Tire store shenanigans
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,272
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From: Cincy area
Tire store shenanigans
Oh boy. So I have 4 trailer tires that I needed swapped. And I bought 4 tires for my truck to swap. Now the trailer tires I could do in my barn well enough but I decided since I was going to do the truck tires I may as well save my back and have all 8 done at the tire shop. So I made an appointment 3 days ago. I first arrive and the guy says they wound not be able to balance the truck tires due to not having the “right” machine. These are 35” tires not the biggest tire out there. Then he proceeds to tell me that he doesn’t have a lift capable of lifting my 10,500 pound truck. I tried to explain my truck weighs no where near that but he says he has to go off the door sticker. I even pulled up the weight rating on fords website. Still refuses to listen. So I told him to leave the truck alone and just do the trailer tires. WTH is going on out here. It’s just embarrassing for a tire store mechanic not to know the difference between curb weight and GVWR.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 5,938
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From: NY/Canada border
The Ford dealer I used to go to for service only had one lift available for Super Duties. Always a pain to even schedule an oil change.
The dealer I use for service now has a dedicated truck service center just up the street from the main Ford store. No such problems there.
The dealer I use for service now has a dedicated truck service center just up the street from the main Ford store. No such problems there.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2010
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That's simply poor management at that particular tire store. Ran into that once years ago...
There used to be 4 tire stores near where I used to live. One week, a rep came in and sold all but one of them on new tire mounting/balancing machines (the one that didn't buy was, at the time, a mom and pop shop). Fast forward a few months, these chain stores couldn't touch rims that were smaller than 16" because that's all the new machines would go down to, so anybody with an older car or trailer tires could only turn to the mom and pop shop. Needless to say the chain stores were scrambing to get at least one machine back that could handle the smaller tires because there were a LOT of older cars in the area.
Similarly, that mom and pop shop was the only one who kept their bigger alignment rack and just had it retrofit for the computer aided alignments. All the chain shops got an entirely new lift, which was too short for anything longer than a regular cab long box SD or heavy duty truck.
Let's just say that for several years, business was booming for the mom and pop shop.
There used to be 4 tire stores near where I used to live. One week, a rep came in and sold all but one of them on new tire mounting/balancing machines (the one that didn't buy was, at the time, a mom and pop shop). Fast forward a few months, these chain stores couldn't touch rims that were smaller than 16" because that's all the new machines would go down to, so anybody with an older car or trailer tires could only turn to the mom and pop shop. Needless to say the chain stores were scrambing to get at least one machine back that could handle the smaller tires because there were a LOT of older cars in the area.
Similarly, that mom and pop shop was the only one who kept their bigger alignment rack and just had it retrofit for the computer aided alignments. All the chain shops got an entirely new lift, which was too short for anything longer than a regular cab long box SD or heavy duty truck.
Let's just say that for several years, business was booming for the mom and pop shop.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2011
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From: Cincy area
I was genuinely embarrassed for the guys. The fact they didn’t know the difference in weight ratings. I’d bet most tire stores don’t have a lift for 10,000 pound vehicles. Because none weigh that much except for larger service trucks. Hell even an f450 crew cab doesn’t weigh 9,000
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,272
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From: Cincy area
At any rate. I think I have another shop that can do the swap for me tomorrow at 9:30. Lord willing it will happen. The one tomorrow will be my third attempt. I showed them the truck and the new tires and he said no problem at all. I bet those will look sharp on there.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2017
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Cant wait for the new shop to say "sorry sir, that trailer there says big tex 14k, we cant lift a 14k trailer" lololol
thats wild though.
thats wild though.
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Fleet Mechanic
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I was genuinely embarrassed for the guys. The fact they didn’t know the difference in weight ratings. I’d bet most tire stores don’t have a lift for 10,000 pound vehicles. Because none weigh that much except for larger service trucks. Hell even an f450 crew cab doesn’t weigh 9,000
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Lead Driver
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Oh boy. So I have 4 trailer tires that I needed swapped. And I bought 4 tires for my truck to swap. Now the trailer tires I could do in my barn well enough but I decided since I was going to do the truck tires I may as well save my back and have all 8 done at the tire shop. So I made an appointment 3 days ago. I first arrive and the guy says they wound not be able to balance the truck tires due to not having the “right” machine. These are 35” tires not the biggest tire out there. Then he proceeds to tell me that he doesn’t have a lift capable of lifting my 10,500 pound truck. I tried to explain my truck weighs no where near that but he says he has to go off the door sticker. I even pulled up the weight rating on fords website. Still refuses to listen. So I told him to leave the truck alone and just do the trailer tires. WTH is going on out here. It’s just embarrassing for a tire store mechanic not to know the difference between curb weight and GVWR.
I was genuinely embarrassed for the guys. The fact they didn’t know the difference in weight ratings. I’d bet most tire stores don’t have a lift for 10,000 pound vehicles. Because none weigh that much except for larger service trucks. Hell even an f450 crew cab doesn’t weigh 9,000
At any rate. I think I have another shop that can do the swap for me tomorrow at 9:30. Lord willing it will happen. The one tomorrow will be my third attempt. I showed them the truck and the new tires and he said no problem at all. I bet those will look sharp on there.
All due to this world being so litigious, people suing at the drop of a hat, looking for a payday.
Just have to do your homework, as you have done with the new shop that has told you no problem handling your tire install needs.
I am lucky in the tire shop department, have a guy who has a shop only half a mile from my house, he has my number programmed in his phone, answers me by name when I call, and can do any of my tire mounting needs and has no issues at all with me bringing tires I buy online to him for mount/balance.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2011
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From: Cincy area
I assume this was a chain type tire shop rather than a single owner, mom and pop type. The chain types have strict rules driven by liability risk and insurance. They don't want their techs doing math or making decisions other than following the established protocols. I wouldn't feel embarrassed for the guys as they were likely not allowed to make any decision other than what they did even if they knew the truck would be okay on the lift.
Look I'm not trying to be a jerk but to me to have uneducated techs is a very real liability. I understand all about liability I'm a small business owner.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2014
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From: NY/Canada border
I assume this was a chain type tire shop rather than a single owner, mom and pop type. The chain types have strict rules driven by liability risk and insurance. They don't want their techs doing math or making decisions other than following the established protocols. I wouldn't feel embarrassed for the guys as they were likely not allowed to make any decision other than what they did even if they knew the truck would be okay on the lift.
I got a refund and went to the local branch of a regional tire/muffler chain. They ordered me the exact same brand & model of tire for a little cheaper than Walmart and installed them with no questions.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2019
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The man didnt understand curb weight versus GVWR. If he did the conversation woulda been totally different. He woulda said "I know the truck doesn't weigh 10,500# but I have been instructed to go off of the door sticker GVWR and not the curb weight of the truck. He wouldn't want to look uneducated IMO
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2011
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From: Cincy area
Yeah Im definitely judging him. And he definitely needs to know the correct weight of things he is lifting in the air and getting under. Also a piece I left out was when I first got there he asked are about the details of my truck. He asked me how much it weighed and I answered somewhere around 7000 pounds. He made a couple key strokes then chuckled to his buddy that I was "a little off" trying to clown me. Im sure once he put the info in his computer it showed him the GVWR. Im not a bully or mean spirited. I never said a thing negative about the man. But the fact is he's not educated about things that he should be given his career field IMO
More Turbo
Joined: Dec 2011
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I'll add, maybe he does only have to use the sticker and not understand it if the company he works for is using that as a safety limit rather than educating the employees. It's possible they use that sticker as a max limit, in case they are working on trucks fully loaded with cargo. In that case they decline all business for trucks over an F150 I suppose.
