[carlingskie]

I couldnt really afford to buy 4 brand new tires, so I figured I would buy just two and have them installed on the front (after all Foci are FWD). Went to walmart, told them I want them installed on the front only. They said okay.
i come back 4 hours later, and was told, that they didnt do it because Walmart's policy is to ONLY install on rear if there are just two tired then cycle the back two the front. But my back two tires are too low on tread, so they didnt do it.

So now, rather than having at least two good tires on, I have my nearly bald tires on, and cant afford the other two tires till late July

hi, im a tech at walmart, i've been working there for almost 2 years now and as far as i know we do not have any policy that requires the costumer to put the new tires on the rear, though we recommend putting them on the rear so you lessen the chance of you hydroplaning. have you tried talking to the service managers there?

 

[C2Cab95]

we have the same policy in our company, just started about 6 months ago after a few lawsuits endured with michelin bridgestone and firestone.

the reason being is oversteer, if your driving the car in slick conditions with bald or less grippy tires on the rear the car is more likely to slide the ass end around. it would be better on the front because you have more grip with the front tires because of the weight of the engine and the control of the steering.

its all about hydroplaning resistance more or less. this policy will become more widespread as time goes on.

QFT - I had the same issue at Discount tire when I bought two new tires for my van back in 04 (this isn't a new policy). I was told this exact reason when I purchased them, so I just bucked up and paid for four new tires... I went with safety in the end over padding my wallet.

 

[Honkeytonk Monkey]

hi, im a tech at walmart, i've been working there for almost 2 years now and as far as i know we do not have any policy that requires the costumer to put the new tires on the rear, though we recommend putting them on the rear so you lessen the chance of you hydroplaning. have you tried talking to the service managers there?

Hi I was a manager for Wal-Mart and worked there for over a decade. The policy does exist, and was created to avoid hydroplaning issues. I had to explain the new policy when it was created, but really it's something you follow as a guideline. If someone were to tell me they wanted the tires in the rear, I would ask why, and explain the hydroplaning scenario, if they still wanted them in the front, I would do it since they had obviously put some thought in to it.

Even only being there two years you've probably noticed about 80% of the store policies are outright ignored or altered as the store runs into problems. The policies in Wal-Mart were all made by lawyers and executives, none of whom have ever dealt with a customer, or done any physical labor in thier lives. They are followed when company execs are visiting or during things like Canstar (I have no idea what the US version of Canstar would be called)

Each store in the chain follows policy a little bit differently. It also makes a big difference who the service manager is A **** service manager will report things like bald tires, one that understands not everybody can afford to do things at once will understand and just do what the customer is asking.

I had a customer come in in -40C weather with a tire that came off it's bead in a deep snow rut, she needed it reinflated so she could go home and my idiot service manager told her it would be a two hour wait because his techs were on lunch and they were short, but he just sat there doing nothing. I was in the shop servicing the forklift and told the woman to pull around and did it for her in about 3 minutes. She was very happy, I didn't charge her to spread goo on a bead and reinflate a tire. Serious power trip with that guy, and he treated customers like crap. I yelled at him for a good ten minutes out in the shop for being a douche canoe.

Actually thinking about it, some of the things Wal-Mart charges for is retarded. changing wipers, changing lights, etc... if someone asked me to install lights for them I usually just went out to thier car with them and did it out in the lot in a couple minutes, wipers take less than 20 seconds :lol:

 

[Jlongoria9]

tire installation is free here, just buy the tire and they'll slap it on. they only charge the recycling fee

new tires should always be on the rear doesn't matter if its FWD or not

 

[Duder]

Wuck Falmart-:dunno::screwy::thumbdown

Quit your bitchin' order from a sponsor- and pay a local shop to mount them. It wouldn't be a problem. Now that's simulating the economy!

 

[zx3lova]

New tires in the rear, unless the driver is a moron in which case the world is better off with his genes out of the pool.

 

[Liquid_02_ZX3]

So basically don't be a cheap ass and purchase all 4 tires at once, and get an alignment.

 

[azbobbybooshay_10]

I'm also a tech at Wal Mart, and I have never heard of this as being "policy". My service manager is kick ass, when we first started getting those posters he looked at them and just started laughing. He said that the poster says "bald tires on the rear MAY cause an oversteer condition. Well, 10 minutes from now I MAY be hit in the head by an asteroid."

The lawyers want new tires on the rear. I (along with my service manager) say that if you must buy only 2 tires, use your best judgement as to where they should be installed. Obviously most FWD cars should probably have them in the front.

Now if you want to get into stupid Wal Mart TLE policies, how about these gems.

