[Speed-NYC]

BMW port chester service center quoted around $500 to swap out the tires for my winters and do a wheel balance.

Mavis quotes $180.

Are these two very different qualities of service or much the same?

[IllLojik]

Mavis specifically deals in tires all day every day. They'll take care of your wheels. Why pay the dealer for something any tire shop can do for way less. Go with Mavis.

[wdeerfield]

depends on the mavis. sometimes those are just cole muffler shops with old equipment that mavis bought up. id ask about their wheel mount and balance machines as to not harm the wheels. at least at the dealer they will hunter road force balance and mind the wheels. $500 seems really steep though. id pay no more than $50/tire at the dealer to swap them and balance. are you getting an alignment too?

[Speed-NYC]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

depends on the mavis. sometimes those are just cole muffler shops with old equipment that mavis bought up. id ask about their wheel mount and balance machines as to not harm the wheels. at least at the dealer they will hunter road force balance and mind the wheels. $500 seems really steep though. id pay no more than $50/tire at the dealer to swap them and balance. are you getting an alignment too?

The dealer is competitive on swap and balance but the alignment is 350 vs 100 from mavis. When mavis did my tire swap on my e46 m3 i didnt do the alignment and it felt all out of whack until i went back and got an alignment.

Do i not need the alignment for a swap on a brand new 440?

[Speed-NYC]

BMW said 40 per tire for mount and balance and that it will need an alignment for 350. Once you add tax you are up to 600!

[Speed-NYC]

Update:

Mt Kisko BMW gave me a price of 180 for mount and balance and said alignment is up to me and would be 220. So thats around 450 inc tax.

They said a mavis alignment is just toe setting and that they dont have the equipment to do the capture? camber and steering angle.

So now I'm not sure, I think I might get the mount done at Port Chester for 160+tax and drive it and see if I need an alignment and take it to Mt Kisko if I do so end up at 160+220+tax=420.....or maybe just go to mavis and pay 100 for a mount and prey they dont screw up my wheels.

[1QuikWS6]

You don't need an alignment just because you're putting on winter tires vs. summer tires

Now if they find you need an alignment for another reason...

I swap between my 19" staggered setup summer wheels/tires with wide tires to my winter 18" square setup with normal width tires every year - never did I get an alignment when doing this & there is never any uneven wear

I take my BMW to local Mercedes dealer to mount/balance/swap wheels/tires

They have the same tire mounting equipment and Hunter RFB machine, but they are waaaayyy cheaper than BMW dealer. Local BMW dealer wanted $300 to mount/balance/install 4, while the MB dealer charges me $160

Been doing this every year since 2009

Go figure...

[Speed-NYC]

Originally Posted by 1QuikWS6

You don't need an alignment just because you're putting on winter tires vs. summer tires

Now if they find you need an alignment for another reason...

I swap between my 19" staggered setup summer wheels/tires with wide tires to my winter 18" square setup with normal width tires every year - never did I get an alignment when doing this & there is never any uneven wear

I take my BMW to local Mercedes dealer to mount/balance/swap wheels/tires

They have the same tire mounting equipment and Hunter RFB machine, but they are waaaayyy cheaper than BMW dealer. Local BMW dealer wanted $300 to mount/balance/install 4, while the MB dealer charges me $160

Been doing this every year since 2009

Go figure...

Thank you, I guess BMW port chester 40 per wheel is reasonable then. That's what I'll do. I appreciate the feedback.

[Billfitz]

The next time you're in your dealer see what the posted hourly labor rate is, then compare that to the indys. It wouldn't be unusual for the BMW rate to be double the indy rate. To some extent that's justified, BMW mechanics have to be certified to work on BMWs, and the specialized tools for BMWs aren't cheap. But you don't need BMW certification to do mounting, balancing and alignment.