I'm having two new tires mounted on my car tomorrow after discovering a large bubble in my front passenger side sidewall (18k miles). $120 total for the pair delivered to my door, compared to $91 each from my crappy dealer, Herb Chambers in Boston.

Anyway I'm just wondering what sorts of things to look out for when I go to have the tires mounted and balanced tomorrow morning. I'm going to a very reputable local repair shop which uses magnetic weights. In what ways can this job be screwed up, and how would I be able to tell?

While I'm there, would there be any value to swapping the rear tires with each other? They've been in place for 18k miles.

Thanks for any help!
Chris

 

I prefer tape weights and a dynamic balance. Make sure they do not static balance the tires, as that is the old school cheap method. Also make sure they have "no touch" mounting equipment, as in the machine clamps the rim from the outside edge and it does not use a tire-spoon flipped up and over onto a central post to dismount the tire. Here's a picture from the performance shop where I handle their internet business, its of a good Snap-on machine:

 

chrisnl- most tire stores have no problems installing regular tires on factory
wheels, but if those are runflats or aftermarket wheels, you might want to
remind them not to damage the rim.

Some places don't care and put huge marks on the rims...

 

Thanks guys, I'm not too worried about the shop having subpar equipment or damaging my rims or anything like that - they've won all sorts of local consumer awards and whatnot. I guess I was mainly wondering how I would know if, for example, the tires/wheels aren't properly balanced. Would the car shudder or shimmy at highway speeds, anything like that?

And what about the rear tires - any use in swapping them with each other?

Thanks again!

 

Yah, take it up to about 55mph and see if the car vibrates at all.
I usually take it up a little(?) higher to check tire balance. You will notice
vibration immediately if your tires are unbalanced.

If your rear tires look okay, just leave it be. If they are worn more than
half way, it might be better to put those on the front and put the new
tires on the back to prevent oversteer....but if you're those that like to
induce oversteer, put the good tires up front. :smile:

 

[QUOTE=chrisnl]Thanks guys, I'm not too worried about the shop having subpar equipment or damaging my rims or anything like that - they've won all sorts of local consumer awards and whatnot.

QUOTE]

hmmmmm, they must be the folks on Galen Street, Watertown...

 

Actually, no. A coworker went there recently and they cross-threaded one of his lug bolts, plus weaseled their way out of a free alignment offer by claiming that the springs on his car needed to be replaced before an alignment was possible. I'll be at Audy's Mobil in Brookline Village.

...only it won't be tomorrow, because my tires didn't show up today. Another day of driving my friend's Maxima, which feels like a Lincoln - way too huge, squooshy and automatic (powerful, though!).

kenchan, thanks for the info!:smile:

 

I hope it works out for you safely.

Just a note to let you know that I also thought my 95' Maxima SE was a cadillac compared to my MCS but on our last driving school and track day I had to take the Maxima and my instructor did really well driving it compared to all the modded MCS on the track at the same time. He was passing everybody. I was impressed that my stock family car with 110,000 miles was doing so well. Even my tires were four years old and worn.

 

Looks like the tires arrived yesterday after all; it just took a while for someone to roll them down to my office. Thanks TireRack! (In your face, Herb Chambers!).

 

Hey chrisnl, let us all know how the tire install works out.

I have had mixed experiences at various shops in the area, and it would be nice to find a reliable shop to go to.

 

Went very well! Took nearly an hour (I suspect they had some trouble taking the wheels off; I've heard that can be quite a job the first time with these cars), but they only charged me $36 to mount both tires. No rim damage, etc.

 

Sounds good, chrisnl! $18/wheel is a good deal! Usually I pay about
$25 including tire disposal charge (bs?) and misc.

 

While my installers were quick and professional, I did notice 2 little gouge marks about 1/4" wide on 1 front rim and 1 rear rim. With white 5 stars, it's noticeable. Wish I could touch them up somehow.

Also, if you've got valve caps you want to keep, make sure to tell them so, or take them off yourself. My runflats came with nice little metal caps, and I forgot to keep them cause when I got my new tires last week, they replaced the stems and caps--and I got cheap plastic ones now. I didn't realize this until several days later though.

 

Octane guy, you might want to visit a local hobby shop and get some
white enamel paint. Also, pick up a clearcoat enamel while you are at it. :smile:

yah, I keep my valve caps off when I take it in....forgot to comment on
that. Also, you need to tell them that you want to keep the valves
if you do. If you do keep your valves, make sure they didn't accidentally
charge you on new valves.

It's a good idea to replace the valves though when it's time
to get new tires as the seals do wear out with time. Tirerack has a
real nice assortment of valves btw. :smile: I always use SSR valves
on my SSR wheels.

 

COMPLETELY disregard this statement regarding Audy's Mobil in Brookline Village. I must have been smoking crack when I picked up my car and didn't see anything, because there's a dark scratch along at least six inches of one rim, plus a lot of very hard to remove black crap caked around the hub, plus a few other scratches that are definitely new. One of my rims was curb-scraped anyway, but the other one was pristine. They're getting a big huge serving of whoopass at 7 AM on Wednesday.

 

chrisnl,

Uggh!
Sorry to hear about that.

 

2cool is right on the money with his comments. I say the same thing but it takes me about 10 times more words.

I got so put out with the tire shops that I bought my own computer balancer and I dynamic balance as 2cool recommends. I can take any vehicle on my place to its top speed with no vibration.

I have an old manual tire machine that I use on steel wheels, or old alloy wheels that I don't worry about scratching. I take nice wheels to a small independent tire store and have them mount them using their rim clamp machine. Now that the rim clamp machines have been around awhile they're getting more affordable. I plan on replacing my antique manual machine in the next year or two after I've absorbed the expenses of my lift and the other expenses incurred by converting a hay barn into my "new" shop.

Just because a shop has a rim clamp, does not guarantee that they will not scratch your rims. If they carelessly sling the rims around they will end up scratching them with lug wrenches or who knows what. It's all about attitude. Many tire store guys have no concern whatsoever about your wheels. Their only concern is Saturday night and their $5.35 per hour pay check.

Good luck.

 

Well, strike that Mobil shop off of our list then....
Let's see, LinerTire is way too expensive, Mobil is incompetent. I have had mixed experiences with DirecTire..... (and my car will never see the shop at Herb Chambers).....

well, I guess that's why I try to do as much as I can in my garage.

Hey Chrisnl, how come I never see your car on the road!?

 

That's a good question! You must never be hanging out on Comm Ave between Allston and Newton at 8 in the morning (or at the Brighton Scrub-a-Dub!). I usually drive to work, but beyond that I don't really tend to cruise around the city in my car - that's what my bike is for.

MINIs are everywhere in Boston these days! But people still wave and flash their lights, which is cool. :smile:

 

Arrrrrhh!!! I know the feeling. Local wheel shops are
too careless. This is one reason why I always buy my wheels sets from the
tirerack. Not once have I encountered such careless mounting on my
new wheels. Im even thinking about taking my Comp's off my WRX to
Southbend to get new tires mounted on them cause I just don't trust
these locals. :smile: