Discount Tire Karma

[HoosierDaddy]

I needed new tires for my Syclone and decided to use DT's remote installation service. For $50 extra, they will send a big van with all the equipment to mount and balance tires. I tell them the vehicle will be in my driveway.

They show up and start the process without notifying me which is okay in theory.

They knock on my door to tell me they can't get the "lock" off the panel that hides the lug nuts on one of the wheels but will get back to me on what they will do about it.

I go to check on progress and they have left with one tire not replaced. I call to see what they will do to remove the lock which is just a recessed bolt with a "wiggly" circular notch head that matches a T-handle tool to hand remove/install.

They say that's my problem. I need to remove it and drive to a DT store to install the remaining tire. Basically, getting me nothing for my $50 remote install fee.

Thats when I tell them they had mounted the front and back wheels on the other side of the vehicle on the wrong ends. Syclones have the same wheel width and tire sizes, front and back BUT the wheel offsets are different. That was cheaper/easier for the factory than making special parts to have the front wheel mounting locations such that the same offsets as the back could be used. So, the rear wheel is inset now and the front has massive poke.

So, they will be coming back out to swap them AND install the last tire after I remove the lock.

The Karma: The ONLY time the wheels had ever been off was for new tires at Discount Tire over the years. Nobody else had ever used the little T-handle tool to remove/install the lug cover locks. I see the matching raised ridge of the tool is now buggered up so tries to ramp itself out of the grove and I guess the one bolt was just a little tighter than the others and they kept making it worse by trying over and over to where now the tool struggles to remove the bolts on the other wheels.

So will have to replace all locking bolts and tool. Can probably buy a new set or maybe just replace all with stainless Allen head bolts and put locking lug nuts behind the cover. Probably not even use locking lug nuts, since wheels are not thief magnets at this point in time.

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[mavisky]

I love Discount Tire and have been using them for over 20 years, but while I take all of my cars to them, my specialty cars almost always have the tires removed from the car while it hovers on 4 jackstands and I take the tires and wheels in loose with the wheel center caps removed. Management at the stores can be relatively consistent, but the person in the bay of any tire/wheel shop is likely going to change from one of your services to the next so making the process as straight forward and simple as possible has helped me achieve the best results.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience, but hopefully they come back out and make it right.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I love Discount Tire and have been using them for over 20 years, but while I take all of my cars to them, my specialty cars almost always have the tires removed from the car while it hovers on 4 jackstands and I take the tires and wheels in loose with the wheel center caps removed. Management at the stores can be relatively consistent, but the person in the bay of any tire/wheel shop is likely going to change from one of your services to the next so making the process as straight forward and simple as possible has helped me achieve the best results.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience, but hopefully they come back out and make it right.

FWIW I didn't think my experience was that bad. I don't drive it often, so delay doesn't matter. I just thought it was definitely Karma when they ended up coming back out to install the 4th tire anyway because they had to swap wheels to the correct ends of the vehicle. Karma triggered by them almost certainly being responsible for the problem with the lug cover lock at some earlier time.

 

[Inthehighdesert]

Question. Did you not give them the lock key or did they not ask.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Question. Did you not give them the lock key or did they not ask.

Yes, I gave them the key which is a short cylinder with a short t-handle rod thru it. So, no power tools involved and with the short t-handle of a very small diameter, hardly any torque could ever be generated to overtighten. So, in theory, the only way should be hard to remove is if some corrosion was involved. I haven't extracted the problem one but the other 3 looked as if they just came from the factory. Until I get the stubborn one out, I suspect some DT tech over the years angled the key in way it damaged the pattern on the key that fits into the grooves on the bolt head and now the key wants to ramp out of the groove more than the tech can resist if the bolt gives even the slightest resistance. They for sure made it worse this time because now the key can barely remove the other 3. Now I will have no choice but to find a new replacement set OR just switch to Allen-head bolts.

Internet posts from decade ago documented a solution was to c-clamp the key onto the bolt so it can't ramp out and turn it a little, loosen the clamp enough for the bolt to come out just a little more, wash, rinse, repeat.

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