Using Fabia Vrs Standard Wheels as an example, prices include all VAT and Delivery Costs, best prices listed as per a little shopping around, some prices on especially on DIY may require purchasing x2 tyres to get the best deal in which case prices shown is simply halved to show best price found for x1 tyre.

 

All Prices based on a 205/45/16 W rating, prices can be lower if you are willing to lower your speed rating to V (advisable only to sensible drivers even though V does exceed the max speed of the test vehicle and would be acceptable), I an sure the saving ratio saving will be level across the board for different size/rating.

 

DIY Needs

 

A Pair of Heavy Duty Tyre Levers = £12.50

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-X-36-inch-Heavy-Duty-Drop-Forged-Tyre-Lever-for-Car-Truck-HGV-Garage-Tool-/400736738153?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item5d4dc55b69

 

Tyre Lubricant = £14

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mont-2000-Bead-Lubricant-5kg-Tub-Suitable-for-car-truck-tyre-applications-Hig-/310467326491?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item48494b721b

 

A good video youtube video showing you how to use your Tyre Levers and Lubricant.

 

Budget Tyres

 

DIY: From £38 each

SHOP: From £48 each

 

Mid Level Example (Toyo PXT1-R XL)

 

DIY: £58 each

SHOP: £98 each

 

High Mid Level Example (Goodyear Eagle F1)

 

DIY: £86

SHOP: £112 each

 

High Range Example (Michelin Pilot Sport 3 XL)

 

DIY: £115

SHOP: £144 each

 

If your like me and want decent tyres but also want to save money, and every time it comes to decision time and the £55 budget option is tempting you in the face and knowing that you need 2 of them is enough to make you cave in and take that cheap option, then a pair of Tyre Irons and so lub could well be the better option, then maybe even who knows owning a pair of levers could pay you back the odd £10 every now and then after you let your mates know that you can save them some cash changing there tyres.

Plus circa £75 when you need to re-furb each rim after mashing them with said tyre levers.

What about balancing afterwards, without that your steering is going to shake an awful lot.

What about balancing afterwards, without that your steering is going to shake an awful lot.

 

Good point, I know places that will Balance all 4 wheels for £25

 

So say I face this problem, and I have just saved myself £160 from fitting myself x4 Toyo PXT1-R XL tyres, this saving is still worth its, but that is the most extreme scenario, so say I want x2 tyres, I go with and save Goodyear Eagle F1 and save £50, I could then get both balanced for around £15 so still saving money, or instead of just getting the wheels I am changing tyres on balanced I could have all four done hence a better job, and pay £25 still the job cost £25 less, although probably not as much worth it if I am only planning on buying budget tyres, but for Branded New Tyres I still think its worth the effort even if a little bit of what you save is spent on balancing after.

 

So I guess in the most common instance of needing 2 new tyres and not owning the Levers or the Lub, then your not really going to save any money the first time once you take them to be balanced, but after that and you own the tools needed then fitting yourself will start saving you money.

Here we go again with your bodging skills

 

I just buy the tyres I want at the best price I can find and then drop them, along with the wheels I want them to go on, at my local ATS Euromaster on a Saturday morning and ask them kindly if they can sort them out for me. I pick them up later in the day, fully fitted, balanced and undamaged for the sum of just £5 per wheel. Easy.

watching that video I dunno why tyre shops waste money buying those fancy automatic machines

fools

I've just watched the vid and my first statement holds even more weight now !!!

Grab alloy, grab hammer. Smack it for 2 mins.

Cry to sleep at the state of the alloys.

Repeat next day on 2nd wheel.

Win.

If the risk of damage to the wheel is only cosmetic then you could reverse the wheel and put the tyre on from the back, I think taking a certain amount of care would be enough to insure you don't end up breaking the wheel, and if the end result is simply a couple of scratches on the back of the wheel then I don't see a problem. also do it on a soft grass surface so your not scarping the front of the wheel in any way.

