17" tire mounting prices

Newc

Newc

Well-known member
Local big chain wants $50 a wheel to mount 17' tire/tubes on clean rims, all parts are new. rims are powder coated. Same outfit did my 18' much cheaper 5 yrs ago. Want say you ?? Newc
 
I just paid $25 a wheel but they were not balanced. $50 sounds ok to me. What choice do you have? Very few.
 
Part of my 30-year fleet mechanic job was mounting and balancing tires. When I retired, I lost my access to the equipment, so I bought a used tire machine and computerized balancer. Mostly I ended up patching the neighbors' flats, which is fine.

Years-and years ago I restored a Ford 8N tractor and I paid a guy to mount the front tires. He tore up the paint on the rims. After that I swore, I would never let anybody touch my rims again but me. The new style machines clamp the rims from the back and put four scratch marks in them. So, I like the ancient Coats machine I have that clamps from the center. I just lay some rags down on the machine to prevent scratching the rims. I bought the accessory plastic cover to prevent rim mounting scratching. These are going on the rear of my '34 pickup up project.
 

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I had some 18 &16 inch Excelsior's with tubes mounted on powder painted 35 & widened 32 wires and the charge was 30 each for mount & balance.
 
I have found that the larger diameter the wheel, the easier it is to mount the tires. Not being able to find a used commercial tire machine, I was forced to buy a cheap import from Northern Tool, which after several modifications, has worked quite well. I have used it over the years to mount and dismount 13, 14, 15,and 16 inch tires. The 13's were quite difficult, while the 16's were the easiest (even though they were truck tires). I have never done 17's, but I bet they could be done on the floor with a couple of tire irons.

One thing about owning a tire machine; if it gets out that you have one, you will suddenly have a bunch of new friends.
 
When it comes to rare or expencive wheels I do them by hand . I lost a 69 shelby wheel to a tire shop that was kind enough to bend it then tell me to go find a replacement and they would pay for it ( like they have them down at the dealer) .
On a different ocasion a tire shop in La bent all four or the stock 16"artilery wheels on my 36 Dodge pickup.
 
I mounted the last set I bought myself.
The rear is on a floor jack. Use tire lube on the rim and tire
I put the wheel on the car with the backside of the tire partially on the bottom of the wheel and slowly lower the jack until the tire slides into the drop center then put the top of the tire onto the rim.
If using tubes:
Take the wheel off and put the tube in, position it properly and secure the valve stem.
Then:
Pick the rear back up and push the bottom front of the tire onto the rim then
slowly lower the jack until the front of the tire enters the drop center.
Using a tire iron put the top over the rim
Easy? Nope! but with a little help (raising and lowering the jack) It's doable.
No cost but more importantly no scratches.
 
I have an old Coats, so will try it for the mounting. Noticed the coats tool has a plastic protection on its end??? thanks Newc
 
J Franklin said:
Buy a set of tire irons and you can do them quite easily on a piece of carpet.
Click to expand...

I've done that too before I bought a used Coats machine. Some big tires I can just push on by hand without any tools. Another neat tool is this one for pulling the tube's valve stem through the hole and keeping it in place while you're mounting the tire. I have a dozen vintage car "projects" and i did this for a living so I can't live without tools. When I retired, I made it a goal to buy every single tool we used at the phone company. I built the original 1200 sf garage. then years later I had to add on another 1200 sf, and now I just added on a car port. Then my dad passed away and I inherited here stuff. I can't even walk out there, there is so much stuff. Then I had a stroke, and I just can't do a lot anymore. I maybe work an hour a day out there.
 

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My wife and I dismounted and mounted a rear tire from my 8n using tire irons, when we were done we looked at each other and laughed as we were both covered from head to toe with black rubber dust.
 
I do them on the floor, on carpet too. Like Tubman said, the bigger the diameter, the easier they go on. Mount from the back, then no scratches on the front. Use rim lube, easy on, and also easy off if need be. Use baby powder on the tube, its a lube to let the tube move around and center itself when inflated, and keeps the tube from being stuck to the rubber next time it has to come apart. My favorite tire iron is the big ones that came with a TT truck. Wide and strong, usually about 5 bucks at swap meets. Tall skinny A and T tires will literally go on by hand, your 17's will be easy too.
 
I paid just over $27 including sales tax for one wheel. I forgot to tell them not to balance the assembly and it probably have been cheaper if they didn't. This was for my '34 roadster.
 
Just did this on a 16" military tire and wheel and tube. I've got a small coats machine and use it to remove the tire, it usually shreds the old tube. Use it to mount the first bead and then insert tube, partially inflate, use tool to secure balve stem and then use tire spoons to seat the top bead. Tore the tube. Repeated the process, tore the second tube.
Took loose wheel, loose tire and new tube to local tire shop. $25 which I thought was high for just a mount, not a dismount and mount. No balance. But after tearing two $23 tubes, it was worth it . So I'll remove in the future to samve some money but let the experts install the new tube. JMO
 
pistonbroke said:
When it comes to rare or expencive wheels I do them by hand . I lost a 69 shelby wheel to a tire shop that was kind enough to bend it then tell me to go find a replacement and they would pay for it ( like they have them down at the dealer) .
On a different ocasion a tire shop in La bent all four or the stock 16"artilery wheels on my 36 Dodge pickup.
Click to expand...

I have a Shelby '66 GT-350 that has been in my garage for at least 40-years. It's time for reproduction tires for it, they are expensive. I bought reproduction Cragar/Shelby rims for it. Now I 'm saving up for the correct reproduction tires, I will have around $5000.00 for rims and tires by the time I'm done.

I always mount tires myself on my Coats machine. I did this as part of my mechanic job at the phone company for 30-years The biggest thing is to make sure that bottom piece that breaks the bead will come up and clear the rim or it won't be the tire that breaks loose it will be the aluminum rim. There is a handle on the machine that changes the setting on it where it pushes on the tire to break the bead loose. It has to be set in the correct position for the diameter of the rim. There are also shims you can slip in the lower bead breaker that moves it in and out. Normally once it's set up it will do most size rims but if somebody has mounted an odd-ball sized rim and changes the settings on the machine and they don't change them back it can damage your rim. Set the bare wheel on the machine and make sure its adjusted so nothing is going to hit the rim before you attempt to mount the tire.
 
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