cphilips F350 Beast gets a new pair a shoes!

[cphilip]

Uh oh... sorry to tell you the Steelex has finaly been recalled for the same thing as the wilderness tires...

http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=5336


MY DANG RIMS IS DAMAGED!!! ARG!!!!

[CasingBill]

steelex

Firestone is now under such intense scrutiny that it has no choice but to recall the slightest of defects. 42 tires seems a bit extreme. Beside the rollovers involving the Ford Explorers were not just due to the tire. Underinflations is a huge factor. Anyway. pocket the Insurance money and buy some custom wheels versus the stock replacements. You'll have nicer wheels and some leftover cash.

[cphilip]

but I liked my rims bill...sniff... and 350 buck a rim aint gonna buy no nicer...sniff....arg...

[CasingBill]

they are good looking rims...did they come with the truck? YOu can get virtually the exact same rims. Just don't get them from Ford. They are Alcoa rims. You can get them just about anywhere cheaper than the dealer.

[cphilip]

Yea they are an upgrade appearance package OEM rim. Chromed Aluminum. I know Alcoa makes the stock ones but not sure they made these for Ford. Wouldn't suprise me though. They do a lot of stuff for Ford.

I not realy care cause THEY gonna have to buy em for me... Depends on if they just send me a check or arrange to replace realy. I might shop around if they just pay out.

But they will have to be DOT 6K 8 hole rims and there are not a lot of choices out there realy. Some but most are wider and I cannot do wider on a dually cause the tires have to not rub each other under load. And these tires are staying so... they will need to stay 16 inch and 7 inch or so wide too.

[CasingBill]

Phil

Now when you get the new rims and tires mounted. Go to a dealer which has one of these machines. They are the best. This is what we use in our little shop. They cannot scratch a rim. It is completely automated to help eliminate human error.

[cphilip]

OK here are some picutures I think will show up good enough to get an idea of the damage on the main flat areas of the rims. Not all the Lip damage but a little of it. They will have to be a bit large. Its those three gouges you see. And there are four sets of those on each wheel.


Lets see...

[cphilip]

Here is another of that same wheel but its not the worst gouge. It just happens to be the one I had the best picture angle of without moving the truck to rotate one up.

[cphilip]

One of the other side rear wheel but further back...

Remember its been raining a lot here so they are a bit dirty in these picures. And the gouges are through the Chrome and into the Aluminum so they will discolor with time. Right now they shinney scratches as they are fresh.

[Big'n slo]

That sux

Really, how could anyone not realize that metal to metal contact will leave scratches? Especially someone who mounts tires all the time? I know not all people care about a few minor scratches but its easy enough to tell which person will. Why not take a little extra time and care when they see a very well kept and clean vehicle roll through the door?

[cphilip]

Well they certainly knew I would. I was the guy who asked them if they had capabilities to mount tires to Chromed Aluminum 16 rims on a dualy BEFORE he would buy the tires. And I was the one that asked em if they had a tourqe wrench that would do 150 Pounds and if they would use it and properly pattern the torqe BEFORE I would buy. That should have been a real clear tip off if they couldn't do it then tell me right then and avoid any chance. And that I would indeed expect them to do it right or I would not have had the tires mounted there... I have to assume they just did not take the precautions they should have and they had the right equipment and just didn't use it.

[Big'n slo]

Definitely sounds like you took every precaution before you gave them your truck. The problem with Sam's Club and other large stores is they rotate shifts and workers so much that whoever you talked to might not have been working at the time of the install or he didn't even bother to tell the tire tech to be careful.

[cphilip]

He appeared to be the man in charge and I observed him doing most of the work as a matter of fact...

[Big'n slo]

Hmmm....

Then that guys just an ***...

[cphilip]

Or maybe he just has not been given the proper equipment to work with and isn't allowed to stear business away by telling people that? Or just doesn't know any better?

Either way their insurance company should be interested in this kind of thing. There are a lot of people with 16 inch (or bigger) wheels going in there (A lot of them way more expensive to replace than mine) and they do indeed sell a lot of LT Truck tires so you would assume they should be equiped to handle the issues that a Aluminum or heavily dished wheel like these presents. Or just tell people they do not do them for this reason. That would work.

I may still buy tires there but I'll be taking my mounting and balancing needs elsewhere from now on. Cash and carry...And I would expect a discount for having to do that since I cannot take advantage of the free stuff by getting them done there. I am not even sure about the balancing and rotation now...