Dually tire service/installation

[HighwayPilot]

Hello all, we have an xplorer 230XL class B ( tires are 245/75R16 load range E)and it's time to change tires. we live in Miami, Fl. and I am able to purchase the tires online at Walmart and delivered to the house or tire shop. but I'am having trouble locating a tire shop to do the work(most don't want to deal with dually's). I was told by one shop he could do the installation but cannot balance the inner tires. Is that a possiblity? in other words, is he pulling my leg? Thanks for your inputs in advance.

[Grit_dog]

valhalla360 wrote:

BurbMan wrote:
Most tire shops don't want to install tires that you bought cheaper online.

I'm betting this is a big part of it.

They probably don't see you as a good long term customer. If you are always trying to cut corners, they see a lot of hassle and little profit in dealing with you.

The average person isn't a "good long term customer" not even close. How many sets of tires a year do you buy...or more accurately, how many years between sets of tires purchased? We're talking tires here. Like saying you're a "good long time customer" at the grocery store (which you will actually give WAY more business to than a tire shop, lol).

They DO see lost profits, and have likely realized some in the last 10-15 years since buying tires online has become popular. (although the "deals: on tires online is shrinking and almost non existent, as tire chain retailers have already adjusted to that market.)
Reason is mostly lost profits, and not lost "customers" combined with a side dish of perception if they are selling top brands and mounting ching chong tires and sending them out the door.

And this thread is about someone who is just lamenting about something that isn't an actual issue.

[PA12DRVR]

"
I am a huge proponent of finding a good local repair shop and getting to know them. Any extra cost to have "my" local shop work on my vehicles is very much offset by them getting me in right away when needed, and also NOT doing work if they find it isn't necessary."

^^^ This. My F550 dump truck doesn't compare to the big boys with their KW's and Peterbuilts for needing work, but when the local Big Truck shop knows that they will get all of whatever work I need on the F550, they tend to treat me just like one of their regular customers.

[Grit_dog]

^This.
And if business is good enough that they can turn away less profitable business, good for them.
That said, I’m kinda cheap like that and buy most of my tires used or online and “most” shops will still mount them. Couple chain stores that won’t, but whatever.
I suspect the OP is just having issue with not calling the right places.
PS he’s in Miami. Any Llanterra store will mount n balance I’d suspect. Although you may need to know a little Spanish.
OPs vehicle and tire size is neither unique or rare.

[valhalla360]

BurbMan wrote:
Most tire shops don't want to install tires that you bought cheaper online.

I'm betting this is a big part of it.

They probably don't see you as a good long term customer. If you are always trying to cut corners, they see a lot of hassle and little profit in dealing with you.

[PastorCharlie]

Would anyone expect a restaurant to cook the eggs that the customer buys at the grocery store? Or the steak?

[Tvov]

HighwayPilot wrote:
Hello all, we have an xplorer 230XL class B ( tires are 245/75R16 load range E)and it's time to change tires. we live in Miami, Fl. and I am able to purchase the tires online at Walmart and delivered to the house or tire shop. but I'am having trouble locating a tire shop to do the work(most don't want to deal with dually's). I was told by one shop he could do the installation but cannot balance the inner tires. Is that a possiblity? in other words, is he pulling my leg? Thanks for your inputs in advance.

What kind of "tire shop" are you talking about? Many franchise tire shops don't work on "truck" tires and just say no. As posted earlier, look around for a tire shop that works on truck tires - local gas station will probably know someplace.

Also, sometimes buying tires separately and bringing them to a shop may not save as much as you think (or save anything), because a lot of shops include the cost of mounting and balancing in their price for tires. When you bring in "outside" tires, they charge you for mounting and balancing. You might want to double check on your pricing.

I am a huge proponent of finding a good local repair shop and getting to know them. Any extra cost to have "my" local shop work on my vehicles is very much offset by them getting me in right away when needed, and also NOT doing work if they find it isn't necessary.

I have found over the years that my local repair shop has excellent prices on tires, because they give one total price (labor included) for the tires that I buy through them. And they will buy odd size and "other" brand tires for me if I want.

Also, although my local shop doesn't officially work on trucks, they have made an exception and worked on small dump trucks (F350ish size) for me in the past.

[wa8yxm]

Belle Tire (Michigan area store) tossed a bag of balance beeds in my tires.. Seemed to work.

Also if changing duallies... Consider dually valves.. Makes tire pressure checks way way way way way way easier.

[Matt_Colie]

Virgil,

I'm with Dutch on this one, but not Dutch I'm Deutches. The DW is real Dutch.
Back to the story at hand. Our rear are not dual, but tandem. This means that they are not bolted together, but one behind the other and if any of the four get out of balance or was not right to start with, there is now way you can not notice.

After a balance disaster, I bought the fancy valve cores and the packets of balance beads and it was great. That is until I needed more and could not get them quickly. In the sporting good of Walmart, I found Air-Soft pellets. I bought a jar and put nice amounts into zip lock bags that I took to the tire store. They thought it was strange, but they worked great.

They are even better on the front where it mattered a lot. Sometimes, when I am getting up to speed there is a little shake that soon disappears.

I'm never going to pay for "balancing" again.

Matt

[Michelle_S]

The Duals are exactly the same Rim and can be used Front, Inner, our Outer. Other wise how could you carry a mounted Spare.

[C_Schomer]

It's amazing how ignorant some tire people are. I've dealt with shops that swore the dual valve stems COULD NOT go straight across from each other because they would be out of balance. That's when I give them a lesson on the OLD duallies with the guide pins in the hubs. Craig

[Dutch_12078]

I've found having an appropriate quantity of balancing beads put in the tires before mounting easily solves the balancing issue. No machines needed...

[Grit_dog]

Find a mom n pop shop or used tire place if none of the chain stores will do it.
Or take them to a Walmart tire shop.

And it is no more difficult than doing tires on any vehicle. And those little tires and rims don’t even command a premium charge for mount and balance.

[BruceMc]

I've dealt directly with "professional" tire shops that supposedly handled a lot of duals for commercial trucks, but came away with shoddy workmanship anyway. In a couple of instances, I purchased the tires from them.
Many times, I've had to take it back, explain how duals are supposed to be mounted on the hub, and that's after getting them to run a second balance.

Tire "professionals", indeed. It's easy to throw labels about.

There's an index hole (or pin) that aligns with the index hole in the rims. Then, the valves are supposed to be 180 degrees apart.
In my last case, they buried one of the inner valves - it wasn't even visible.
Idiots.

To Discount Tire's credit, they bumped other work, pulled the motorhome in and re-did all 6 tires, paying particular attention to the balance, then properly mounted them on the hubs. I checked their work before departing the second time.
The problem was a floor "manager" that was not qualified on the balancer was trying to help the workers with the work load. He learned his lesson - he should have stayed in the office, and let the qualified help do the job.

[Durb]

You could get Centramatic balancers for the rear. I installed them on my duals with balanced tires and they made a lot of difference. The instructions suggest not balancing the tires prior. The cost would offset your savings by buying tires at Walmart.