drivesolo

iTrader: (6)

I just got a set of new tires for my z (Proxes T1-S) and I'm shopping around for someplace that's not too far away (I live in Renton, WA) that's mount & balance them. I've called around a couple of places and here's what I found so far. I thought I'd share it the info w/ you guys incase anyone is interested in knowing cuz it it's way cheaper to buy tires on-line than through a retailer.

McMullen - Across from Renton Municipal airport : $85 + tax
Les Schwab - Won't touch tires they don't sell
Discount Tire - Renton: $150 (Don't believe the prices on their website)
Discount Tire - Bellevue: $200 (What the %$%*!?!?)
Costco - $9 each wheel with valve stem.

Suffice to say, I think I'll go with Costco. But I don't think that they remove old weights before balancing like McMullen will do.

If anyone else knows of an good places that will mount & balance tires, please post them. Thanks.

JHill

You might try Speedware Motorsports in Redmond, talk to Dan or Andrew there. You might also give CarNuts in Bellevue a call.

Both of these places will take care of your wheels with touchless machines. But I don't think you are going to beat Costco's price, and I am glad you posted it, because I need some tires dismounted soon, and I'm not concerned with touchless. I am so there!! Thanks.

Jim

drivesolo

iTrader: (6)

Okay,

I was on my way home after work and I pass by the new Sam's Club on Grady Way next to the Renton City Hall. I saw that they had a tire service bay just like Costco except that unlike Costco's it was empty.

Long story - short: $36.00 for all 4 tires, vaule stems - total cost. $9.00 a wheel. I was impressed at the amount of work they did for just 9 bucks a wheel. Not only did they take off all the old weights before balancing, they also spent time taking off the gunk left over from the adhesive double tape that was left over. I dropped the tires off and had them back in less than an hour. Mike was the guy that took care of my wheels and he did a great job.

I will never buy tires from any retail store ever again. Yeah, you have to be a member of Costco or Sam's Club but the savings alone is worth the membership cost. I might even take my Z down to swap the tires from one side to the other so they'll wear a bit more equally. Maybe get a couple more miles out of them that way.

Lateapex

iTrader: (9)

That's a terrific bargain, but before you give up on all retail stores, Discount Tire in Puyallup does the job for $60, which is a very fair price.

And the lack of cooperation (absurd prices) you encountered reminds me of all the trouble I used to have finding a place that would simply break beads for me. I used to change tires by hand all the time, but I didn't have a reliable way to break the beads away from the rims. 19 out of 20 places I went, wanted to charge me the cost of a dismount just to break a bead -- used to infuriate me. Usually, they claimed the had to charge the 'flat rate' (no pun intended).

JHill

I didn't know Sam's club had tires too, thanks for the info. I live in the Renton Highlands, so it is very close by, but I already have the Costco membership.

Those prices you quoted above, at least some of them, are outrageous, but they prbably get it from some people. I think that some of the racers up here is what caused Les Schwab to get mad. We buy a lot of Toyo tires mail order, and then bring them in to get them mounted. Les Schwab has the exclusive in the NW on Toyo's, and they think it is wrong to not have made the sale.

drivesolo

iTrader: (6)

While I was at Sam's Club, I was taking to one of the guys in the tire shop who had been doing drag racing since the 70's and he was telling me that Toyo use to be avalible through other tire retailers even back then (and I had thought that Toyo was relatively new) but Les Schwab obtained exclusive rights to sell them in the Pacific NW and in parts of Northern Cali.

Here's my notes on my purchase:

Toyo Poxes T1-S:

245/40 ZR-18:
- Les Schwab (Renton): $260.55 + tax
- Tread Depot (on-line store): $179.00

245/45 ZR-18:
- Les Schwab (Renton): $298.46 + tax
- Tread Depot (on-line store): $211.00

Shipping & Handling:
- Les Schwab: $0
- Tread Depot: $79.29

Mounting/Balance/ Valve Stem:
- Les Schwab (Renton): $13.50 + tax per wheel (but only if you buy it from them)
- Sam's Club: $9 per wheel (no tax)

Total Cost:
- Les Schwab: $1172.02 + tax ($1275.16)
- Tread Depot & Sam's Club: $895.29

The feeling that I got a good deal:
- Priceless!

I think that when Les Schwab figured they'd have a monopoloy in the market on Toyo tires but they never thought that something like the Internet would come along and change the entire business. I would have gone with TireRack but they didn't carry Toyos. I like TireRack's method even better where you can have your tires delivered to a shop that'll put them on for you as part of the package, no fuss.