JBM

iTrader: (15)

My tire shop uses a tire mounting device where no contact is made with the wheel, with the exception of the centering hub. He says it's state of the art, and can mount tires on wheels as big as 24".

Is there any possible way a machine like this could damage a wheel to the point of creating run-out? Thanks.

WhiplashDVD

iTrader: (1)

Now C'mon, lets think this through. If there is no scoring where the machine made contact then how would it warp the wheel. These new machines mount tires without contact with the wheel at all, minus the bead of the tire. I have seen a few of the older machines, not including the dinosaur machines, that have a poly wheel that rolls on the lip, but how would it. The only thing that could have caused it is when the bead was set on the rim, but whom would want a set of wheels that get damaged from that. I wouldnt want to do a hole shot with a set that does that.
So what wheels are we talking about? Were these wheels purchased new? Hopefully they have good customer service. Good luck...

JBM

iTrader: (15)

Thanks for the response.
Wheels are brand new. I've exchanged emails with the manufacturer, so I'll hold off on specifics for now. The manufacturer is steering blame toward the tire installer. I was present when the tires were mounted. Just wanted to gather as much info as possible. Any other opinions?

chevysol73

iTrader: (1)

jon i have only seen an old school machine like a coats 40/40 bend an alloy wheel ,but those machines are very old and mount the rim though the center hole...i think you have bad rims ...any machine from the past 10 years does not have the force or power to cause runout just by mounting the tire...tire machines are not design to put that kind of force or stress on the rim ,,the way a rim get's clamped to the new style machine's would put the force in a different direction....clint

JBM

iTrader: (15)

Hey Clint, Happy New Year. Thanks for the feedback. That's what I think as well. Now that I'm in a situation where I have to return brand new, unused wheels, I wanted to be sure I wasn't overlooking something. The wheel manufacturer is claiming it's the tire installer's fault. They have agreed to look at the wheels, but I have to pay to ship them across the country for evaluation. They were not cheap either!

JR HAWK 9

iTrader: (3)

if the operator doesn't know what he is doing it's possible to get marks from their error. Today's high tech machines are great at not touching the rim, but only if the operator is competent in operating said machine If there are no marks on the rim itself, then I don't see any way that the machine could have cause any damage.

These wouldn't happen to be iForged wheels you are referring too, are they?? The excuse you list sounds awe too familiar......

LvDemKings

Your situation is exactly what came to mind when he said runout, then I thought for sure it must be iForged if it's across the country. I could be wrong, but I also wonder what kind of wheels these are.

JBM

iTrader: (15)

No damage marks on the wheels. They are not iForged, but I'm curious how your situation worked out.

JR HAWK 9

iTrader: (3)

iForged did correct the runout and bad chrome, BUT, they still are not as true as what you would expect for a high dollar wheel. When I had them match mounted and road force balanced I -still- had 2 rims that are out of spec (not as much as the other rim was....which had 0.10" of runout!) according to the Hunter GSP-9700 machine. The guy mounting them was not impressed with the build quality, especially after finding out how much they cost...lol Same can be said about two other member's iForged rims, as they both had quality issues as well.

o well, live and learn I guess. I hope whatever company your dealing with takes care of it for you.

JBM

iTrader: (15)

Thanks, so do I. It sounds like fixing the runout would be a standard warranty repair for any reputable vendor. I'll keep everyone posted.

chevysol73

iTrader: (1)

happy new year to you to jon..good luck with your wheels...clint

spy2520

iTrader: (3)

i bent a few steel wheels on the 40/40, all it takes to do that is a michelin and not enough lube. only allow wheels ever come in contact with the 40/40 is if they need that extra air to seat the bead and theres no "Cheetah"...

JBM

iTrader: (15)

Cheetah? Not familiar.

chevysol73

iTrader: (1)

it's an air tank full of 120 psi or more of air with a valve on it ,that you use to blast the tire bead to get it to seat ,it's very common in the big truck tire field as well as off road tires like backhoes ,front end loaders,etc...but lots of tire stores have them now a days....

JBM

iTrader: (15)

Gotcha. Thanks Clint.