Tires within 100 mi of SF Bay Area ?

Hi all-

I'm in the market for a set of 195/70TR14 Michelin Energy MXV4
tires for my Camry wagon.

I'm more than ready for a change from places like Wheel Works,
Just Tires, Goodyear and the lot.

* I just want the tires mounted, balanced and installed properly.


* I don't want the lug nuts cross-threaded or tightened to
160 lb. ft.
* I don't want 'nitrogen inflation' or a 'road hazard warranty'.
* I don't want oil squirted on my struts so that I can be sold
unneeded replacements.
* I don't want my nice wheels swapped for scratched and dirty
ones from the back lot.
* I want the new tires to be new, rather than some used by a
former customer for a few hundred miles and rejected.

In short, I want to give my money and the money of all my friends
to a store that provides (at least) the bare minimum of customer
service.

What has been your experience with internet sites like "Tire Rack"
and the installers they recommend?

Or, what was your excellent experience with a tire seller?
Names and phone numbers for the South San Francisco Peninsula
Bay Area, please?

Or, should I just give up and buy the necessary machines from
Coates?

Thanks

--Winston

On Sun, 06 Mar 2005 11:34:37 -0800, Winston >
wrote:

>
>* I don't want the lug nuts cross-threaded or tightened to
> 160 lb. ft.
Look for a shop with people that aren't just out of school and
starting to work.

>* I don't want 'nitrogen inflation' or a 'road hazard warranty'.
Easy. Tell the salesman you don't want those.

>* I don't want oil squirted on my struts so that I can be sold
> unneeded replacements.
Been watching 20/20 a bit much?

>* I don't want my nice wheels swapped for scratched and dirty
> ones from the back lot.
The likely hood of a shop having Toyota wheels in the back and a
desire to swap them with yours is probably about the same as an
asteroid falling on you on your way to the shop.

>* I want the new tires to be new, rather than some used by a
> former customer for a few hundred miles and rejected.
Again an easy thing to do. Check the tires before they put them on
the car to make sure they are new.

>
>In short, I want to give my money and the money of all my friends
>to a store that provides (at least) the bare minimum of customer
>service.
>
I'm glad your not my friend. I can spend enough of my own money
without any "friends" giving it away for me.

>What has been your experience with internet sites like "Tire Rack"
>and the installers they recommend?

Never bought from them. I prefer to pay a bit more to get the tires
locally. Seems kind of like bringing my own steak to the restaurant
and asking them to cook it for me. It would seem to me that the
better shops would have enough customers that they wouldn't need to do
this work but what do I know....

>
>Or, what was your excellent experience with a tire seller?
>Names and phone numbers for the South San Francisco Peninsula
>Bay Area, please?
>
Don't live in your area but I have always found it pretty easy to walk
in to a shop and speak to the people working there to see if they are
competent to work on my vehicle. Stay away from the discount chains
and look for an independently owned shop that's clean and full of
customers. In my area a lot of the Goodyear shops are in dependants
but I don't know your state. Speak to the workers to see if they
appear to have made it past junior high in their education experience.

>Or, should I just give up and buy the necessary machines from
>Coates?
>

You can get a tire changer/balancer combo for around 3K. I would
think rubber tires would be out of style before that paid off.


Steve B.

Steve B. wrote:
> On Sun, 06 Mar 2005 11:34:37 -0800, Winston >
> wrote:
>
(...)

Thanks for your reassuring comments, Steve.

>>Or, should I just give up and buy the necessary machines from
>>Coates?
>
> You can get a tire changer/balancer combo for around 3K. I would
> think rubber tires would be out of style before that paid off.

Only 3K? Might be worth it.

Thanks again

--Winston

Steve B. wrote:
> On Sun, 06 Mar 2005 11:34:37 -0800, Winston >
> wrote:
>
>
>>* I don't want the lug nuts cross-threaded or tightened to
>> 160 lb. ft.
>
> Look for a shop with people that aren't just out of school and
> starting to work.

Most tires shops I've seen use impact wrenches with a torque
limiting mechanism.

>
>>* I don't want 'nitrogen inflation' or a 'road hazard warranty'.
>
> Easy. Tell the salesman you don't want those.

Some places use nitrogen at no extra charge. Some places include
a road hazard warranty at no extra charge. Free rotations are
fairly common these days.

>
>>* I don't want oil squirted on my struts so that I can be sold
>> unneeded replacements.
>
> Been watching 20/20 a bit much?
>
>
>>* I don't want my nice wheels swapped for scratched and dirty
>> ones from the back lot.
>
> The likely hood of a shop having Toyota wheels in the back and a
> desire to swap them with yours is probably about the same as an
> asteroid falling on you on your way to the shop.

Sounds rather paranoid.

>>* I want the new tires to be new, rather than some used by a
>> former customer for a few hundred miles and rejected.
>
> Again an easy thing to do. Check the tires before they put them on
> the car to make sure they are new.

Wow - I've never had a problem. I actually saw the tires in a
stack from the warehouse delivery. I always ask to see the tires
before I buy them (except when I go through the Tire Rack).

>>In short, I want to give my money and the money of all my friends
>>to a store that provides (at least) the bare minimum of customer
>>service.
>>
> I'm glad your not my friend. I can spend enough of my own money
> without any "friends" giving it away for me.

Nothing wrong with recommending a place. However - I've found
decent customer service at most tire stores I've been to.

>>What has been your experience with internet sites like "Tire Rack"
>>and the installers they recommend?
>
>
> Never bought from them. I prefer to pay a bit more to get the tires
> locally. Seems kind of like bringing my own steak to the restaurant
> and asking them to cook it for me. It would seem to me that the
> better shops would have enough customers that they wouldn't need to do
> this work but what do I know....

Never overestimate that tire dealers want your business. I've
bought my tires from the Tire Rack, took them into a Goodyear
dealer without an appointment, and had them installed by the
end of the day. Most dealers will gladly take any money you
have to spend.

>>Or, what was your excellent experience with a tire seller?
>>Names and phone numbers for the South San Francisco Peninsula
>>Bay Area, please?
>>
>
> Don't live in your area but I have always found it pretty easy to walk
> in to a shop and speak to the people working there to see if they are
> competent to work on my vehicle. Stay away from the discount chains
> and look for an independently owned shop that's clean and full of
> customers. In my area a lot of the Goodyear shops are in dependants
> but I don't know your state. Speak to the workers to see if they
> appear to have made it past junior high in their education experience.

Auto Options in Berkeley, California. I've also found good work at
various chain stores. Costco is hit or miss depending on the
individual. After two tires were blown on one side, a Costco
employee moved one of the good ones and installed two new tires
on the rear axle. So there was one directional tire that was
going the wrong way. Eventually it was remounted at my request.

>>Or, should I just give up and buy the necessary machines from
>>Coates?
>>
> You can get a tire changer/balancer combo for around 3K. I would
> think rubber tires would be out of style before that paid off.

Most tire dealers I've known of will let one watch from outside
of the bay. I've watched the work being done, and never had a
problem.

y_p_w wrote:

> Auto Options in Berkeley, California.

Thanks!

--Winston