Area Representative Nick Bassett Posted January 20, 2015 Area Representative Share Posted January 20, 2015 Afternoon,Just getting some quotes on 185 60 14 AO21-Rs fitting charges at local tyre dealers - 2 were saying £15 + VAT per wheel - seems very expensive to me for something that takes about 5 mins work! One has quoted me £126.50 per tyre (AO21) and they don't have any in stock at the mo - 6 week wait. Seems this will be the last batch of road legal tyres before Yokohama make track only versions.So even if use George Polley, it's going to be an expensive day out!BTW - does George Polley give L7C discount?Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris956 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Thats is fooking ridiculous money. Places charge £18 per wheel for a tyre change on a car which includes a new valve and wheel weights........ On a loose set of wheels should be no more than about £7.50 a wheelI got stung big time swapping mine over as when I enquired how much to swap all 4 tyres over on loose wheels he stated " 20 quid mate". I said , lovely job only to find out when I went back to collect he meant £20 per wheel..... we then proceeded to fall out , but thats another story, piss takerI think if you have a ring round some places still charge a fiver if you buy the tyre with them but even at a tenner per wheel, its getting dear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Support Team Shaun_E Posted January 20, 2015 Support Team Share Posted January 20, 2015 £15+ VAT is pretty normal for a chain tyre fitter in the South of England. Small independents might be cheaper. Tadley is probably a bit far from Newbury, but if you get stuck, I use Tadley Tyres who charged me a lot less than that last time I was there. They are behind Sainsbury's in Tadley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Bassett Posted January 20, 2015 Author Area Representative Share Posted January 20, 2015 It seems to me a licence to print money... the prices quoted were from 2 independents who are usually quite reasonable, hence my shock - I was almost stammering when they quoted to me... but, but, but...!!! I'm gonna try a few other places and make it clear that I will bring the wheel with me and won't be relying on them to dispose of the tyre they take off...Bleddy expensive this 'upgraditius'!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F355GTS Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Not sure if you've tried Tyre Barn, Hambridge Lane area, Martin's normally quite reasonable, think he charged me £20 for 4 (no disposals) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Bassett Posted January 20, 2015 Author Area Representative Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi F355GTS - I've not but that is a good call - thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2GBR Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Have a goggle for a local mobile fitter then agree on a price if you take your wheel set and tyres to him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ. Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I've heard that a lot of fitters are getting fed up with swapping tyres bought on the net, as they don't get the profit on the tyre purchase. The last two occasions I have paid £30 for four to friendly garages. It wouldn't be fair to ask them to do it for less as they provide valve, balance weights, time/skill and also have pay for tyre disposal. Duncan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris956 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I don't buy that for a minute. If they are getting fed up of fitting tyres then get another job. They get the profit from supplying the tyre (if they do supply) and they get the fitting fee on top. Not all straight forward tyre swaps need a new valve so that cost is irrelevant. Also, loose wheels mean no grief jacking up car or wheel fitment etc etc. The machines make the job a 5 minute affair. I just cannot see where the £18 per wheel is justified ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ. Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I didn't say £18 is justified.£18 is a price that has been asked to test you, if you accept they're happy, if you don't they don't care.£7.50 to £10 a wheel is fair in my opinion to both parties. Just ask around until you find a reasonable garage. No doubt someone at your club meet will know a local place they can recommend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 My local kwikfit charge me £20 beer money to remove old tyres, fit new and balance if I ask nicely when they aren't busy. The guys are car enthusiasts and do a nice job. Edit - just be be clear this is £20 for a set of 4, sometimes I have to throw in a burnout as I leave ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris956 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 DJ- See post #2, I agree with you !! Grubster - Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS2000 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 When I was looking to get a couple of tyres fitted - brand new tyres, brand new bare wheels (ie no tyres already fitted), the cheapest I could find was Kwik fit (can't remember how much but I think it was £12 each) - the most expensive was £38 each!