No way to sell tires

[wdfifteen]

I stopped in a local tire store to get prices on front tires for my Tundra 4x4. The guy looked at the truck and started tapping on his computer. He told me the prices for 4 or 5 brands, but didn't write any of them down for me. I guess he expected me to remember them all. When he'd finished we just stared at each other for a minute before I walked out.
Called a discounter store and the salesman told me I had to buy 4 tires because of the 4x4 and I'd tear up my transfer case and cost myself thousands in repair bills if I only put two tires on it.
One was apathetic & didn't care if he sold anything or not. The other guy was so eager to sell he crossed the line and lied to me. Kinda pixxed me off.

[Burnin' oil]

[QUOTE=wdfifteen;6165648 . . .

One was apathetic & didn't care if he sold anything or not. . . .[/QUOTE]

No, no, no, not apathetic. He just has a good perspective on life.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

tirerack.com

Buy there. Or on FeeBay. Then take the tires down along with your bare rims and say "mount/balance please". Should be about $20-$25 a wheel max.

No worries about rip-offs, stripped or grossly over-tightened lugs, "oh I noticed that there's something wrong that we really have to fix before we can let you drive out of here" B.S., none of that stuff. Seriously. I buy all my stuff that way and wouldn't let a tire shop monkey anywhere near one of my vehicles. I only use those places for their spin/balancing machine and most times I stand right there and watch the guy mounting them like a hawk to make sure he doesn't tweak the rim or anything else stupid.

Tire shop guys are among the lowest paid and least skilled in the business.

Good luck.

[Christien]

+1 That's what I did when I recently bought new shoes for the 911, though I used 1010tires.com, because tirerack doesn't carry Toyo anymore, and 1010tires is in Canada, so a bit cheaper. I took the wheels off, tossed them and the tires into the back of the minivan, took them down to Canadian Tire (sort of like pep boys) and had them mounted there. I told him that the wheels were 30 years old, impossible to replace, and $2000 apiece to refinish, so be careful not to scratch them. And I asked them to mount the weights on the inside of the rim. They came back perfectly. Under $100 for the job.

[rnln]

$20-$25 per wheel labor. Some shops will discount labor if you buy it from them. You should factor that in when shopping for tires.

[scottmandue]

What tire shops are you using?

I have had good luck with Americas tire... although the last time I was there the newbie lugnut behind the counter couldn't wrap his brain around the fact that I wanted the sale price on the rims I wanted to buy. I printed out the add from their website and presented it to him... he couldn't get it to work on the computer. Fortunately one of the more experienced guys showed up and did up the order for me.

[porsche4life]

We have our own rimclamp machine. Got tired of having to deal with tireshop goons for flat fixes. Just need a balancer now...

[jpk]

FYI - I used to take my wheels and tires to a tire place for mounting and balancing, but recently found that Wallyworld does it for $10 each instead of the $20-$25.

[wdfifteen]

Tires+tax+shipping+mount+balance:

Grismer (local chain) - goober sales people
Tire Rack - $418.62
Tire America - $362.73

[Mrmerlin]

I would not so easily discount the info from the tire operator that was offering to sell you 4 tires, if you dont have a set of tires that matche then damage to the transfer case is a real concern.
If you plan on doing any 4X4 driving or using the vehicle in 4X4 during winter driving then you can damage the drive system.

The upside to this is that your truck will run better with 4 new tires

[kaisen]

I would seriously consider four tires. Sell the two good ones on Craigslist if you're concerned about money. I've got wholesale tire accounts through Tire Rack and other distributors if you'd like to know what's a good tire and what's a good deal.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by kaisen

I would seriously consider four tires. Sell the two good ones on Craigslist if you're concerned about money. I've got wholesale tire accounts through Tire Rack and other distributors if you'd like to know what's a good tire and what's a good deal.

There ya go, we now know even Tirerack is not bottom line. I go to my independent shop and tell them the Tirerack price shipped and then tell them I will pay 100 more out the door with life time flat repair and balance. No extra tax or disposal fees, out the door.

Works every time. Of course it does, they are making money.

[Grog]

On 4x4s all tires should be the same size. Tread wear does not matter, you don't need 4 new tires.

