The good Ol' Les Schwab Tire Fiasco

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alkun
I give them a line about how these rally tires are really hard to mount, and their machine might be too wimpy to get them on there, they always bust them out super quick.

This line got me free mounting at the shop near my office when I lived in Raleigh. They did most of their business servicing commercial trucks.

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A1337STI
I'd work something out with a local store. I only go to 1 store and i send as many autocrossers as i can. they repay my loyalty with the occasional free tire mounting and balance, but usually i pay $10 a tire (mount + balance) i try to drop them off and pick them up a day later so the store can do it doing a lull and it makes it more profitable for them.

I also buy street tires from them, even if i can find a slightly better price.

As a new salesman at a tire/service shop I thank you. I wish more people were that courteous.

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Greg Donovan

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A1337STI
I'd work something out with a local store. I only go to 1 store and i send as many autocrossers as i can. they repay my loyalty with the occasional free tire mounting and balance, but usually i pay $10 a tire (mount + balance) i try to drop them off and pick them up a day later so the store can do it doing a lull and it makes it more profitable for them.

I also buy street tires from them, even if i can find a slightly better price.

As a new salesman at a tire/service shop I thank you. I wish more people were that courteous.

I've found that for most street car tires, when you figure in shipping, mounting and balancing, it's the same money (or even a couple bucks cheaper) to just go to the local guy vs. Tire Rack/Discount Tire. I found it was $15 more to get Hakkas for my dad's pick-em-up truck from the local guy than to get Firestone snows shipped in from the Rack, then mounted and balanced (although those WinterForce Firestones do seem to be decent for the money).

I am fortunate enough to have a tire machine at work so for me it is way cheaper to mail order. I do still buy locally if it is 10% more.

And yes, those winterforce tires are amazing. I have a set for me, my wife, and my mom.

my local store Mr HubCap in reno, has a wholesale account with tirerack and gets a lot of their tires there. so they offer me tirerack prices, with free delivery if i want someone from tire rack (which i usually do)

It just doesn't get any better than that (well free tires from a sponsor would be better) LoL

I lucked out on an old Jim Bean (?) tire changer that came out of a local dealership.. $100 from the recycle yard.. supposedly it had a bent center post. I was wiling to take a chance. The special tire iron cost me more at $115. But for $215 and 6" of 1/2" hose I was up and running.

-Martin.