Mount and Balance Shop in SAN DIEGO

[sundevillover]

I just got my IForged wheels in. I have new Tires from Tire Rack.

19 x 11 fronts and 20 x 13 rears & Michelin PS2's.

I don't want to use Discount Tire because I have had terrible luck with the knowledge on hi performance applications.

Who should I go to that can help me out for a reasonable cost?

I am told most balancer machines that have the covers on them won't accomodate a wide tire like this.....what have others done in the Viper world when getting bigger tires?

I live in the Carmel Valley area and work in La Jolla so anywhere close to that would be great.

Thanks for any references. I trust other Viper owners and don't wany my new wheels damaged by some kid in a tire shop.

[MikeR]

Call Todd at A&C Performance, they are in Murrieta. They are a Viper shop. They will either be able to mount them for you or know of a shop they recommned in area.

[j-rho]

Hi Sundevillover,
We must be neighbors - did you go to Mt. Carmel?

Anyway, I have had very good luck with the Discount Tire on Balboa & Genesee. They're a bit further than the Miramar DT, but the guys there are all very cool and will take good care of you.

[sundevillover]

Todd referred me to Discount Tire in my area so that won't work. And with respect to the Discount Tire off Balboa and Genesse, I spoke with Jerry (manager) and unfortunately the width of the wheel is the issue and because its so wide they cannot balance it. They can mount it but not balance it.

After evaluating my options I decided to call Symbolic who deals with Lambos and Ferraris among other highly exotic cars. I figured if they can accomodate some of the Murcielago wheels and tires they can do mine. They were more expensive than the average shop but they have the machines/talent to do the job. The shop they have is incredible. Walking through it and seeing Rolls after Rolls, Lambos and Ferraris, Porsches, it was amazing. The floors could be eaten off of.

I pick them up tomorrow. Can't wait!

[sundevillover]

Got em'. I must say doing business with a class-act shop like Symbolic was worth every dime I spent. From the professional manner of the service staff to the actual techs who worked on the mounting.

Just for the record, I must have talked with 25 places and drove to 10 of them to find out this is NOT an easy job. Because of the wheel width and the sensors on each wheel, this was not for the average wheel tech.

As I noted yesterday, my service advisor mentioned to me that one of the 90 degree valve stems snapped when the tech was mounting the tire. They told me they ordered another one from IForged. It was supposed to arrive today.

When I came to pick them up, four service techs helped load them into my wife's minivan (which with the big back worked out great). I looked at the fnished product and said to myself, holy cow those things are huge! I have never seen a wheel so wide in my whole life for a true street application.

They told me getting them to fit on the balancer required a special spacer they had to fabricate but they were determined and got it done right. They all said that the offset was such that it didn't allow the wheel to fit under the cover of the balancer until that spacer was added.

I am going to dismount my stock wheels and tires tonight and remount the new set at the same time. I can't wait. I hope it all works out as I had hoped. The wheels look great with those massive Michelins wrapped around them. I almost don't want to mount them they look so cool.

The techs told me the Murcielago uses the same Michelins but the offset on the wheel is such that they actually fit under the balancer cover, as opposed to mine which needed some TLC.

In the end, Symbolic did their job. And to top off the job, rather than charging for the extra valve stem they rush overnighted from IForged, they bit the bullet on the shipping AND the stem AND THEN reduced my quote by $100 for the inconvenience of having them overnight. I didn't even ask for it.

Now if that doesn't speak volumes about how I was treated I don't know what good service is.

Great job Symbolic - thank you.