2aHawaii
General Topics => Off Topic => Topic started by: monster796 on July 21, 2015, 12:35:57 PM
-
Hello everyone,
I went to Sears today, to get pricing on tires and having them mounted on 4 rims I would like to buy...
I want to have tires (will be purchased at Sears) mounted to wheels I am thinking about buying from Amazon. I need them (Sears) to remove my TPMS sensors from my stock wheels/tires and install the sensors on my Amazon wheels and mount their tires.
Here is a breakdown of what they said would be done:
-mount $44
-balance $62... Seems shady to me as they are new tires....
-road hazard protection $37.... Sounds great not too expensive
-TPMS sensor swap $20 or 40
-tires (cooper response touring) 60,000mile tread life. $71 each.
The the guy said either 5 per TPMS or 10, no reason given on to why it would be 10, the other shady thing is the balance cost. Do new tires on new rims need to be balanced? I called yesterday and was told it would be $437
Today I go to Sears and talk to the same guy and he says about $500. Sounds like BS to me. I was very careful to explain what I needed yesterday and went in today to look at the tires and double check as yelp had one guy explain that they did this scam crap about a year ago. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!
P.S. Any recommendations on an honest tire shop on Oahu. Thanks!
-
yes, new tires need to be balanced
fair price for balancing, i'm not sure.
road hazzard protection, my insurance already has free towing so I dont need that, plus i know how to change a flat.
Sears has some rip off dealings that i've heard of in the past
have you tried Lex brodies?
last set of rims and tires i bought online, mounted and balanced for free, delivered USPS, installed myself.
I left the TPMS off, so my car doesn't have that any more.
dont need it, just like catalytic converters, dont need um so i remove those too.
-
I bought my last 2 sets of tires at Costco. Not sure if they will do all that work but I don't see why not.
All new tires have to be balanced. Always. Only time you would not need to balance is if the tire has already been balanced to the rim and it has to be removed and remounted to the same rim. Then only if it is properly marked will you need not need to have it re-balanced. Otherwise all tires (new or used) that are mounted onto a rim (new or used) for the first time need to be balanced.
Other than that the pricing actually seems reasonable. For them to charge $20 or $40 to take off all four of your old tires and remove the sensors and remount them to your new rims is only $5 or $10 per sensor. And balance at $62 for all four tires and mounting 4 tires at $11 each all sound pretty normal. I added up your prices with the sensors at $40 and it came out to $467 not including GET. So for him to say it would be around $500 does not seem to outrageous either if he included GET. So the only two things that stand out to me is the hazard protection warranty and the total you were given of $437. I personally do not like road hazard protection. It takes at least 2 flats before it pays for itself. And I have only had one flat in the last 2 sets of tires. I guess it is a personal thing.
Take what I said with a grain of salt. Prices are all over the place between shops. I had good luck with Lex Brodies on the Big Island. But that doesn't help you much on this island. Let us know what you decide to do.
-
another thing,
if the new rims are nice ones that you dont want to scratch, i wouldn't take it to sears
places like that hires whoever, they dont really care about custom cars or rims.
I am very paticular about who touches my cars, especially my Mustang.
for the best care, I go to Nakaz Car Care in waipio.
its a small shop, but Allen the owner does the work.
its not the cheapest, but it is the best auto shop that I have found.
he has installed a lot of parts on my Mustang, and everything always runs like it was OEM.
http://www.procarcarezone.com/shops/nakaz_car_care.com
676-8937
-
Thanks for the input guys!
-
Monster - if you have tire/wheel questions, try Tirerack:
http://www.tirerack.com/content/tirerack/desktop/en/research_advice.html
Lots of good info there. Also depending on what you want you can buy from Tirerack and have them drop ship to an authorized installer on island. I've done this and had the tires dropped shipped to Hawaiian Tire and Auto Center:
http://www.hawaiiantire.com/
They are in the Pearlridge area as well. Try contacting them for pricing.
My opinion......................dismount, mount, balance and disposal of tires (make sure their price includes disposal) for only $44 + $62 = $106 or roughly $25 per corner is pretty good. Disposing of tires is not cheap. Also figure most shops will be in the $70 - $90/hour range for full service work so you're looking at probably only getting charged a discounted 1 hour rate......so pretty good.
I'm not sure what is in the road hazard protection program, but keep in mind if you got a plug repair kit for yourself:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002I52RG0/?tag=2ahawaii-20
$18 and easy to do yourself if you ever have punctures.
Word of caution if you see the self sealing tire foam or other stuff, do not buy it:
http://www.autozone.com/sealants-glues-adhesives-and-tape/fix-a-flat-and-tire-sealer/fix-a-flat-12-oz-fix-a-flat-for-compact-tires/466301_0_0/
A lot of TPMS monitors are integral with the valve stems. If you shoot that stuff in your tires you will kill your TPMS.
