Buying Tires Online
05-03-2018, 07:27 AM
#21
Le Mans Master
I prefer to shop for tires online and then install them locally. It is always cheaper. I can recommend a good online tire shop Supertiresonline. They sell predominately used tires, but with 80-90% of tread left. Also 90 days warranty (exchange or money back). For locals there is a free installation if you buy from them.
05-03-2018, 07:53 AM
#22
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Sep 2012
Location: Fort Myers Beach Florida
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Tire Rack charged me for shipping. I chose one of the network installers who overcharged me far beyond their documented agreed to prices. Use Tire Rack for price comparison and have you local dealer meet or beat their price. It happens all the time. Life is too short to deal with Luke and Tire Rack because he makes promises he doesn't keep.
05-03-2018, 08:13 AM
#23
I like Tire Rack for researching tires, but I usually buy my tires at Discount Tires...by the time you figure in shipping and mounting and balancing costs, it's usually less expensive to just use DT...
05-03-2018, 08:14 AM
#24
Pro
A Walmart amazement on my last tire purchases. Could not use my Associate Discount card on the Hankook tire order. So, just went to the store and ordered the same tires and they honored the card. Same price as the online store also.
But, I pulled my wheels off myself and brought tires and wheels to a local I trust. 10 bucks apiece cash for mounting and balance.
But, I pulled my wheels off myself and brought tires and wheels to a local I trust. 10 bucks apiece cash for mounting and balance.
05-03-2018, 10:05 AM
#25
Team Owner
Member Since: May 2001
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St. Jude Donor '11
I've bought my tires from Discount Tire exclusively for awhile now. I've always had a great experience with them, and their prices are usually the lowest or very close to the lowest. The last time I shopped for tires, the cheapest route was to buy the tires online at Discount Tire Direct (ebay) and have it installed at my local discount tire. They charge you installation, but don't charge you tire disposal.
You can call them and ask for a quote, its usually more expensive than doing what I just said, but depending on the manager they might match the price of buying the tires directly from Ebay.
...Discount tires just opened a new store here...they matched the lowest prices I could find and did a fantastic job mounting and balancing on their brand new Hunter equipment and used stick on weights....they were very careful with my wheels..
05-03-2018, 10:36 AM
#26
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I have bought tires online from both Tire Rack and Discount Tire Direct And both offer good service and prices. However, I have found that Discount Tire Dirext is usually cheaper since they ship free.
What I have been doing lately is to take an internet price quote to my local tire store and see if they will price match. So far they have done so every time. They order the tires and in just a couple of days the tires are here and I get them installed. Pretty easy process.
What I have been doing lately is to take an internet price quote to my local tire store and see if they will price match. So far they have done so every time. They order the tires and in just a couple of days the tires are here and I get them installed. Pretty easy process.
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Yello95 (05-03-2018)
05-03-2018, 10:44 AM
#27
Burning Brakes
Another vote for Tire Rack. I am only 10 mins from their warehouse, so I picked them up myself. Made sure the date on the tires were good. No issues. Good company to deal with. I ended up going to a 'ghetto' tire shop, as was recommended in another thread. These guy have a lot of experience with high end wheels and low profile tires. They work for cash and are cheap. $60 bucks to mount and balance. Couldn't have been happier. Now I have a shop that I trust to do that type of work.
05-03-2018, 01:52 PM
#28
Team Owner
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Location: Virginia
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St. Jude Donor '11
I have bought tires online from both Tire Rack and Discount Tire Direct And both offer good service and prices. However, I have found that Discount Tire Dirext is usually cheaper since they ship free.
What I have been doing lately is to take an internet price quote to my local tire store and see if they will price match. So far they have done so every time. They order the tires and in just a couple of days the tires are here and I get them installed. Pretty easy process.
What I have been doing lately is to take an internet price quote to my local tire store and see if they will price match. So far they have done so every time. They order the tires and in just a couple of days the tires are here and I get them installed. Pretty easy process.
05-03-2018, 02:18 PM
#29
Instructor
Member Since: Oct 2013
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Have you checked out Tire-Easy and Simple tire.? Big selection,free shipping on some.Also they run some specials.
Don't count out Walmart. I just bought 4 tires for another car and saved over $30 on a Walmart purchase with free shipping. Watch close out price specials. I just bought two tires for my Vette through Ebay. Were purchased from TIRE RACK,but same tires were cheaper on their Ebay site compared to going direct to Tire Rack. Got free shipping through ebay buy.
