I had to replace a runflat last week and over the weekend I washed the MINI and found damage to the wheel. The rim has been chipped directly opposite the valve stem, it's about a 1 inch gash and fairly substantial.

I understand that runflats are harder to get off the rim. Is this true?

Does the placement of the damage, directly opposite the valve stem, lead anyone to believe that it was definatley done by the tire shop?

 

Yes, that would probably from trying to get the last few inches of the bead over the rim. If you are not careful you can mess up steel rims let alone alloys. E>

 

ouch. You should take the wheel back to the tireshop and complain.

But I think all you can do is get it touched up.

 

Either that or getting the tire shop to pay for a new replacement.


There are shops that can repair gouged wheels as well. But whatever the outcome is make sure the tire shop pays for the repair/replacement.

 

I'm pretty sure they will just tell me to go find another tire shop but I will go have a chat with them.

Bastards...

 

In the future find a shop with a Hunter tire machine.

http://www.hunter.com/pub/product/tirechanger/index.htm

 

And yes run flats are much more difficult to change. The stiffer sidewalls are the problem, but then that is what makes them runflats. I had a tire damaged by the a tire shop, not the rim. The shop replaced the tire and fired the tech, that damaged it and tried to hide his screw up. He tore off about 4 in of bead. I'm just glade it didn't let go at speed in a turn. The shop was super correcting the problem. Go talk with not to them. Hey, what do I know I'm, an old man;.

Motor on

Tom

 

I will go talk to them, I just wish I would have noticed the damage before I left the shop. I did take a look at the rim but cuz it was dirty i did not notice it.

 

Interesting link about the Hunter Machine. My runflats were changed recently and I I do recall the technician swapping out the metal guide piece (the part that actually contacts the rim while re-mounting the tire) with nylon ones so they don't mar the surface. Obviously someone who knew what he was doing.

It took a while to find that shop and even then, most tire places usually have only one or two people who are specifically trained and qualified to work on runflats (and other low profile tires)

 

Fwiw, I go to ExpertTire. My local one has a runflat machine with trained techs. Friendly folks and they mounted my runflats for $15.99 each. No additional charges.

They also have a fairly big sign in the showroom where they guarantee that they won't harm your wheel.