Mounting cost for RFTs

[mryakan]

I was just informed by my dealer that they charge ~60$ extra to mount RFT vs non RFT tires (160 vs 98$ for all 4). They cited the extra effort needed to mount the stiffer RFTs as a cause for the extra cost. Has anyone else experienced this and does it make sense, or are they just trying to make yet a few extra bucks off of the RFT debacle.

[UFOGUY]

i don't know about BMW dealership pricing for RFT work but i DO know that it requires extra time and effort to remove and mount RFTs. i watched the guys replace my RFs with conventional radials and it took them almost twice the time (they told me it would take more time, 1.5 hours versus 45 minutes for conventional tires).

the important thing to consider is that the folks doing the work have been TRAINED and are experienced in dealing with RFs. i noted how cautious the guys were when working with my RFs. i could see how much trouble it was for them to get them off the wheel. i cringed a few times as they struggled with that bar they slip under the sidewall and then rotate around the wheel to pop off the tire. it was a lot more work than a conventional radial.

i am SO glad i dumped my RFs. the new ride is great with no sacrifice of handling.

rear brakes look kinda wimpy in this photo. the fronts look good.

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cp

[raceyBMW]

I have heard that RFTs are much harder to mount because special equipment is needed to get them to stretch enough to mount on the wheel. The reinforced sidewalls don't allow the tires to hardly stretch at all. That said, I have never heard of someone charging more to mount the RFT vs. non-RFT, and especially at the dealer where most of the cars they are selling now are RFT. That seems ridiculous IMO.

[UFOGUY]

I have heard that RFTs are much harder to mount because special equipment is needed to get them to stretch enough to mount on the wheel. The reinforced sidewalls don't allow the tires to hardly stretch at all. That said, I have never heard of someone charging more to mount the RFT vs. non-RFT, and especially at the dealer where most of the cars they are selling now are RFT. That seems ridiculous IMO.

i agree. the BMW dealer is taking advantage of a bad situation they created in the first place by including RFTs on some BMWs. i would complain about the additional charge and see if it can be waived.

i encountered NO extra charge when i replaced my RFTs at my tire dealer. :)

[mryakan]

I also contacted a local tire shop and they said they can't mount RFTs because they are not certified. Does that make sense to you guys. I am hoping our resident techs will also chime in, I always value their input (not that I don't value the input from all the rest, most everyone here is knowledgeable and helpful).

[UFOGUY]

the fellow that did my work was trained and certified to work with RFTs. even with that knowledge i still watched him and his trainee very closely.

having watched them change my tires, i can see how an inexperienced person could easily split a wheel when working with RFTs. they really had to struggle with the stiff sidewall.

there should be plenty of tire shops that have experienced RFT guys.

[mryakan]

the fellow that did my work was trained and certified to work with RFTs. even with that knowledge i still watched him and his trainee very closely.

having watched them change my tires, i can see how an inexperienced person could easily split a wheel when working with RFTs. they really had to struggle with the stiff sidewall.

there should be plenty of tire shops that have experienced RFT guys.
Thanks for the info. I am shopping around and found a couple so far, one will do it for about a 100, so not too bad.

[E92Vancouver]

I was just informed by my dealer that they charge ~60$ extra to mount RFT vs non RFT tires (160 vs 98$ for all 4). They cited the extra effort needed to mount the stiffer RFTs as a cause for the extra cost. Has anyone else experienced this and does it make sense, or are they just trying to make yet a few extra bucks off of the RFT debacle.

I heard because of the stiffer sidewalls, you need new equipment and special care to mount and unmount runflats if you don't want to wreck your mags (i.e. scratch the sh*t out of them).

My dealer charges $35.40 per tire in labour. I know, because I just had a tire replaced this morning. Warranty paid for it.

[smitty8237]

I have seen prices fluctuate from $0 to around $9 per tire here in the Chicago area.

[mryakan]

Just to update the thread so anyone who is looking for this info can find it handily:
Yes many have confirmed you need special equipment to unmount/mount RFTs and need to be certified with the tire manufacturer. One tire shop even mentioned the machines he has can mount the RFTs but won't dismount them safely when I told him it was for a BMW.

The cheapest I found to mount/balance RFTs is 64$ for all 4 at a Continental RFT certified shop (I am looking to get the Continental ContiWinterContact TS810 S SSR). Another shop charges 24$ per corner. Not bad I guess, I was estimating 80-100 to mount/balance them.

P.S. The cheapest I can get is from Tirerack. Even with shipping, GST, PST, duties and brokerage fees, I still save a 100$ or more in total.

[callahan1]

Personally, I would only let my dealer mount the runflats. If they damage the wheel, they can replace it at their expense.

[mryakan]

Personally, I would only let my dealer mount the runflats. If they damage the wheel, they can replace it at their expense.
Interesting point. What are other people's opinion on this, especially those who got someone other than their dealer to mount their RFT tires?

[UFOGUY]

whoever breaks it, buys it.

if a dealer claims they can change the tire and they break your wheel, i think it is pretty obvious who will have to pay for it. they can't throw their hands in the air and say "oops, sorry about that" and not replace your wheel.

changing a RFT isn't rocket science, it simply requires experience and training. once again, i encountered NO problems when mine were dismounted by a trained technician.

i won't have my bimmer dealer do anything except what is required per the warranty. any dealer maintenance is highly overpriced with no value added.

[brokenbimmer]

My shop charges $10, which includes mount, balance, and lifetime flat repair warranty. It was the same price when they fixed a flat on my RFT.

AutomobileMag just did an article titled Dueling Coupes: 2008 BMW 335i vs 2008 Infiniti G37S. In that story, they had the 335i's RFT plugged (DOT approved patch-plug, I'm sure) for $4.