Mike_L

I have a driver, 2 passengers and luggage. But considering that I'm 320lbs, may as well be 3 passengers.

tenspeed

The dealer (any dealer) would be the last place I would go to for non warranty tire & wheel work.

snagitseven

I think that would depend on the dealer. Mine uses the Hunter GSP9700 Road Force balancer, quality alignment equipment and has techs that really know what they're doing. They also have a wheel repair guy that comes by twice a week that does an excellent job. (They don't straighten wheels, however). Their prices are close to par in my area. By the same token, I've had some poor experiences with dedicated tire/wheel shops not doing a very good job. It's tough to generalize.

tenspeed

Thanks for the update. I judge from what has been my limited experiences with dealerships. It seems like whenever I take in a car under warranty, the service representative looks at me like I'm growing a third eye and tells me that they never heard of that problem before and it must be caused by something that I did or didn't do.

snagitseven

I know what you mean - been there, done that in the past. A lot of it comes down to the SA, the service manager and the relationship you can build with them over time. I've been using the same dealer in SE MA for 10 years and have had lots of opportunity to work with those guys. In the beginning though, it was tougher until they came to realize I had some useful understanding of how the cars worked. I've actually had the opportunity to keep them updated on some of the things I've learned right here on AW and with a contact I've had at AOA who is very knowledgeable about all things that are going on with the cars. They actually appreciate the info.

One thing to keep in mind is the service folks get hundreds of people in for service each month with all kinds of complaints, not all of which are valid, can be replicated or are caused by operator misunderstanding. The key is to have your ducks in a row and be able to properly explain and demonstrate the issue whenever possible and to be patient and respectfully persistent. If all else fails, trying another dealer service dept. might be the only solution.

irenesbob

I was awoken this AM by the sound of a municipal snowplow ripping up a four-foot long piece of city street outside my apartment building. Yesterday I drove into Manhattan and the Major Deegan Expressway was a veritable mine field of ripped up pavement. At one point the traffic was backed up as even hurried New Yorkers were slowed to a crawl traversing a section where all three lanes were just totally ripped apart for a distance of about 100 yards. Jeez!
Why don’t they use rubber/urethane tipped/edged plow blades? Does the road repair industry have that tight a grip on governmental leaders? Well, I am sure we all know the answer (add to them the tire and alignment retailers).

q5q7

makes sense, no destroyed road, no job created.

gatorguy7

Wow, that sounds like a nightmare. I complain when I see a couple inch divit in the road.

fEArmE

My theory to have higher pressure is that at least you dont get to the wheels when you hit a hole.

mwar99

I would think that would pass more pressure to the wheel as there would be less flex in the tire, and you are probably more likely to actually split the tire and have an immediate flat vs. a bubble you can at least drive home on.