Forums Forums Enthusiast Forums A - Z Autowirral Problem Tyres, Birkenhead

Recently had two 'new' tyres put on my car prior to MOT (previous ones are very low) from Direct Tyres. Put the car in for MOT, and then put it away in the garage.
Went up to give it a run today, and found both tyres are flat (rear ones are fine). Assume they haven't either been sealed, or the valve is leaking (or the tyre was crap).
I jack the car up to take them off to return (still have receipt), and find they haven't given me the locking nut 'key' back. The nuts have also been put on with an airgun (including the locking nut), and are now so tight I can't even get them off with a breaker bar.

I thought I'd mention this as only last week after buying another two tyres for a different car off them, a couple of weeks later, one did this:



The wheel has bulged to the extent the whole tyre is warped. Removing the tyre has also revealed they put a 155/45 on one side, and a 145/45 on the other.

I never complain about places like this on a forum - but with tyres, you expect some competence. They put a tyre on with the banding gone, and then put a completely different size tyre on the other side.

I've never had a problem with Kwik Fit - they're pricey and get some stick, but at least the tyres hold air!

Complete amateurs.

Also, if you take a wheel brace next time you get a tyre from this place and then ask THEM if they can remove the nuts with it that they've just overtorqued up.

i wouldn't let them butter my toast

I have also had a tyre from them a couple of months ago and it is all cracked right around the edge is there nothing we can do about it?

I bought a part worn, it failed the MOT a week later. It was also put on the wrong way round. Fair do's they apologised and replaced it, and translated the problems to the fitter who spoke no English.

But sadly it jaded my experience of them and I wouldn't go back.

I've used CostCo for tyres for years brilliant!

Normally a garage should tighten up with a torque wrench to prevent the problem of not getting them off without a power bar.

The bulging tyer is a manufacturing defect not the tyre fitter.
And the bulging can show its self at any time.
You dont say if the tyres are branded as this can happen across all manufacturers.

Flat tyres could be anything really and needs more investigating. You could have ran over a bunch of nails (unlikely but possible) on your way home.

Odd sizes isn't good at all on their part.

Locking nuts, they normally have a bunch of lock nut adapters as jo public loose these all the time.

Its sounds like a lot of basic mistakes have been made on your visit, maybe the new trainee was let loose without any supervision ?

I hope you get it all sorted.
As time has lapsed it could be difficult.

To answer your questions Mark -
The bulging tyre revealed itself when it was put on the car and got worse - you can see the banding inside the wheel. It's obviously been punctured or flat and has been driven on.

The flat tyres are poor sealing. Kwik Fit/National seem to be able to do this properly. Every other tyre place can't seem to do it properly.

They asked for the locking nut key, and didn't return it (it's gone now).

Flat tyres have happened three times - the only solution is I won't be going back there, and the few people that have seen the state (the inside) of that warped tyre won't be either.

I say you get what you pay for - and unfortunately last week it was nearly into the central reservation at 50 mph.

Manley's in Birkenhead do my tyres. I was quoted a price for tyres depending on if I wanted better on fuel economy or better on wear and told that the ones on my car would pass the MOT. Despite this I asked for replacements as I have a long journey to do next month and one tyre was cracked. Both front tyres were replaced in the timescale quoted and my locking nut is back in the boot with the spare.
The tyre I had from them on the back of my car 2 years ago hasn't given me any problems at all, and they checked the pressure on all of my tyres before I left.