According to The Traffic Injury Research Foundation, winter tires will protect you during the winter months by preventing collisions or, at the very least, reducing the likelihood of an accident. This guide will reveal the cost of installing winter tires at Canadian Tire.
Cost To Install Winter Tires At Canadian Tire
Winter tires could cost you as much as $100. The mechanics charge $13 – $45 per tire. The average is roughly $30 per tire. Therefore it cost you around $130.
The price tag will depend on the type and size of the tire, not to mention the season and location. Do you want tires alone or a set of rims with snow tires?
The final figure will vary accordingly. These factors will also influence the mounting or re-mounting costs. Are you willing to tolerate used tires? While the practice is dangerous, it can save you money if you identify a trustworthy supplier.
- Mounting
This term includes placing the tires on the wheels and adding the wheels to the car. Mechanics cannot perform this procedure for free because they use various tools to accomplish the task, including a pneumatic tire changer. However, you can achieve the same objective with a crowbar. Mounting is included in that $13 – $45 fee mentioned above.
- Balancing
Do your wheels turn evenly? That is because of wheel balancing. Again, because mechanics use specialized tools (Wheel Balancer), they cannot balance your wheels for free. The final cost will depend on the vehicle type and tire size.
The $13 – $45 fee mentioned above will most likely include the cost of balancing. If it doesn’t, your mechanic may charge you $12 or less per tire. Mounting and balancing go hand in hand.
- Alignment
Alignment is vital to the installation process because a misaligned vehicle will eat through your tires at a faster rate. Usually, this procedure costs less than $100. However, your service provider may include the cost of alignment in the mounting and balancing fee.
- Valve Stems
It is common practice to replace the valve stems when installing new tires. At $2 each, the cost is negligible. The tire pressure monitoring system sensors are a different matter. You don’t have to replace them whenever you add winter tires.
- Disposal
Your Canadian tire invoice may not include a disposal fee. But many drivers need help disposing of their old tires. The old set doesn’t serve any function, and most people don’t have room to store four old tires. If you need help disposing of the tires, your service provider may charge you as much as $6 per tire. But again, this fee is optional.
As you can see, installing winter tires can easily exceed your budget, especially if you’ve never installed winter tires before and don’t know what to expect. This makes some vehicle owners question whether winter tires are necessary to begin with.
But winter tires play a vital role. According to a study from the University of Michigan (Sustainable Worldwide Transportation), you’re less likely to lose control in a vehicle with winter tires because they enhance adhesion and braking.
The pliable rubber compounds in the tire provide a superior grip on cold roads. All-season tires are not necessarily a suitable alternative because they do a better job of tolerating high road surface temperatures.
Things To Consider That Fluctuates The Installation Costs Of Winter Tires
If you don’t understand why installation costs appear to fluctuate wildly, you have probably forgotten to account for one or more of the following considerations:
1). Size
The size matters because it influences the cost of the tire. According to The Detroit News, you can get a 15-inch tire for $125. But a 20-inch tire will cost you twice as much, possibly even more.
The price tags will jump even higher for rare vehicles with specialized tires. Some brands use sophisticated technology in their tires, hence the eye-watering fees you encounter.
2). Quality
Who made the tires? Where do they come from? Low-cost tires are inexpensive because they use cheap rubber that cannot stand the test of time. High-quality rubber is expensive because it improves safety and handling, not to mention fuel economy. Even though the price tags are higher, you get more value for your money.
3). New VS Used Tires
The notion of buying used tires sounds ridiculous to some people. But used tires can keep your car on the road if you have a constrained budget. I want you to avoid used tires whose tread depth is less than 5/32”.
4). Season
Pay attention to the season. The cost of buying and installing winter tires will vary depending on the time of year. For instance, the demand for winter tires during the winter season is high. Therefore, you can expect prices to skyrocket.
Those prices will drop during spring. It sounds counterintuitive, but you are better off buying a set of winter tires in the summer or spring and keeping them in storage. You don’t have to wait for the snow to fall to purchase winter tires. Take advantage of the discounts your local retailers provide throughout the year.
5). Location
The location is probably the most important consideration because it influences everything from the cost of the tires to the hourly rates mechanics charge. This is because of the standard of living changes with the location.
Additionally, the location affects accessibility. Winter tires are more expensive in some places because they are more difficult to come by. You will also pay more for installation because licensed and experienced mechanics with the appropriate specialized equipment are rare.
Don’t be surprised if winter tires are more expensive to buy and install in big cities.
6). Vehicle Size
Have you ever considered the impact vehicle size has on installation costs? First of all, some cars have more tires than others. This is especially true for large trucks with more than a dozen tires.
Secondly, some vehicles have larger tires. Therefore, the task of lifting, rolling, and installing them is more challenging. As such, the service provider will charge you more. When you ask for a quotation, many service providers will ask you to specify the vehicle type.