Actually fitting winter tyres?
Discussion
Winter tyres are of course quite the hot topic at the moment, but how do most people usually actually get them fitted (assuming you haven't just bought them and had them fitted as part of the price)?
I actually have a second set of alloys for both my cars which are fitted with winter tyres and I change the wheels over at the start and end of the winter.
However, actually getting this done is not as simple as it sounds unless you are prepared to spend a cold hour or more patiently jacking up each car four times and changing them over yourself.
Of course, logic dictates that if you take it down the local garage/tyre-fitters and have it put on a car hoist, then changing the four wheels over should take at most 20 mins. And, for example, the local village garage in Suffolk will do this happily for the princely sum of £20, which is what I've done in the past.
But this year I'm in London and...get this.....the local Chelsea branch of Kwik Fit just informed that they would charge over £80 for this particular pleasure! And the local garage wants a similar amount...
Does everyone else just pay this ridiculously outrageous amount, or do it themselves....or is there any other solution?
I actually have a second set of alloys for both my cars which are fitted with winter tyres and I change the wheels over at the start and end of the winter.
However, actually getting this done is not as simple as it sounds unless you are prepared to spend a cold hour or more patiently jacking up each car four times and changing them over yourself.
Of course, logic dictates that if you take it down the local garage/tyre-fitters and have it put on a car hoist, then changing the four wheels over should take at most 20 mins. And, for example, the local village garage in Suffolk will do this happily for the princely sum of £20, which is what I've done in the past.
But this year I'm in London and...get this.....the local Chelsea branch of Kwik Fit just informed that they would charge over £80 for this particular pleasure! And the local garage wants a similar amount...
Does everyone else just pay this ridiculously outrageous amount, or do it themselves....or is there any other solution?
Even I could handle that. It would'nt take 1hr.I know... I was going to try doing it myself on Saturday but the garage is too small so that meant doing it outside and I just couldn't face faffing about outside in such cold weather with the fiddly little jack that comes with the cars.
I suppose the answer is to buy a trolley jack but then that's probably £80+ too.....
I suppose the answer is to buy a trolley jack but then that's probably £80+ too.....
Wolands Advocate said:
local Chelsea branch of Kwik Fit just informed that they would charge over £80 for this particular pleasure!
I'd expect to pay less than that to swap all four tyres on one set of wheels, are you sure that's not what they're quoting for?OTOH it is Chelsea so they're probably used to asking what they want....
Speed addicted said:
I changed over the wheels on the X5 myself as I couldn't be arsed putting the wheels into the car to take to the garage. It also allowed me to check the brakes and apply copperslip to the hubs.
This. A good chance to check the running rear before winter, so a win win.
Yes...I watched ManLab the other day where May made the cross-tightening point!
Think this is called for. Not as expensive as I thought and worth having in the garage I guess:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
Think this is called for. Not as expensive as I thought and worth having in the garage I guess:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
Lets keep them all the questions together please
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
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