do hear ya.

 

Too bad it happened in the first place and sounds like the shop is doing the right thing. Good to hear.