 

The only valid argument I see against DIY is wheel balancing, something that all tyre shops would do for free as part of there fitting service. I dare say that for this reason if all you want is budget tyres then go to the tyre shop and let them fit them, but aside from that imo the saving made from DIY is worth doing and then just paying to have them balanced after, unless you know of a place that will fit your self purchased tyres and balance the wheel for the same price as balancing a wheel, the going rate been £7.50 per wheel or all 4 for £25, its also worth baring in mind that the wheel may not need balancing you will be able to tell when you drive it on if your steering wheel is shaking, and if you get away without needing balancing its just a pure win.

 

The end result of fitting your own tyres could be as simple as better rubber on your car for the same price as you would have spent on cheaper tyres fitted, and in my opinion that is still a win.

 

Would also just like to add to the points about damage and as WookieeM says "Hitting With Hammer" from the video the only time you are hitting with a hammer is taking the tyre off, so assuming you are taking your tyre off because you no longer ever plan on using it again or selling it on, in other words the tyre is ****ed anyway, then a single cut with a pair of snips and that tyre is off without any hammer or levers with zero risk of damage to the wheel.

I like that bit of writing found on sidewalls that says "Only specially trained persons should mount tyres"

 

Are you going to let your insurance company know that you're fitting your own tyres now after just 1 minute and 49 seconds of youtube training?

I like that bit of writing found on sidewalls that says "Only specially trained persons should mount tyres"

 

Are you going to let your insurance company know that you're fitting your own tyres now after just 1 minute and 49 seconds of youtube training?

 

Yea because it looks like such a high skill level of training is needed, and after watching that video I am confident that 1.49 video of training is all you really need to know unless your ******* retarded, once a tyre is on the rim its on the rim ifs not ******* rocket science, and its not like its the first think I have ever taken on doing myself to my car ether after training myself with youtube, but it sure looks like the easiest job. When you go to a tyre shop its not even a mechanic thats fitting your ******* tyres thats how much training is needed.

The thing with that video is they are nice high sidewalls. Once you go to the lower profiles, higher load tyres and especially run flats it will range from a struggle to impossible with tyre levers.

The thing with that video is they are nice high sidewalls. Once you go to the lower profiles, higher load tyres and especially run flats it will range from a struggle to impossible with tyre levers.

 

Well I will be the guinea pig here and test it out on standard Mk1 Fabia VRS wheels with 205/45/16 W Toyo Tyres when they arrive, and let you all know how it goes, we will see just how easy this is, and don't worry if it all goes wrong and I damage the wheel or anything I will report back, I need to new front, will get them both balanced with the £80 I save myself getting them fitted in a shop and then be able to give an exact price of balancing.

Well I will be the guinea pig here and test it out on standard Mk1 Fabia VRS wheels with 205/45/16 W Toyo Tyres when they arrive, and let you all know how it goes, we will see just how easy this is, and don't worry if it all goes wrong and I damage the wheel or anything I will report back, I need to new front, will get them both balanced with the £80 I save myself getting them fitted in a shop and then be able to give an exact price of balancing.

How much do you get paid per hour? Now double that, and let us know whether you've still saved money after paying yourself at that rate for the time you spent changing tyres. 

 

Oh yes, and don't forget to let us know how much you're paying to dispose of the old tyres legally.

How much do you get paid per hour? Now double that, and let us know whether you've still saved money after paying yourself at that rate for the time you spent changing tyres. 

 

Oh yes, and don't forget to let us know how much you're paying to dispose of the old tyres legally.

 

I will remember to include cost of disposal, assuming right not I can just take them to the local tip for free, but if it does end up costing then will let you know.

 

As for pay per hour, in order to save money I will do it out side of my working hours so it does not result in time off work and loss off pay and instead complete the work in my worthless spare time that would otherwise be spend w@nking, so I can give a fairly accurate labour cost right now of ITS FREE

Oh yes, and don't forget to let us know how much you're paying to dispose of the old tyres legally.

You can take tyres to your local recycling centre at no charge. Not sure if this is nationwide, but ours have an area specifically for tyres

Still don't think I would do this on my shiny new wheels though!

I will remember to include cost of disposal, assuming right not I can just take them to the local tip for free, but if it does end up costing then will let you know.