No oil changes on any car displaying a "Check Engine Light" or "Service Engine Soon" light.
Only manufacturer specified tire sizes may be installed. We won't install 31x10.50x15's on your Jeep unless the tire plackard inside the door jam says your car came from the factory like that.
We must match the speed rating of the other tire on the axle when replacing only 1 tire. If your car only requires S-rated tires, and you have a V on the other side, we can only install another V on that axle.
No flat repairs on any tire with a speed rating higher than H.
We do not under any circumstances check coolant or brake fluid.
Do not install batteries in any case where anything more than the hold-down must be removed (most GM cars, several Chryslers with the battery in the wheel well, etc).

Don't take it out on the employees, please. Most of the time the managers of the store run us very shorthanded and place alot of pressure on us, without getting the amount of help needed to finish the job. Speak to a service manager and see what you can have done.

Or if you want to be like most of our customers, just talk to a manager from inside the store and complain. You will probably get what you want, and probably for free, lol.

 

[Ducman69]

Understeer is safer than oversteer.

In any case, I'd get the tires from tirerack. Great prices and if worried about shipping, remember there is no tax. Except when ordering w/ wheels where they installed for me, I usually have discount tire install em, and they do a decent job. They are flexible on the install price too.

Personally, rather than wait on something important like tires, I'd look around to see if there was any easy way to make a quick buck this and next weekend.

 

[wilko]

I say, Get the tires, and buy a set pair of second hand tires to hold you over until you can get the other two. In Buffalo we have a mom and pops' joint that sells used/ discontinued tires for extra cheap (2 tires for 35$ cheap). He does that for the people who need to replace a tire after complete tire failure, or vandalism (there are allot of knifed tires up here). I am sure you can find places like that where you are to help get you to the second pair of tires.

 

[SVTEuro]

this tells you something about walmart...there all about getting over. save your $$ order from tire rack.

 

[whiteboyslo]

just my $.02......


i have used the Wal-Mart back near my folks (Poway, CA) to rotate, install, and un-install tires many many times with no ill effects. i wouldn't trust them with any 'good' wheels (read: not steelies), but that's only because i'm familiar with their equipment and know the potential it has to mar the surface of my wheel. i've had them rotate tires on my old truck all the time, install drag radials on loose wheels, and un-install tires on wheels i'm selling (again, loose). never had a problem. they're dirt cheap, and sometimes the kid would even do it for free (although i'd slip him a $5 or something for his troubles).

Mike

 

[Cedilla]

im a walmart TLE tech too. What rules they follow and the quality of work all depends on what store you go too. Wal mart does have some messed up rules and I get cussed out b/c of them everyday,but the only time i follow most of those rules is when a customer being an a-hole. So what im saying is try a different walmart.

 

[2xtremefocus]

I'm also a tech at Wal Mart, and I have never heard of this as being "policy". My service manager is kick ass, when we first started getting those posters he looked at them and just started laughing. He said that the poster says "bald tires on the rear MAY cause an oversteer condition. Well, 10 minutes from now I MAY be hit in the head by an asteroid."

The lawyers want new tires on the rear. I (along with my service manager) say that if you must buy only 2 tires, use your best judgement as to where they should be installed. Obviously most FWD cars should probably have them in the front.

Now if you want to get into stupid Wal Mart TLE policies, how about these gems.

No oil changes on any car displaying a "Check Engine Light" or "Service Engine Soon" light.
Only manufacturer specified tire sizes may be installed. We won't install 31x10.50x15's on your Jeep unless the tire plackard inside the door jam says your car came from the factory like that.
We must match the speed rating of the other tire on the axle when replacing only 1 tire. If your car only requires S-rated tires, and you have a V on the other side, we can only install another V on that axle.
No flat repairs on any tire with a speed rating higher than H.
We do not under any circumstances check coolant or brake fluid.
Do not install batteries in any case where anything more than the hold-down must be removed (most GM cars, several Chryslers with the battery in the wheel well, etc).

Don't take it out on the employees, please. Most of the time the managers of the store run us very shorthanded and place alot of pressure on us, without getting the amount of help needed to finish the job. Speak to a service manager and see what you can have done.

Or if you want to be like most of our customers, just talk to a manager from inside the store and complain. You will probably get what you want, and probably for free, lol.

Are you freaking kidding me?

That is utterly ridiculous.

Y'all must not do alot of business with your stupid policies like that.

I know if we had policies like that where I work, we'd lose tons of business.

