Discount Tire Rant

[offroadrolls]

One of my company trucks is a Dodge Caravan, it's handier than a pocket. We put Blizzak stud-less tires on it in the winter as I use it between Denver and Steamboat on occasion. Anyway, it's time to get the the Summer tires back on it so we don't wear out the Blizzaks . They work great on snow but they'll wear out quick on pavement.
So today I'm going down to have breakfast with my kid and I figured great, there's a Discount Tire just down the road from the Village Inn. So I drop the Van at Discount and me and my kid Alex head up the road in his car. About an hour later he drops me back at Discount Tire to pick up the Caravan. As I'm walking past the Caravan I notice they've put the tires with the best tread on the back of the van.......it's front wheel drive.....they belong on the front. So I go in to pay and I kindly ask "would it be possible to rotate the tire real quick as it's front wheel drive and the better tires belong on the front".
Next, this kid behind the counter informs me that I'm wrong and that to prevent the rear end of the van from sliding out, the tire manufactures are now recommending that tires with 6/32 or less never be mounted on the rear of a vehicle. He then hands me a one page brochure with pictures and words explaining the logic. I didn't read it, I handed it back and said I'd agree with him if my van was rear wheel drive. He then said he was only concerned for my safety............
Next I informed him I was not in the market for another mommy, so spare me the concern and please put the tires where I'm asking, as I'm paying you to do so.
He said he can't and that the DOT is behind him on this one.
Oh great, why did he have to bring our 10,000 times bigger than needed government in to this?
From that point on I don't remember much, I did leave the store with $100.00
gift card and no one was hurt. But, my tires with 50% are on front and the 80%er's are on the rear of my front wheel drive van because big brother's got my back. Guess I'll have to rotate them myself when I get a chance.
Hope Obama and our new socialist republic of tire manufactures don't throw me in jail.
One of my mantras has always been it's ok to be a know it all as long as you know when you don't.
So I'd like to pose a question to the member's of RRR.
Given the fact that front wheel drive vehicles have an inherent tendency to under steer, wouldn't you think if you were going fast enough to make the rear end slide out, it would be more likely the front would slide before the rear got a chance to?
I think Discount Tire's position is BS.

 

[Willowbilly3]

Deep breaths, take deep breaths, step back, It's just a minimal wage guy trying to do what he thinks is right (however misguided he might be), not a communist plot to take over the country. Next time just give them instructions how you want your tires mounted before they do it, problem solved.

 

[skull]

corporate

there company gave me that BS to when l had a tire break the chords on the front. counter guy stated that since one was bad and the other had wear, they both needed changed.

l called the corporate office and told the man if they wanted to donate the tire, l'll gladly put it on the truck. well l walked out with one tire, a $25.OO replacement, mounted and balanced.

Later

 

[bob w]

I just had the same experience at a tire store I've been going to for 55 years. It is a government mandate. They had to put the two new tires on the rear and move the worn rear tires to the front on my wife's front drive car. Said they could rotate them in 7,000 miles. I know all the guys there and they wouldn't BS me. Along the same lines, they cannot sell only two winter tires unless by some quirk of fate you have only two currently on the car.

Noticed today at a Farm and Fleet store they will only put the manufacturer's mandated tire size on a vehicle. No plus sizing, etc. Wonder what they would do if you bring a hot rod in for Bigs and Littles.???

 

[Hydrocarbon Rocket]

Whats sad is they have probably had the pants sued off of them over simular stuff. Looks like if we tell them, or pay them what to do then we would be resposible. It's just not like that anymore. One of the big name parts stores wouldn't even install a head light in my siter in laws car the other night. Could be the counter person was lazy but, he said they were not allowed to do stuff like that anymore due to liability. Now somone will have to leave the store without a headlight, wreck cause they couldn't see, then sue for the parts store letting them leave with a blown head light, finally the store won't even be able to sell anything anymore. Anyway, you see what this is all leading up to. We are gonna be in a fix before long.

 

[offroadrolls]

Hate to say it boy's but it's a form of tyranny. It's one example of government oppression, rules and regulations that are getting out of hand. It's none of the government's business how we mount our tires. For God's sake this is America, land of the free. I'm OK with not allowing bald tires on the road. That's what tread wear bars are for. But a mandate about a tire that's @ 50% is nutz!

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

So I'd like to pose a question to the member's of RRR.
Given the fact that front wheel drive vehicles have an inherent tendency to under steer, wouldn't you think if you were going fast enough to make the rear end slide out, it would be more likely the front would slide before the rear got a chance to?
I think Discount Tire's position is BS.

It does seem to defy logic, but consider this. When braking or simply decelerating, the rear tires "unload" due to the vehicle's weight transferring up front. A poor tire can and will get loose in a panic situation or road conditions. My uncle damn near killed himself in a Caravan. Mountain road and wet conditions, he said when he needed to brake running downhill, the rear end would wag around like a tail on a kite. Solution? New tires. Strange, but true.

