How Much Does It Cost to Mount and Balance Tires at Walmart?

We know Walmart as the place where you can get anything. It is the ultimate one-stop-shop from teacups to couches. Among its many departments is the automotive supplies and services section. 

In your local Walmart Auto Care Center, you can purchase tires and have them mounted and balanced while you shop for all the other essentials of life. The prices start at as little as $15 per tire. 

Keeping your vehicle in optimum shape involves paying attention to the wear on your tires. Tires are generally good for about 50,000 miles. Whether you have to replace some or all four of your tires, Walmart can sell you the replacements and install them right there at the store. 

Keep reading, and we’ll give you the rundown on what Walmart’s tire installation and balancing service will cost you. 

Tire Mounting and Balancing Service

What items and services does Walmart include with a tire installation and balancing? You will be pleasantly surprised that you get a handful of benefits when Walmart does your tires.

Walmart Basic Tire Installation Package

For $15 per tire, Walmart Auto Care Center will mount, install, and balance your tires. They will also service the valve stems and TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system). Walmart includes its lifetime balance and rotation in the basic package. You can bring in your vehicle for rotation and balancing every 7,500 miles for the life of the tires. You can also get your lug nuts retorqued after 50 miles.

Walmart Value Tire Installation Package

Upgrade your installation package to include Walmart’s Road Hazard Protection Warranty for an additional $10 per tire (total $25 per tire). They will repair flats and unexpected road hazard damage. You can get a replacement for non-repairable tires within 25% of tread wear. 

Both the Basic and Value packages apply to tires purchased through Walmart. They charge an additional $10 per tire for the installation package on carry-in tires. 

Add-Ons Available at Walmart Auto Care Center

Your local Walmart Auto Care Center has many services that you can add on to tires you can purchase through them or carry-in tires.

Lifetime Balance and Rotation

Lifetime Balance and Rotation is the service mentioned earlier they include in the Basic and Value packages. They will rotate and balance your tires every 7,500 miles for the life of the tires. You can purchase this coverage for any tire for $14 per tire.

Flat Repair

Under the Walmart Road Hazard Protection Warranty, they will repair flats for free. The regular rate for repairing a flat tire is $15 per tire. Keep in mind that this only applies to tubeless tires. A tubeless tire holds air with pressure between the tire and rim rather than inside an internal tube. 

Mounting

Mounting means putting the rubber tire on the wheel. Walmart charges $10 per carry-in tire and $15 per specialty tire. There are no other services included with mounting. 

Tire Rotation

Walmart Auto Care Center will rotate tires not covered under their Lifetime Balance and Rotation Plan for $2.50 per tire. 

Lug Nut Replacement

You can bring your vehicle in to have the lug nuts retorqued after 50 miles with the Basic or Value Tire Installation packages. Walmart will replace lug nuts for $2 each. 

Why Replace Your Tires?

We know that shopping for tires is one of the less glamorous and exciting things we have to do. Regular vehicle maintenance saves you money over time, and keeping up with your tires also has safety benefits.

Safety

Your tires grip the road as you drive. When the tread wears down too much, you lose the friction between the tire and the road that keeps the car straight. Driving on worn-down tires decreases your control and handling, which can lead to auto accidents.

Cost Benefits

Driving on good tires will save you money in the long run. Worn tires cause wear and tear on other areas of your vehicle and reduce your fuel economy. 

The car has to work harder to move along the road on bald tires. As the engine and other parts of the car work harder, they wear out more quickly. You also burn more gasoline while the car works harder. 

How to Tell if Your Tires Need Replacing

Even premium tires eventually wear out. How do you tell when you need to look for new tires? Here are three signs that you need to replace your tires.

Uneven Treads Wear

When the wear on your tire treads is uneven, it means that the wheels are not aligned or properly balanced. The vehicle weight is not shared evenly over the tires, causing them to wear more quickly on one side. 

Worn Out Treads

In the United States, we measure tire tread depth in 32nds of an inch. New tires have a tread depth of 10/32” or 11/32.” Some winter tires and truck tires may have deeper treads when brand new. 

The Department of Transportation recommends you replace your tires when they reach 2/32” of tread depth. Some states require it by law. 

Changes in Feel

Most of us can tell when something seems off while driving. You get used to the way your car feels while driving. Listening to those slight changes can give you insight into the state of your tires.

Vibrations in the steering wheel might indicate that your tires have worn down enough that you need replacements. Your car running harder than usual can mean the same thing. A clicking noise might mean a stone or nail stuck in the tread of one of your tires. 

How to Measure Your Tread Depth

Now that we’ve convinced you that you should monitor your tread wear, we’ll tell you how you can do it. 

The Penny Test

An unofficial way to measure your tire tread depth is the penny test. Hold a penny so that Abe Lincoln’s head is pointing downward. Insert the penny into the groove in your tire. If you can see all of his head, then your tread is less than 2/32.”

Tread Depth Gauge

You may want to be more precise about your tread measurement. Considering the safety concerns and cost benefits of good tires, who can blame you? 

A tire depth gauge is simple to use and inexpensive. You can buy one while you’re at Walmart for a relatively cheap price. Place the probe into the tire tread, and the digital read-out will display your tire depth measurement. 

Tread Wear Indicator Bars

Some tires will tell you when you need to replace them. High-performance, light truck, and medium commercial tires often come with indicator bars. The manufacturers embed the indicator bars into the tread at 2/32.” When the tread is flush with the indicators, replace the tires. 

Final Thoughts

Taking your vehicle to your local Walmart Auto Care Center to mount and balance your tires is a convenient way to take care of several maintenance concerns altogether. Walmart specializes in being a one-stop shop, and they deliver well in the auto care arena.