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbutnotslow Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I get tyres fitted quite regularly and have a trade account with the company for partsI get charged £20 to £25 depending on who is at the front desk for 4 wheels.Their full price is £15 per wheel. These are an indipendant company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerobod - near CYYC Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 What I use here in Canada is a company that specializes in difficult low profile tyre fitment using back mounting to avoid any wheel scuffing. Their typical clientele are car enthusiasts and all the employees are car enthusiasts themselves. Dismount of the old tyre, new valve and tyre mount with road-force balance cost $20 per wheel (about £12), they are happy to mount tyres from the Internet (in fact they will often suggest getting tyres from online suppliers if they aren't competitive themselves). I will never let a national tyre fitting place near any wheels that I don't want scratched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Alston Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 2 or 3 years ago I had exactly the same problem and finished paying through the nose to get tyres supplied by George Polley fitted. I then by chance, met him at a club meeting at Brands Hatch where they had their tyre support vehicle and mentioned the difficulty of getting tyres fitted, if not supplied by the fitters. He said I should have made contact with them as they would have been happy to bring the tyres I had ordered with them and fit them there and then. I don't know if the offer is still valid but it may be worth a call to see the nearest event to you they support in 2015. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Ford Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Polley will be at a number of our race meetings - see our Calendar. Nothing very close to Newbury until Thruxton, but you could always make a trip up to Donington on 8th March (if he can get them by then). You might even get a ride in a race car if you fancy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Miller 7 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 £15 plus Vat a corner seems perfectly reasonable to me. Having a moan on here that you think they're taking the p*** and suggesting what they should charge is not on. If you don't like it, you can go elsewhere. If it were me, I'd be charging at least £20 a corner - you hadn't even bothered to come to me first and see if I could supply (and fit) the tyres for you.They have big overheads and expensive machines to run and maintain, not to mention the fact that you can't exactly do it yourself. Also, their margins are small enough as it is. Obviously, if you went to your local tyre shop (as I do) and spent £1K a year on tyres for your other vehicles and then asked them nicely to do your Caterham ones then the story will be different. I pay somewhere between zero and 20 pounds to have a set changed over.It seems to me that everyone wants everything as cheap as they can get it nowadays. The problems is that more and more people now know the cost of everything but the value of nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Bassett Posted January 23, 2015 Author Area Representative Share Posted January 23, 2015 Actually Stuart, one of the companies I approached I actually asked first what they would charge for suppling AO21Rs - they were the company that quoted me £126.50 per corner. I then asked them about fitting charges if I were to bring the tyres to them.I'm sorry, I thought this was a discussion forum - I didn't realise 'having a moan' was excluded'. I just happen to think that what equates to £216 per hour (5 mins per wheel) labour rates (plus the odd balance weight & valve) is a little excessive, that is all.Thanks to everyone who responded with some ideas - appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Miller 7 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 That's okay Nick, nothing at all personal.and, no exclusion - I was "having a moan" too - bad day in the office so to speak. I do get where you're coming from but there is the other side of the story to discuss too. I just think that £15 a corner is a perfectly reasonable fee to pay someone to do the job properly. I would imagine that if one of your wheels were damaged during the fit and you were paying £20 cash for the lot, you would be bang out of luck. The reputable firm at £15 a corner would likely make good and do the right thing.I haven't bought 021's or years and years. Isn't £126.50 fitted about right if you let them make £20 a corner profit for the supply/fit?I just happen to be someone else with rather large overheads and many thousands of pounds worth of tools that a. I've bought and b. I need to replace or maintain, not to mention the 25yrs of experience. If someone I don't know from adam wants a favour for £20, the answer nowadays tends to be no I'm afraid.I hope you find somewhere friendly an local to do the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumster Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Many years ago I used to take my rims and tyres to Dartford Tyres (I believe they used to do the tyre for Caterham Cars) and provided you waited for a quiet time they would happily fit tyres and balance (valves not needed as I've always used bolt-in valves) for £5 per corner, cash.Recently I've used the guys next to Automotive Engineering in Uckfield and they used to charge £5 per corner as well, but they used to get my old tyres (A021R in 70 profile) as well for use in oval racing. Never had an issue, maybe I've been lucky. As an aside, really disappointed that the 70 profile A021R is being withdrawn from road use as it was a bloody good tyre at £60 per corner....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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