Mounting and Balancing prices

[JPSpen]

How much are you paying to have your tires mounted/balanced and where ?
I'll be putting bias BT020's on my 99LT before CCR and just wanted to know how much to expect for mount/balance...


Thanks

John

[gulfxray]

John,

Last April I called the dealer where I bought my LT and asked about the price to mount and balance if I took the wheels off myself,etc. I don't recall the exact amount, but it was ~$120 for both.

One of my buddies at work had the stuff to change tires (harbor freight) and he helped me in May. He even had the MarcParnes balancer. All I had to do was buy the special cone for the balancer and wheel weights and metal valve stems. I also put some Ride-on sealant 'stuff' in them.

Yes, we did nick the wheels a bit and I wish we hadn't, but I wrote it off to experience. They aren't bad, and the road dirt pretty much covers things.

I'll enlist his help again this year - but I'll wait until it is cooler is his garage!

[messenger13]

I struck a deal with the service manager (where I bought my Ninja) that I would pay $20 cash for any tire/wheel that I would bring in. They remove and discard the old tire, mount and balance my new tire. AND, I get to watch (read: SUPERVISE) the whole process. A very fair deal. Any more than that and I feel like I'm getting ripped off. Or...any more than that and I would be motivated enough to buy my own equipment to do it myself.

Incidentally, I struck the same deal in Myrtle Beach, SC. I was mid-trip when I noticed my rear tire getting pretty ugly. I bought a new tire down in Charleston, but had a Harley dealer mount it in Myrtle Beach for $20 cash.

While headed to Seattle last fall, my rear tire delaminated 110 miles east of Minneapolis, MN. I bought two Metzelers from Hitching Post in MN, and they mounted and balanced BOTH tires for $40 cash. They even stayed late to do it for me.

It never hurts to ask. It hurts even less when you refuse to take "no" for an answer. :D

[jtalbot]

Here in Colorado the going price for mounting and balancing both tires is between $60 (independent BMW shops) and $75+ (BMW dealerships) tires, including wheel weights for any BMW.

[motorhead]

Just had my local "BMW" dealer mount and ballance my own tires. A Stone rear & Avon front and add SMARTIRE sensors to the rims while there.
BTW, just brought in wheels to them.

Was charged about $105 to do it .... OUCH !!!! And the S.O.B's put a half dozen or so tire iron nics on both wheels ... NEVER AGAIN !!

The dealership WOULD NOT ! mount the Avon on bike ... Not BMW approved :(

Thats WAY too much labor for 45 min to an hours labor for BOTH !!

[bruce2000ltc]

John,
Yes, we did nick the wheels a bit and I wish we hadn't, but I wrote it off to experience. They aren't bad, and the road dirt pretty much covers things.

Buy some plastic rim protectors. I use four or five of them, depending on the rim size, and have never scratched a rim.

Bruce Hodges

[RonKMiller]

I had a set of $1600.00 Enkei rims destroyed by a highly recommended shop that did a four wheel alignment on my RX7 after an accident. The metal "clamps" that they used to grip the rims held them so tight they left deep gouges in them. These were chrome plated steel rims and brand new...

I picked up the car at night and did not see them until the next morning. When I marched back in there the manager denied any responsibility and claimed they were already there. He had me and he knew it. My word against his.

I now take my digital camera with me into the shop whenever I have tires changed, and take a picture of the rims just prior to any work, and have the manager agree with me if there is any/no damage and note it on the work order on EACH wheel. I also number each rim with a red china marking pencil 1-4 so that it shows up in the picture. I then take another after they are done and after the manager looks at the job.

If they screw up and don't pay up the time stamped pictures are powerful evidence in small claims court - especially if they come with notations in the manager's writing on the work order prior to the job.