I got a flat tire (drivers side rear tire) i jacked up the car and took the tire off and took it to firestone so they can fix it they tell me hole is too big need new tire, ok so i bought a new tire, know do i just go over there and take the old tire and the new tire and have em switch the rim from the old tire to the new and fill it up with air and have em balance it and bring it back and put it on the car or do i put on the spare and take the car there and have em switch the tires do a balance and aligment?

 

Theyll balance the new wheel with the tire but you an alignment couldnt hurt. I recommend an alignment atleast every year. Make sure you use punctuation on here, it was really hard to understand what you were trying to say.

 

Just bring them the tire and they'll put a new one on and balance it. If the tire that you were replacing is fairly old, you should replace the other tire on the same axel as well so you don't get strange behavior in the rain, etc or any weirdness from VDC as a result of one tire having a different diameter than the other(side to side).

 

Usually, it doesn't cost extra for them to lift your car up for tire service.

I've taken just the wheel and tire to a tire shop plenty of times just because i hate the fact that i've seen them...

1) use that air wrench to tighten lugs which strips the bolts(heard many many stories of this happening)

2) crack the center cap by removing it with excessive force(take it off yourself before you bring it in) not mention that they also lose it as well.

IMHO, if i was the mechanic, i really wouldn't give a rat's a$$ about other peoples car(or at least wouldn't care as much as if it was my own), it's just human nature. Especially since a majority of people hate their jobs, no matter what they do. Don't get me wrong, i'm good with tools, but sometimes i would just bring it in the shop because i get lazy of doing it myself.