Is $76.00 steep or what? I got my tires/wheels from TireRack full of air and balanced on the new wheels.

Tried my local shop but they were booked and couldn't take me and I'm working the next two days then Thankgiving, yadda, yadda, with possible snow forecast.

I called Prestige in NJ and they took me. I didn't realize they'd TAKE me for $76.00 just to remove my four all seasons on the S Lites and just mount the new ones...

I may just buy a floor jack from Sears and do it myself next time.

Am I being cheap? It's not that I can't afford it, it just seems like a lot of cash for a rather quick and easy procedure (witth the right equipment on hand).... I guess I was paying the technician to do the work.

Prestige is great by the way. No complaints with them whatsoever.

 

$76 sounds reasonable. some local tire shops around me are $14 per wheel (on only)...some are MUCH higher.

 

If the snow tires were already mounted on a second set of wheels, $76 is too much. Even with just the tools in the tool kit in the back of the car (at least on my Cooper, I'm not positive that an S comes with a jack and tire iron) you should be able to change 4 wheels in about 10 minutes... Of course, if you haven't changed the wheels for a few months, you'll need a rubber mallet to get the old wheels off the hub.

If the $76 included mounting tires to wheels, then it's okay.

 

Use your jack. Should take you about 20 minutes to get all 4 mounted yourself and will save time driving and waiting for someone else to do it.

 

In my opinion you paid too much but I suppose they have the right to charge what they want and you have the right to use them or not.

In my part of the country Discount Tire will mount, balance and install tires bought elsewhere for $14 each plus a state mandated $3 tire disposal fee if you leave the old tires with them. They charged me $20 total to just swap out tires/wheels that I brought in once and then two days later when I came back to have the tires/wheels swapped back they did it for free (I was borrowing a friend's tires/wheels for a fun weekend - different car, not my MINI).

 

I think the price is fair. For anything less its not worth their time.
Ya think they could have done it gratis since your a customer, but we are are all in business to make money.
But I agree w/ most and next time you could do it yourself.

 

we're talking about one set of wheels and 2 sets of tires...you're swapping the tires, correct? if so, that's not a bad deal.

Around my neighborhood, it's about $20-25 each to mount and balance.


If we're talking about 2 wheel/tires sets and just swapped the wheel/tire
sets, then yah, $76 is excessive... that, you should do at home if you
can.

 

about $20 for a wheel swap like that in Queens, NY

$76 seems really excessive.

 

Definitely buy a jack (and maybe a good lug wrench.) You'll break even in no time. The whole side of the car can be lifted from the front jack point (never get under car, don't place axial load on plastic jack block)- only takes a few minutes. Note that you want to grease the hubcentric ring when installing the new wheels so they don't rust/fuse to the hub.
An **** person would also get a torque wrench to get the bolts to 88.5ft-lbs, but I used 'tight' for years without issue, and the tire monkeys usually torque to 8,000ft-lbs.

Otherwise, just give yourself a bit more time when you need to swap out and choose based on price. Time = money. Oh, and ALWAYS ask a price!

 

I am cheap if you want to call it that. I would mount and dismount wheels all day for $120 an hour. That is about what that works out to be.


However, you did pay a technician to change tires. Tire guys are cheaper.

 

I paid $78 to mount and balance four snow tires on winter wheels at the local Firestone place. Also, this was being done at Tire Rack's expense (since they had forgotten to mount and balance the tires on the wheels before shipping), and they offered to reimburse for up to $20 per wheel, so that price seems to be reasonable.

 

His tires were already full of air, on the wheels, which had been balanced. We're talking about changing wheels, nothing more. I think it was too much money.

My local tire chain will rotate and check air pressures for less than $10. Many times they changed wheels for me for nothing, I just tipped the technician. Now I have a jack and do it myself, as even loading the tires up to drive to the store and unloading them was more inconvenient than doing it myself. I also have a torque wrench.

You can get a jack and decent torque wrench and not spend much money. Or if you decide to take it somewhere to be done, I can't see spending more than $20.

 

Sounds like you got ripped....They probably quoted you the price to mount and balance tires over the phone not thinking someone would actually just need the sets swapped out. Then they charged you the quoted price and you didn't know better to question the high charge for 5 min....not even a 30 min job here.....

 

I agree. If you asked an electrician to change a lightbulb, what do you think it would cost you?

If you're going to maintain two sets of wheels/tires, do yourself a favor and invest in a lightweght (but reliable) floor jack, a torque wrench and a decent lug wrench/breaker bar. These can all be had for about $120.00, and you no longer have to waste your time (and money) having someone else swap them out for you.

 

You won't believe this one...

Before my 2006 MCC arrived a few weeks ago, I had already purchased an aftermarket rim and tire package from TireRack. I thought it would be nice to take delivery of the car with the new wheels already mounted. I offered to bring in the new wheels to MINI of San Francisco, have them spend a few minutes swapping them out (simple bolt/unbolt with premounted and balanced tires), and I would take away the original ones. Since I was buying a new car, I was hoping they would do this as a complimentary service, but knowing dealers for what they are, I was half expecting them to quote a minimum half hour labor charge.

Well, I tried to arrange this through my MA, and the service department came back and told him they didn't want to do it without a complete realignment, to the tune of over $400! They said otherwise there would be some kind of warranty issue. I was just speechless and didn't want to deal with arguing. I simply swapped them myself after I brought the car home.

 

Go to costco I bet they don't charge for putting on tires. They mounted and dismounted and fixed a tire for free for me

 

Thanks, guys for all the input... You're all good people.

I will be buying a floor jack. Already have the torque wrench and will get a breaker bar too. I like the hub grease tip as well.

The tires were on seperate rims, aired up and balanced by TireRack.

I should have gotten the jack on my own initially. I DO enjoy working on cars and a tire change is easy; I was just concerned with the repeated used of the "emergency" jack.

 

I did several wheel swaps (with tires already mounted) and they usually charged for "tire rotation" more less $20.

If you can't find a place with a reasonable price, doing it yourself is the best.
I wish I had a place to work on my cars. My condo is strict about using floor jacks on concrete garage floor.