Hell, checking ALL the fluids is part of a standard oil change at our shop. Coolant, brake fluid, trans fluid, power steering fluid, and top off the washer solvent. Plus check the belts and hoses for cracks or dry rot. We also check and set tire pressures according to the door placard on the vehicle, and give the front end a quick shake to check for loose tie rods, ball joints, or wheel bearings. I also take a look at the shocks, struts, springs, and exhaust while I have the car up on the lift. It doesn't take much extra time to do these things. I don't see why more shops don't do this stuff. It helps get business for the shop by finding things, and it also alerts the customers to any potential preventive maintainence issues that may be afoot on their vehicles.

As far as tire sizes, that's even dumber. If a customer wants a tire size different than stock on their vehicle, we'll do it. We have a book that tells us what will and will not fit on a given vehicle that we always check if a customer wants something other than stock.

Hell, I'm putting a set of 30x9.50R15's on my friend's Ranger next week. Your shop wouldn't do this since his truck came stock with 225/70R15's on it. The 30's will fit, but just aren't stock size.

Some of the policies WalMart has are just plain dumb. Like I said, it's probably costing you business at your shop.

 

[azbobbybooshay_10]

Are you freaking kidding me?

That is utterly ridiculous.

Y'all must not do alot of business with your stupid policies like that.

I know if we had policies like that where I work, we'd lose tons of business.

Hell, checking ALL the fluids is part of a standard oil change at our shop. Coolant, brake fluid, trans fluid, power steering fluid, and top off the washer solvent. Plus check the belts and hoses for cracks or dry rot. We also check and set tire pressures according to the door placard on the vehicle, and give the front end a quick shake to check for loose tie rods, ball joints, or wheel bearings. I also take a look at the shocks, struts, springs, and exhaust while I have the car up on the lift. It doesn't take much extra time to do these things. I don't see why more shops don't do this stuff. It helps get business for the shop by finding things, and it also alerts the customers to any potential preventive maintainence issues that may be afoot on their vehicles.

As far as tire sizes, that's even dumber. If a customer wants a tire size different than stock on their vehicle, we'll do it. We have a book that tells us what will and will not fit on a given vehicle that we always check if a customer wants something other than stock.

Hell, I'm putting a set of 30x9.50R15's on my friend's Ranger next week. Your shop wouldn't do this since his truck came stock with 225/70R15's on it. The 30's will fit, but just aren't stock size.

Some of the policies WalMart has are just plain dumb. Like I said, it's probably costing you business at your shop.

Oh I KNOW its costing us business, I'm the one who has to turn away half of our customers everyday for one issue or another. I've tried to argue about all of these things, only to get shut down by some higher-up manager.

 

[focuz04]

what about buying the tires, and then going to the base hobby shop and mounting and balancing yourself? One of the guys working there will surely help, and it only takes like 20 minutes. Only a few bucks too. I'm saying this assuming that you have access to the hobby shop

jake

 

[rpvitiello]

Actually thinking about it, some of the things Wal-Mart charges for is retarded. changing wipers, changing lights, etc... if someone asked me to install lights for them I usually just went out to thier car with them and did it out in the lot in a couple minutes, wipers take less than 20 seconds :lol:

because most places charge more for light bulds and wiper blades, and basically cover the cost of installing them in the products price. Walmart to advartise lower prices does not include the 10 minutes of labor to install a light bulb in its price, so they charge when someone actually asks to have it installed.

tire installation is free here, just buy the tire and they'll slap it on. they only charge the recycling fee

new tires should always be on the rear doesn't matter if its FWD or not

its not "free" it is included BIG difference people dont seem to understand in business


2 schools of thought. New on the front is better for FWD because of breaking, turning, and wear from accelorating (everything is on the front. If you put better tires on the back, they would never get rotated to the front since the front would ALWAYs wear faster than the back.

The hydroplaining issue is the advantage to the rear, or if you have a RWD car the back will wear faster.

Really either way is less than ideal, you want 4 new tires, but their is not really a right or wrong answer, its all a trade off between what is safer in what situation. If it is not raining new on the front is better, if it rains new on the back might be better.

I was taught both, but usually go by new on the front.

 

[Giveen]

Just to clarify this: I DID purchase my tires from TireRack. I just wanted them installed.

Now carry on, I will probably go Les Schwab.

 

[carlingskie]

Do not install batteries in any case where anything more than the hold-down must be removed (most GM cars, several Chryslers with the battery in the wheel well, etc).

we actually take the extra mile and install it anyway.. i, personally will do it.. save myself a headache arguing with the costumer lol.... but yea most of the policies are ignored.

 

[FocusOnPunk]

I had an oil change place refuse to put 5w30 in my car, because I was under 36,000 miles and the oil cap says 5w20. He said he wouldn't be responsible for voiding my warranty. :lol:

This was after removing my old oil. So I said he could either give me 5w20 for free, or I'd pay for 5w30, his choice.