Your opinion regarding Automatic car wash with wheel tracks vs. 20in rear wheels

[Zoich]

Ok. The beefy rear wheel is just massive. When my car went through a very good local car wash the first time, I noticed that my rear wheel filled out the entire track/conveyor belt. The track does have rubber/vinyl guard around so when it came out of the car wash -- the rear wheel seemed fine.

Last week I sent this car through another local establishment (not my preferred one), when the porter drove the car on to the track the rear tire wasn't lined up perfectly until it "dropped" on to the tracks. I didn't think anything of it until today I noticed the rear wheel was scratched -- but they did also have wheel guard installed on their tracks also... plus I didn't inspect before and after so can't say for sure that that caused the damage on my 214 wheel. it can't be curb rash because the srach was much more in the middle vs. at the lip where it meets the tire.

My question to the folks are -- 1) do you take your car to automatic carwash with tracks? 2) did you ever have any concerns? 3) what are some other options because automatic car washes? (I live in a condo with indoor garages so can't really wash my own car -- plus I am lazy, this is a big car with a lot of surface area needed to be cleaned.)

I will try to post a pic of the damage later...

[FSETH]

I took my X to one when I first bought it and will never go back. This particular one had a window between the wash area and the waiting room. I watched as some teenager tried to get my front wheels in the track. I almost broke through the window when I saw him turning the wheel from practically lock to lock trying to figure out what the hell he was doing. The wheels were all over the track. I saw another worker notice me looking and he ran over and pulled the kid out of the car. That was it for me.

If you cant do it yourself, try to find a good local hand wash spot. I was able to do find one and it only cost a few bucks more. It is totally worth it, IMO.

[Denalio]

Don't do it you will get curb rash or they may chip.

[BGM]

Why spend $60K-$70K on a vehicle and not want to wash it or take it somewhere where it will get damaged ? If you don't like to wash it then find a good hand wash place and spend $20 every couple weeks. Or bucket wash it at the coin manual wash (and do not use the foam brush on the paint !).

[rh71]

I really regret getting the 214s in some ways. I still have the vibration after multiple balances and they say the tire is not out of round. It's already got some curb rash which hurt at first but now I have become immune to the pain as it is inevitable. It is great for looks, but that's it... I really hate worrying about them all the damned time. And since there's a vibration, I always think about them.

Anyway, I still wouldn't go through a car wash... hand wash myself only.

[Zoich]

Originally Posted by BGM

Why spend $60K-$70K on a vehicle and not want to wash it or take it somewhere where it will get damaged ? If you don't like to wash it then find a good hand wash place and spend $20 every couple weeks. Or bucket wash it at the coin manual wash (and do not use the foam brush on the paint !).

Unfortunately there isn't any good hand-wash places until you get to the bad side of st. louis. Members from StL correct me if I am wrong. The car wash I like in StL is Hampton which is already pretty close to downtown, and other handwash places are near north county.

otherswise you're are looking at car detail places, which is not what I am looking for.

But I agree, perhaps my best options is to go to the coin wash places -- again, I am too lazy, but that's my issue...

[StanF18]

Wait, back up a sec: you said in your first post that things went well at your "preferred", "very good" local car wash. Why not keep taking it there? The damage was from a 2nd (non-preferred) place....

Your overall concern regarding the width of the tires is valid. You need to ALWAYS ask them AHEAD OF TIME to take it VERY SLOWLY onto the track. Point to your rear wheels and explain why. When they "ease" the X in, there is much less chance of "banging" and damage.

I've found one automatic place near me that's very good, and I always tell the guy to take it slow before he eases it onto the track. Otherwise they have a tendency to just gun it onto the track at high speed, and that's how the rim gets bashed up.

[Zoich]

Originally Posted by StanF18

Wait, back up a sec: you said in your first post that things went well at your "preferred", "very good" local car wash. Why not keep taking it there? The damage was from a 2nd (non-preferred) place....

Your overall concern regarding the width of the tires is valid. You need to ALWAYS ask them AHEAD OF TIME to take it VERY SLOWLY onto the track. Point to your rear wheels and explain why. When they "ease" the X in, there is much less chance of "banging" and damage.

I've found one automatic place near me that's very good, and I always tell the guy to take it slow before he eases it onto the track. Otherwise they have a tendency to just gun it onto the track at high speed, and that's how the rim gets bashed up.

The first place does really good job -- but really out of the way of where I live & work. They actually directs you onto their track. The second place is waterway, where you exit your car and some high school kid drives it up by himself without anyone guiding him.

I have learned my lesson. No short cut next time..

[BGM]

Here are 2 in St. Louis--all I did was Google it:


StLouis.com: Cannons Personal Touch Hand Carwash
StLouis.com: Complete Auto Wash & Wax

[Zoich]

Originally Posted by BGM

Here are 2 in St. Louis--all I did was Google it:


StLouis.com: Cannons Personal Touch Hand Carwash
StLouis.com: Complete Auto Wash & Wax

thanks! Both in the hood.. so does speak. St. Louis is weird. After 5, it's a ghost town unless there is a baseball or hockey game. People leave the city and go back to the suburbs. Nothing like when I lived in Chicago.