GT350R Wheel/Tires

[MadMax]

I have a question and hopefully someone can provide some insight. Long story short I had ordered a GT350R and the driver rear wheel was damaged. The dealership told me they didn’t have equipment to be able to remove the tire even if they got a replacement wheel from Ford. This dealership has been very shady from the start but wanted to get an opinion to see if they were lying to me and just didn’t want to mess with it. I did not purchase the vehicle as there were several quality issues with the car. Thanks

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[460Fred]

That’s pretty embarrassing for them. Maybe they have a buyer in the wings that will pay more.
What else was wrong with the car?

 

[lightrules]

they might not be lying. i've spoken to a good number of dealerships that won't touch the CF wheels. many dont have touchless mounting/dismounting machines like the hunter or coats brands or they just dont think it's worth the risk. regardless probably best you didn't get the car from them given the condition and concerns you state.

 

[MadMax]

That’s pretty embarrassing for them. Maybe they have a buyer in the wings that will pay more.
What else was wrong with the car?

Fender alignment, some clear coat issues, body panel alignment issues and some paint missing from one of the fenders.

 

[MadMax]

they might not be lying. i've spoken to a good number of dealerships that won't touch the CF wheels. many dont have touchless mounting/dismounting machines like the hunter or coats brands or they just dont think it's worth the risk. regardless probably best you didn't get the car from them given the condition and concerns you state.

So this is a concern of mine because I will need tires at some point. Any suggestions other than just calling tire shops to see if they would change tires on a carbon fiber wheel? My area has like plaza tire shops and a new one just went in called RNR. Thanks

 

[lightrules]

So this is a concern of mine because I will need tires at some point. Any suggestions other than just calling tire shops to see if they would change tires on a carbon fiber wheel? My area has like plaza tire shops and a new one just went in called RNR. Thanks

you need to do some homework and find out who is careful and knows their stuff. might want to Yelp some highly reviewed shops around you. might have to drive 30-45 mins away if need be. ask if they use the hunter or coats touchless systems. wherever you go, ask for their BEST guy to do the tires. or find a supercar dealer like porsche or maclaren to do it. at the end of the day you just gotta find that one shop. i will tell you right now if you go to the wrong shop you will regret it. ask me how i know...

 

[mattballislife]

you need to do some homework and find out who is careful and knows their stuff. might want to Yelp some highly reviewed shops around you. might have to drive 30-45 mins away if need be. ask if they use the hunter or coats touchless systems. wherever you go, ask for their BEST guy to do the tires. or find a supercar dealer like porsche or maclaren to do it. at the end of the day you just gotta find that one shop. i will tell you right now if you go to the wrong shop you will regret it. ask me how i know...

how do you know?...

 

[lightrules]

how do you know?...

you're still up? get some sleep man... chuckwalla's callin!

 

[460Fred]

Fender alignment, some clear coat issues, body panel alignment issues and some paint missing from one of the fenders.

 

[460Fred]

Yes look for a shop that is very meticulous and works on high end cars. You’ll pay up the nose for it but you’ll have peace of mind.
No dig intended here but I wouldn’t necessarily trust a Porsche dealership either, I’ve seen things ;-) Do your homework.
Unfortunately the issues are the same finding a good dealership just to do basic work on your GT350R. Learn to do all you can unless you have a great dealership nearby. Mine is not going to the dealership unless it’s a big warranty item. Even then it’s going to a SVT certified dealer out of my area.

 

[Sletcher]

If I recall correctly there is a forum member that had good luck taking his CF wheels to his local Porsche dealership and they were willing to dismount and mount. You might give that a try.

 

[meterman]

I called Hunter Engineering first and got the name of the local sales rep and tech rep. They know more about their end users better than anyone. The sales rep referred me to the first shop that bought a Hunter Revolution touchless tire changer. It just turns out the guy who owns the auto repair shop also has a 2018GT350R. He and I are now friends. He's swapped about 10 Cup 2's for me without any issues. I called a bout 15 tire shops as a backup and found a few tire shops who could do it. The prices were all over the place, one shop wanted $60 per wheel. If you know what to ask for you will put yourself in a better place to find a good shop.

 

[JR369]

So this is a concern of mine because I will need tires at some point. Any suggestions other than just calling tire shops to see if they would change tires on a carbon fiber wheel? My area has like plaza tire shops and a new one just went in called RNR. Thanks

I am about to replace my Sport Cup 2 with MPS 4S due to just normal wear in about a week or so. I have had two holes patched on two different tires. I was also very concerned about this work. I decided to check out the tire shops in the highend part of town. They work on highend cars everyday. I called and swung by to confirm they could do the work on a CF wheel. They said they could and have worked on CF wheels. I asked for an experienced tech. The manager himself did it. Also of note, I took off my tires/rims at home and brought to them. I didn't want a tech using a power air tools on my stock lugs and I didn't want my car in a busy bay.

So going forward with my new tires, I will take the wheels/tires off myself and bring it to them to be mounted and installed. I will put them back on my myself as well. I like to do as much I can myself with my car.

The tire shop I used believe it or not was Discount Tire. However, you better use one located in highend neighborhood used to working on more expensive cars everyday. If they're even iffy on it then pass.

 

[MadMax]

I am about to replace my Sport Cup 2 with MPS 4S due to just normal wear in about a week or so. I have had two holes patched on two different tires. I was also very concerned about this work. I decided to check out the tire shops in the highend part of town. They work on highend cars everyday. I called and swung by to confirm they could do the work on a CF wheel. They said they could and have worked on CF wheels. I asked for an experienced tech. The manager himself did it. Also of note, I took off my tires/rims at home and brought to them. I didn't want a tech using a power air tools on my stock lugs and I didn't want my car in a busy bay.

So going forward with my new tires, I will take the wheels/tires off myself and bring it to them to be mounted and installed. I will put them back on my myself as well. I like to do as much I can myself with my car.

The tire shop I used believe it or not was Discount Tire. However, you better use one located in highend neighborhood used to working on more expensive cars everyday. If they're even iffy on it then pass.

Appreciate the info. I’m going to do some checking around tomorrow.

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