Tire Shop rates...

[milkmania]

I got a quote from one shop to pull the rear inner dual (on each side) to the front... And the front to the rear inner (on each side) for $25 per tire handled... They'd handle all 6 tires, so that's $150 plus tax (I disagreed with labor tax)

I thought the shop was too high! No balancing or breaking tire down.

So, I let it slide.

A few weeks later, I called another shop... The guy said he didn't have jacks big enough to lift each side of the bus at once. So, I asked if I had the jacks, what would the price be... He said $40 total!

I jumped on it, threw two 20 ton bottle jacks in the back of the bus and was at his shop at 8:00am sharp!
Walked in and saw SHOP RATE $67.50 and thought "oh great, I'm screwed!"
Thinking he under quoted.

Left the bus for 4 hours, went back to pick it up... Dreading to hear about the extra work.

The guy that quoted me $40 wasn't there... But the guy at the desk said "H.L. quoted you $40, so $40 it is."

I handed him two $20's, then handed him another and told him to buy the boys some pizza!

Which shop was in-line with price? $150 sounds too high, $40 sounds too low to me. But, I did provide the jacks.

Edit: all my tires are Steer Tires, no recaps

[TheCog]

Good to hear there are still shops that honor their quotes.

I swapped out 4 rims with different ones and had the tires balanced on my shuttle and it cost me $85 at Discount Tire.

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by TheCog

Good to hear there are still shops that honor their quotes.

I swapped out 4 rims with different ones and had the tires balanced on my shuttle and it cost me $85 at Discount Tire.

That's why I didn't think twice about flipping another $20...
I'm not a cheap bastard... I'm a broke bastard! Big difference

[cadillackid]

small independent shops!! yes!!

the shop here in florida I have service my busses.. I had my bluebird full-serviced.. all fluids, check everything test everything etc.. quoted me a prioce.. then it was less when I picked up the bus.. they were like.. 'yeah your air filter, and wiper blades are good as new, they werent needed so we reduced the price'... they couldve put those on and i wouldnt have known the difference...

-Christopher

[prof.fate]

some places quote based on what they want, or don't want to do.
Busy day? skip the dumb work like rotating tires.
Rainy day, have to do this outside? up the price.
Customer wants to wait..watch..critique and chat? charge more.
Leave it all day, we can fit it when we're waiting on parts to a cust to call back? Cheaper as it's wasted time otherwise.

[milkmania]

I can agree with that.... Maybe the first shop didn't want the work so they priced it high... If I said ok, they made good coin.

My heavy equipment mechanic buddy does the same thing... If he doesn't want the job, he'll over price it on purpose

[Geo Jeff]

Nichole called me from Houston a couple weeks back and said she blew a rear inner. That was 330.00 tire and labor. I told her if I had any idea there was going to be blowing on this trip I may have went. Tomorrow she leaves for Alabama. 80 down there in Houston today. Its freezing here in Washington. I cant wait to get this bus done so I can go catch up with all the free thinkers.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Geo Jeff

Nichole called me from Houston a couple weeks back and said she blew a rear inner. That was 330.00 tire and labor. I told her if I had any idea there was going to be blowing on this trip I may have went. Tomorrow she leaves for Alabama. 80 down there in Houston today. Its freezing here in Washington. I cant wait to get this bus done so I can go catch up with all the free thinkers.

it was 80 here in st pete today.. im going back to Ohio starting friday driving sat and part of sunday... then be there for business meetings and thanksgiving... I got the oil changed in the DEV today.. figured id make it a bus ride trip... notice the temperatures up there are to be in the low 20s at night and mid 30s by day starting saturday...

Paying for an oil change is well worth it in a bus even if it is north of $125 for oil and filters, and lube...

holy crap though I looked down and saw the wires hanging still next to the Heater box i rebuilkt this summer.. I realized that I havent hooked up the electrics to those heaters.. after all it was 95 out when I rebuolt that box.. so the A/C was important.. my project tomorrow will be to hook the electrics up to those 3 heater valves in that Cabinet!! fortunately all the water lines were connected and the valves installed..

I installed All electronic heater valves... no more water faucet valves.. i can turn on or off any valve from the driver seat... all the underhood ones are done.. I dont do cold very well.. (hence the st pete apaertment).. so I;ll be wiring that stuff up right quick tomorrow!!
-Christopher

[Geo Jeff]

That is a good idea to switch to automated valves.

[Dapplecreek]

Originally Posted by milkmania

...I'm not a cheap bastard... I'm a broke bastard! Big difference

Glad you're here! Ya got company, brother...

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Dapplecreek

Glad you're here! Ya got company, brother...

Absolutely!

[Stu & Filo. T]

Here's my Les Schwab story, Strange they haven't contacted me yet to make a commercial,

I have a 1967 Ford F250 with 1970 RV running gear that had split rims when I bought it, I went to Les Schwab & had 6 new tires installed with tubes for a little over $700.00 which I was happy with,about 6 mo later I found 7 one piece used rims for sale at a tire shop about 30 miles away for $20.00 each & the guy wanted $20.00 per wheel to switch over my tires unfortunately it was going to be a 4hr wait so I decided i would take them to the Les Schwab I bought the tires from which wis only a few blocks from where I live.

SO, I pull in the counter guy comes out I tell him what i want goes in types up the order tells me it's going to cost $1800.00, I say no I'm not buying tires I want them switch over he say yes i know it will be $1800.00 I ask how he's justifying that price & he tells me " We're the only ones in the area that will do split rims" I say "No your not" I go home pickup the wife & drive the 30 miles back where I bought the rims so we can hang out together. get to the tire shop tell the guy what Les told me, he says still gonna be a few hr here take my car & you & your wife can go have lunch while we're waiting to get it in.

[AlleyCat67]

Originally Posted by Stu & Filo. T

SO, I pull in the counter guy comes out I tell him what i want goes in types up the order tells me it's going to cost $1800.00

Dafuq???? Just for a tire switch?

"We're the only ones in the area that will do split rims"

Oh. Well, it IS true, a lot of tire shops don't wanna mess with 'em, way too dangerous.

still gonna be a few hr here take my car & you & your wife can go have lunch while we're waiting to get it in.

Helluva nice guy there..... didn't make you wait around with nothing to do.

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by AlleyCat67

Oh. Well, it IS true, a lot of tire shops don't wanna mess with 'em, way too dangerous.

Sure, but dismounting them isn't dangerous.

Just pull the valve stem and wait till all the air's out before you take them off the truck and there's no risk.

[AlleyCat67]

Well yea, that's true.....

Just sounds like ol' Les wanted to take advantage of his assumption that no one else around would work on them.

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by AlleyCat67

Well yea, that's true.....

Just sounds like ol' Les wanted to take advantage of his assumption that no one else around would work on them.

Yeah. I'm surprised they didn't do that when they mounted the tires he bought from them.

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by Rameses

Yeah. I'm surprised they didn't do that when they mounted the tires he bought from them.

Yea you would think that's the dangerous part.


I went on their website & gave my story but havn't heard from them yet.