So I got a nail in the tire of my caprice. Normally I subscribe to the theory that you plug a tread, patch a sidewall. Im not going to get into a debate but I never have had a plug on a tread fail. I have patched non critical leaks on sidewalls twice with good luck.
Since these are new Milestar Whitewalls I decided to have the tire “properly” fixed with a PLUG/Patch. I took the tire off and brought it in because I don’t want these people messing with my hubcaps and mounting hardware since they don’t respect or understand oldschool hubacaps.
$27.99!!! Never again!
4.00 for materials, the rest was labor. And this tire shop looks to start at 14.00/hr so dont tell me they are paying the tire repair employee good!
Ill just plug it next time!
Have prices really gotten this high on tire repairs? Or did I get ripped off?
No, I was looking for a fair price. The thief manager started off shooting from the hip when I complained saying todays tire repair is tricky because of the TPMS Sensors ect… I said go look at the rim! 89 Caprice! No TPMS!
Then he basically says that’s just what it cost.
last time I has a tire repair I remember it was just shy of 18 Dollars. I handed the guy a double sawbuck and told him have a nice day.
I will also add that the tire was NOT rebalanced. they just marked the position which was fine, but don’t trump up the price on me and then lie about it.
Have you ever done it? I have and it works. Now id be picky about it, if its a very small leak from a little pinhole from something poking it then yes I would patch it.
Discount tire fixes flats for free. Even if you didn’t buy the tire there. I did this one time and I handed the guy a sawbuck for a pack of smokes or baggie of weed or whatever was his fancy.
I know this is a loss leaded fr the as part of marketing but oh well. Too bad Its so far for me to drive there.
I must also say I dropped off the tire, no rush, told them id be back in a few days.
What if it had a slow leak from the sidewall? From a thorn whlie offroading? And I mean a slow leak. I drove from 3 states away after it happened and it took several days to see that there was a very slow leak.
Ive actually plugged a sidewall on an Atv. It took two plugs and it held fine. I even would run 30mph on it. I wouldn’t plug a sidewall on a car tire though because you have to do damage to the sidewall to plug it.
When I have patched sidewalls, probably two times, It was a very small leak and the carcass of the tire was undamaged. I didn’t buff much rubber off and the patch held fine.
I have probably plugged over 100 tires in my lifetime with not one of them failing. I have patched two sidewalls with no problems.
Thats not the point of this topic, the point is paying 27.99 for a tire repair because of TPMS sensors on a 89 Caprice! I see how some of these places rip people off.
Then you really do not want to go to the grocery store if price increases cause you this much anguish . I really think you need therapy because everything seems to bother you that you can’t control .
When I was a high school kid in 1986 and working my first job at a Chevron station we charged $8 to plug a tire and $16.99 to patch a tire. Shop labor was $44/hr. Last year where I worked we charged $30 to patch a tire and shop labor was $144/hr. Seems like you got a fair deal.