Advice needed on tyre damage

[z3cade]

Hi people I'm currently having and issue with a company who are dealing with my newly refurbed alloys.

The story is I'm using this Company to remove my tyres from my original M alloys and put them onto my newly refurbished M alloys.

Upon removing the first rear tyre all seemed ok then upon removing the first front tyre this happened..



It tyre compresser ( the arm that pushes against the sidewall to pop it off the rim edge ) goes through the sidewall! In Two places..

Then the next front and rear tyres were removed from the original wheels. All seemed ok with them and the first tyre.

So the next day I turn up with the new Alloys and a part worn I picked up to replace the split one.. They fitted the first original tyre 'that didn't split' and upon inflation it egged in four places on one side.. ( the side the tyre compressor was used on.. ) at this point I twigged. There must be a problem with there tyre compressor to do this damage..

So on inspection of the other 3 tyres that were removed this was what had happened on the inside





These splits of the internal edge were only on the side wall that had been compressed with the compressor.

All the other internal walls and external sidewalls have no cracks and are in perfect condition.

After this I said it must be your tyre compressor that has done the damage.
After which the company has said they want to get the tyres inspected by another company to see why this has happened before they take it any further.

In my eyes its obvious its there fault and that there machine has caused the damage.
But there arguing its the tyres that are at fault as there probably old and perished!! ( as you can guess they don't want to pay out for new tyres )

The tyres in question are continental contact sports 3s with a date of manufacture of 2009. The two fronts were like new with loads of tread and NO signs of damage or cracking etc. they were perfect.

My questions are what are my rights and what can I do to make them realise they are liable for my tyres..

Many thanks , Liam

 

[jonco]

Tough - hassle you can do without.
A 'phone call to local Trading Standards should get you on the road to the right legal approach. Independent assessment will probably be required from what I have read but this needs to be mutually agreed i.e not somebody who's in their pocket. Are you in the AA? - legal advice.

 

[z3cade]

I am in the AA with roadside assistance cover.
There taking the tyres to a tyre fitting company who I deal with regularly for a second opinion on the tyres. I'm hoping they will confirm the tyres are in good order ( which they are/were.. ) and not perished as they seem to believe they are.
I will wait for the phone call to see what they have to say but I'm not backing down.

 

[Brian H]

Sorry to hear of your hassle, I remember Swamper had an issue with a tyre recently, IIRC it split coming off the rim.

You could try to contact a rep from continental, I am sure they would be interested to hear especially if the tyre fitter is blaming the tyre itself.

I found this website, maybe they could help.

Continental Tyres UK

HTH

 

[Mr-P]

Talk to Trading Standards just in case you need them, but keep an open relationships with the tyre fitters.

As Jonco say you need independent advice.

 

[Aceman]

Liam have a word with Indy as he has a mate that is a tyre fitter who may be able to give you some unbiased advice.

 

[z3cade]

Liam have a word with Indy as he has a mate that is a tyre fitter who may be able to give you some unbiased advice.

Indy knows about it already. But no advice.

Another thing is when I did my cousins M coupe up we did the same thing. Swopped tyres from his old M wheels to a set of Indys. Upon fitting them to the new wheels 3 out of the 4 tyres egged on one of the sides.
They put it down to the car sitting for two years on the tyres. Which at the time I agreed with but now I'm not so sure..

 

[badman gee]

Doesn't seem right to me. But they are 5 year old tyres.

 

[Aceman]

I don't think it is right either Liam there is too much of a coincidence going on here. Did you take a pic of their tyre fitting machine as something isn't right. I have never experienced this before and although in the grand scheme of things I have not had a lot of tyres fitted never have I seen this before and for the same thing to happen to so many of your tyres has got to be the machine or operator causing it.

 

[badman gee]

Tyres do perish with time but the tyres on my rover were original and 7 years old. They were fine.

 

[z3cade]

My point exactly Ian. If it were just the one tyre I would question it but for it to happen to all four tyres.. Plus it to happen to my cousins tyres too.

I'm p***** off to say the least.

No I didn't take a picture of the machine.

 

[Aceman]

Not surprised you are best part of 500 nicker down !

 

[z3cade]

Tyres do perish with time but the tyres on my rover were original and 7 years old. They were fine.

Exactly.. My two front tyres were still like new with around 6mm tread left with no sidewall damage, nicks or cracks.

I do understand there point as a business and why they want a second opinion on the tyres but I'm still left with no front tyres.

Im only asking them to replace the two fronts as they were like new but the rears were worn.
I supplied two rears which are now on the rear wheels. But I still have the two rears they removed which they cracked.

 

[t-tony]

I work at a tyre company and I wouldn't be surprised that the fitter used the tyre compressor without deflating the tyre first either by removing the valve core or snapping the old valve off. That means the machine has to push against the pressure in the tyre as well as the tyre bead. If you go there and watch to see if this is common practice you have good grounds to complain.

 

[Aceman]

Tyres do perish with time but the tyres on my rover were original and 7 years old. They were fine.

Premium tyres like Conti's should last a lot longer than 5 years especially on a garaged car like Liam's.

 

[z3cade]

I work at a tyre company and I wouldn't be surprised that the fitter used the tyre compressor without deflating the tyre first either by removing the valve core or snapping the old valve off. That means the machine has to push against the pressure in the tyre as well as the tyre bead. If you go there and watch to see if this is common practice you have good grounds to complain.

I can't comment on the valve removal but I was there watching when all the tyres were removed.

The tyre that split right through did take some getting off the face. But even the ones that seemed to come off normally cracked the inner skin.

 

[Aceman]

I work at a tyre company and I wouldn't be surprised that the fitter used the tyre compressor without deflating the tyre first either by removing the valve core or snapping the old valve off. That means the machine has to push against the pressure in the tyre as well as the tyre bead. If you go there and watch to see if this is common practice you have good grounds to complain.

Very good and excellent explanation which makes perfect sense.

 

[Aceman]

Did it go with a bang Liam when they broke the bead ?

 

[t-tony]

I can't comment on the valve removal but I was there watching when all the tyres were removed.

The tyre that split right through did take some getting off the face. But even the ones that seemed to come off normally cracked the inner skin.

I see our lads change lots of large low profile tyres at work Mercs, BMW's Audi's etc Liam and sometimes they really do hang on to the bead s. I will ask the tyrebay foreman tomorrow for his views and see if he can suggest anything which may help you, Tony.

 

[z3cade]

Thanks Tony that would be most appreciated.
Ian no I'm sure he deflated the tyres first as there was no loud bang when popping it off the rim.