-
Road Hazard Protection is an add-on warranty that covers new tire damage from puncture, bruise or impact break incurred during the course of normal driving on a maintained road. Damage may be caused by hitting a curb, potholes, glass, or those giant nails that fall out of shipping crates!
Most tire makers warranty their tires for failure due to defects in materials and workmanship. If you run over a board with nails in it, they will not repair or replace the tire/s. With Road Hazard Warranty, you get 100% replacement value for a certain number of months. After that, you'd receive a prorated amount toward the cost of repair or replacement.
-
Doesn't sound like a scam to me.
The balance is definitely necessary.
I'm a huge fan of road hazard protection as it fixes or replaces tires due to damage by most road hazards.
If the quote was $60 different, just tell them that you got a quote for less, the day before and the name of the person who quoted it.
-
I say check out other stores like Lex Brodies and Goodyear for prices. After seeing the prices I thought the prices were high, but then again, it has been over 10 years I worked in a commercial shop.
-
Tires need to be balanced on initial mount, maybe once a year as well to maximize tire life. Also, regularly rotated.
Sears is too dang expensive, Goodyear and Firestone not far behind; best value is Costco or Sam's, and unless you are doing some crazy street racing or offroading there is no need for those ridiculously expensive fancy tires, don't get the super cheap ones made in china either..... just the regular type tire. You can order it online from Costco, they ship them here for free, takes a couple weeks, then you can setup and appt to get them installed.
NEVER NEVER NEVER use tire foam fix-a-flat type stuff, not only will it ruin a tire, it will ruin the rim. I've seen many many a rim and tire trashed. If you did already better make sure your tire guy dismounts the tire from the rim and scrub both very well and get all that stuff off, even then might be too late.
-
costco or sams. :thumbsup:
hazard protection included and mounting and balancing is definitely cheaper.
only undersized low profile tires stretched onto an oversized aftermarket rim should cost that much to mount n balance.
-
I used be be a Lex fan, but Costco's tire sales are way cheaper. Only possible issue is what's in stock.
Depending on brand or model, you might not find exactly what you want. So far, they've had the same OR BETTER to fit my vehicles for 4 years.
They seem to alternate discounts. For 2 months they have $70 off a set of four Michelins, then next 2 months they have $80 off set of Bridgestones. Timing is everything!
-
Tires need to be balanced on initial mount, maybe once a year as well to maximize tire life. Also, regularly rotated.
Sears is too dang expensive, Goodyear and Firestone not far behind; best value is Costco or Sam's, and unless you are doing some crazy street racing or offroading there is no need for those ridiculously expensive fancy tires, don't get the super cheap ones made in china either..... just the regular type tire. You can order it online from Costco, they ship them here for free, takes a couple weeks, then you can setup and appt to get them installed.
NEVER NEVER NEVER use tire foam fix-a-flat type stuff, not only will it ruin a tire, it will ruin the rim. I've seen many many a rim and tire trashed. If you did already better make sure your tire guy dismounts the tire from the rim and scrub both very well and get all that stuff off, even then might be too late.
I have ridiculously expensive tires, but I don't street race. Tires are the biggest bang for the buck improvements to a car.
-
I would not recommend using plugs to repair a flat as they always eventually leak and then you cannot patch it because the plug enlarges the hole. Most repair shops plug flats because it is quick and cheap.
Patching requires removing the tire from the rim, grinding the tire a bit, applying patching compound, patch, and then remount the tire. Much more work than simply shoving a plug into the tire, but guaranteed to work unless the tech didn't apply the compound & patch well.
-
I would not recommend using plugs to repair a flat as they always eventually leak and then you cannot patch it because the plug enlarges the hole. Most repair shops plug flats because it is quick and cheap.
Patching requires removing the tire from the rim, grinding the tire a bit, applying patching compound, patch, and then remount the tire. Much more work than simply shoving a plug into the tire, but guaranteed to work unless the tech didn't apply the compound & patch well.
...
This is correct. Plug patching is a bad thing. Except maybe in a serious emergency.
-
He's buying $71.00, 60,000 mile treadlife all season tire, they'll be fine with a plug.
Patching is better, but for the money if he's going beyond 50% of the tire cost which is pretty easy to do at his price point, IMHO it's not worth patching............plug it.
-
After wrenching in various tire shops and maintaining a fleet of vehicles, I would only use a plug in my own tires only if my spare was flat and I was stuck out in the boonies. From my experience most tires with plugs ended up with a tread separation. I prefer the plug/patch combo offered from Tech Tire for my own tires. I would settle for the regular patch but prefer the plug/patch combo. As mentioned I will never use that fix-a-flat. I also will never use that Slime or similar products as these tend to throw the balance way off in the initial drive. Granted at work, I have no problem using the plugs and adding that slime as tires are keawe thorn magnets. At work, using plugs save the company money. IMO the best investment for your tires are doing an alignment for your vehicle 1 or 2 times a year and rotating your tires every 6 months. IMO its a small price to pay when some tires cost $200+ each installed.
