Wheel damage after installing snow tires

[ITSTW]

I've had my type S for 2 weeks and put 250 miles on it. Yesterday I had the dealer put on new snow tires.

When I left the dealer is was dark so I couldn't really inspect. This morning in the daylight I look at the tires and notice that all 4 wheels have damage (chips, scrapes).

I am trying to determine the likelihood that this occurred prior to going to get the snow tires put on vs the installer damaged the wheels.

Ive been to 1 car wash and did not inspect the wheels after the wash. I haven't hit any curbs (and if I had it would not have damaged all 4).

Also, I notice that after putting the snows on, the rim sticks out a bit more away from the tire than with the stock tires. I only drove home 8 miles from the dealer and assume that this protrusion would not have lent itself to quick damage from rocks or something but just looking for opinions before I go talk to the dealership about the work that was done. I feel like I may have seen them take some pictures prior to service.

Each of these attached pictures is of each rim.

Any thoughts?

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[acurax]

I wouldn't get to concerned until talking to them. They should fix this, though they're likely to have them repaired vs. replaced. Presuming they repair them, just make sure to get a good close look at the repair job in the daylight to ensure it was done to your satisfaction prior to leaving the dealership.

The way I would approach the conversation would be to simply state that after picking up your car from having the snow tires installed you noticed the rims were damage in locations that suggest it occurred during the tire removal/installation. Don't offer up any additional information unless required. They should be able to review video footage to determine if their tech, or even their carwash, may have caused the damage.

Best of luck!

 

[elh0102]

It does not look like curb damage to me, but it does look like installation damage.
As to the fit, is it the same size tire? A narrower tire is going to be stretched.

 

[optronix]

Quick question- have you tried cleaning the wheels?

I say this because I can't really tell from the pics if it's actual damage... and I will tell you that the couple times I brought my car in for swapping tires on the OEM wheels they left a TON of messy glue-like residue on the wheels and tires both. It kind of looked like what's shown in these pics... really thick, almost chalk-like lubrication grease that at first glance looks like the wheels were scored all to hell- but a quick wash or wipe and it was all gone.

In any case, it was almost surely caused by the installation, and if it is indeed damage you need to bring this to their attention. It shouldn't be an expensive fix, and most dealers have arrangements with local wheel repair vendors to come in and fix stuff like this on a routine basis.

As for the wheels "sticking out", check the sizes of the tires. OEM size is 265/30. Whoever chose the tires for installation may have very well went with a smaller width either due to availability or simply because some folks insist that smaller width tires are better in snowy conditions; I know many folks on this board actively chose 255 for this reason specifically. Also, some tires even of the same width rating actually just fit differently. Just looking at the pics, I can't tell the size but the tires do look stretched a bit. This might not be such a bad thing but it's probably fair to ask about it if it bothers you.

 

[ITSTW]

Thanks for the replies. Not sure yet if the damage is from the installer, but they said to bring it down and they would repair it tomorrow since its brand new. They have some photos that they took when I brought it in that we will take a look at anyway.

The tires are a different size, they put on P245/35R19 so yes they are a bit stretched on there.

 

[ITSTW]

Quick question- have you tried cleaning the wheels?

I say this because I can't really tell from the pics if it's actual damage... and I will tell you that the couple times I brought my car in for swapping tires on the OEM wheels they left a TON of messy glue-like residue on the wheels and tires both. It kind of looked like what's shown in these pics... really thick, almost chalk-like lubrication grease that at first glance looks like the wheels were scored all to hell- but a quick wash or wipe and it was all gone.

In any case, it was almost surely caused by the installation, and if it is indeed damage you need to bring this to their attention. It shouldn't be an expensive fix, and most dealers have arrangements with local wheel repair vendors to come in and fix stuff like this on a routine basis.

As for the wheels "sticking out", check the sizes of the tires. OEM size is 265/30. Whoever chose the tires for installation may have very well went with a smaller width either due to availability or simply because some folks insist that smaller width tires are better in snowy conditions; I know many folks on this board actively chose 255 for this reason specifically. Also, some tires even of the same width rating actually just fit differently. Just looking at the pics, I can't tell the size but the tires do look stretched a bit. This might not be such a bad thing but it's probably fair to ask about it if it bothers you.

