Did I need my wheels replaced?

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LouiseS

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Hi there. This is my first forum post, although for years I have used this forum for technical advice. I am a single parent with no technical knowledge. Two days ago, I took my son's care (Renault Clio 3; 2006) for a new set of tyres at Tiger Wheel and Tyre in Tokai. They told me that the wheels were buckled and I would have to replace them as well otherwise the new tyres would take the shape of the buckled wheels and this would affect their longevity. They said the steel wheels could not be repaired and they would have to use alloy wheels. I didn't want to waste 4 grand on tyres that would be damaged, so told them to go ahead. They gave me the original steel wheels to take to a scrapyard. I have just had a look at them and they look perfect. How would I tell if they are buckled? I am worried that I may have been scammed?
 
They might look fine but only need to be slightly out of shape for you to feel it.

What the poster said above - was there a vibration before you had them replaced. If so it should be gone now.
 
No. But the car was second hand - bought it a year ago. It still had the original tyres. And was driven it as a beginner driver for a year and definitely has driven into the odd ditch by mistake. Seemed fine to me (but I once drove my car with a completely flat tyre to town and didn't notice any difference in road handling (red face).
 
LouiseS said:
No. But the car was second hand - bought it a year ago. It still had the original tyres. And was driven it as a beginner driver for a year and definitely has driven into the odd ditch by mistake. Seemed fine to me (but I once drove my car with a completely flat tyre to town and didn't notice any difference in road handling (red face).
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:wtf:

Then its possible that it could have buckled to a certain degree.
 
Even a slight deviation would result in big change to the geometry of the wheel when they are rotating. You can't detect them with your eyes alone imho
 
That being said, the damage can be quite obvious on alloy wheels but you had steel so any damage might not be visible on those.
 
gregmcc said:
Yip - that will do it. I don't think you were ripped off.

Next time don't do that. :)
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Its wierd though that she didn't notice any difference in road handling, she obviously didn't notice the vibration on the wheels with the old rims. :rolleyes:
 
I didn't drive the Clio to town with a flat tyre, it was my VW beetle years ago; just mentioned it because I definitely wouldn't notice a vibration. The main thing is that is doesn't matter if the steel wheels look perfect off the car - they could still have needed replacing?
 
The problem I have with this is that steel wheels are almost always repairable, unless totally bent, which you'd easily be able to see. I'd take them back to Tiger, and get them to put the wheels on the balancing machine and show you where they're bent. Also ask the manager/owner why they didn't offer to repair them for you. I would want them to straighten the rims and give me a refund on the new ones if I were in your position. I'd also contact Tiger's customer care - they should back you up and help get them to be a little more honest.
 
They were untruthful.

Steel rims can be repaired. TSW does not do any repairs on rims due to legal liability. No other reason.

You should ask for a refund on the rims.

If the rims were not damaged to the naked eye, the tires would have worked fine on the rims.

Do you have a legal aid insurance policy?

To check bent rims, you need to put them on a wheel balance machine and have it spun. It will come up as out of balance, this is normal. You need to look at it to see the outline move. It is not easy to notice for an untrained person esp if you have a slight bend.


If you are in the randburg area

Take it to fit and go , corner beyers and mountainview roads, opposite the large SPAR.
 
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Thx Colin. It did just seem strange that the old wheels looked so perfect. I'll have to find someone to go along with me. The problem is that these guys can tell me anything and I don't have the technical know-how to assess what they say. Would be great to live in an honest and transparent society.
 
I got the same speech from another TWT-like company with my dads car, and one of my old cars. My response was "no thanks, just new tyres please" :)
 
silver6933 said:
They were untruthful.

Steel rims can be repaired. TSW does not do any repairs on rims due to legal liability. No other reason.

You should ask for a refund on the rims.
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My local TWT branch in Pietermaritzburg repair both steel and alloy rims - I suspect it varies from branch to branch though. At one stage TWT had a nationwide arrangement with a repair company to do their repairs for them, and it took a few days to get the rim back.

LouiseS said:
Thx Colin. It did just seem strange that the old wheels looked so perfect. I'll have to find someone to go along with me. The problem is that these guys can tell me anything and I don't have the technical know-how to assess what they say. Would be great to live in an honest and transparent society.
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I can't understand how people think it's good for their business in the long term to rip people off - it gets out eventually and the customers drift away.
 
One of the rims did look bent on the actual car. But when I look at the steel wheels they gave back to me I can't see any damage to the rims. I don't have a legal insurance policy, but I am prepared to take fit up if I was scammed. I think I will ask a panel beater nearby to do the follow up check for me. At the time, I did ask Tiger Wheel if a panel beater could repair the wheels, but they said that they do the repairs themselves and the wheels are not repairable. Frustrating - as I am trying to make sure my son has a safe car to drive to Stellenbosch Univ - on a very tight budget. Thx for the input.
 
LouiseS said:
Hi there. This is my first forum post, although for years I have used this forum for technical advice. I am a single parent with no technical knowledge. Two days ago, I took my son's care (Renault Clio 3; 2006) for a new set of tyres at Tiger Wheel and Tyre in Tokai. They told me that the wheels were buckled and I would have to replace them as well otherwise the new tyres would take the shape of the buckled wheels and this would affect their longevity. They said the steel wheels could not be repaired and they would have to use alloy wheels. I didn't want to waste 4 grand on tyres that would be damaged, so told them to go ahead. They gave me the original steel wheels to take to a scrapyard. I have just had a look at them and they look perfect. How would I tell if they are buckled? I am worried that I may have been scammed?
Click to expand...

i had a similar case with a Ford Ikon 2006. The steel rims were "buckled" which I found very hard to believe. They showed me on their machines while it was spinning. The rim becomes oval over time. I could physically see it with my own eyes that it was not right. I managed to use the spare rim and the best rim out of the four and put those on the front. We sold the car 6 months later as it was giving electrical issues.
 
Not the most accurate test put try rolling them slowly on a level floor, you might see a wobble or when they come to rest they might roll backwards a bit if they are oval.
 
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