5 tire shops.

It took me going to 5 shops yesterday before i found one that would agree to mount my new 235/75-15 tires on my 1998 Cherokee.

Why? Because stock size is 215/75-15. They wouldn't even let me sign a waiver, and one of them ignored me when i pointed out that they had installed both this size AND a set of 30x9.5s on the 2000 Cherokee we have.

I don't get it.

Goodyear service center ended up coming through, and was second cheapest anyways. Only Walmart beat them on price, and Walmart wouldn't touch it. So, good on you, Goodyear. They even told me to bring the Miata setup to them when the tires come in. Good guys. Will patronize again.

Goodyear (Gemini) shops are independently owned and operated. Some are quite good, others (Virginia Tire and Auto, I'm looking at you) are less then stellar. As with most automotive shop locations it depends on the service manager, staff and guys turning the wrenches, close to me there's actually a rather fantastic Pep Boys as shocking as it sounds.

The best tire shop in my town refused to sell me HR rated tires for my wife's Solara because it came with VR rated tires as OEM. Even thought Solara's 15 inch base tires are HR rated. We have the 16 inch alloys.

This is why you always bring the tires/rims loose instead of on the vehicle itself.

HiTempguy wrote: This is why you always bring the tires/rims loose instead of on the vehicle itself.

That's a bit hard to do when the vehicle i use to bring loose rims and tires is the vehicle i needed to have tires put on.

drummerfromdefleopard wrote: Goodyear (Gemini) shops are independently owned and operated. Some are quite good, others (Virginia Tire and Auto, I'm looking at you) are less then stellar. As with most automotive shop locations it depends on the service manager, staff and guys turning the wrenches, close to me there's actually a rather fantastic Pep Boys as shocking as it sounds.

Oh. Hrm.

This one actually only had a Goodyear sign on it, nothing else. I didn't know these were independent. Good to know, thanks!

I had to take my wheels to a locally owned tire shop just to have my new tires from TireRack installed. The chain places wouldn't do it because I didn't purchase the tires from them and said it was a liability. shiny happy people.

I have a great mechanic who gets all my tire installs. From R-comps to mower tires. He works on farm equipment too!

Plus he doesn't charge me and arm and a leg for repairs. About 1/3 of what other shops charge.

My local tire shop is amazing. They will mount tires no matter where they come from and as long as it doesnt lead to massive stretch or bulge they will put any size you ask. Its where I go when my slicks need mounting and where I plan to go as long as they are around.

HiTempguy wrote: This is why you always bring the tires/rims loose instead of on the vehicle itself.

I pretty much always do this.

this is why i bought my own equipment.

between people not putting in new valve stems, not using sealer when a rim clearly needed it, and general assitude that the tire shops around here started giving people about 8 years ago, i could not take it anymore. one place could not get the beads seated on a set of 245/75/16 tires on 8" wide wheels. so they sent me home with the job partially done saying they needed a cheetah for the job. i did it in my driveway with an air hose and a brain.

place local to me is also a tirerack installer/dealer. They will match any price TR has, have no problems installing "odd" sizes, and will even do aftermarket suspension work

Last time I took tires to be mounted the shop guy said "The machine is over there. You know how to use it, and when your done with yours, mount and balance that set over there for me. The lady who owns the car will be by later and I haven't had a chance to get to it yet." Stopped by to say hello on Saturday and ended up spending 1/2 hour changing the tumblers in an ignition switch for him. If you don't have the right tools for the job, its good to have friends that do.

I've had Walmart mount 8 Hoosier R7 245/40/17 on 8 random wheels from the back of my truck.

I think you relieve their liability if you don't bring the actual vehicle to the shop.

At first, I was going to compare this story to the Honda Fit transmission saga, but I decided not to.

Then I was going to say something about sue happy people, but I decided not to.

Then I was going to complain about safety regulations, and organisations that frighten shops into doing absolutely nothing out of scope, but I decided not to.

Then I thought about posting nothing, because everybody hates me already.

Then I decided that I'm in a bad mood, and thought I might as well try to spread it.

Discout tire will do it, sometimes they'll bitch about it and sometimes they won't, but I've always had success with them and this is with tires and wheels on the vehicle.

Cotton wrote: Discout tire will do it, sometimes they'll bitch about it and sometimes they won't, but I've always had success with them and this is with tires and wheels on the vehicle.