4wd: you are not suppose to use 4x4 on dry pavement since it is a solid lock up between front and rear, you need slippery conditions. Also front and rear axle ratios are not the same, just off by a little, like rear 4.11, front 4.10.

AWD: designed with the ability to slip between front and rear, so you can run in awd all the time, wet or dry.

[t-tom]

Costco the best place around to get truck or normal non -performance tires

Straight from their website "Purchasing your tires from Costco Wholesale, whether it be online or from one of our local warehouse locations, provides you with several key advantages. Our published retail pricing includes all of the shipping and handling costs associated with your tires.

The Installation Package also includes Lifetime Maintenance Services that extend throughout the life of the tires you purchase. (some limits may apply). These Lifetime services include inflation pressure checks, tire balancing, tire rotations, as well as flat repairs.

Upon the service of your tires we also install new rubber valve stems (Note TPMS valve stems and accessories will be an additional charge). Additionally, we inflate your tires with nitrogen, not compressed air. Nitrogen retains tire pressure better over time than compressed air, which can positively impact the life of your tires, as well as the fuel economy of your vehicle.

Finally, for your protection, all of our tires are backed with the Costco Wholesale Road Hazard Warranty."

[MotoSook]

You're in Ohio. TireRack ground delivery is a day away. Just buy from TireRack and fine a local shop to install them.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Grog

On 4x4s all tires should be the same size. Tread wear does not matter, you don't need 4 new tires.
.

Most knowledgeable owners know that. That's why it ticked me off that this goober would try to scare me into buying 4 tires. I wonder how many other people this has actually worked on.
I was very specific with everyone I've spoken to about brand, model, and size because I want to match the brand, model, and size of the 15k miles tires that are on the truck. I don't know what I'll do if Bridgestone stops making 265/70-16 Duelers though.

[EarlyPorsche]

Indy shops will match tire rack...install for $15 more...tell that's all you'll pay.

[Mrmerlin]

you should consult the owners manual for your truck before you buy any tires

anyway from tire rack
Matching Tires on Four-Wheel Drive and All-Wheel Drive Vehicles

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The ability of four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles to divide the engine's horsepower between its four tires is especially useful on loose or slippery surfaces such as sand and dirt, as well as on wet, icy or snow-covered roads. However it's important to remember that in order to transfer this extra power, the four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicle's driveline mechanically connects the tires so they work in unison.

Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles are equipped with additional differentials and/or viscous couplings that are designed to allow momentary differences in wheel speeds when the vehicle turns a corner or temporarily spins a tire. However, if the differentials or viscous couplings are forced to operate 100% of the time because of mismatched tires, they will experience excessive heat and unwarranted wear until they fail.

This necessitates that four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles use tires that are very closely matched. This is because different diameter tires roll a different number of times each mile as a result of the variations in their circumferences. Tire diameter variations can be caused by accidentally using different sized tires, tires with different tread designs, tires made by different manufacturers, different inflation pressures or even tires worn to different tread depths.

As an example of different tire diameters resulting from tires worn to different tread depths, we'll compare two 225/45R17-sized tires, a new tire with its original tread depth of 10/32-inch and a second tire worn to 8/32-inch of remaining tread depth. The new 225/45R17-sized tire has a calculated diameter of 24.97", a circumference of 78.44" and will roll 835 times each mile. The same tire worn to 8/32-inch of remaining tread depth is calculated to be 1/8" shorter with a diameter of 24.84", have a circumference of 78.04" and will roll 839 times per mile. While the difference of 1/8" in overall diameter doesn't seem excessive, the resulting 4 revolutions per mile difference can place a continuous strain on the tires and vehicle's driveline. Obviously, the greater the difference in the tires' circumferences, the greater the resulting strain.

This makes maintaining the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire inflation pressures and using "matched" tires on all wheel positions necessary procedures to reduce strain on the vehicle's driveline. Using "matched" tires means all four tires are the same brand, design and tread depth. Mixing tire brands, tread designs and tread depths may cause components in the vehicle's driveline to fail.

Mismatched tires or using improper inflation pressures for all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles can also result in immediate drivability problems. Some Control Trac equipped vehicles in 4Auto mode may exhibit a shutter on acceleration and/or a noise from the front driveline and transfer case while driving. Some all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles may exhibit axle windup or binding while driving. Some four-wheel drive vehicles (manual or electronic shift) with a two-wheel drive mode may refuse to shift "on the fly" into 4x4 Auto or 4x4 High at highway speeds.

