Four flat tires...at once!

Snooperstyle

Snooperstyle

Member
Put on my SR5 rims (THANKS adio3x) and BFG 275/70/17ATKOs last Thursday just before leaving on an 800 mile trip with the wife. The tire place took three and a half hours to mount and balance them!! I remained VERY patient. Finally done, and BAM my truck finally looks like a truck! Sweet! So, we hit the road. About 30 miles in, I noticed the truck pulling to the left. So we pulled over. Front left tire had under 5 psi in it. The other three had lost about 10 psi already. Well, THANK GOODNESS I just installed my ARB onboard compressor last week. So, I pumped the front left back up and it was definitely leaking on the valve stem. So, I took it off, mounted the spare on there (unmatched), pumped up the other three to about 40psi. Then drove to the next Tire Kingdom shop, which was about another 40 minutes down the road. They took them off and noted that their guy at the other store had done a horrible job. He had transferred my valve stems to the new rims and failed to put in the rubber gasket, or just didn't do it right...resulting in FOUR leaky tires. (PSI in the other three was under 20 when I arrived there around 7pm). The technician went ahead a pulled all four tires and re-mounted and re-balanced them with new valve stems. Then, they broke a lug!!!! $**%*!!!! At this point it was 8pm. They replaced my lug and we went on our way. See pic! It is important to note that one should always check the valve stems on their new tires after they have been installed. It is easy. Just put some soapy water on there and see if it causes bubbles. If it does, take it back and make them do it again!!!!!!!!!!! I know this is a bummer, but I was pumped to get to use my ARB onboard comp, AND throw that tire up on my new Baja Rack! Without the compressor, we might not have made it to the next stop.
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That is unbelievable! Did they offer you some money back or a maybe a cash card towards later purchases? If you screw up that bad, you need to make some effort to show the customer you will make it right in the future. On a side note, the limited spare is yellow?
 
Haha. That's a bummer. FWIW I probably wouldnt do business with any place called "Kingdom". Unless it was Burger Kingdom or something like that.

The tires look great BTW.
 
Clemsonfan15 said:
What's up with the picture? Did you paint that wheel?

Where are you in South Carolina?
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I put 2010 SR5 rims on with BFGs, but I didn't change my spare. The 2010 Limited's have a green/yellow paint on their full size spare wheel. I intend to switch out the spare with an SR5 wheel and another 275/70/17 tire at some point.

I live in Charleston, SC. That pic was taken in Columbia, SC at the Tire Kingdom off of exit 9 on Hwy77. Headed kind of your way to Lake Jocassee in October. Hoping to get up in the mountains too...do some fishing in some more remote streams hopefully.
 
Ryan_S said:
Haha. That's a bummer. FWIW I probably wouldnt do business with any place called "Kingdom". Unless it was Burger Kingdom or something like that.

The tires look great BTW.
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I went there because they were referred by Discount Tire's website, and because I wanted to try a new place. Never again! I guess they gave me their version of the Whopper. I just hope others can learn to check up on their new tire installs from reading this.
 
Snooperstyle said:
I put 2010 SR5 rims on with BFGs, but I didn't change my spare. The 2010 Limited's have a green/yellow paint on their full size spare wheel. I intend to switch out the spare with an SR5 wheel and another 275/70/17 tire at some point.

I live in Charleston, SC. That pic was taken in Columbia, SC at the Tire Kingdom off of exit 9 on Hwy77. Headed kind of your way to Lake Jocassee in October. Hoping to get up in the mountains too...do some fishing in some more remote streams hopefully.
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Cool. Hard to beat the mountains in October.

I'm curious as to why you got rid of the Limited rims. Some Limited rims with an aggressive AT or MT would look good. 20's are expensive though.
 
That whole experience you went through sucks. Just one thing after another going wrong.

Did the tire pressure light on the dash light up before you noticed the 4runner pulling to one side?
 
