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Any Tips on Tire Machines?

Anak

Stranger
NAXJA Member
I am going to have to buy my own tire machines, both for mounting and for balancing. The tire shops keep getting worse and worse. Years ago I gave up on taking my vehicle in. I have had lugs stripped and rims wiped out because of the lack of synapses to rub together on the part of the workers. So I just take in the wheels/tires and tell them what I need done. Well, they can't even seem to get that right anymore.

I took in the rear wheels from my dually for balancing. Should be simple enough, right?

Well...

StupidTireShop2OPT.jpg

Who puts stick-on weights on a steel dually rim?

Note they only did this on one of the four. The other three got traditional weights. Note also how much clearance exists between the wheel and drum:

StupidTireShop5OPT.jpg

StupidTireShop6OPT.jpg

They did at least acknowledge it was done wrong, and agreed to fix it. They had a hard time understanding why I wouldn't let them remove the weights themselves. Somehow a history of failure just doesn't register with those who are so good at repeating history. Removing the weights helped to illustrate just one more reason this is such a bad idea. They came off very easily:

StupidTireShop8OPT.jpg

It was only a small percentage of the adhesive that made contact with the rim. Maybe they were counting on the drums pressing the weights to the wheel.

StupidTireShop11OPT.jpg

At any rate, I need to buy my own equipment.

Any suggestions on what to get and what to avoid?
 
Wow! I feel your pain. It really seems like the average IQ has gone below room temperature, maybe below walk-in cooler temperature!
Don't have any experience with tire equipment but the company I got my lift from seemed to have pretty good prices and decent service
 
Tom, if that wasn't so pathetic it would be funny.
 
I have to wonder if the guys in tire shops don't hit each other over the head with tire irons when no one is looking. It would go a long way towards explaining the situation.
 
That's a bummer!

I spent a decade busting tires and we used COATS machines. They were solid, but at ~$15,000 per set, I would expect so.

Maybe find a good tech and start requesting him/her by name? I had several regulars that only wanted me to work on their stuff. They tipped well and I made sure everything was done right.
 
I've used coats and hunter mostly, no particular preference. I do have a preference on design...the simpler, the better. Most of the newer machines have tons of extra garbage that's mostly just in the way.

Currently using a coats rc-55, no complaints. And a hunter tcx50...too many bells and whistles.
 
That is the sort of information I am looking for.

Ideally I will find an older machine that has been retired. I don't need state of the art. I don't need to be able to handle twinny-fo's or whatever is the latest fad. I just need something that will get me independence from the inept "professionals".
 
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