I was wondering this same, but I scratched at it a bit and its definitely damage. There was some other grease on there too that came off.

 

[SeanIsElsewhere]

I've had my type S for 2 weeks and put 250 miles on it. Yesterday I had the dealer put on new snow tires.

When I left the dealer is was dark so I couldn't really inspect. This morning in the daylight I look at the tires and notice that all 4 wheels have damage (chips, scrapes).

I am trying to determine the likelihood that this occurred prior to going to get the snow tires put on vs the installer damaged the wheels.

Ive been to 1 car wash and did not inspect the wheels after the wash. I haven't hit any curbs (and if I had it would not have damaged all 4).

Also, I notice that after putting the snows on, the rim sticks out a bit more away from the tire than with the stock tires. I only drove home 8 miles from the dealer and assume that this protrusion would not have lent itself to quick damage from rocks or something but just looking for opinions before I go talk to the dealership about the work that was done. I feel like I may have seen them take some pictures prior to service.

Each of these attached pictures is of each rim.

Any thoughts?

Looks like they damaged them which is easy to do if you rush the job and/or are inexperienced in doing so.
I’ve given up on using the dealer for anything outside of warranty-related issues. I’m now doing all of my own maintenance and anything I can’t do myself (tools, need for a lift, alignments, etc) are done by a local guy who came highly recommended by my enthusiast buddies. They take really good care of cars in their possession and even put up with how anal I can be lol (asking them to not touch the piano black door trim for instance) they understand and let me know I’m not nearly as anal as some of their customers. They have folks brining in 911s and other folk’s Sunday drivers so I am confident both in the work they perform and the care they take in doing so.

I could go on all day about how much I detest the dealership technician’s (even the ‘master techs’) lack of mechanical sympathy and attention to detail. I’ve yet to have an experience without an issue with my only local one have resorted to spending the time doing it myself, despite me usually willing to pay to save the time

 

[s219]

Looks like sloppy work. Let's hope they do a better job repairing the damage than they did mounting the tires.

I don't really like it when narrow tires get stretched onto the rim like that, but I believe 245/35 is the closest size winter tires come in, so that was probably the only choice. This is one reason I prefer having a separate set of wheels for winter tires -- you can choose a more optimal wheel and tire size. It also saves a lot of hassle when changing tires between seasons and you can quickly do it at home.

 

[whtciv2k]

Thanks for the replies. Not sure yet if the damage is from the installer, but they said to bring it down and they would repair it tomorrow since its brand new. They have some photos that they took when I brought it in that we will take a look at anyway.

The tires are a different size, they put on P245/35R19 so yes they are a bit stretched on there.

This is 100% from a poor mounting job and it’s chipped the powder coat off. I recently bought the oem copper wheels and had them installed perfectly. Not a scratch. Not even on the inside area where the lugs go… def talk to the dealership.

 

[SocalDE5]

Your opening to the service tech should be similar to:

Hi, your tire machine marred all 4 of my wheels during your tire install. I would like these fixed please.

Don't sound like you are in doubt or a crazy Karl... but soft... yet firm like Inigo Montoya was.

Verbal influence...

 

[MidwestDE5]

I believe these wheels are designed to have the tires installed from the back of the wheel. I wonder if the tech was not aware of this and installed from the face.

 

[s219]

I believe these wheels are designed to have the tires installed from the back of the wheel. I wonder if the tech was not aware of this and installed from the face.

There is often an easier way to do it, which varies from wheel to wheel. So I always eyeball the wheel and look to see if one direction will be easier than the other when mounting tires at home with tire spoons. It depends on the rim cross section and how the initial bead sits inside the rim cavity while the final bead is wrestled on. I would normally prefer to work from the back to minimize visible damage but that's not always the case. In the old days, steel wheels usually had a symmetrical cross section and it didn't matter.

Thing is, a proper shop with tire mounting machines doesn't really have to worry about it like a redneck using tire spoons. There shouldn't be a reason for the machine to ever contact the outer edges or faces of the wheels. If a machine will cause damage, it's normally going to be a scratch that runs around the wheel, not chips. So I think this is down to carelessness and sloppy handling. Makes me angry to see.

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