I had Costco installed my winter tires last week. Prior to having the work done, I had a chance to speak with the mechanic who advised me to be prepared to leave the car there for at least 3 hours. He stated that he will need the extra time to ensure care is taken that wheels are not damaged and that wheels are torqued to proper specs. After the installation, I checked the car and wheels closely and was extremely pleased with the work.

It all depends on the individual that works on the car. I was fortunate to have a mechanic that took the extra care.

 

I did, and they damaged one of my wheels. I asked them to pay for a replacement, and they refused, saying his guy didn't do it. I sued in Small Claims Court. When he got the summons, he offered a settlement, which I accepted. I wrote a letter to Tire Rack about the incident, but they didn't do anything, and he's still a "Recommended Installer." So much for their recommendation.

 

I’m lucky to live in a diverse tri-county area, so within a 20 minute drive I can go to the custom rim shops where all the ‘blinged-out-sleds’ go. These guys are great.
They’re car guys through and through.
I’m a 6-3 red-hair-blue-eyed-45 year old guy pulling into a place filled with tricked out ‘rice-burners’ to ‘wanna-be-gangsta-SUV’s’ and they make me feel right at home. These places are about pride and showmanship – from the rides out front to the guys in the back who make it all work. They eat information about any tire combo you have to share up. They’ve got all the right weights to match any rim style, color or chrome, glued or edge to make it all look invisible. They have the equipment to take rubber-bands off of 24 inch chrome rims as wide at tank-tracks, without a scratch, so their experience is significantly better than anyone at a franchise. You’ll find the price is better too.

 

Hi,
can you recommend a place in NNJ... thanks

 

Now that's what I want to find here in Minnesota some where . . .

 

I'm lucky to have my brother do it for me at the dealer he works at.

 

Hey RedRidge,
There are two that I’ve used successfully.
One is on Morris Ave in Union – across from the Mark Twain diner. They’re my favorite for how close they are to Madison. I like these guys for flats too. They’ll prep the tire the right way before applying the patch. They use the right chemicals and glue for adhesion and will wait for the glue to cure before they reinstall the tire. They’ll also rebalance it.
The other is out on Route 46 east – right on the line between Lodi and Hasbrouck Heights.
Regretfully I don’t have their ‘names’, but doing a SuperPages or AnyWho will probably pull them up pretty quickly.
Of course you know about Euro-Tire in Fairfield (very close to the Fairfield Airstrip as I see you may be familiar with) – they’re very good at what they do and a third of the staff are the owners who’ve been selling me tires since the early 80’s when they worked in the warehouse – long before they bought the place!
Their professionalism is outstanding, and they’re a large sponsor of our local PCA chapter. I use them for 4 wheel alignments as they’ll make any adjustment you request.
Hope it helps.

 

ANY large chain will have enough money to cover a damaged wheel instantly if the mounting were to go badly.

 

Americas Tire? they've done all my cars.. no issues

 

Thanks SS, hahaha... I havent heard the Mark Twain diner in years, I'll try euro-tire. I usually use protosport... but will try the fairfield guys out. Thanks Again.

 

You're welcome. Moved out of that town in 1980, 22 years later, my company moves into that town, right down the street from Mark Twain Diner and I'd pass it and that shop every day. Never been to Protosport but their reputation is growing. EuroTire is very good, you won't be disapointed.
Always willing to help if I can.

 

I used BigO on mounting and dismounting my tires on my GT3 cup. They're price is resonable.