yet another tire question

[walleye guy]

Is this another easy money scam or something new that this old fart doesn't understand.
This past spring both my wife and my son had made appointments where they had purchased their winter tires and rims and took there vehicles in to have their summer tire installed, in both cases the tires were also purchased there also and were already mounted on OEM rims and been used the previous summer without issue. ( this is two different shops) Both places charged them for rebalancing @ like $15 apiece! Is rebalancing really necessary for tires that have been balanced before and are not having any problems? I have never herd of this before.
Another thing one shop also charged for the swap over saying the free rotations for as long as you own them is only for rotations not change overs (technically true I guess).But isn't it basically the same amount of work?
I know that there is a highly respected tire guy on here, an would love to hear his opinion, as well as any one else who has encountered this or would like to add their point of view.

[hilt134]

It’s not really a scam. You are getting what you pay for. Seems like they are just being picky to make more money. My advice is to call other dealers or shops in the area and see if it’s standard practice.

The vast majority of people who change their tires at home don’t have a balancing machine and they seem to do all right so I’d say it’s a bit ridiculous. Personally I’d tell them just to swap the tires and not to balance them. If they need to be done you could always take the car back in

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by walleye guy

Is this another easy money scam or something new that this old fart doesn't understand.
This past spring both my wife and my son had made appointments where they had purchased their winter tires and rims and took there vehicles in to have their summer tire installed, in both cases the tires were also purchased there also and were already mounted on OEM rims and been used the previous summer without issue. ( this is two different shops) Both places charged them for rebalancing @ like $15 apiece! Is rebalancing really necessary for tires that have been balanced before and are not having any problems? I have never herd of this before.
Another thing one shop also charged for the swap over saying the free rotations for as long as you own them is only for rotations not change overs (technically true I guess).But isn't it basically the same amount of work?
I know that there is a highly respected tire guy on here, an would love to hear his opinion, as well as any one else who has encountered this or would like to add their point of view.

If they are out of balance then it is not a scam, but saying they always require balancing is a bit of a stretch for sure.

Basically I tell all my customers to pay attention during the last bit leading up to the time they are taking off their seasonal set. If at that time they are they are sensing a bit of a vibration at speed then the tires are probably in need of a balance when putting them back on. If everything is smooth as silk then everything is already in balance. It is as simple as that.

Now that being said it is totally possible that during the off season while they are getting kicked around your garage, or if you pressure wash them thoroughly etc, you could maybe/possibly knock off a wheel weight or something which will affect the balance, but for the most part that is not going to happen without you knowing by finding a wheel weight laying on your garage floor or something.

It is also possible that some cars which are less sensitive could have a wheel out of balance on the rear and it goes unnoticed until the next season when it gets rotated to the front and at that time presents as a vibration, but again, if one is really taking a bit of time to pay close attention just before removal time, you can usually pick up on it and know for next season.

I do still have quite a few customers though who just don't care and even though I have told them this, they feel better having it done every season as a sort of security blanket thing. It just makes them feel better by taking the precaution and there is nothing wrong with that if that is the case. I just won't sell them on it just to make an extra buck. Also, at our shop we only charge an extra $5.00 a wheel for a rebalance over the regular bolt on price if someone wants that extra step, so in the grand scheme they often feel it is not a lot more.

[ghostguy6]

Some shops will offer free lifetime repairs, balancing and rotation of tires you have purchased from them. Many shops charge $25 - 50 for a mount and balance if you purchased the tires elsewhere. Some charge extra if you want your tires balanced. Some shops include new valve stems with the mount while others do not and then charge extra if you need new ones. Some shops include the lifetime services only it if you purchase the protection plan. Most shops I know of will measure your tires when they are installing them on your vehicle so technically they are rotating them as well. Its really a case of reading the fine print or asking ahead of time what your getting and what you will pay for.

Balancing is very important for both the life of your tires and the suspension system of your vehicle.

[walleye guy]

as I thought, They were told it will make tires last longer,(which it would if there was a problem) I really never got wind of it until quite awhile after the fact, you live and you learn I guess, things will be done different this fall.
Wish all tire shops were as straight up and honest as yours !

[Ryanpktaxiderm]

Going on 8 years in the tire industry myself. If they weren't feeling any vibration they shouldn't have needed a rebalance. The key symptom of needing a rebalance is vibration when driving and the first step is to wash out the wheels to see if its a mud problem. And its pretty slimy to sell that service without checking first as well... that woudnt fly in my shop. I only do rebalancing if the customer says yes when I ask if they have a vibration when driving. (As well the rebalance is free if they bought the tires from me as part of our warranty)

As for charging for a swap between summers/winters vs not charging for a rotation. That's a grey area. A lot of shops don't charge for the rotation if you bought the tires from them. As an added incentive to sell the tires. Usually its stated in the warranty folder which any reputable shop should be taking the time to go over before selling the tires.

I go over all the fine print in our shops warranty folder with each customer before they commit to buying the tires from me.