Tire stores are the same here, too. Rules, rules, rules, BS and aggravation. I take the wheels in, not the vehicle. Seems that's something they can live with because they don't actually install them on the vehicle. Hoop-jumping. I hate it, but I get what I need and don't have the burning desire to throttle somebody.

 

[CR55]

New tires on the front of a front wheel drive seem to be the correct solution to me, but it probably all boils down to a past or present lawsuit,...damn lawyers.

 

[Willowbilly3]

Well, I know it's none of us right here but in a bigger picture it is partly us as a sue happy consumer group. Lady with the headlight, you can be sure she would be back in there ripping the counter person a new arse if he did something wrong trying to help her install the light and there were problems later.
I'm not sure on the tire thing, my tire shop does what I ask, mount used tires, put them on where I want ect.

 

[Stroker McGurk]

I have my own tire machine...screw em

 

[timbo]

I have always had the tires with better tread on the front of the car/truck front or rear wheel drive. It is better to have more control in the steering end in the rain than in the rear. I have done it that way at work for 25+ years. Only time I worry about better grip in the rear is when I am going up hill in the snow or at the starting line at the track.
Tim

 

[Willowbilly3]

Amusing how different areas of the country respond to federal rules. Years ago I was in California and ran out of propane on a weekend. I took the bottles to about 7-8 different places and nobody would fill them because they didn't have the stamp of a currant inspection. I guess it is a federal regulation but I never had a problem in any other state. One of those bottles had a 1955 date, was never inspected since new.

 

[Bamamav]

I mount most of my tires at home anymore. Two bars, a breakdown wedge, and a sledgehammer. Just need to get me a balance machine now. Would love to find a old manual tire machine, but they're hard to come by at a decent price anymore. So I just beat and bang on the wedge until the beads broken, then bar them off and back on.

 

[donsrods]

The chain stores are really getting goofy about this stuff. I took my Jeep pickup in and wanted to replace the white wall tires I had on it with new whitewalls. The guy at K Mart told me they had to put SUV tires on it and they only come in blackwalls. I told them to put tires for a Lincoln Continental on it as they come in white. He said it is a pickup and he HAS to put truck tires on it.

This Jeep pickup was not used for hauling, it had a 5.0 Mustang engine in it and I used it as a driver. It weighed less than the Continental so weight was not an issue. I think they are just afraid of lawsuits and are covering their tails.

Don

 

[old man dave]

I have always had the tires with better tread on the front of the car/truck front or rear wheel drive. It is better to have more control in the steering end in the rain than in the rear. I have done it that way at work for 25+ years. Only time I worry about better grip in the rear is when I am going up hill in the snow or at the starting line at the track.
Tim

I worked in a tire store for 5 years and this is what we were told and I still believe it to be correct. Sliding the rear is half the fun of driving especially in a Dually.

 

[BigIrish]

Had a similar issue with Discount recently. Front tires were getting worn so took it in to get them rotated. They said the fronts were at 8/32, so they couldn't rotate them. I said 5/32 is the legal limit and they said, "yeah well its store policy, have to buy new ones." I was so mad - obvious ploy to force me to buy new ones even though the old ones aren't worn out yet.

So I had to rotate them myself.

 

[Bamamav]

The chain stores are really getting goofy about this stuff. I took my Jeep pickup in and wanted to replace the white wall tires I had on it with new whitewalls. The guy at K Mart told me they had to put SUV tires on it and they only come in blackwalls. I told them to put tires for a Lincoln Continental on it as they come in white. He said it is a pickup and he HAS to put truck tires on it.

This Jeep pickup was not used for hauling, it had a 5.0 Mustang engine in it and I used it as a driver. It weighed less than the Continental so weight was not an issue. I think they are just afraid of lawsuits and are covering their tails.

Don

Just another reason to mount them yourself! One place tried that on my F150, said I had to put LT tires on it. I told them I don't, and sure wouldn't be buying from them anymore! Got P's because they ride better, very seldom haul anything heavier than a few grocerys anyway. Got them through a small independant shop that will put any tire on anything!

 

[offroadrolls]

Remember about 10 years ago when Firestones were exploding on Ford Explorers? I wonder if that has anything to do with big brother thinking mandates are needed?

 

[Crossfire]

Tires and wheels.

If you are changing them over every year why not just get you another set of rims and change them yourself. Time it took you to have lunch,you would be done and not have to deal with the tire stores. They have to go by what Gov. regulations they get whether it be right or just stupid crap coming from the Gov. You are really going to get ****ed when you go to get brake pads,they mic your rotors and if out 1/1000 th you will have to buy rotors. Do all my own stuff and if its wrong I know who to blame !

 

[earthman]

I read recently that California has more lawyers per capita than any other state.Then i read somewhere else that the US has more lawyers then the rest of the world combined.