Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Tires
- Thread starter scubaduba
- Start date
Tire Rack and Discount Tire's online websites have the best reviews of tires.
Check reviews FIRST and get tires that are well-matched to what you need. Tires are not just rim protectors - they make a huge difference in how your car performs and handles.
It makes perfect sense to get the best possible buy on tires. It does NOT make sense to get the cheapest tires available with no consideration of their performance.
Check reviews FIRST and get tires that are well-matched to what you need. Tires are not just rim protectors - they make a huge difference in how your car performs and handles.
It makes perfect sense to get the best possible buy on tires. It does NOT make sense to get the cheapest tires available with no consideration of their performance.
Thanks for all the feedback. I tried Costco but they only carry two tires that fit my wife's Odyssey Mini-van. So Costco is out. Plus Costco was more expensive than Discount Tire on the same tires.
Check to see if you have a Tire Discounters in your area. We have them here in Ohio, and they're great. Buy 4 tires, get a free alignment, plus you get free rotation/balancing, nitrogen inflation, and valves/stems for life of tires. If you get their road hazard warranty, first year is outright free replacement, then free repair after that (if it can be fixed).
They're knowledgeable and friendly too. Their prices are pretty low and they have a wide selection to choose from. And they perform other maintenance services as well.
They're knowledgeable and friendly too. Their prices are pretty low and they have a wide selection to choose from. And they perform other maintenance services as well.
I wish that were true. Yes, the thread is old, but I don't think we had a Discount Tire anywhere near me, even as far back as 2010.
It might be worth the Costco membership to get tires there. I'm currently not a member & it's 30 miles away.
Today I went & got an estimate & to put mid-level quality $125 tires on my vehicle would cost near $750 after all the fees. $75 alignment, over $70 each to just mount the tires & put the wheels back on
When it gets closer to time to change them I'll get a quote from Walmart as well. I'll have to give Costco a call & see if I can get an estimate on tires before becoming a member.
Bob Lee (QSC)
In case you missed it, I work for QSC Audio!
- Jul 3, 2001
- 12,668
- 2,036
- 67
- Disclosures
- Former Technical Communications Developer, QSC Audio
If your wife's or girlfriend's vehicle needs tires, take her to Big O. A lot of women have never been there but they're usually thankful once they do.
Around my area Mavis Discount Tire has taken over.....it's not the tire you should worry about, it's the installation. ....just don't buy the cheapest (runway, federal) you can find.
Most of the places I'm reading in this thread is 200-300 miles from me.
We have Walmart and Sears, tires are decent price, but I've had horrible luck with a quality install, even them breaking other things in the process.
There's a local shop that isn't too bad. $10 each to install.
I usually just go Craigslist and get good used ones. And have the local shop put them on. I've found some good deals.
We have Walmart and Sears, tires are decent price, but I've had horrible luck with a quality install, even them breaking other things in the process.
There's a local shop that isn't too bad. $10 each to install.
I usually just go Craigslist and get good used ones. And have the local shop put them on. I've found some good deals.
Discount Tire is on the ball. I used to sell/install tires at a couple of other tire shops, but I take my cars to Discount Tire.
Speaking from experience, the last time I bought tires I reviewed the road noise rating and bought a set that ranked among the quietest. The difference in how quiet my car was at highway speed was incredible. I'll never buy "loud" tires again.
Well done!
Like I said earlier, don't just buy cheap rubber objects to mount on the wheels. READ REVIEWS before buying. They're easy to find online.
I've been getting car/truck tires from the same 2 companies for, oh, about 45 years now; Big O Tires, and Discount Tires. They've always had what I wanted; the service is (almost always) excellent; they fix flats for free; and - most important - they tighten my lug nuts with a torque wrench. So, when I'm trying to change a flat at night, in the rain, 20 miles out from Nowhere, Nebraska, I'm not jumping up and down on the lug wrench, trying to get the frickin' wheel off. Which has happened, actually - but not outside of Nowhere... And their prices ain't bad, either.
I bought my Michelin PSS's from Costco for $135 each. Another tire store was rather shocked at the price...as in, really low.
I always used Discount when I lived in Seattle. Sadly, they don't exist here in KY.I've been getting car/truck tires from the same 2 companies for, oh, about 45 years now; Big O Tires, and Discount Tires. They've always had what I wanted; the service is (almost always) excellent; they fix flats for free; and - most important - they tighten my lug nuts with a torque wrench. So, when I'm trying to change a flat at night, in the rain, 20 miles out from Nowhere, Nebraska, I'm not jumping up and down on the lug wrench, trying to get the frickin' wheel off. Which has happened, actually - but not outside of Nowhere... And their prices ain't bad, either.
One of my band mates owns an auto repair shop. He told me that quite often he can't buy tires at wholesale for what Costco sells them for at retail.
I'll have to call up to Costco & see how much they charge to install them. It's $55 for membership & they're far enough away that I wouldn't go there for other stuff unless I was on a little road trip.
I wish they were closer, because they have the cheapest gasoline around.
I wish they were closer, because they have the cheapest gasoline around.
Last edited:
Might not hurt to check with a corporate owned Firestone, Goodyear etc for tire prices. The places like Mavis and Mr. Tire will tell you how cheap their tires are, but by the time they get done clobbering you for mounting/balancing, TPMS reset, road hazard and whatnot, you'd have saved money by going to the corporate chain store in the first place.
You should look at the age of the tires before you buy them. Someone may have had a set of takeoffs floating around in their garage for 10 years and they're looking to unload them..... cheap. Rubber breaks down as time goes by, so just because the tire looks good doesn't mean it really is.
To find the age of the tire, you need to find the DOT number stamped on the side of it. Every road legal car/truck tire has this, and what you want to look at is the last four numbers of the DOT number...... they tell the week and year the tire was made. so, if you see the last four being 2614, that means the tire was made the 26th week of 2014. 2001 would be the 20th week of 2001, 0506 would be the 5th week of 2006 and so on. Now, if the tire only has three numbers at the end of the DOT, that means the tire was made prior to 2000..... so 309 would be the 30th week of 1999.
Would you really want 18 year old rubber on your car??
