Good news and bad news...

I don't think I'll add anything after this post, just want to say that if anyone orders anything from TireRack, don't do what I did and assume that a "TireRack recommended installer" means that the shop is good at installing wheels and tires. Just have the stuff sent to your house and then drive around and find a reputable shop that you know has done quality work in the past.

I still don't have a resolution from TireRack, although I've sent them all the photos and invoices. Today my son took the truck to a GoodYear service center because the truck was shaking at speeds of 55 mph and above. GoodYear took the wheels off and found only one wheel weight on the driver's rear wheel. No other weights installed. Paid another $65 to have them balanced properly, which Tire Rack says they will reimburse me for. GoodYear also showed my son scratches and damage on the inside of the wheels, said the installer didn't use the correct machine for these types of wheels and that's why they're all beat up. Also said that lug-centric wheels like these take longer to balance...it took them a little over an hour. He took pictures of the wheels right after they were removed, which I sent to TireRack.

The original installer contacted me and said their insurance people want us to take the truck to a body shop and see if the scratches on the outside ring of the wheel can be buffed out. I told them I didn't think it worked that way, that I think that part of the wheel is powder coated. I also told them about the wheels not being balanced. He swears they balanced them, but when I told him the truck was at the other shop and there were no weights on the wheels, he then quietly said he would be glad to refund me the $70 I paid for the balancing.

So at least the truck drives vibration free now. Just waiting for Tire Rack to tell me when they're sending out another set of wheels.

--JQ

 

Man that sucks, it's really hard to find a shop that actually cares about mounting wheels without scratching them up.

 

Edit: reread post and saw you already contacted tirerack and are getting the runaround. I am surprised. Buff out my ass.

I am guessing tire rack might want to make it right for you. Contact them and see how it goes.

 

In case anyone finds this, TireRack did take care of me. It took almost a month to resolve, but the installer's insurance company paid me $700 to get the wheels "repaired", which would have meant taking the truck to a local body shop where they were to remove the wheels and send them to a wheel repair shop in Syracuse. Truck would have been in their shop for 2 to 3 days. I told them (and TireRack) that I didn't want to go this route because there was no guarantee that the repaired wheels would look like they did when they were new. Tire rack credited me the rest of my purchase price, so I was fully reimbursed. And they didn't want the old wheels back, so I'm selling them locally (I already sold the stock wheels). I ended up ordering another set of the same wheels with Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S tires mounted and balanced by TireRack. After all the dust settled, I ended up with a new wheel and tire package worth $1900 for about $600 net.

--JQ

 

Glad they made it right.