Tire web sites

Guess My Name · 11-21-01, 08:22

Anyone have any good tire online retailer sites?

I am interested in trying to see what my tires will cost when I replace them and for future use.

THANKSSSSSSSSSS!

TortoiseAWD · 11-21-01, 08:39

The only one that I've used, and the one that you're probably already familiar with, is http://www.tirerack.com. I've ordered tires from them several times over the past few years, and I've never had a problem (good customer service, no shipping screwups).

Another that I've looked at before, but never ordered from is http://www.discounttiredirect.com . . . I wasn't able to pull up their website this morning; dunno if they just have server problems or if they've gone under since I last surfed by there.

Tort

banzaitoyota · 11-29-01, 06:43

I USED to order from tire rack.....BUT...

I ordered a set of 205/50/15 Kuhmos for my RX7 that I drive. No problem:

To: ZACH12@AIKENELECTRIC.NET
From: eccs@tirerack.com
Subject: Order Confirmation

10/28/01 12:50:08

Customer: GLAVE, JOHN R III
Customer #: xxxxxxx
Order #: 4799875

Thank you again for your order. It is currently being
reviewed and processed. As soon as it ships, we
will send you an e-mail confirming shipment and
providing pertinent shipping information.

2 days later I get an Email from Tirerack:
Dear Mr. Glave,
The tires below do not meet the load carrying capacity of the original
equipment tires at the Mazda recommended 32psi. The set of tires carry about
400lbs less than what is required. We are not willing take the liability
risk of selling a tire that does not meet the load capacity requirements of
the original tires. It may be possible for you to release us from liability
for the use of the tire but you can not release us from the liability risk
from accidents involving a 3rd party. We would not deny any sale that was a
safe application.

Sincerely,

Tim Joines
Sales Manager
The Tire Rack
Tjoines@tirerack.com
1-800-428-8355 ext 303

Please note: the load capacity of these tires is still 600> GVAW

This company will still sell you 18" GHETTO rims to fit your KIA though

Dude · 11-29-01, 07:29

I am very interested in ordering my next set of tires online. However, once the tires arrive, you still need to mount and balance them. If you have this done at a a shop, it will cost money. Will the mounting and balancing costs negate any savings that you realized by ordering online?

Also, can you mount the tire yourself? I have done this with bicycle tires, but an automobile tire would obviosly be considerably more difficult. How about balancing? Can this be done on a do-it-yourself basis?

puterbum · 11-29-01, 07:37

Quote:

Originally posted by Dude
I am very interested in ordering my next set of tires online. However, once the tires arrive, you still need to mount and balance them. If you have this done at a a shop, it will cost money. Will the mounting and balancing costs negate any savings that you realized by ordering online?

Also, can you mount the tire yourself? I have done this with bicycle tires, but an automobile tire would obviosly be considerably more difficult. How about balancing? Can this be done on a do-it-yourself basis?

Good questions, Dude. In theory you can balance tires yourself but this is absolutely NOT recommended. The shops have tools which spin your wheels at road speeds and measure many more things than any home tool could do.

If you get tires and wheels sent to you together, prebalanced you can mount them yourself, but it is hugely difficult to mount tires on rims and this is usually only done in emergency situations by off-roaders.

JohnN · 12-07-01, 09:58

Honestly - on this topic, I have to say your best bet is Costco, if that's available to you.

They've got incredibly competitive pricing on tires, and even better - they warranty the HELL out of them.

Considering there are Costco tire shops all over the country - any time you have any kind of problem with them, you just drive on in to ANY of them - and they'll do the repair work, based on warranty. Flats fixed for free; what can't be fixed will be replaced on a pro-rated basis. I had three blowouts on my Accord in the past two years - total cost to replace those three tires - $28. Figured what the heck, replace the fourth one as well. Four new tires for under $100. and Michelins no less... And all with brand new warranties.

Don2000g · 12-08-01, 11:02

I'm not sure I like the idea of buying tires from a place where I've had 3 blowouts in 2 years! I've never had a blowout and hope to never have one.

JohnN · 12-08-01, 02:06

Don-

Honestly - that's not the tire's fault (although I hate low profile tires - and why I just bought an SUV). Here in NYC - the potholes that you encounter are ridiculous - if you hit any kind of speed above 20 MPH and get a decent sized crater - say goodbye to your tire.

bretfraz · 12-13-01, 06:36

Both Sam's Club and Costco offer private-labeled tires that only they sell. The tires are made by the big mfrs but have a model name different than their normal product line. These can be great values, and it's what is typically stocked at the clubs. But only the club you bought from can warranty the tires. Obviously, any store can take care of you but only that club. So if you bought, say, a Goodyear Allegra from Sam's, only Sam's can provide warranty service. If you take it to a normal Goodyear retailer, they can't help you since they don't carry that model.

Depending on the car and tire, sometimes the best place to buy tires is at a national mass merchant like WalMart of K-Mart. Don't laugh. There are hundreds of stores nationwide. If you have a tire problem any store can help you. Something to consider if you tend to drive long distances.

But many times the best place to buy is from a local independent shop. You can get to know them, see their equipment, watch how they handle other cars, and most of all, be able to count on them if you have a problem.

The big problem I have with buying from an online retailer is what do you do if the tires you bought are defective or have problems like being out of round? The amount of time and money you'd spend installing tires, removing them, shipping them back to the online merchant, and reinstalling them will prolly kill any savings. And no one locally has an incentive to help you out since you didn't buy tires from them. They'll take care of their own customers first.

I'm not saying, don't buy online. Just consider all the options instead of just the price.

Guess My Name · 12-14-01, 09:33

Bret I prefer to buy them locally for the service I receive. I would never buy tires online then bring them to a local to mount I feel like they would do something bad to my car for taking food from their kids mouth.

I use the websites for information and to try and haggle the price down with the locals. I am always willing to pay for top notch service and I must say SAMS actually has great service and I recommend them highly to my friends.

rsastv · 12-26-01, 10:00

i used to order from tirerack which i am very satisfied with. i hear that tireplus.com has good deals as well.

Ron

bgruver · 04-19-02, 06:43

This is an old post but I thought I'd add my 2 cents....

I ordered my last set of tires from www.tires.com (TiresDirect). I had them delivered directly to a shop that installs tires. Once the tires arrived they gave me a call. Even after the cost of installation, disposal and balancing I still saved a bit more than $100. I'd order from TiresDirect again.