My Experience with Love's Tire Care!

Truck 2004 Columbia/Freightshaker

I had been looking for new steer tires for few weeks now. After stopping at multiple truck stops and inquiring few mom/pop places, surprisingly the best price for a BF Goodrich 22.5 low pro steer tires came from Loves. I decided to get both replaced at the Lake Havasu city, AZ location. We work out a deal, have the tires put on-paid 'em and I was on my way to CA. I was happy with the purchase as my previous steer tires were also BF Goodrich's. My next stop was Barstow, CA- roughly three hours away. I take the off ramp and make a right towards the trio (TA/Pilot/Loves). After getting ready to make a left turn into TA, I felt my truck slump on the right side. My initial reaction was that the tire blew but I heard no loud pop. To all those, who have had a tire blow up on their trucks, especially a steer tire, its nothing short of a dynamite stick going off!

I pull into TA just enough to get my trailer out of the road. Flashers on, grabbed my flash light and go out to check the damage! Tire had come off the rim. I call Loves tire care and explain them that I bought the tires no more than three hours ago. The lady over the phone was nice and got the Loves next door to come and do road service. Meanwhile I got on the phone with the Lake Havasu location and spoke to an individual who immediately took defense as his approach. They stated that I had a bad rim and it was my fault. As the road service came, guy insisted that I had a bad rim and he will only put on the tire that came off. I insisted on a new tire. After few mintues of arguing, I was given a new tire and as he went to put it on the rim, THE VALVE STEM WAS MISSING. After I pointed it out, he apologized and said the tire tech in LH did not do his job correctly. I had LH on the line and had the roadside guy talk to them. The new tire was put on the rim and new valve stem and I followed him back to Loves. He torqued and re checked the the other steer tire.

Now came time for the road service bill which I refused to pay. At this point manager from Barstow location spoke to the Tire Care in LH and determined not to bill me or give me any paperwork for this mishap. Basically, it never happened. After I insisted on some paperwork, I was asked to speak to the manager of LH location and deal with them. At the end I left there with no documentation.

Next day, I spoke to Loves customer care and was assured a response. I spoke to a REP and after two days of going back and forth, they determined that the valve stem did come off but not because of loves. Their explanation was that something broke off my truck and hit the valve stem which in turn caused it loosen up and fall off! WHAT A CROCK OF #####!

Here are few pics.

 

were those new tires when they put them on?

 

Surprising. But I suppose incidents can happen. I have used Love's tire shops off and on and have never had any kind of problem with them. I probably have had 6 or 7 tires dismounted / mounted on rims without incident. But we are dealing with people here, so one of these guys obviously did not do his job correctly.

 

I don't know if the did not do the job right ? He made it 3 hours away it was night could of hit something that knocked stem off . Got a new tire and road call for zip so i would say in the end Loves treated him right . And jbourque ask if that was a new tire ? Don't look like new to me ...but pic is hard to tell sometimes

 

Did you get it re-torqued after 100 miles? When we replace steers its all new! New tires, new stems, new balance and retorque and recheck after 1 hr.

It is imperative to follow manuf specs.

It would have been good to inspect/retorque after new installation. For the stem to be missing, you needed to have something hit the inside of the wheel and taken that stem out.

I've seen some tires come to the shop with the stem bent after a rock or something caused it to bend. You can see sharp marks/nicks on the rim though. Never had a stem missing though. Our flatbeds do pickup rocks/debris from jobsites etc and it has been known to happen on trailer tires.

 

Mistakes happen. What makes a good company is how they handle them. Loves droped the ball on this one. If there was something wrong with the wheel or valvle stem it would/should have been cought by the person mounting the tire. Unless there was a big hole in the tire it was Loves fault they should have jumped through hoops to make you happy. IMO.

 

Yes I purchased 2 new tires from them.

 

The problem was that the tire came of because of a loose valve stem. At 55-60 mph, this would have turned into a disaster. A faulty valve stem wouldn't have set me off but a one missing..... As far as the Loves treating me right, I had to fight for a new tire, fight not to pay for the road service and fight for the documentation that I never received. Loves lost a good customer that day!

 

Of course you had to fight ! What do you think they would just give you tire because you said it was there fault ? You proved to them it was there fault and they made good . I don't like you did not get the slip in the end .Think about it they could of told you to go pound sand and charged you and you would of had to pay it . Of course if you were smart and paid with credit card you could then dispute it and MAYBE got your $$ back . And a loose stem would probably lost air slowly and you should have notice that so i am not sure if that it was a loose stem or you hit something on the ramp and what you hit was thrown clear with the stem and that's why you did not see it in the road when you stopped

 

I always replace valve stems when I get new steer tires, and I also stand as close as allowed to work being done, and watch.Sometimes when I air my tires up, I use a wrench and tighten the valve stems, real easy.