What Does Tire Installation Cost?

Your Goodyear service technician starts by removing the wheels from your vehicle. At this point, the technician takes a quick look at the condition of your brakes and suspension components. While this look doesn’t replace a full inspection should you be concerned about brake or suspension performance, the technician could spot something that will need addressed in the near future. The technician further inspects the lug nuts and wheel studs to make sure the wheel can safely be mounted back on the car.

Once your wheels have been removed from the car, each old tire needs to be removed from the wheel. This process is generally outside the capabilities of any home mechanic due to the specialized equipment required. First, the core of the valve stem is removed, allowing the tire to deflate completely. Next, the wheel balancing weights are removed. From here, the tire mounting machine pushes the tire bead off the wheel rim, then the technician carefully pulls and pries at the tire to remove it from the rim.

Now that the tire has been removed from the wheel, the technician will inspect the wheel for any potential damage and clean the wheel of any debris or dust. Any damage to the wheel could affect both how well the tire seals to the wheel and how well the wheel and tire will balance once properly mounted. Once inspected, the bead areas (the surfaces where the tire touches the wheel) are cleaned to ensure a proper seal.

Next, the TPMS Sensor is inspected and serviced. On most newer vehicles, a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS for short) is fitted to monitor the air pressure in each tire. When new tires are fitted, these TPMS sensors need serviced with new seals to help ensure proper long-term operation. These new seals are what is included as part of your Goodyear.com tire installation price.

Also note that in some cases, TPMS sensors will need replaced. The cost of these sensors is not included in the standard installation package. At the direction of your Goodyear tire installer, these will be paid for locally. In some cases, these TPMS sensors are part of the valve stem – the rubber or steel nub sticking out from your wheel where you can check air pressure. On some cars, these valve stems may need replaced when new tires are mounted.

Next up is balancing the wheel and tire assembly. A tire balancing machine is used to spin the assembly and detect any heavy spots. The high-tech balancing machine will stop the wheel from spinning at the exact spot where weights will need to be added to balance out the rotating assembly. This process continues until each wheel and tire are balanced – as any wheel imbalance can cause a bumpy ride, rapid tire wear, and possibly cause accelerated wear to suspension and drivetrain components.

Finally, the technician will mount each wheel and tire back on the car. The lug nuts will be torqued to the proper tightness as recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. Once the service bay lift is lowered and the car is back on the ground, the torque will be double-checked with a torque wrench to ensure the wheels stay where they should be. At this point, the air pressures will be set to the proper levels as required by the car manufacturer as noted by the tire placard and/or owner’s manual.

As you can see, there is a great deal of time, labor, machinery, and detail that goes into the total cost of a tire installation. Your Goodyear Tire & Service network location cares about you and your car and will work with you to ensure that your car gets exactly what it needs.

*Tire installation pricing is only valid for tire purchases made on Goodyear.com and is subject to change without notice.