I bet the tech that installed your tires just forget to tighten the valve stem cores. They remove them to quickly empty the air out of the tire and then they reinstall them again after the new tires are mounted. If they don't tighten them properly, you'll end up with a slow leak at each valve stem. You probably could have saved yourself a whole bunch of trouble if you checked them yourself. They make valve core tools that look like a screwdriver with a special end. Everyone should have one.
 
You may have damaged the new tires by driving with so low a pressure. You would have to look on the inside of the tire to determine if they were damaged (by someone who knows what to look for).

Koz
 
Koz said:
You may have damaged the new tires by driving with so low a pressure. You would have to look on the inside of the tire to determine if they were damaged (by someone who knows what to look for).

Koz
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In that case I'd be getting my money back to buy tires elsewhere.
 
A little-known fact that happens at Toyota dealers across America:

When your 4Runner is in for service, many techs (especially the shorter ones) will deflate the front tires completely to make it easier to reach in under the hood. So your 4Runner's weight is basically on the inner and outer wheel rims, resting directly on top of the deflated tires.

I've seen that hundreds of times when I worked as a Toyota technician. I never did it myself because I'm tall and don't have any issues reaching anything. But like I said, a LOT of guys do it whenever they work on a 4Runner or a Land Cruiser.
 
Clemsonfan15 said:
Cool. Hard to beat the mountains in October.

I'm curious as to why you got rid of the Limited rims. Some Limited rims with an aggressive AT or MT would look good. 20's are expensive though.
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Wanted more sidewall. Wanted easier to clean rims. I just like the look of the 17" rims on the SR5s.

iDRiVaT4R said:
That whole experience you went through sucks. Just one thing after another going wrong.

Did the tire pressure light on the dash light up before you noticed the 4runner pulling to one side?
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Actually, it did. However, I thought it was just resetting itself because it had only been about twenty minutes, and I had heard that it sometimes takes about twenty or thirty minutes to turn off. So, yes, I was alert! The E-rated tires are so dang stiff that you can practically drive on them flat and it will only barely pull the truck to one side. It did not start pulling to the left until about five or ten miles before I pulled off the highway.

Jed said:
I bet the tech that installed your tires just forget to tighten the valve stem cores. They remove them to quickly empty the air out of the tire and then they reinstall them again after the new tires are mounted. If they don't tighten them properly, you'll end up with a slow leak at each valve stem. You probably could have saved yourself a whole bunch of trouble if you checked them yourself. They make valve core tools that look like a screwdriver with a special end. Everyone should have one.
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No, that is not what happened. They were installed without the rubber seals, and were plenty tight, but metal on metal simply cannot create a good seal.

Koz said:
You may have damaged the new tires by driving with so low a pressure. You would have to look on the inside of the tire to determine if they were damaged (by someone who knows what to look for).

Koz
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It was only for about 10 miles at about 65 mph (I took the really leaky one off). Not likely, but I will get a tech to look for that because I can't get them to balance now. I am taking it to the dealer and just going to pay them...and send TK the bill.:rant:
 
Maritimer said:
In that case I'd be getting my money back to buy tires elsewhere.
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I wonder if I can get my money back from Discount Tire, assuming I cannot ever get them to balance out? I suppose I could, but it would be a huge pain, since they don't have a store near here. I ordered them online, had them shipped here to my home, and then went to TK for the install because DT has TK as one of their recommended installers. DT will hear about TK for sure!
 
Oh wow, that's ridiculous. Heck of a way to start off your trip. It continually amazes me how inept some people are. I've had two similar, frustrating experiences in my 2004. If it's any consolation, you're new tires/wheels look great.
 
Snooperstyle said:
I wonder if I can get my money back from Discount Tire, assuming I cannot ever get them to balance out? I suppose I could, but it would be a huge pain, since they don't have a store near here. I ordered them online, had them shipped here to my home, and then went to TK for the install because DT has TK as one of their recommended installers. DT will hear about TK for sure!
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One thing about money--never let go of it, because once you do you won't get it back without a fight. I've had at least five major money issues in the past year, and there are as a result two businesses I will NEVER revisit.

No, three. My local Honda dealership is pathetic.
 
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