AAAARGGHH !! what next ???

[toyroom]

I have spent the last month (in vain) trying to find somewhere nearby who can balance my wheels when, hey presto, A PUNCTURE complete with rogered sidewalls. The wheels are OZ Saturn as fitted to '98 MY V8. The finger which the hub cap fastens to prevents the outer cone from going on the shaft of the balancing machine's shaft. What a stupid design !!!!! Chris Neils couldn't help. Go to your nearest dealer said the factory, "They will have no excuse !". Well, the nearest dealer is Christopher Neil and their tyre guys couldn't help. So.....unless you know of an answer nearer to Liverpool than Blackburn, it looks like a three hour round trip just to get a wheel balanced.....Not fair ! This was after the anxiety of Michelin being OUT OF STOCK of tyres !!!!!

[wedg1e]

Hmmm... I used to have this problem a lot when I drove a Renault 25... the wheel centres were solid on those too.
In France it's not a problem as the tyre places see a lot of Renaults and have the adapter, but a lot of back-street Brit places don't. You just need to ring round the tyre fitters and ask if they have the necessary adapter (5-stud, obviously)...

[Autocross7]

Is there no tyre shops 'round you that can balance the tyre on the car? This is not an uncommon practice where I am (Alabama, USA). I figure it may even turn out to be a "better" balance as the unsprung weight as a whole is balanced as it rotates...

Drive topless!!!
Cameron

[rob.e]

i found this problem also when i had the saturns.. in the uk most tyre shops have a 4 stud adapter to allow balancing on the bolt holes (rather than the centre hole) as this is required for a saxo (? i think) but very few have a 5 bolt adapter. The tyre chaps that Nick Whales use DO have one though..

[toyroom]

Found a backstreet garage 24 hours after trekking up to Blackburn (60 miles each way) !!!!! (---unprintable profanities !---) Still, I'll know next time!

[kylie]

Good for you, always good to find new workshops close by