$160 for Mount and Balance and Valve Stems !

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SubLGT

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That's what the local tire dealer told me it would cost me to mount 4 new Nokians on my winter wheels. Why so high? Simply because I bought the Nokians online (they are not a Nokian dealer). Is this their way of protesting online tire sales?

So I drove to another tire shop (on Tire Rack"s recommended installer list) 10 miles away, and paid $65 for mount/balance/valve stems/disposal. They weren't bothered at all that I bought the tires online.
 
They weren't going to make much money on you anyway ,so they gave you a price they knew you'd pass on.


Keeps the bays open for higher paying customers that they can rip-off.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I was quoted $80 per wheel mount and balance from a local firestone when I walked in with carry in tires.


Youch! I'm going to end up mounting my Focus' 2 new snow tires myself.
 
I think this is getting to be SOP. I bought tires at my local Audi dealer and they charged $39.95 for M&B. I called them recently to see if they would mount winters that I bought elsewhere, and the price was a flat $100 plus disposal. No thanks!
 
Toyota dealership does mine for 60-80$. You guys were quoted outrageous prices. Although i dont think they make much money doing mounting..consider hourly rate of 100$.
 
that's why I luv my neighbourhood wallymart so much: they charge 18bux/tire, mounting/unmounting + balancing included.

I had nothing but good service from them in the past: where dad bought some Goodyr Viva for his 7th gen civic but the tires howl above 110kph shortly after they were mounted + balanced. Took them back to the manager, took a shop guy along for a ride, showed him what I meant by "howling", and he then tried to rebalance the tires one more them before calling them TU....immediately upgraded us to viva touring (only paid the difference) and problem solved, never a second guess nor questioning us.

wifey's camry got similar treatment a mnth ago when I took 2 sets of snows (one set from a Volvo V40 with pirellis), 18bux/tire including the swapping of wheels, re-balancing, disposal of old (worn) snows, etc.

I never pay dealer pricing for tire mounting+balancing or swaps...

Q.
 
I think $25/tire would be my limit.

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Discount Tire/America's Tire cost of mounting and balance is about $18-19 a tire too.

YMMV - all of the ones I've been to want $30-35/tire if you do a carry-in, and they still treat your car as though it was going through the NASCAR pit stop.

Originally Posted By: SubLGT
They weren't bothered at all that I bought the tires online.


Interesting. I work for an insurance carrier and shops that install customer-supplied tires are ones that we try to avoid.
 
Last edited:
Go to a local repair shop NOT a tire dealer.
There is a shop a few blocks away that charges $12.00 a wheel for mount and balance off the street and $7.00 for wholesale
 
That tire dealer is very small-minded. We LOVE being a Tire Rack Preferred Installer. It brings us LOTS of new business, and not just tire business... most of these customers become our customers for maintenance and mechanical work, too.

Go to tirerack.com and find a five-star rated installer and go there... they actually want your business.
 
Go to any big Wal-Mart that has a car service center and they will gladly mount, balance, and even put them on the vehicle, for much less than any tire store will charge.
 
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Go to any big Wal-Mart that has a car service center and they will gladly mount, balance, and even put them on the vehicle, for much less than any tire store will charge.


Yeah, and they'll scratch the heck out of your alloy wheels. The two TLEs that I went to did not have the proper equipment to mount tires onto alloy wheels...yet they still did it!
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I was quoted $80 per wheel mount and balance from a local firestone when I walked in with carry in tires.


I had my Hankooks (ordered from DTD) mounted/balanced at my local Firestone for $80 total for four. That includes lifetime rotate and balance. Are you sure there wasn't a miscommunication?
 
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I was quoted $80 per wheel mount and balance from a local firestone when I walked in with carry in tires.


I had my Hankooks (ordered from DTD) mounted/balanced at my local Firestone for $80 total for four. That includes lifetime rotate and balance. Are you sure there wasn't a miscommunication?


I think a lot of Firestones are franchises, so YMMV as far as pricing.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Interesting. I work for an insurance carrier and shops that install customer-supplied tires are ones that we try to avoid.


Good to know you guys do that. Installing customer supplied parts can be a huge hairball when things go bad. Have seen it a bunch of times and it is never pretty.
 
Originally Posted By: Big O Dave
That tire dealer is very small-minded. We LOVE being a Tire Rack Preferred Installer. It brings us LOTS of new business, and not just tire business... most of these customers become our customers for maintenance and mechanical work, too.

Go to tirerack.com and find a five-star rated installer and go there... they actually want your business.


That's what I ended up doing. When I told them (Perfection Tire) the other tire shop wanted $160, they were amazed. All my future tire work will be done at Perfection Tire, instead of those $160 gougers at Tire Rama. And I will be steering people away from Tire Rama when ever the opportunity shows up, and recommending Perfection Tire in Coeur D'Alene.
 
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