-
After wrenching in various tire shops and maintaining a fleet of vehicles, I would only use a plug in my own tires only if my spare was flat and I was stuck out in the boonies. From my experience most tires with plugs ended up with a tread separation. I prefer the plug/patch combo offered from Tech Tire for my own tires. I would settle for the regular patch but prefer the plug/patch combo. As mentioned I will never use that fix-a-flat. I also will never use that Slime or similar products as these tend to throw the balance way off in the initial drive. Granted at work, I have no problem using the plugs and adding that slime as tires are keawe thorn magnets. At work, using plugs save the company money. IMO the best investment for your tires are doing an alignment for your vehicle 1 or 2 times a year and rotating your tires every 6 months. IMO its a small price to pay when some tires cost $200+ each installed.
GZ no can rotate his tires (staggered and direction fitment). :(
-
GZ no can rotate his tires (staggered and direction fitment). :(
I thought just driving caused the tires to rotate!
:rofl:
-
Still able to rotate wheels/tires front to back if the wheel and tire size are the same. Unless it's one of those high speed Tokyo drift kind of hot rods with the back wheels and tires being a bit bigger than the front.
-
I thought just driving caused the tires to rotate!
:rofl:
BURN!!!!! :-*
Still able to rotate wheels/tires front to back if the wheel and tire size are the same. Unless it's one of those high speed Tokyo drift kind of hot rods with the back wheels and tires being a bit bigger than the front.
Yup mine are staggered (which is what you are referring to), so theoretically I could only go side to side because of the different tire sizes from to back..................but wait, mine are directional too which means there are left side tires and right side tires so they can only stay on the left/right side of the car......................so yeah I'm boned, no rotation for me.
-
Bought 2 tires from Costco after they refused to install it unless I buy 4 tires because they said both rear tires didn't meet their measurement score.Got 9 out of 10 per tech who seemed bit confuse why I need to change all tires (tires only has 18,000 miles use) but the font has Michellin '' rubber chunking'' issue.Anyway,will have it mount/balance ($ 30/tire ) plus alignment ( $ 96) this week at local shop.Is the alignment really necessary? .
-
Bought 2 tires from Costco after they refused to install it unless I buy 4 tires because they said both rear tires didn't meet their measurement score.Got 9 out of 10 per tech who seemed bit confuse why I need to change all tires (tires only has 18,000 miles use) but the font has Michellin '' rubber chunking'' issue.Anyway,will have it mount/balance ($ 30/tire ) plus alignment ( $ 96) this week at local shop.Is the alignment really necessary? .
Alignment is necessary only to keep from adversely wearing your tires. Which could void your warranty and lessen the number of miles you get with those tires significantly. It is usually not a safety issue unless they find your front end joints are so worn they need replacement. Which they will find if you do an alignment. So your question is if it is necessary. It is not, but it is a smart thing to do. :thumbsup:
-
Bought 2 tires from Costco after they refused to install it unless I buy 4 tires because they said both rear tires didn't meet their measurement score.Got 9 out of 10 per tech who seemed bit confuse why I need to change all tires (tires only has 18,000 miles use) but the font has Michellin '' rubber chunking'' issue.Anyway,will have it mount/balance ($ 30/tire ) plus alignment ( $ 96) this week at local shop.Is the alignment really necessary? .
Depends on who checks the alignment. Some places charge for alignment even if it's in spec just for having to check it.
Last time I went to Lex Brodies', they checked the alignment for free, and told me an alignment wasn't needed. "No charge" is great to see when no work was actually needed!!
-
i knew someone went to pearlridge sears for an oil change
after going home, he inspected the change and saw it was still the old oil filter on there
checked the dipstick and oil was all dark black, like old oil, not clearish like new oil.
brought it back to sears, turns out they didn't do anything but charged for oil change
-
Back in the late 60's when gas stations were service stations, my mother took her 1964 Oldsmobile Cutlass to the local Shell station for an oil change. She drove straight home and put the car in the garage and into the house. Later in the day she went shopping at the local supermarket. My brother and I both got home from school about the same time. We saw this huge puddle of oil under where the Olds was parked in the garage. We looked and there was rather large trail of oil from the street and up our driveway. So we hopped into my brother's Renault Dauphine (Look it up if you don't know what one is) and followed the trail a few miles to the grocery store. After a check of the dipstick showed no oil on it whatsoever, we knew she couldn't drive the car any farther. We went inside the store and found my mother. We drove her to the Shell station and they admitted they didn't have the correct oil filter for her car so they used a "suitable" replacement. They towed the car back to the shop and ended up buying the correct filter at a retail auto parts store. They topped off the oil and never apologized.
