You may or may not recall a recent rant featured here on this very blog, “Has the Automobile Tire World gone Mad“.  You will recall that a number of tire dealers gave me trouble for wanting them to install 5 new tires on bead-lock wheels.
On the phone, it was easy for these people to be dismissive of me. Having been dismissed, I pulled the locking ring from the tire and the tire deflated. As I suspected, a dry rot situation. These things happen. The tire is shot and needs to be replaced. It’s not rocket science.
There is something else to be considered. The rear two tires (older) are showing signs of the same problem and if I pull the locking rings and they deflate, it’s going to be a P.I.T.A. for me to get everything to the tire store. It’s do-able but it’s also easier for me to drive the FJ there and have them pull the tires.
Realizing that it’s much easier to be kissed off the phone instead of in person, I drove to Big O Tires (not the place that gave me crap earlier – however they did tell me on the phone that they wouldn’t do bead-lock wheels) and spoke to the manager this morning. The tires are going on the bead-lock wheels, no extra charge, we love to have your money and your business Mr. LL.
So the Nitto Terra Grappler 305/70/R17’s will be replaced by Nitto Terra Grappler G2 295/70/R17’s. The G2 is a different version of the TG and I’m dropping one size to reduce some of the rubbing issues that oversize tires give me in tight turns. (Still a 33″ tire, not quite so wide)
That means that the time I budgeted for pulling locking rings without an air-wrench, can be devoted to more frivolous things like having lunch!

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20 COMMENTS

  1. Excellent! I guess they can't say no to "Scary Larry" in person, huh? Sometimes it pays to be impossibly good looking with just a hint of "killing machine" behind the shades. 😉

  3. Apparently that's the way that they saw it.

    Sadly, I'm getting long in the tooth these days. The skill sets are present, but they are rusty. I'm content to getting my way with the tires.

  5. I know what you mean there.

    Serious question on the rims: How do you keep the marmots, pikas, weasels, hippies and stray alley cats from curling up inside those rims, next to the warm hubs, when you're parked in the backcountry (or even next to the casa)?

  6. They don't curl in the rims, but for under the hood, use the cake soap often used in urinals. Rats, mice and vermin hate the camphor smell and based on old wives' tales, it works. I have it in my engine compartment.

    The high bead-lock rims are hell in mud, but I drive in the desert southwest where rocks are a larger issue and the valve stem is vulnerable. If I moved to a different location, I might buy new (low) locking rims.

  7. It's true that face to face will often get better results then trying to do business over the phone. Then too, they probably realized that was a sizable wad of cash in your pocket… along side ol' "make my day"…

  12. The cash did the trick, as folding money usually does. The lady couldn't see me walk out with $1,500 – and next door to Discount Tires.

  14. Like going into a gay pub, walking up to the bar and offering to help push somebody's stool in…

  17. A battery impact driver would be useful to remove the locking rims as fast as an air impact without the compressor and hose. I know dewalt makes them in a variety of sizes. Plus, a shiny new tool!

  18. I didn't know that there were battery powered impact drivers available…and — a new tool. Thank you. I'll check that out now.

  20. Kissed off the phone is an interesting expression that I've never heard of. It sounds nice rather than horrible. Goodness, you must be so tyred of all this hassle. Amazing what $1500 can do.

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