Don't count out Walmart. I just bought 4 tires for another car and saved over $30 on a Walmart purchase with free shipping. Watch close out price specials. I just bought two tires for my Vette through Ebay. Were purchased from TIRE RACK,but same tires were cheaper on their Ebay site compared to going direct to Tire Rack. Got free shipping through ebay buy.
05-03-2018, 02:52 PM
#30
last set of tires i bought from amazon. they were shipped free through prime and got sent to Firestone for install. Firestone gave me a good mount/balance price and they warrantied the tires. I beleive it was store specific though, because the other store that was closer did not want to do this.
The other set I bought was through discount tire. They price matched tire racks price and did the standard mount/balance/warranty. I try to go with discount tires as much as i can as they have been the best for me. I have had issues with them keeping their end of our "verbal agreement". I have shown up before to have them deny the agreed to price. typically they call back and go with it.
The other set I bought was through discount tire. They price matched tire racks price and did the standard mount/balance/warranty. I try to go with discount tires as much as i can as they have been the best for me. I have had issues with them keeping their end of our "verbal agreement". I have shown up before to have them deny the agreed to price. typically they call back and go with it.
05-03-2018, 02:56 PM
#31
Melting Slicks
I've gotten tires from TR 3 different ways:
1) For my '95 Z28 I got Blizzaks on steel wheels and a set of faux-chrome hubcaps shipped to my house
2) I've had them shipped directly to a local Pep Boys
3) I've driven to their warehouse in New Castle DE and picked them up
With the "ship installed on wheels" deal - the hole for the rear hub was just a tad small and I had to grind it out. That Z was bad-*** in the snow - until the air dam sucked up all the snow into the radiator and I started overheating on a 10deg night!
With the "local installer" dropoff (Potenza RE760 for the C5) - as far as Pep goes - it's a done deal when the tires get to them (you won't be charged sales tax or anything like that). But you will pay shipping to Pep - and also Pep's install/balance fee. Before shipping to Pep - I checked to see if Pep carried that brand (they did not) - if they did I'd offer them a chance to better the deal. This option saved me $150 over what my local Firestone shop quoted me.
The most recent TR experience was driving about 1.5h to the New Castle depot to get tires for my 4runner - being in Delaware there is no sales tax and no shipping (other than my gas and tolls). In my mind this was the best deal.
When it came time to get the track day tires for my C5 - I wanted to go this route again - but found that the OEM front tire is an odd size and TR did not have them anyplace. So I wound up finding a Nitto dealer in DE and driving there to close the deal (again no sales tax/no shipping).
A good bit of the equation is the old Time/Money tradeoff - to save money it takes your time...
1) For my '95 Z28 I got Blizzaks on steel wheels and a set of faux-chrome hubcaps shipped to my house
2) I've had them shipped directly to a local Pep Boys
3) I've driven to their warehouse in New Castle DE and picked them up
With the "ship installed on wheels" deal - the hole for the rear hub was just a tad small and I had to grind it out. That Z was bad-*** in the snow - until the air dam sucked up all the snow into the radiator and I started overheating on a 10deg night!
With the "local installer" dropoff (Potenza RE760 for the C5) - as far as Pep goes - it's a done deal when the tires get to them (you won't be charged sales tax or anything like that). But you will pay shipping to Pep - and also Pep's install/balance fee. Before shipping to Pep - I checked to see if Pep carried that brand (they did not) - if they did I'd offer them a chance to better the deal. This option saved me $150 over what my local Firestone shop quoted me.
The most recent TR experience was driving about 1.5h to the New Castle depot to get tires for my 4runner - being in Delaware there is no sales tax and no shipping (other than my gas and tolls). In my mind this was the best deal.
When it came time to get the track day tires for my C5 - I wanted to go this route again - but found that the OEM front tire is an odd size and TR did not have them anyplace. So I wound up finding a Nitto dealer in DE and driving there to close the deal (again no sales tax/no shipping).
A good bit of the equation is the old Time/Money tradeoff - to save money it takes your time...
05-04-2018, 04:25 PM
#32
Team Owner
you can buy at Sams as well and get them shipped free to the store and pick up to take to your installer....
05-04-2018, 11:32 PM
#33
Le Mans Master
I've been using TR's site for size and availability info. I then use Discount Tire for purchasing, free shipping and many times I've gotten substantial gift cards=cash, I've got friends to do the installation. Also, included road hazard warranties. Very good service, too.