RE: Attack of the Monkey Lads (tm)

["Geoff Jenkins" <jenkinsg@pilot.msu.edu>]

Adam Nelso wrote:
> If there is a God, there is a special place in hell for tire shop and
> body shop "techs." Many if not most are sheisters of the worst kind, and
> incompetent to boot! If they were just sheisters, you could at least
> trust them to do the required work properly.

Amen!

Years ago, an old Diesel Rabbit of mine started making vague suspension-ish
noises when coasting to a halt. I had (a) no clue about cars and (b) plenty
of free time at that point, so I took up the "Free Safety Inspections"
available from a couple of local tire/muffler/brake shops. The first one
wanted $400 and suggested new shocks and some new ball joints. The second
one wanted $500 for some major hub/bearing work. The next one wanted a
similar sum for new CV joints et al... Having looked at the shopping lists
and seen that among $1400 of miscellaneous front end work, no item appeared
on more than one list, I decided to wait the week for an opening at the
local mechanic (picked on the basis that "University Foreign Car" (a great
crowd in Lansing) should know something of (i) VWs and (ii) impoverished
students, _plus_ it was close enough to walk home afterwards). So, I get
ready for them to tell me which of the lists was the accurate one. The
result? A 30 minute labor charge and a suggestion that it might help to
rebalance the front tires. $10 for balancing, and all was well.

Mandatory Audi Content (segues nicely, too):

Discount Tire have finally become used to me coming in with the S4 and
getting new tires mounted, but not balanced. The local dealer has to send
17" and larger wheels away to be mounted (how can a Porsche/Merc/Audi/BMW
dealer lacka 17" wheel mounter? Don't ask me), so I get Discount Tire to
mount them, then the dealer balances them (generally along with an alignment
etc.). It still takes an hour at Discount Tire, and you still have to stand
over them, and even afterwards the balancing is still pending, but at least
the job's done properly now (as compared to the time I shed 2 of DT's
balancing weights on the 5 mile run home from their shop).

Geoff