 

As for pay per hour, in order to save money I will do it out side of my working hours so it does not result in time off work and loss off pay and instead complete the work in my worthless spare time that would otherwise be spend w@nking, so I can give a fairly accurate labour cost right now of ITS FREE

Well, I see changing tyres as work not fun, and 2x my pay is what I get for weekend overtime. Ok? 

Good luck on the DIY swap over, hats off to you. Hope it works out, sounds like you are going in eyes open.

Report back, good news or bad. One way or another someone will gloat!

No chance on my black gloss rims! But each to their own.

utterly pointless. several places local charge a tenner to fit and balance supplied tyres.

 

this way will cost you more and almost certainly damage your alloys

utterly pointless. several places local charge a tenner to fit and balance supplied tyres.

 

this way will cost you more and almost certainly damage your alloys

 

You could be right about this, at first glance it did seem like a great idea to save money but the need for balancing changes everything.

 

When the tyres arrive I might just give my local garage a call and get a quote for Balancing alone and fitting + balancing, and if the difference is next to nothing which I think it could well turn out to be then the best lesson to learn from this topic could well be supply your own rubber for a garage to fit, but will just have to wait till next week to see what the saving could be, but one think I did learn from looking into this is not to let tyre shops supply the rubber whatever the outcome on fitting them yourself.

A lot of places in Cardiff won't fit tyres supplied elsewhere. Especially on expensive alloys. I'm told it's because If they balls it up and mark a wheel there hardly any profit in it to make it worthwhile as well as fact that it's a little cheeky. The only one willing seem to be the big chains on the fiddle which then brings in the question what happens when they take a chunk out a £400 alloy.

The Video makes it look all too easy, it doesn't show the removal of a used tyre, it takes more than a few hits of a hammer to break the bead seal, also it doesn't show inflating the fitted tyre, you need a compressor as you'll never do it with a foot pump.  Think I'll stick to the tyre supplier that we use at work, who often insist on not charging me for tyre fitting, balancing or puncture repairs.

Its not as easy as it looks. I used to have a manual tyre changer which was bolted to the floor when I had my Landrover and it is hard work.

You are ok with big soft sidewalls and plenty of lube.

But with a low profile you have next to no chance of getting it on by hand and will damage the rim or the tyre in the process trust me I have tried.

 

But the most important thing to think of if you are fitting your own tyres is how are you going to get the old tyre off the rim?

Getting the tyre off is harder than getting the new one on and unless you have a hydrolic  bead breaker it aint gonna happen with a low profile tyre.

 

What you need to do is shop around and haggle on price. If you really can save as much as you say then your going to the wrong tyre shops.

 

 

I have just checked online for the size quoted and even at Halfords they are not a bad price.

 

So at Halfords for 205/45 r16 W rated Goodyear Eagle F1 £101.58 each fully fitted or get an extra 10% off when you buy 2.

So if you have a pair that's £90and a few pence each fully fitted and new valve and balanced.

 

You said You could get them to DIY fit for £86 each so when you add on the price to get them balanced its would cost you more to fit 2 tyres yourself than it would to get them from Halfords.

 

I don't use Halfords myself but I just used them as an example.

Edited 2 August, 201411 yr by ruffday

Final Verdict:

 

2x Toyo Tyres arrived today, cost me £116 for the pair as oppose to £196 Supplied and fitted from a tyre shop.

 

Local had 2 quotes from local garages, first said £10 per wheel, second one said £5 per wheel both including balancing, had it done straight away at second garage.

 

Was offered 2 options once job was complete ether pay an extra £2 per tyre to let them dispose of the tyres, or take tyres with me and dispose of them myself, took £2 option so total cost of fitting, balancing and disposal of tyres £7 per wheel, does prove the argument right about lack of balancing on DIY rendering DIY a wast of time when you can have a tyre fitted with balancing for the same price as what it cost to balance a wheel anyway. 

 

Leads me to conclude that the most cost effective was to buy branded new tyres is to buy them yourself and find a local garage willing to fit them and balance the wheel at such a competitive price.

As said before I think that you need to find another tyre shop as at £196 fitted is very expensive.

Just check the Toyo at Halfords and for 2 fitted comes in at around £145 fitted.

 

It is good that you have found cheaper tyres on line and had them fitted at a good price but I would look around for another tyre company.