You want HOW much to mount a set of tires?

I had been looking for a set of snows for the P71, and found a great deal locally on CL, so Sunday I went to go get them. Since the stock Goodyear RS-A's were on their way out, I decided to see how much the local Sears and Firestone centers would charge to mount these things.

I called Sears first, and got no answer after letting the phone ring for several minutes. Upon stopping in, they had about a half-dozen guys working. One guy doing his job, another guy bilking an old couple outta some cash by trying to upsell them on everything, and 4 guys crowded around a computer not helping anyone. I waited, I asked, I received no help, so I left.

On to the Firestone center, where they told me that if I left my car, they MAY have time to get around to it. It was gonna be 40 bucks a tire to mount, and with taxes/disposal/and HAZMAT(?!?) fees it would be about 200 bucks. Since I'd just paid 150 for barely used and practically new snows, I turned them down.

The local "good ol' boy" tire shop out here in the country asked 12 a tire, and were gonna charge 10 to dispose of all the old tires. Somehow, the bill worked out to 55 dollars.

I like it out here in the country.

I'd tell the firestone dudes that you got it done for 75% off.

I'm pretty sure that asking $200 is the passive-aggressive way to say 'I'm feeling lazy, so get lost'

I took a set of Hoosier R6 to the local Walmart in Mid-Ohio (Lexington I think?) and got them all mounted and balanced for $40 + tax. I waited about 15 minutes.

My BIL owns a tire store, so....

Yeah, $200 charge is the I'm lazy fee.

Know why I go to "Frank's Tire" for all my tires? When I go there, I talk to Frank. He chain smokes, smells bad, and if the weather's nice enough to be on the lake fishing, you better call if you plan on going there after 3PM, but he's a nice dude who knows everything there is to know about wheels and tires, likes racing, and it it's in his best interest to keep his business alive, so you'll never catch an attitude.

Oh, and tire mounting is $15 a crack. I have him throw the old tires in the back and load them in the trunk of the next car I squish.

a tire machine is on my 'dream' list of shop equipment. I'm convinced it would pay for itself in the (very) long run.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I took a set of Hoosier R6 to the local Walmart in Mid-Ohio (Lexington I think?) and got them all mounted and balanced for $40 + tax. I waited about 15 minutes.

Yup, beat me to it.

Local dude quoted me the same and then I said "Walmart does it for that. You gonna let Walmart with a national service network have the same price as you?"

All 4, $30 out the door.

Oh Yeah Gearheadotakadoughnutoh, I have seen them used in the $800 range. Beat up but still working.

I don't know what I'd do without access to a tire machine and balancer. For "normal" folks, I guess it's not the end of the world. But with autocross tires for two cars, plus begging used pairs to get through a couple of events after my wife or kid cords a tire locking them up in the finish, seems like all I do is mount tires. If I was paying someone to do it, it would cost a fortune.

http://www.clubworkshop.com/

Sure hope that place never goes out of business.

if you check out tire rack, they list all "approved" installers and most have ga-run-teed pricing right there on tirerack's site. we just had four tires mounted/balanced on the fiance's C30 at the sears auto around the corner for something like 53 bucks after tax. i also go a coupon for oil & filter change for 15 bucks, which i had done while the xterra was in for rotate and balance on the set of tires i had mounted there a couple years ago.

Yep my favorite shop is the one running out of a wood garage. Cheap prices, pirated TV streams on an old laptop while you wait, and they don't overtorque your lugs like the various RiceMarts.

Unfortunately they don't have a tire balancing machine though.

Strizzo wrote: if you check out tire rack, they list all "approved" installers and most have ga-run-teed pricing right there on tirerack's site. we just had four tires mounted/balanced on the fiance's C30 at the sears auto around the corner for something like 53 bucks after tax. i also go a coupon for oil & filter change for 15 bucks, which i had done while the xterra was in for rotate and balance on the set of tires i had mounted there a couple years ago.

^^ Not only that, but most of them even tell you what kind of tire machine the shop uses.

I dealt with a few chain stores with luck. It helps to "know" the guys working there. Calling someone by their first name, saying please/thank you, and a hearty handshake will go far into getting you remembered. A willingness to deal under the table with cash can't hurt either.

I used to wonder why the old man used to talk up a storm with they guys behind the counter. Now I know.

I've got an old school changer, just limited to 16" wheels......otherwise, I take them to the small place in town.

Discount Tire has done me well thus far.....free rotations are kinda nice(because I hate doing them, and it takes me 3x as long)

Never go to a chain to get tires mounted. Small shops are the best for stuff like that.

Damn, we charge $9.99 to M&B tires. $3.00 disposal fee. If the tires are bought from us, we charge nothing to M&B, but still have to charge the disposal.

At risk of threadjack- if you mount your own tires, what do you do with your old ones?

In reply to fast_eddie_72: If my old tires have any tread left I leave them next to the dumpster at my shop. They tend to "walk away" in the middle of the night. Used up race tires seem to stay forever, so I'll pony up a few bucks to dump them at our local tire shop.

fast_eddie_72 wrote: At risk of threadjack- if you mount your own tires, what do you do with your old ones?

I always pull this joke; "$3 to recycle? Just throw 'em in my trunk and I flip them in a creek somewhere". I use the same line with car batteries.

They always freak too. I kid, I kid.

I know the manager of a Discount Tire store pretty well. I have bought thousands and thousands of dollars worth of tires from him over ten years-- repeat purchases for race tires and all my passenger vehicles, tow vehicle, etc.

He gives me a great discount off the regular prices, mounting and balancing included. When I take my race tires to him he'll swap them around on the rims for free.

I have to travel to his store, though, so one time I made the mistake of going to my local Discount Tire to have one tire dismounted and mounted on a different rim. They wanted to charge me $40. I said no thank you and drove to my regular place. I understand store managers have a LOT of discretion in their charges and prices.

Helps to build relationships with these guys...

last time I bought tires from tirerack I took em to the local wal-mart... think it was $10 for the 2 front (all I was doing at the time)... including mounting and balacing... I took the tires and wheels in, no car...

before that in panama city, FL I had a used tire shop that I'd goto... was always in and out in under 15 min and would usually leave the change... not to mention I'd drop off a pizza once a month or so while I was on my rounds (worked pizza delivery)... don't think I ever bought a tire from him as i'd had some bad experiences with used tires by that point... but he was a good guy and took care of me when I brought my own tires in... and I think he liked free pizza...

also would drop a few pizzas off at the junkyard from time to time ;-)... got flicked the bird when asking for the price of a part when I walked to the counter with it... well worth a few pizzas and a little time.

donalson wrote: also would drop a few pizzas off at the junkyard from time to time ;-)... got flicked the bird when asking for the price of a part when I walked to the counter with it... well worth a few pizzas and a little time.

I'll flick you off for only one free pizza. Im cheap.