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Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 10:22 pm
by thrdeye
Thought we should have this here and that once we got some data, we could make it a sticky. So, post up your best experiences with any shops that are automotive related. Some categories:

Alignments
(++++) Fisher Tire - Broadway location - Tech: Corey
(+++) Matlock Tire - Techs: John Dupree
(++) LNS - Techs: Mike, Alex, Roddy
(+) Tire Barn
(+) Firestone - Kingston Pike, Bearden - NOTE: tendency to align to FSM specs
(+) Autoxtend
(+) EuroTech - Kind of expensive, but new equipment.
(+) C&D Tire Maryville - also good for shop work that you can't DIY

Tire Mounting
(++++) Robert Carpenter
(+++) Tire Barn
(++) Don's Tires NOTE: Great with non-R's
(+) LNS
(+) Autoxtend
(+) Maryville WalMart Tire & Lube - Tech: Josh (Service Mgr.)
(=) Fisher Tire - Broadway
(-) Pep Boys

Tint
(++) Solar Pros

Fabrication & Welding
(+) Extreme Welding in Halls, 865-689-3757

Body Work
(++) PDR - Pro Dent Repair, 4426 Middlebrook Pike, 37921, 865-588-8588
(+) PDR - Mike Tedrick 865-755-0353


Maintenance (General everything, Oil changes, Spark Plugs, etc)
(+) European Auto Garage
(+) Lee Specialtee
(+) Jiffy Lube - Cedar Bluff/Middlebrook
(+) Autoxtend
(+) Midas - 10025 Kingston Pike, Knoxville

If you have ideas for any other categories let me know. I'm gonna try to keep everything in the first post.

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:06 am
by SilverMaxima
I'll chime in... So far, I've had good experiences getting my motor mounts and shift linkage bushings installed at European Auto Garage, as well as brake fluid flushed and an oil change.

As for tire mounting/balancing, Tire Barn is fairly cheap and has done well and was done fast the 2 times I've been there (had a tire flipped, then a tire plugged/patched).

Body work... Mmmhmm.

Alignments... I'm still using my lifetime at Firestone, either Kingston Pike in Bearden or Farragut. They have a tendency to want to align to OEM specs, just depends on the tech that's working on my car.

Tint I've had good experiences at Solar Pros near the airport for my current and previous cars.

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:23 am
by Pewter Sonoma
Alignments - Matlock tire in Farragut (let me do the rear myself to my own specs with adjustable suspension)
Tire Mounting - Tire Barn
Tint - ?
Fabrication - ?
Body Work - ?
Maintenance (Oil changes, Spark Plugs, etc) - yourself

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:09 am
by Wheelman_13
Mount/Balance: I use LNS/Knox' Performance. No complaints so far.

Avoid pep-boys for this if you have any type of staggered widths or directional tires. 2/3 times I've tried them (on a Sunday when they're about the only place open) they've put tires on the wrong rims and/or backwards.

Alignment: LNS/Knox' Performance unless they're backed-up or it's a weekend. I've also had a very good experience with John Dupree at Matlock (farragut location). He's been recommended on this board before, and I can add to that. I can 2nd Tire barn as well, but with the caveat that you don't have a weird, low-production car :oops:

John @ matlock and Tire Barn will both do custom alignments. Mike, Alex, and Roddy @LNS can actually make educated suggestions though if you don't know exactly what you want.

I don't have experience with the rest of the categories really (do maintenance myself).

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:21 am
by GaryM
Alignments: There was a guy that used to work with John Wiser at Saturn that did an awesome job on mine... which I knew where he was now.
Tire Mounting (for non race tires) Don's (used?) Tires on western is BY FAR the cheapest mount/ballance I've found in Knoxville... and super quick.
++ for Carpenter for R-Comps
Maintenance (Oil changes, Spark Plugs, etc) I do most things myself.I can recomend Lee Specialtee on Clinton highway for Honda repairs

There's also some guys in the club that do great work on the side

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 5:03 pm
by 93twotonegt
I'll chime in:

Alignments: Had GREAT luck out of Fisher Tire on North Broadway. A younger guy there (Corey?) did my Mustang's alignment to my specs with no arguments. He's had Mustangs in the past with Caster/Camber plates and had a good knowledge of what he was doing. Even had zero issue doing my IRS rear, where he had to remove the wheels to adjust it every time. Quick work, and knowledgeable kid.

Never had any body work done in knox.

I do all my own maintenance.

Tire mounting: same as before, Fisher Tire on North Broadway. They are a recommended dealer off Tire Rack, and did pretty good work with my tires. Only complaint I had was the kid who did my tires didn't seem to give a damn. He was the only one there who just looked miserable. Didn't mistreat my rims/tires, but sure wasn't gentle about it (not that my rims/tires are worth much anyway, just an observation). Also used an absolute TON of grease for mounting. I spoke to the manager about that one. Seriously, my old tires had unremovable streaks on them from the grease slinging out on the highway. Wasn't happy about that.

