So -- I bought a spare set of wheels for my aged RAV4

mhardy6647

Up here in the Frozen White North, most folks put snow tires (winter tires) on their cars in the winter. If their cars (or trucks, of course) have 4WD or AWD, most folks put four winter tires on their cars.

Some folks don't -- they believe that "all season radial tires" are actually good for all seasons. We find those folks' skeletons in the remains of their cars during Mud Season after the snow melts.



but I digress.

I have this rather beat-up 2006 RAV4. We bought it after we moved up here from a dear, older friend who had decided it was time to give up driving. The battle scars on both sides of the vehicle gave mute testimony to the notion that it was indeed time for her to give up driving But the mileage was low for its age and the price was very attractive. We bought it as a hedge against Susan's Escape dying (which it subsequently did), but she didn't like the RAV4 very much & she ended up buying a CR-V last summer.

I, on the other hand, had decided that my much beloved but very low-slung Fiesta was essentially not driveable here for about four to five months a year, so I passed it along to our daughter & son-in-law -- and adopted the RAV4 as "my" car.

It came with a set of "good weather tires and a set of winter tires -- but only one set of wheels. The wheels were those charming "styled steel" Toyota wheels -- do those things come with a factory pre-rusted finish, like pre-washed jeans?

At any rate, they didn't look great (which is minor) but having only one set of wheels -- but two sets of tires, means two trips to the tire place per year to have tires (re)mounted. Most places charge a fair amount of money to do that, too (although some tire dealers, I've heard, do it free or cheap for their customers).

First year I had it, I left the all-season tires on all year. Fortunately, the winter wasn't a lethal one.

Last year, I had the snows put on -- mostly because the all-season tires were beginning to resemble banana peels.

This spring, when it was time to get new "all season" tires, I looked into getting an inexpensive spare set of aftermarket wheels. I was delighted to find that the local "good" tire dealer could get some nice looking, more or less generic alloy wheels for the RAV4 at a remarkably reasonable price. A few sets of tire swaps would actually, by my calculus, pay for the new wheels ! So I ordered a set of wheels and new tires.

stay tuned for part 2

mhardy6647

The wheels came in a couple of days from their distributor (in Quebec), and they had the tires in stock, so I took the car in to get the wheels and tires installed. This was in May. Early May.
When the car was ready, I went to pick it up. When I went in to get it, the cashier said "oh, there's a note on here to see Michael [the store manager]". So I did. Now, Michael's a good guy. He was apologetic, and said, "They sent the wheels with only one center cap. They're sending down the other three. It will take a few days, since they have to go through Customs from Canada to the US. We'll give you a call when they get here!"

Well.

Suffice it to say, a couple days turned to a couple of weeks, to almost a month.
I'd call them every few days and I was assured that the caps were en route from up north.

Last week, one day I called and the other sales guy, Andy (who is also very good), said "Oh. Sorry. They came in last week. I apologize for not calling! Just come over any time and I'll pop them on. It'll just take a minute."

So, one day late last week (it's all a blur now -- suppressed, traumatic memories) I drove over and Andy came out to install the (3) missing caps on the wheels (which were, I neglected to note explicitly, on the car).

Well.

They didn't fit. They were too big. Andy was really apologetic. He indicated that he was going to call the distributor (in Quebec) right away and he implied that he'd be ripping a new body **** for one of them. Andy wears a "SIG Sauer" baseball cap -- I don't think I'd want to cross him He said he'd give me a call when he heard something.

Well.

I didn't hear anything from them for a couple of days. We were very busy, so I kept forgetting to call 'em. Finally, yesterday, when I got home from an outing in MA, there was a voice mail from Andy. They had the caps!

mhardy6647

So, today, I went over there, bright and early.
Andy proudly showed me the paperwork, which was, he noted "all in French".
he went out to install the caps --- and, this time, they fit.

So, finally, I have my new tires, wheels, and caps!
(and aftermarket tire pressure transducers, too)

Now, mind you, the car really is beat up -- but it's got a nice looking set of cheap, generic alloy wheels on it!

Sorry I didn't clean the (dirt) road crud off the wheels before I snapped some photos tonight!

DSC_8455 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

DSC_8454 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

You all needed to know all that!

msg

Shaaaaarp, Doc!!!
(I've only looked at the pictures so far, so if there's anything in there about knives and bodies, I'm apologizing ahead of time for being insensitive)

halo

Looks pretty sharp!

I used to work for Goodyear and I'd recommend using the alloy wheels in the nicer weather and the steel wheels with the winter/snow tires. Alloy wheels can expand and contract and cause rim leaks whereas steel doesn't budge.

F1nut

Da Doc be sportin' bling.

tonyb

halo wrote: »

Looks pretty sharp!

I used to work for Goodyear and I'd recommend using the alloy wheels in the nicer weather and the steel wheels with the winter/snow tires. Alloy wheels can expand and contract and cause rim leaks whereas steel doesn't budge.

Good point, found that out the hard way myself with my Lexus alloy rims.

mhardy6647

halo wrote: »

Looks pretty sharp!

I used to work for Goodyear and I'd recommend using the alloy wheels in the nicer weather and the steel wheels with the winter/snow tires. Alloy wheels can expand and contract and cause rim leaks whereas steel doesn't budge.

Right, that's the plan.
I'm sorry I don't have a photo of the steel wheels -- they're actually not awful, just rusty around the edges. My Taco pickup's steel wheels decomposed to the point that two of them had steady air leaks. In fairness, the truck is 16 years old and has spent every second of its life outside (mostly in New England).

Last year I replaced the Taco's wheels with a cheap but sturdy (like Soviet woman! ) steel aftermarket wheels. Indeed, that's what pushed me over the edge to spend a little money on a second set of wheels for the RAV4.

The steel wheels (shod with Bridgestone Blizzak snow tires) are down in the basement in their little body bags

F1nut wrote: »

Da Doc be sportin' bling.

Rat own, rat own

tonyb

F1nut wrote: »

Da Doc be sportin' bling.

Indeed....word has it he just ordered some fuzzy dice from Amazon....and a match stick men decal for the rear window.

mhardy6647

We have a friend with a bumper sticker similar to this one on the back of his Subaru; maybe I should get one for the ol' wagon?



(I am hoping/assuming that I don't need to 'splain that to youse guyses...)

mrbiron

I don't think Stealers Wheels gets enough credit...

tonyb

mhardy6647 wrote: »

We have a friend with a bumper sticker similar to this one on the back of his Subaru; maybe I should get one for the ol' wagon?



(I am hoping/assuming that I don't need to 'splain that to youse guyses...)

Not if your over 50 anyway.