They're not open on Sundays, unfortunately.

Discount tire usually throws a fit because I make them mount FOR COMPETITION USE ONLY tires on wheels that have no date codes and no DOT marking. Or if youre trying to mount 135s on a spare wheel.

ALSO if this ever happens to you they CAN mount it (without date code/DOT marking) but they can't air the tires up, so just go home and hit it with some compressed air and boom done.

Swank Force One wrote: It took me going to 5 shops yesterday before i found one that would agree to mount my new 235/75-15 tires on my 1998 Cherokee. Why? Because stock size is 215/75-15. They wouldn't even let me sign a waiver, and one of them ignored me when i pointed out that they had installed both this size AND a set of 30x9.5s on the 2000 Cherokee we have. I don't get it. Goodyear service center ended up coming through, and was second cheapest anyways. Only Walmart beat them on price, and Walmart wouldn't touch it. So, good on you, Goodyear. They even told me to bring the Miata setup to them when the tires come in. Good guys. Will patronize again.

I had a "problem" once with Wally world and tire mounting … I needed 2 emergency replacement tires to get me home … and the closest / cheapest they had were different in width and aspect ratio from the other 2 that were on the car …

they wouldn't mount them on the rims and then put them on the car …

but they were pretty good guys, pointed out that since I had my track stuff with me, I could go out in their parking lot, and jack the car up, pull the wheels and hand carry them in and they'd be happy to mount them in the place of the buggered up ones that were there

would any of the places you went have mounted the tires if you'd must brought the rims (even with other tires on them) into the shops without specifying a particular vehicle ?

wbjones wrote:

Swank Force One wrote: It took me going to 5 shops yesterday before i found one that would agree to mount my new 235/75-15 tires on my 1998 Cherokee. Why? Because stock size is 215/75-15. They wouldn't even let me sign a waiver, and one of them ignored me when i pointed out that they had installed both this size AND a set of 30x9.5s on the 2000 Cherokee we have. I don't get it. Goodyear service center ended up coming through, and was second cheapest anyways. Only Walmart beat them on price, and Walmart wouldn't touch it. So, good on you, Goodyear. They even told me to bring the Miata setup to them when the tires come in. Good guys. Will patronize again.

I had a "problem" once with Wally world and tire mounting … I needed 2 emergency replacement tires to get me home … and the closest / cheapest they had were different in width and aspect ratio from the other 2 that were on the car … they wouldn't mount them on the rims and then put them on the car … but they were pretty good guys, pointed out that since I had my track stuff with me, I could go out in their parking lot, and jack the car up, pull the wheels and hand carry them in and they'd be happy to mount them in the place of the buggered up ones that were there would any of the places you went have mounted the tires if you'd must brought the rims (even with other tires on them) into the shops without specifying a particular vehicle ?

No idea if they would have or not, since that was not something i could possibly do, and if i'm pulling them off the vehicle myself, i would have just gone up to my shop and mounted them myself and only paid someone to balance them.

But, the shop is 30 minutes away and i much rather felt like paying the $80 to have someone else handled it. I wish i had paid someone to do the oil change on Saturday, too.

I go to a small independent tire shop around here where you deal directly with the owners, who also happen to know what they're doing.

Pretty much all the chain tire stores around here will mount tires approximately right and then balance them until they're barely out of balance.

Glad I live in bumBerkeley Egypt and no one cares. Had the local tire shop mount 4 hoosier sm6 on miata wheels and the only lip I got was them wondering why I needed 4 "drag slicks" on a miata. I let them use their imagination and left.

Spoolpigeon wrote: I had to take my wheels to a locally owned tire shop just to have my new tires from TireRack installed. The chain places wouldn't do it because I didn't purchase the tires from them and said it was a liability. shiny happy people.

That's not surprising at all. It's one reason I rarely mail order tires. Tire Rack should have a list of local stores who will do it, but they usually aren't that convenient and many times, have gone out of business

I am amazed at the number of used tire stores around here. Every freaking street corner it seems. I bet they would mount anything.

spitfirebill wrote: I am amazed at the number of used tire stores around here. Every freaking street corner it seems. I bet they would mount anything.

Good point. Probably fine for the Jeep, but not somewhere i want to drop my Jongbloeds at.