OK, so I'm new to the BMW fold, having been a Honda and Mazda guy for so long. I've recalibrated my expectations with respect to how much things will cost, but, still - $50/tire to mount and balance my Tire Rack-acquired snows on the existing rims? That's over $200 for the set - and with snows being swapped on in November and off in April, that's almost half a grand a year - more than the tires themselves! Utlimately I'll get dedicated summer rims and summer treads, so I can do it myself. But for now that's not an option.

I'm inclined to search for alternatives (but two local MINI service stations quote roughly the same price) - yet am reluctant to have anyone else touch my brand new '13 MINI S Hardtop. I once had a car damaged because it was not lifted correctly, and another time the wheel nuts were so over-torqued that the threads were destroyed. It's nice to know that I have a bigger company standing behind the service department. But - dang - the price is steeper than it may be worth. Any suggestions, or am I just being cheap?

 

Take it to a tire center, it will be half the price. They have the tools and know how to mount ANY rim and tire. Thats all they do.

 

It's around $45 at costco or $130 at my local Firestone. I would not have mini do it at that price.

 

Local tire shop does it for $60. The dealership is just ALOT more expensive.

 

Yes, that quote is silly expensive....but i'm not surprised...it's a dealership. Tire chain stores around here will usually do it for less than $20 a wheel. Shop around. I would recommend that when you take it in to have the work done (wherever you go), ask to walk around the car with the manager and inspect the wheels with him/her before they touch it. They should be understanding of that (even if they find it annoying) seeing that it's a newer car. Even though the tire changing machines are supposedly "no touch", I've had my wheels scratched in the process of tire changes before....especially with run flats that are harder to get on/off. You might even snap a pic of the wheels before it goes in. At least if they know you are concerned, they will take a bit more care.

Also, I'd suggest that if you're going to be changing snow tires on/off each year, why not get a spare set of wheels and put them on? You can find a cheap set of MINI wheels pretty easily and the cost is then a one-time expense. Get a set of S-lites or similar for a $100-$200 and they'd pay for themselves in a year or two easily. You will also save the wear and tear on your good tires/rims by not having them changed so much. Hell if you were anywhere near Indy, I'd sell you a set that I have laying around for cheap. I can hardly give them away.

Just a thought.

 

Good advice. If you do this, you can also change your wheels/tires over yourself a lot more easily when the temperatures start to dip.

 

Get yourself a torque wrench and 17mm socket, maybe need to add a short extension, and take it with you every time you have anything done where wheels get removed and INSIST that either they use it or let you set the torque on your lug bolts. One guy convinced me that the 'red' extension on his air hammer would limit the torque to 90#. I had to take it back to have them loosened as the supplied breaker bar wouldn't budge them and I wasn't about to put myself out to correct his unwarranted assumption.

Oh yea, he charged me $10.00 a corner to mount and balance tires I brought in.

 

I pay $80 at my local tire shop.