Car Guys - Mount & Balance Alloy Rims - Where?

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Because of my former employment, it has been a long time since I have needed to have tires broken down and new ones mounted and balanced.

 

I am very picky and am looking for a shop - preferably in my area (west/central Jersey) that has real experience in mounting/balancing tires on alloy rims.

 

I'd desire a shop with a "touchless", rim-clamp type changer, that actually uses the nylon "condoms" they are supposed to when working with alloy. Also want a shop with a Road Force balancer (GSP9700), again that knows how to use it properly, to balance a tire in two planes with tape-a-weights on the rear of the wheel only (I told you I was picky).

 

The wheels are TSW 19" x 8" and the tires will be Michelin Pilot Super Sports 245/40R19.

 

I'll travel some for the right shop, but the closer to home the better.

 

What say you car guys? Who do you trust to do it right, with your wheels?

 

Thanks.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[this_is_nascar 162]

Have you tried the local dealerships?

[Pew Pew Plates 358]

You mean the local hackshops?

 

I had a wheel weight fall off one of my front wheels, took it in under warrenty since its free and all.... they did such an UGLY job, scraped the remains off all sloppy, the new weights were stuck on crrooked and half-assed. Never again.

 

Subscribed...

[this_is_nascar 162]

Sorry to hear that. I've had pretty good luck with the dealerships around here.

[raz-0 1,259]

subscribed as well. It seems like even if they buy the gear, they can't balance a wheel for beans. It'd be nice to find a shop that can get something done as nicely as a wheel and tire set from tire rack or discount tire direct.

[this_is_nascar 162]

Bob, give that Angie's List (spelling?) at try. That's supposed to be a customer-only review site. I've never used it, but heard good things about it.

[forayzor 1]

You mean the local hackshops?

 

I had a wheel weight fall off one of my front wheels, took it in under warrenty since its free and all.... they did such an UGLY job, scraped the remains off all sloppy, the new weights were stuck on crrooked and half-assed. Never again.

 

Subscribed...

 

Not all dealerships are "hack shops"

 

I'm a tech at a Ford dealer in Warren county, none of the techs that I work with or myself do a "half-assed" job. Don't let your ONE experience at ONE shop skew other people's opinions.

[HarryLee 0]

Hello Pizza Bob, I believe they have special equipment for rims 19" & above. The best I can recommend is a private shop that specializes in luxury autos such as audo, BMW, mercedes. They usually have the same equipment as the dealers. May cost a whee bit higher but it's worth it. Cheers.

[JonF 79]

Up until maybe 6 years ago i used to to EuroTire in Fairfield every year to get my alignments done on my track car. They commonly dealt with all manner of upper echelon vehicles for both street at track and it was not uncommon to see "cup" cars there getting done while you waited. They easily handled the needs for custom race tire (stiff carcass, large diameter) mounting on lightweight race wheels, aggressive race alignments via caster/camber plates and adjustable links and corner balancing done right (with driver weight in the seat). Anyways, its been some time since i was there but if they're still around, give them a call and see if they will do what you need.

[milkstatus 0]

+ 1 on eurotire, just had a set of Dunlop direzza star specs mounted on my car, and wheel alignment. They don't have the latest and greatest equipment but Don't seem to need it, and the work on your vehicle as if it was theirs

[Jon 264]

Send a PM to HardcoreZ28. I don't believe he does mounting/balancing, but he owns a shop that really only works on high-dollar stuff, so I'm sure he can point you in the right direction.

[LorenzoS 100]

Eurotire for sure. One of the only "tire" shops I've seen to actually use a torque wrench on the lug nuts, it does my heart good.

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Thanks to all of you that responded. I think I have this covered now, I'll let you know how it all works out early next week.

 

You guys did bring back a lot of memories (I know it's hard to imagine someone getting nostalgic over tires) but I had forgotten all about Euro-Tire until it was mentioned in this thread. Before there was a Tire Rack, or probably even a thought about Tire Rack, there was Euro-Tire. They used to advertise with full-page ads in Road & Track. They were the tire source for enthusiasts and those coveting imported tires. I purchased tires from them in the 70's for my 1974 Toyota Celica GT.

 

Thanks guys.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[tony357 386]

pretty far from you, one stop in pleasantville mounted and balanced my nitto nt05's on custom rim i purchased from tire rack..

Friend of mine is one of the managers...

http://www.onestopca...om/gallery.html

[Pew Pew Plates 358]

Yesterday I went to this place in Fair Lawn.

 

http://autocouturemotoring.com/acm/contact-2/

 

VERY impressed.

 

Its a bunch of car guys who operate the shop so they actually give a sh!t. 30min of balancing turned into 2 hours of BSing lol. They have a brand new road force balancer and know how to use it! They are very careful with the wheels.

 

And to top it all off, they properly torque the lugs to spec without you having to ask!

 

I am very happy with them. Oh yeah, one of the partners there is a gun guy.

 

Heres the new drag radials, NT05rs

[HardcoreZ28 0]

It's been quite a while since I've had to have a set of mine or a customer's wheels mounted and balanced. However I was speaking with another custom shop owner last week in my area while ordering a new tire for my current bike build and he said the go to guy in the area is on Orlando Dr. in Raritan....right off of 206 in Tony Feil's old shop. I honestly don't remember the name of the shop but supposedly he has the touchless equipment.

 

When my bike tires arrive in the next week I'll be taking them to him for mounting.