Advice regarding tire mount/balance?

[indio22]

Anyone recommend a good shop for tire mount/balance? (I'm in Chicagoland area.) Is the so called "touchless" mount worthwhile to find? My wheels are used and have weights already stuck to them, but I should probably remove those weights, before getting the new tires mounted/balanced?

Last time I brought a wheel/tire in for mount/balance, had a bad experience at a major chain store. Guy rolled my painted wheel along the concrete. Then had issues balancing, scraped up the wheel, and then lied to me and said it was balanced (there were no weights on the wheel).

Now I'm gun shy about bringing my nice condition wheels/tires into a shop, in case the operator is not careful and messes them up.

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[rpaluch1]

Anyone recommend a good shop for tire mount/balance? (I'm in Chicagoland area.) Is the so called "touchless" mount worthwhile to find? My wheels are used and have weights already stuck to them, but I should probably remove those weights, before getting the new tires mounted/balanced?

Last time I brought a wheel/tire in for mount/balance, had a bad experience at a major chain store. Guy rolled my painted wheel along the concrete. Then had issues balancing, scraped up the wheel, and then lied to me and said it was balanced (there were no weights on the wheel).

Now I'm gun shy about bringing my nice condition wheels/tires into a shop, in case the operator is not careful and messes them up.

Go to Discount tire. That’s their business, tires wheels, and doing it right.

 

[RagnarKon]

Chi-Town 4x4 over by the Wheaton / Schaumberg area.

Admittedly I have no personal experience with them... but my cousin and his buddies rant and rave about them all the time. They are a Toyota shop—primarily work on FJs, 4Runners, Tacomas, etc. But I'd be willing to bet they'll be able to mount/balance your tires as long as their schedule isn't too backed up.

Honestly though... most of the chain tire shops should be able to do it. Mounting/balancing a tire isn't anything special.

 

[Discount Tire]

Go to Discount tire. That’s their business, tires wheels, and doing it right.

Thank you for the shout out! We appreciate the recommendation.

 

[Tricky Dick]

Definitely prep them as much as you can. Wash, remove sticky weights and residue. Every tire shop I've ever used does a half ass job of that.

 

[indio22]

Definitely prep them as much as you can. Wash, remove sticky weights and residue. Every tire shop I've ever used does a half ass job of that.

Good advice, yes I'm in process of removing the weights. The wheels I got have both the inner stuck on flat weights, and also a couple rim mounted weights. The latter are proving difficult to remove without the special tool or scratching the rim. I might lightly cut them with a cutoff tool, to allow easier removal.

 

[Tricky Dick]

and also a couple rim mounted weights. The latter are proving difficult to remove

I use channelocks, bite onto the weight only and roll it off.

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