2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission ALWAYS Check Your Hood Before Leaving The Tire Store!!!

[Sasquash]

Evan,

I wouldn't call my insurance agent, let Les Schwab take care of it all on there insurance so that there's nothing on your record.



A few years back I had a tire blow out at 70 in Idaho and Les schwab paid for all of the damages including the rental car during repairs.



This way your record doesn't take the hit.



Dan

 

[Mad Bomber]

Insurance

Evan, Dan has a good point. You deal with tire co in question and keep your insurance out of it. They always try to find ways of jacking your rates. Eric

 

[lschultz]

I agree to make Les S pay for it and keep your insurance out of it. I take my own torque wrench me whenever I get tires. I tell em to just put the lug nuts on and I will torque them myself. Who knows how accurate there wrenchs are. Well mine to but thats the one I go by. I had them put lug nuts on so tight I had to use a breaker bar to get them loose.

 

[Evan A. Beck]

Well I talked to my insurance guy, and here is his recommendation. Get an estimate from the place I want to have the repairs made, and then take it to Les Schwab. If the give me any grief about it, then it is time to get my insurance involved. He has dealt with this same sort of thing many times before, and it can be pretty difficult getting payment from the offending party.



Gary, thanks for the offer. If my hood hinges were not bent into pretzels, I would take you up on the offer!

 

[scotty1]

Hey P....

Sorry to read about yer hood.



Did ya feel a 'quake' comin' on?







SMASH



B

 

[Evan A. Beck]

HUGE quake.



Even bigger aftershocks coming to the Schwab store...

 

[Chipstien]

Ouch, Sorry to here about the new hood.

 

[DieselPuter]

Scary.......

On my last CTD I had the tires rotated at the Big-O in my home town, not 100 yards out of the parking lot the driver side rear tire falls off and my back end droped to the ground. The employees come out and put the tire back on. I talked to the manager and he asked what I felt would be fair compenasation at there was no damage to my truck and no one got hurt. I told him a set of tires and rims at cost and I'll pay the labor, he said no, that was too much. After 5 years of having everything done there, tires, brakes ect... ... for my two cars and my wifes car... ... . I'll never spend a penny there again.



BTW it was the Big-O on Yosemite in Modesto... ... .....

 

[JStieger]

Your advice really hits home - I too check everything after my truck's been worked on by a 3rd party after a Les Schwab experience. Throughout the whole incident they made everything right with no BS.



I was short on time and had them change out a power steering pump on my old Ford gasser. Left early the next morning to go to Reno (4 hr drive) and 50 miles outside of Reno the serpentine belt grenades. I had a spare and put that on, but unfortunately the pump bearings were toast and also found that the pump pulley was installed short by 1/16".



The Elko store reimbursed me 2 days later for the $350 tow bill plus hotel room. The mechanic in the Reno store offered me the use of his personal new truck for the whole day too (which I declined because I know how much I worry when someone else drive's my truck anyway).



I think what really helped matters out was the formal complaint letter I made and faxed to both store managers as it prevented me from becoming utterly belligerent in their store and making them defensive.



Good luck!

 

[jlhartak]

Tire Stores??!! boy have you hit a sore spot with me! Last fall had the Wife's Maxima in for snow tires, well the guy put some very minor scratches on the alloy wheels, so I told him about it, he apolgized and said they'd take better care next time. Well, putting the summer tires back on this spring they really did a number on two of the wheels!? scratches and a couple of small gouges, he knew I was mad and didn't charge for the remount. The car had a small shimmy when braking so I retorqued the lug nuts, presto shimmy gone; I love the guys who run the lug nuts on with a impact wrench then grab a click torque wrench and snap each nut, all they have done is prove that each lug is over the setting of the wrench if the lug nut doesn't move before it clicks you don't know what the torque is!! Needless to say I won't be going back there! Hope you get your new hood Evan.

 

[John]

Oh Geez Evan....I just saw this thread!

Man, what a bunch of friggin morons! That has to take first prize in BS statements... I had to check the brake fluid level... on a friggin tire/wheel change? In-friggin-deed! ( ) I would have been absolutely livid if I had heard that response (in the same situation).



I learned long ago never to give those guys any more than they absolutely need! I've often wondered if removing the wheels/tires from my Ram, taking [just] them to the tire store for balancing and or tire replacement was worth the inconvenience... now I know. It takes just one A-hole employee like that to make a believer out of someone, or in my case, reaffirm my conviction.



And for those of you that don't personally know Evan, he does indeed keep his Ram in absolute pristine condition!



It always seems like the guys that take the very best care of their vehicles are the ones that get crapped on by swine that don't have a pot to p*ss in.



Ya know, that lame BS statement reminds me of why that kind of crap is even tolerated in the first place...



it's just like...



"I didn't inhale"



or



"I didn't have sex with that woman"







Evan, if ya need anything let me know... I'll help any way I can.

 

[Evan A. Beck]

John, thanks for offering your help!



I went and got a few estimates today, and they range from $2,200 to $2,400. After I got the estimates, I took a ride up to the offending Les Schwab to show them the cost of repair. They faxed it to their insurance company, and will be hearing back in a day or two. They (and I) expect full payment as the only option. When I walked in there, they were once again very aplogetic, and said they will do everything they can to help. Also, I stopped by my insurance man's office today, and filled him in on the proceedings. We took a few pictures, and made copies of all the estimates. If LS doesn't pay in full, my insurance man will step in and take care of everything. Sure is nice to have good people to work with on this sort of thing.



So thats where things stand right now...

 

[Berrigan]

wheel covers too

now my policy is pull wheel covers at home.



then go to tire shop and stand right next to them while they work



if they wont let me in the bay I wont patronize them



go home and recheck lug nut torque



re install the wheel covers ( when i do it they dont get bent and stay on)

 

[coldsteel]

I think i know what your going through Evan,

I was having my 4th auto transmission installed(way to long of a story about 4th transmission) I told the dealership to keep my truck plugged in when they parked it outside(mid of jan. ) but alas i'm just a landscaper and they are mechanics they know better. . so when i get there to pick it up it won't start becaue they didn't plug it in. . so they put it on a charger and 30 min later they pull it around front. . well being a new transmission im gonna hammer down once i get outta town... . pass the city limits sign and 1st to 2nd smooth 3rd to 4th nice 4th to ... . whooshbaaaaamm. what the $%@!. . at this point i hammer the brakes. . slide sideways into the ditch and open the door... I . return to the dealership with the hood rachet strapped down... . they admit to not closing it all the way and luckily they relize my hood recall needs done. . ooppppss a lil late on there part!!. so i got a new hood hinges and dent repair on the pillars... and a new paint job on the whole front end. . it worked out nice. . coulda been worse if i lived in a urban area. . good luck i hope everything works out ok

 

[Jim Smith]

Just another thought on a similar incident relating to tires. If you take your truck in for service the technicians will check your tires for correct pressure ignoring the fact that you might have a 5th wheel hitch in the bed. They will adjust the presuure to 50 psi in the rear tires rather than the 80psi you might need if your towing at that time. Always double check for yourself.