Other than that one kid, everything else about the place is pretty good. The staff was a bit younger (mid-20s) and the vast majority seemed to care about the work they were doing. When I went back to have my tires remounted on my 5-lug rims, another guy did my tires and didn't use nearly as much lube to get them on. Overall, I'd recommend them.

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:31 pm
by Pewter Sonoma
I'll chime in again after the last post since it hits on younger workers who actually care about their job and their work. Jiffy Lube on Cedar Bluff at Middlebrook. I do all the maintinance on my two cars myself, but I do take my wifes car to Jiffy Lube for oil changes since she uses conventional oil and my two cars use synthetic. (I can justify the cost savings on doing my own oil changes with synthetic, but on conventional - I rather pay $10 for someone else to do it.).

Anyway, I took her Maxima there last Friday and the guys there are really nice, and the guy behind the counter who was probably in his mid 20s said 'thanks for being a local customer - without customers like you, we wouldn't have a job.' You typically don't consider the Gen x'ers to care about their jobs like they do at this location, so that kind of hit home. We have been taking her car there for 4+ years and not a single issue. Plus I think each 5th oil change is free so you really aren't paying that much more than doing it yourself. With two other cars to maintain, I'm happy for someone else to work on hers. She's got 201,000 miles on her '97 Maxima and minus me replacing a radiator, alternator, starter, and battery in 7+ years, the only other thing we have done is oil changes at Jiffy Lube. In summary - I've been really pleased with this location due to the staff.

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 3:13 pm
by 01badz28
I can second Derek's opinions about Matlock tire. I've had nothing but good luck with them over the years.

BTW Derek, WTF do you have on the car that lets you do a rear wheel alignment? Or did you just have him center the rear axle? Just shoot me a PM, I don't want to hi-jack the thread.

For the Miata, I've had Mark Irwin (local SCCA guy) do a lot of repair and body work to the car, and he always does an excellent job.

For the Camaro, my buddy Ron is a freaking LSX genius. I've probably got one of the few LS3 swapped 4th gen f-bodies currently running, and he did an awesome job for a fraction of what I would have paid a speed shop.

I do most of my own maintenance these days (plugs and wires, oil changes).

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:00 pm
by Pewter Sonoma
01badz28 wrote:I can second Derek's opinions about Matlock tire. I've had nothing but good luck with them over the years.

BTW Derek, WTF do you have on the car that lets you do a rear wheel alignment? Or did you just have him center the rear axle? Just shoot me a PM, I don't want to hi-jack the thread.
For the Miata, I've had Mark Irwin (local SCCA guy) do a lot of repair and body work to the car, and he always does an excellent job.

For the Camaro, my buddy Ron is a freaking LSX genius. I've probably got one of the few LS3 swapped 4th gen f-bodies currently running, and he did an awesome job for a fraction of what I would have paid a speed shop.

I do most of my own maintenance these days (plugs and wires, oil changes).
Adjustable lower control arms and panhard bar. This allowed me to center the rear using the laser alignment in relation to the front tires, as well as the trust angle, which I could barely get within OEM specs with it lowered. It's not even AS low as it was - I sold the rear Eibach sportline springs on craigslist and put in BMR Springs when I did the koni shocks. When I got the car from Ron, the rear end was a solid 1/2" over to the driver side (I think this was the side) and angled toward the passenger side so it pulled a lot. Matlock tire allowed ME to make an adjustment, look at the specs, and then continue to adjust the settings on the adjustable components tillt he rear was centered and as square as possible. I had more dirt on my hands, when done, than the 2 techs working on it, haha. I came with my own tools and knew the exact sizes I needed to adjust everything so it went fairly quick.

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 9:43 pm
by gbwrx
John Dupree at Matlock on Kingston pike is great for alignments.

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 4:36 pm
by rocracing2004
Hey I mount tires I also have a balancer and so far I have not have anybody compain. Sorry I cannot do Mini wheels. I don't even see how they do them. The only thing with me is that I do them after hours. But you can drop them off to me at 321 Troy Circle Knoxville, TN 37919 (865) 588-9777

RC

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:14 pm
by TennTechMan
RC does good work, and I don't think there's a tire place in town that will do it for as little cost.

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:47 pm
by gbwrx
X2.

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 3:31 pm
by Knox MSP
http://www.autoxtend.com/

I've been using them for all my routine maintenance, and repairs for my two company vehicles, and for all my tire mounting and alignments on my personal vehicles. Super clean facility, with top rate equipment. The owner Rob is a great guy and has never steered me wrong.

Re: Best shops for services (Alignment, Tire Mounting, etc.)

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 12:31 pm
by thrdeye
Alright - I updated the first post. Matlock is great, and I've had Robert do some tires.

Hope the +/- review system makes sense.

I'll try to add website and address info eventually.