Rotating Tires

Because the front and rear tires of all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles perform different duties while accelerating, braking and cornering, tire rotation is important to even out, and maintain equivalent treadwear of all of the vehicle's tires to minimize potential driveline stresses.

If the vehicle is equipped with a matching road wheel and full-sized spare tire, they should be integrated into the vehicle's rotation pattern at the first tire rotation. This will allow all five of the vehicle's tires to share in the workload and wear at similar rates. In the event that a single tire is damaged and has to be removed from service, this will allow the tread depth equivalent spare tire to be used with the remaining three tires.

If the spare is not integrated into the vehicle's tire rotation pattern, it will not match the tread depth of the four worn tires on the ground when called into service. Additionally, if a single tire is replaced by the full size spare tire, hopefully the new replacement tire can remain as the spare tire until the other four tires have worn out and need to be replaced.

Replacing Pairs of Tires or Individual Tires

There are several suggestions that have been offered to drivers who are replacing pairs or individual tires on their four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles. Some vehicle manufacturers recommend that all tires maintain the same rolling radius and circumference, while others suggest that all tire circumferences remain within 1/4- to 1/2-inch of each other. Other vehicle manufacturers recommend that all four tires remain within 2/32-, 3/32- or 4/32-inch of each other, or within 30% of each other in relative remaining tread depth.

Regardless of the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations, the least stressful application is when all four tires are the same tire brand, tread design and equivalent tread depth.

Before buying pairs or individual tires for all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles, drivers should read their vehicle's owners manual or contact the dealer's service department for confirmation of their specific vehicle's requirements.

Matching Tires By Shaving Them to Maintain Equivalent Tire Tread Depths

What does a driver do if one tire has to be removed from service when it and the other three tires have already worn to two-thirds to one-half of their original tread depth? Simply installing one new tire runs the risk of drivability problems or expensive driveline damage. Replacing the other three partially worn tires along with the damaged tire significantly increases the cost.

Tire Rack can provide a solution by matching the tread depth of the replacement tire to the tread depth of the partially worn tires that will remain on the vehicle by removing tread rubber from a new tire on a specialized machine that operates as a tire lathe. While this may seem counterintuitive, the value of the mileage sacrificed by the one replacement tire is considerably less than the cost of rebuilding worn driveline components.

Tire Rack has offered a tire shaving service that has been primarily used for preparing competition tires for racetrack use. This same service can also be used to remove tread rubber from new pairs or individual street tires used on four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles to allow them to match the remaining tread depth of the other partially worn tires that will remain on the vehicle. In addition to providing equivalent tread depth to eliminate driveline stress, shaved tires will also better match the traction and handling qualities of the remaining worn tires.

While the cost of our street tire shaving service will range from $25 to $35 for each tire, it is significantly less than the cost of unnecessarily replacing the remaining two or three good tires with lots of mileage still available from them.

Here are recommendations from some of the manufactures that Tire Rack currently serves for matching the tires used on their four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles. Additional recommendations from other Original Equipment Vehicle Manufacturers is pending.
Audi As published in their vehicle owner's manual, "rolling radius of all 4 tires must remain the same" or within 4/32-inch of each other in remaining tread depth.
Porsche Cayenne within 30% of the other tire on the same axle's remaining treadwear.
Subaru Within 1/4-inch of tire circumference or about 2/32-inch of each other in remaining tread depth.

[azasadny]

We have a local family-owned tire shop that also does suspension work. They do quality work and charge a fair price. I'm glad we have them...

[T77911S]

Originally Posted by jpk

FYI - I used to take my wheels and tires to a tire place for mounting and balancing, but recently found that Wallyworld does it for $10 each instead of the $20-$25.

i went there once, i dont think the wheel weights were the same quality as a real tire shop, they kept coming off if i remember correctly.

when i call tire shops, i ask for a break down of the price. most like to give you just the final cost. i want the price for the tires each, and the mount and balance.
prices for M&B can be from 10 to 50. i dont want the cheapest, and i certainly dont want the most expensive.

i have found that this shop close by is pretty good with their prices. i just bought some COMP TA's for the mercedes and they were less than tirerack.