[Elizabeth]

Several years ago on my Contour SVT, when I took it in for a tire replacement (with tires from Tire Rack naturally) the 'approved' place guy, after dismounting my old tires, took my SVT wheels to the grinder, and ground down the wide ridge in each side which help hold the tire in place in case of a flat.
He did that to all four wheels.
My being reluctant to complain..I let it go. though I was annoyed, as the previous guys did not do that.
Now I ask was that a bad practice?
Like really stupid to allow it?
Or, is it really common and of no matter?

I ask as I am going to have new tires (from Tire Rack of course!) installed on new ST rims, and I want to know can I say 'no way can you guys grind down those protective ribs in the wheels.'?

Or just not care as they do not matter?

Asking. [cheers]

 

[felixthecat]

The only thing I can think that the guy was grinding off on your svt wheels was the rubber from the old tires. I've done that on a couple of different wheels, where the rubber was built up & had a slow leak from the bead of the tire. On a new wheel or low mileage, theres no reason for it.

 

[sailor]

NO WAY in BLEEPIN BLEEP [][][][][][] SHOULD YOU EVER THINK ABOUT LETTING ANYONE DO THAT!!!!!!!!

OK?

We want you around Elizabeth, a flat tire without those becomes a MUCH bigger deal than it is with them.

That "bead lock" ridge keeps the tire bead in place & the tire on the wheel in the case of a flat tire. This makes the car MUCH easier to control if you get a flat.

Without that ridge, the bead can drop into the wheel center & then the tire can peel off the rim. Depending which way it goes, it can fly partially or completely to the outside (bad) or to the inside (even worse as it jams up the wheel).

Rollin' on steel/aluminum or a jammed version of the same gives VERY little control over where the car ends up compared to having a rolling flat tire on the rim.


Big Rig wheels/tires aren't set up that way, and it's always a sigh of relief when you see someone who lost a steer tire be able to carefully slow it down & steer to the shoulder with only ONE steer tire to help with directional control as the other tries to drag them where they DON'T want to go. It doesn't happen often, and steer tires are required to be NEW ones to help prevent it - and small road hazards don't cut the heavy tires as easy as car tires so they don't suddenly go as often as car ones do - still the one thing you're ready for but DON'T want to deal with!

That IDIOT could have been paying that one off for LIFE if you'd had a problem - Criminal Negligence.

 

[sailor]

Seein' Bruce's comment - a WIRE WHEEL can be used to clean up the bead seating area of the wheel, that's perfectly OK.

NEVER a grinder though... And NEVER grind down the ridges....

 

[felixthecat]

Seein' Bruce's comment - a WIRE WHEEL can be used to clean up the bead seating area of the wheel, that's perfectly OK.

NEVER a grinder though... And NEVER grind down the ridges....

I used a whizz bang w/ a wire wheel on it to clean up the bead so the tire doesn't leak. Wasn't trying to kill anyone.

 

[sailor]

I'm sure you weren't, just as I'm sure you wouldn't be grinding off those ridges....

You typed a quick answer while I was popping a cork, I took Elizabeths post literally & didn't think about wire wheeling the edge for cleaning as possibly LOOKING like taking a grinder to it.

 

[felixthecat]

LOL = popping a cork,huh.

 

[thenorm]

pics of this ridge? i can't see it in my mind

 

[Elizabeth]

The guy was definitely not just 'cleaning' the bumps up. He really ground them well down. At least 1/2 of the height clean off.

I never did go back to that tire place either.


For the guy who cannot picture them.
The tire section of the wheel has the edge with sticks up at the very sides of the wheel. Then the flat area the tire bead rests on when the tire is seated on the wheel. The next toward the inner parts is a raised 'speed bump' like area. it is a rounded bump in the rim just past where the tire is normally seated.
It is there to keep the tire 'in place' if it starts going flat (as another poster mentioned)
There is such a bump (about 1/4" tall) ridge circumnabulating both sides of the wheel next to the inner side of where the tires sits normally.
So the tire when installed rests against the outer rim edge, with the inner bump just to the tires inside edges.
If you measured.. From the outer edge, in about one inch total is were the tire antiblowout bump is. In from both sides of the outside edge.

 

[sailor]

Heck Norm, you've seen it a lot & just didn't think about it much.

Remember the "POP" you get when seating the bead of a freshly mounted tire? That's the bead pushing over that ridge to slap tight against the outer rim edge.

 

[PratoN]

So they actually removed those bumps just inside of where the tire sits? [confused]

 

[Joeywhat]

How could you tell how much was ground down unless you were right there next to him?

You SURE he wasn't cleaning it with a wire wheel? A grinder would have made a TON of sparks, removing that much metal around the entire wheel.

 

[Elizabeth]

How could you tell how much was ground down unless you were right there next to him?

You SURE he wasn't cleaning it with a wire wheel? A grinder would have made a TON of sparks, removing that much metal around the entire wheel.

I am sure.

 

[sailor]

SVT Contour OEM wheels = Aluminum = no sparks from grinding....

 

[PratoN]

SVT Contour OEM wheels = Aluminum = no sparks from grinding....

Science.

 

[felixthecat]

So they actually removed those bumps just inside of where the tire sits? [confused]

On top of that safety wise, That's a big waste of time to do anything like that.

 

[sailor]

Oh, but it beads up so much easier that way.....

Grumble

Dang things are SUPPOSED to pop into place.

 

[thenorm]

i think the tire tech that did that was a huge outlier. i dont think it would even cross the mind of most people. thats alot of work to grind off that lip.
i don't think you would have to mention "dont do that" to any tire shop.

 

[volcomstone1966]

SVT Contour OEM wheels = Aluminum = no sparks from grinding....

this