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Tires
- Thread starter scubaduba
- Start date
Invalid Link Removedis a great place to get info on tires, from fitment to user reviews to prices. I've heard good things about the prices at Costco as well.
If you're not looking for some huge off-road or racing-type tires then I would definitely say Costco or Wal-Mart.
I buy mine from a regional tire store called Direct Tire, I find the services that they throw in make up for the difference in price that you might pay at a Tire Rack or a warehouse club. Plus, Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith is a customer, (I was there when he came in to get some work done, he chatted with the owner a bit and sat down and read a book he brought just like non-platinum selling bassists do.)
That said, my son got a good deal on some nice Michelin tires at BJs since they have a location near his school (which is over 300 miles away), we felt that it made sense to buy from someplace with locations here and there.
That said, my son got a good deal on some nice Michelin tires at BJs since they have a location near his school (which is over 300 miles away), we felt that it made sense to buy from someplace with locations here and there.
Discount Tire or America's Tire - same chain, different names depending on your region. I've done a few sets with them and they are extremely competitive and generally handle the tires I want to buy.
If you have a local installer that will mount & balance reasonably - $20 a corner or less, the Tire Rack is great -around here, their installer is nutzo price wise.
Costco doesn't tend to handle much in the way of better tires - at least out here - they also do some private labeling of regular tires making it difficult to compare price & model. They do that with Michelin for instance. Rules 'em out in my book.
If you have a local installer that will mount & balance reasonably - $20 a corner or less, the Tire Rack is great -around here, their installer is nutzo price wise.
Costco doesn't tend to handle much in the way of better tires - at least out here - they also do some private labeling of regular tires making it difficult to compare price & model. They do that with Michelin for instance. Rules 'em out in my book.
- Dec 21, 2007
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Tire Rack or Costco. I've used TR in the past because they stocked the odd sizes I needed for my El Camino.
Discount Tire.
Can't even remember how many free balance checks and free tire rotations we've had done here over decades. Then add the free road hazard replacements(or even pro-rated adjustments). I only had two problems with them:
1) Guy ordered wrong Michelin and put them on, I had ordered Extra Load(conversion van). Caught that before I drove out.
2) Noob put a steel rim tire weight on an aluminum rim(clamping different). It flew off on wife's way home making the tire out of balance. Went back, they spotted the problem and fixed it.
Can't even remember how many free balance checks and free tire rotations we've had done here over decades. Then add the free road hazard replacements(or even pro-rated adjustments). I only had two problems with them:
1) Guy ordered wrong Michelin and put them on, I had ordered Extra Load(conversion van). Caught that before I drove out.
2) Noob put a steel rim tire weight on an aluminum rim(clamping different). It flew off on wife's way home making the tire out of balance. Went back, they spotted the problem and fixed it.
My favorite local independent shop is a Tire Rack partner. I shop on Tire Rack through the shop.
Tire Rack is definitely preferred for research and pricing. I know two TireRack installers, both do good work at very reasonable prices.
That said, a discount chain called NTB occasionally runs a "Buy 2 get 2 Free" sale. The catch is that you have to buy their premium installation and an alignment. The alignment was about $90, which is more than the one of the Tire Rack dealer's price for a street alignment. Premium install was about $30 a tire. So this is not a good deal if the tires you select are under $90 each, but it is a pretty good deal if you are putting tires on an SUV at $160 each. We were out the door for $600 with an oil change also on the bill. Same thing from Tire Rack would have been $160 plus shipping plus install plus alignment plus oil change.
Shop around to find the best local deal. Good luck!
- Paul
That said, a discount chain called NTB occasionally runs a "Buy 2 get 2 Free" sale. The catch is that you have to buy their premium installation and an alignment. The alignment was about $90, which is more than the one of the Tire Rack dealer's price for a street alignment. Premium install was about $30 a tire. So this is not a good deal if the tires you select are under $90 each, but it is a pretty good deal if you are putting tires on an SUV at $160 each. We were out the door for $600 with an oil change also on the bill. Same thing from Tire Rack would have been $160 plus shipping plus install plus alignment plus oil change.
Shop around to find the best local deal. Good luck!
- Paul
