I've got a set of tires coming in from Tirerack, and need to get them mounted on my Boxster S. I've been taking my other cars down to Merchants on Cedar Road, but I've not really been terribly impressed with them, and they did a terrible job patching my Boxster tire last month, complete with using the wrong type of wheel weight and not trimming the plug (it wore down, and threw the wheel back out of balance! It's still holding air, though, so, I guess that's good.)

Wal-Mart (Dominion Blvd) just gave me a very cheap quote of about $8/wheel to mount and balance. I suspect they might not have mentioned the other misc fees, like valve stem and taxes.

Where's the best place around here to get tires mounted and balanced?

On a side note, if I get it aligned, it would probably be at all aspects. Is Merchants still offering a free alignment check? I was seriously considering DIYing the alignment so I can go back and forth between track alignment and street alignment, and a free alignment check would give me a nice verification.

 

Don't have an answer, just saying "hey" because you helped me winnow down a tire choice over on rennlist.

 

Check out cars inc. pretty cool guys and are fairly cheap

http://www.superpages.com/bp/Chesape...peake+VA&lbp=1

all the info you need.

 

tread quarters
merchants
sears
bjs
price club
walmart
and about 25000 other tire shops that seem to be located on every corner....like 7-11s

 

You can rule out just about every single one of the using http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm

Quite frankly, if they aren't using a Hunter RoadForce Balancer, you aren't going to be happy if you're an enthusiast.

 

DonVizMe, I'd forgotten about them; my neighbor has all his work done there. I'll call them for a quote, too.
Yeah, thanks, I figured that much out. I was hoping not to get my wheels balanced in the parking lot behind a 7-11, though. I'd like to find the best place to get them done- I had intended just to go to all-aspects, but they don't mount/balance, just align.

Is this so simple and easy that I really COULD have it done in a back alleyway with happy results? I'd prefer not to have my wheels butchered and my underbody panels smashed in again by poor lift work, though. How's wal-mart for stuff like this, really? Do they have competent enough wrench turners?

Marlinspike- glad to have helped! And thinks for the tip about the Hunter machine Looks like a lot of the Kramer Tire and Treadquarters use it, but not a single shop in 23323 zip code has one. If I'm going to be taking this car over 150mph on the track, I want to make sure the tires are balanced right.

 

It CAN be done, but I don't think anybody in this area does it. TireVan in the DC area does some of the best work, and they have a truck with a mounter and balancer in it and just drive out to you and do it in a quiet street or parking lot. That said, a bad tire shop will do a bad job no matter what the facilities. I wouldn't go to any place that doesn't use a GSP9700 balancer, especially if the tires have an aspect ratio of 40 or below.

Also, make sure to torque your own wheels, I've never seen a tire shop, other than TireVan, where the guys remember to set the torque wrench to 0 when they're done using it, so they all have horribly inaccurate torque wrenches.

 

I know Its not in ches, but right down dam neck from the amphitheater, is a shop called super car care. i used to work there, they have a machine that will mount up to 26in wheels, without having any possible metal contact. I have stretched some crazy tires for a few of my fellow sumospeed members using it. ITS THE BEST MACHINE OUT RIGHT NOW

 

I found the following listed with the GSP 97000

GREAT BRIDGE SERVICE CENTER
208 BATTLEFIELD BLVD S
CHESAPEAKE, VA 23322
Phone: 757-482-2075


They are a good shop with great equipment, Chris or Brandon are both good guys that can get the job done right...

 

Wat size tires are they