wv4runner

Anyone ever use WalMart to mount and balance new tires? I usually use Sears, but I called and Walmart is $20 cheaper. Anyone have good (or bad) experience with them?

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

I wouldn't trust my rig at Walmart anymore than I would trust them to babysit my two small children, unless you know somebody who works there and you trust them. I have mine balanced at a dealership that has a road force balancer, not the Toyota dealer, where I know a service tech on a first name basis. I rotate my tires myself.

My 0.02



EDIT: The only thing we buy at Walmart is DIAPERS, and you know what those are for, so that tells you what I think of Walmart...

az4x4runner

I work at walmart and I know some of the guys from the auto center. I don't think I'd trust most of them with my vehicle.

toy283

Balancing tires depends more on the person than the shop. That said, do you think Wal-Mart can attract any talented people with the pay they offer? I don't think so.

gn86r

i would shy away from cheaper tire place unless you know people who have had work done without a problem. you're better off spending the extra $20 to have a place you trust then to save $20. my case in point. i usually have the tires on my honda mounted and balance at discount tire, but i was short on funds and let this cheaper shop mount the tires because it was about $15 cheaper, i ended up with scratched up wheels and weights mounted on the outside of my alloy wheels. it took a bunch of bitching just to have the badly scratched wheels replace, when i couldve just spent $15 more..

CLin9383

well i am not sure about others experience but my dad took the runner in to sams club and got new tires for winter and i didnt find out until he had it done..but fortunately it is fine..no wobbling or anything...

Brendan

It's all about who does it, not where it's done. There's only one way to mount a tire, so all shops pass that test. Balancing is really straight forward as long as the machine is setup properly. If they screw it up, you'll feel it. If you complain, they'll put it back on the machine for a second spin. I'd say go to Walmart and save your $20.

MTL_4runner

Costco has been real good for me on mounting and balancing.

Fink

I've actually never had a problem with Wal-Mart...atleast doing just tire stuff. Most of the time I take it to the local dealer to have all my stuff done since I know most of them but if they're too busy then I'll go to Wal-Mart or another discount tire place to have just simple stuff done.

Like waskilly I do the rotation myself...when I have the time.

So...I think like most everybody else has said it depends on how lucky you are and the mechanic you get. But usually Wal-Mart is pretty good about backing up their work so if you have a problem with their work then they will most likely do it again and make sure its right...but again, it depends on the person you talk to.

Just my $.02,

Fink

ldivinag

had been using wally mart for years.

lifetime balance for $30?????

look, you just have to watch them. most of the time, it's drive up, show them paper work, then pull truck into bay, remove tires and balance.

usually less then 1 hour for all 4 tires considering, no appointment.

make sure they use torque wrench.

no problems...

biggest plus for wallymart is almost everyplace i wheel, there's a store near by to have them re-balance them.

even in johnson valley (hammers, etc), there's a wallymart within 20 minutes!!!!!

Spectre

Isn't Discount Tires free for the life of the tire?

ldivinag

didnt buy em there...

Jeff_M

I bit on the lifetime balance/rotation at Wal-Mart. Used it once so far and they did a great job. Sure, I could do it myself... but I don't have a garage and it's hard to find a dry day in Portland, OR.

Jonathan

I've mounted and balanced many a tire, and unless you are just a complete nimrod, it is a pretty straight foward process. I was taught how to do it in less than 10 min and never had a problem with it. Like what was said before, as long as the machine is set up right and has been maintained all you have to do is look at the numbers and add weight accordingly. Bigger tires are always a pain to balance, and sometimes you can't get it perfect, but usually it is so close you can't tell. As long as that is all Wal-Mart is doing to your truck, then I would let them, but if they think about touching anything else on my truck other than tires, I would grab a torque wrench and give them some "corrective allignment" myself, and I'm not talking about the tires

Flygtenstein

I have had very little issue with my Wal-Mart doing tires although they are the spawn of Satan to a degree.

I am in there about once a month getting rebalanced since I spit weights and generally don't stay balanced long.

I originally had road hazard as part of the $12 a tire mount balance and lifetime everything, but after I nuked one sidewall, they said they stopped warrantying tires that did not have a tread life guarantee.

I life in a small enough town and have been in there enough that they know me and do a good job because of it.

nees1212

WalMart mounted and balanced my tires, and I had no problems at all. I took in my new US 84's, and some slightly used BFG AT 32's, and 30 minutes later, I was out of there. Other than the fact they called me back there 5 times to see if I would sell them my old tires and rims, they were fine. You can't really beat the price.

Beachrunner

I had mine done at SAMs once(!). The guy I bought my Runner from bought his tires there so I took advantage of the free rotation/balancing.

Anyway, the guys there obviously didn't give a crap about someone elses property cause I ended up with rims loaded with multiple wheel weights and scratched rims.

It's up to you, but I'd take it to a local "mom and pop" tire shop with a decent reputation over the chain stores.

Fink

Yeah...I decided to get my tires somewhere else. The Wal-Mart employees were bein royal A-Holes so I went to the local Bridgestone/Firestone dealer and got hooked up there. And I am VERY pleased with the work...

Fink