Online tire purchase experience?

[beandip]

I can't see me taking my car into the local second hand tire shop in a converted gas station to save money. Also I realise that a business that is selling tires will charge extra to mount a set of tires that they didn't sell. I would do the same if it were me. This is logical and a sound business practice. I want them computer balanced and done right. So far I haven't found a tire dealer that has the Sumitomo HTR H4 . When I do most likely I will buy a set. I have found a installer that will mount and balance for $18.00 ea. Tire Rack wants $46.00ea + shipping $38.00 = $102.00 ea. And what Arne said I cant expect the dealer that didn't sell me the tires to represent me if I have a issue with the tires. This is what I was alluding to when I posted to gogriz91. To look at the total picture. Just like the guy selling H-4 headlights on EBay for $9.99 + shipping. Yeah the shipping is $38.00. When I finally have my tires installed I will post it. Gary

[datsunrides]

I can't see me taking my car into the local second hand tire shop in a converted gas station to save money.

I want them computer balanced and done right.

Tire Rack wants $46.00ea + shipping $38.00 = $102.00 ea.

1-I can see your point if your talking about the stereotypical used tire shop. However, at least in my town, the "used tire" shop has equal or better equipment than the new tire dealers and does similar volume. (sells new tires too) They have been around longer than I've been here (12yrs) and have a great reputation and very fair pricing and don't care where you got the tires from, it's $10 to mount and balance. All I'm saying is don't dismiss a business just because of a stereotype, check them out! I will say that I take the wheels to them loose as it does save me a couple of bucks each.

2-I myself prefer static balancing. Dynamic balancing just doesn't seem to work as well IMHO. If I had a dollar for each time I had to have a "computer" balanced tire rebalanced due to a vibration, I would be able to buy lunch! (this was at new tire dealers BTW, haven't had an issue at the used tire place yet)

3-The Falkens I got at Vulcan were $44 ea. and shipping only ran $55 for all 4 tires IIRC.

[John Coffey]

General UHP

'Nuff said...

I've bought probably 100 tires from Tire Rack over the years and always got exactly what I ordered, delivered on time for about $10 per tire. That's cheaper then the sales tax here in CA. I've got a local Big O Tire store that mounts and balances the tires for $10 each if they are "normal tires". My race tires are mounted and balanced for $20 each because it takes two guys to get a new 285/30-18 V710 stretched over a 10" wide rim.

[red_dog007]

The thing about ordering online, is that you can get tires sometimes that the dealers can not.

For me, I was looking for a high performance tire for my 14" rims. I called everyone in the Santa Cruz area and all that they could get for me was economy tires. Looked online, and the only place that I found some were on TireRack.com. Plus they were $30 cheaper then what I was being told over the phone for economy tires.

Then I bought them! $248 for 4 high performance 50,000 mile tires, with added full coverage warranty, and shipping. I would say not bad at all.

215/65R15s for my S10 cost me $400 at the store. That was on the cheaper side of things too, and doesn't include extended/full coverage warranty.

[jmark]

The thing about ordering online, is that you can get tires sometimes that the dealers can not.

For me, I was looking for a high performance tire for my 14" rims. I called everyone in the Santa Cruz area and all that they could get for me was economy tires. Looked online, and the only place that I found some were on TireRack.com. Plus they were $30 cheaper then what I was being told over the phone for economy tires.

Then I bought them! $248 for 4 high performance 50,000 mile tires, with added full coverage warranty, and shipping. I would say not bad at all.

215/65R15s for my S10 cost me $400 at the store. That was on the cheaper side of things too, and doesn't include extended/full coverage warranty.

Same as my experience. Finding 14" or 15" performance tires locally wasn't easy. Bought Yokos for my son's 280Z from Discount Tire. Good experience.

[hls30.com]

I will be picking up 4 Bridgestone RE9560AS 205/60/15 s from the Tirerack Distribution center on Friday

( http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+RE960AS+Pole+Position&partnum=06HR5RE960PP&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&place=3 )

The total is $337.82 adding m&b, and I am at 377.82, which is almost $85 less than the same tires from the place that will be mounting and balancing them.

I'll have about an hour in in picking them up and dropping them off-less time than waiting for them to be put on-the last time it took just shy of two and a half hours...

Will

[Bulldog Z]

Just my to cents, Tire Rack has been great for me as well. I just called a couple of good shops in the area and asked them if they would mount my tires. All but one shop said they would be glad to do it. They couldn't beat Tire Rack's prices and didn't blame me for buying from them. Anyways, I will get off my soap box now.

Brad

[Exdamyankee]

I'll throw in here too. Tire Rack has been great to me, I've bought four sets from them so far. They will recommend a local installer for you, call them in advance and make sure they won't charge you a ridiculous amount to mount & balance (the guy we use is $10 a tire).

I'm very happy with the service and the tires I've bought.

[Chino 240Z]

We purchase race tires on line several times a year and Tire Rack has been one of the best to work with. We also use a local America's Tire shop in Chino Hills to mount up the new tires and also have the tires swapped around on the rims then balanced to try and get the most out of the tires. Helps even the wear on them as we do this about every couple track events. Usually cost $40 to $50 for a set of 4 mounted and balanced.

[hls30.com]

Picking up the tires went smooth-other than the distribution center has no Tire Rack sign-just a big new unidentified building!

I found out that they will mount and balance at that location too, but I had already made those arrangements...

Will

[zbane]

Well, I am finally getting around to installing the Western wheels that I've had in my living room for a while.

I had my eyes, heart, and wallet on the Sumitomo HTR H4's (195/70HR-14), but in doing my prepurchase research (through Tire Rack & Sumitomo), I found that the appropriate sized tires were not designed to fit a 14x7" rim, only 14x5-6.5".

Curious as I was about that last .5" and if it really mattered (it is just a quarter inch difference per sidewall, after all), I called up Tire Rack to inquire.

Apparently it is indeed a matter of concern, otherwise Sumitomo would have specified that it would fit my particular application, and that it would most likely be a bad thing to use them.

So, I asked about several other sizes and how they would effect my speed (all that they had that would fit required more revolutions to cover a mile-not good).

I asked about about comparable tires-both in quality and price, and the person I was speaking with suggested Yokohama AVID T4 (P215/60TR-14). The revolution per mile difference is negligible, and the price was just a bit higher.

The whole conversation was quick, easy, and pleasant.

I am having the tires drop shipped at a recommended installer, and I hope that the installers are equally easy to work with.

FWIW

[d240zx2]

Hi, David.

Unless I misread your post, you bought "T" speed-rated tires. If I am correct, that's a bit low for the capability of your Z...unless you're old like me and just want rubber.

Frank