-
i knew someone went to pearlridge sears for an oil change
after going home, he inspected the change and saw it was still the old oil filter on there
checked the dipstick and oil was all dark black, like old oil, not clearish like new oil.
brought it back to sears, turns out they didn't do anything but charged for oil change
that's a straight up jacked! as in robbed.
-
i knew someone went to pearlridge sears for an oil change
after going home, he inspected the change and saw it was still the old oil filter on there
checked the dipstick and oil was all dark black, like old oil, not clearish like new oil.
brought it back to sears, turns out they didn't do anything but charged for oil change
This happened to my sister in laws car as well, but from another servicer. They also never rotated the tires, yet billed for the service. From all the services she took it to who knows when they actually did any work to the car..... When she finally brought the car to me, the oil filter was mud brown(Toyota's filters are black), the oil was tar like, and the two front tires where so bad they were showing wire on the inside edge ready to blow out.... rears where barely worn... This was at Servco in Mapunapuna.
-
There are many horror stories of bad service/repair/rip off from automotive servicing places. So, let me jump in & give you the most memorable I have personally seen working at Sears Automotive in Phoenix:
1) A guy brings in a classic 200Z for new tires & alignment. Tire guy changes the tires and the mechanic takes the car for a test drive in the parking lot. As this guy is watching his baby, the left front tire comes off and the left front axle is grinding on the aphalt and the fender gets wasted. The tire guy didn't tighten the lug nuts.
2) A guy brings in his brand new Ford F150 for it's first oil change after 500 miles. A "master mechanic" (has all 8 certs) changes the oil and the guy drives away. His engine seizes after a few miles since the mechanic forgot to put oil in the engine, but he did tighten the drain plug. The truck was in our shop for months while the real mechanic (guy with no certs, but over 30 years experience) changes out the engine. Took long because even with a brand new replacement, the truck never did run like a brand new truck . . .
3) Someone brings in their car to buy a battery & it is dead. So, the battery tech goes out to jump it with a battery we have strapped to a hand truck. The tech starts up the car and the top of the battery blows off rocketing at least 20 feet up in the air . . . he hooked up the battery backwards.
4) At Goodyear in Arizona - mechanic & service manager sells customer a brand new rack & pinion. Only needed to replace the tie-rod ends. Final cost over 3k vs around 150 for new tie rods. Mechanic & service manager get commission on sales.
Moral of the story: You need to personally know your mechanic or the owner of the service station.
-
There are many horror stories of bad service/repair/rip off from automotive servicing places. So, let me jump in & give you the most memorable I have personally seen working at Sears Automotive in Phoenix:
1) A guy brings in a classic 200Z for new tires & alignment. Tire guy changes the tires and the mechanic takes the car for a test drive in the parking lot. As this guy is watching his baby, the left front tire comes off and the left front axle is grinding on the aphalt and the fender gets wasted. The tire guy didn't tighten the lug nuts.
2) A guy brings in his brand new Ford F150 for it's first oil change after 500 miles. A "master mechanic" (has all 8 certs) changes the oil and the guy drives away. His engine seizes after a few miles since the mechanic forgot to put oil in the engine, but he did tighten the drain plug. The truck was in our shop for months while the real mechanic (guy with no certs, but over 30 years experience) changes out the engine. Took long because even with a brand new replacement, the truck never did run like a brand new truck . . .
3) Someone brings in their car to buy a battery & it is dead. So, the battery tech goes out to jump it with a battery we have strapped to a hand truck. The tech starts up the car and the top of the battery blows off rocketing at least 20 feet up in the air . . . he hooked up the battery backwards.
4) At Goodyear in Arizona - mechanic & service manager sells customer a brand new rack & pinion. Only needed to replace the tie-rod ends. Final cost over 3k vs around 150 for new tie rods. Mechanic & service manager get commission on sales.
Moral of the story: You need to personally know your mechanic or the owner of the service station. These guys are a bunch of dipshits.
-
I couldn't stand shops that rip people off, gives us mechanics a bad name/stigma. At the various shops I worked at, it was common to bring the customer out to actually show them what was wrong, granted if they were in the lobby waiting. Now if they weren't we would always keep the old parts, just in case they would want it/take it home. If not, once they drive off the property the old parts would get tossed in the dumpster.
I seen many screw ups in various shops I worked at. But those stories would be posted at another time and another thread.
-
Re: Costco service...
I took a nail near the sidewall on one of my tires. Costco said they could not or would not repair an injury like that.
So they told me I would have to buy a new tire.
BUT since they did not have the exact same tire as the other side they gave me another new tire so I would have 2 matching tires.
I was amazed. Two for the price of one. :D