How to buy tires for your car (letter to a friend asking foradvice)

On 02/07/2013 10:28 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> Joe Mastroianni > wrote:
>>
>> 4. When ordering, choose the option to send them to the installer of
>> choice, and pick the CHEAPEST local installer by overall price (it should
>> cost roughly about $15 per tire for mounting & balancing but many have
>> additional fees so that's total price, including tire disposal fee, new
>> valve, balancing, and mounting).
>
> Problem is the cheapest local installer is going to be using torque sticks
> and are apt to overtorque everything and bend up your rotors. They are also
> apt to find lots of other things wrong and wind up sticking the customer for
> the cost of an alignment (which more often than not is actually a misalignment).
>
> So it's good to at least beware of these things.
> --scott
>

I've finally found a shop that I trust to install tires on my car - if
any of you are near DIA I can tell you where to go. (no, I'm not being
a smartass <G>)

nate

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On Feb 7, 2:57*pm, Nate Nagel > wrote:
> On 02/07/2013 01:25 AM, Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
>

> > There's also sport versus cruising and everything in between. *A sport
> > tire may be so superior in performance that it grips better in the rain
> > than a cruising tire grips on dry pavement. *The downside is noise, a
> > harsh ride, and rapid wear. *Cruising tires are comfortable and long
> > lasting but not great performers.
>
> I agree with both of your comments, I would also add that unless this is
> a car that a) never sees snow, EVER or b) has a set of dedicated winter
> tires to exclude anything that has "summer" in the description (or
> doesn't have "all-season.")
>
> Sounds like you actually have a pretty good handle on it, and I would
> definitely try to price match with a good local independent shop before
> just ordering from tire rack - it works out the same in the end but you
> build a good relationship with the shop that way. *It's an easy sale for
> them if you walk in already knowing what two or three models, sizes,
> etc. of tires you're thinking are acceptable.

Yeah, I've got to say the Discount Tire warranty for the wife's car
has paid for itself, her being able to deal with it instead of being
dependent on me if nothing else. 3 times in two months at one point
IIRC. Tire guys are a long way from brain surgeons, so having decent
policies, procedures and locations makes a difference.

I'm normally bitching and moaning about warranties.

>
> Finally, I've had excellent luck with Michelin tires and find them to be
> a little more expensive but wear a lot longer than other mfgrs.
> comparable tires, while still having good traction. *Whether the premium
> is worth it really depends on how long friend's daughter anticipates
> keeping the car.

I have generally too, though on Chrysler 300M they were noisy as hell
and I eventually went with whatever Tire Rack recommended as the
quietest (don't remember what now, funny how easier it is to remember
the screwups).

Usually auto dealers are to be avoided, but I have seen them actually
have decent tire deals (rarely, but I have). I speculate because they
buy a bunch for their trade-ins, perhaps also to upsell other
services.

jg
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Joe Mastroianni wrote:
> A friend asked me how to buy tires for her daughter - and I wrote this up
> to email to her.
>
> How does it look (do you have better ideas for a basic college kid's car)?

My method of getting tires:
Look at the door sticker and tires to find tire size.
Go online to Discount Tire and NTB to see what they have
on sale and if they are at the local stores.
Call the store and confirm they have them and how long
of a waiting line.
Go to store (take reading material) and have them put on.
Drive away happy one hour later.
The entire process takes me about one hour and twenty minutes.

Your method: Way too much unnecessary movement and hassle.
What country do you live in?

What do you do if a new tire is bad?
The tire store will blame you or the installer.

What do you do for free tire rotation and balance
as the tires wear?

What do you do if tire gets destroyed?

Nate Nagel > wrote:
> On 02/07/2013 10:28 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
>> Joe Mastroianni > wrote:
>>>
>>> 4. When ordering, choose the option to send them to the installer of
>>> choice, and pick the CHEAPEST local installer by overall price (it should
>>> cost roughly about $15 per tire for mounting & balancing but many have
>>> additional fees so that's total price, including tire disposal fee, new
>>> valve, balancing, and mounting).
>>
>> Problem is the cheapest local installer is going to be using torque sticks
>> and are apt to overtorque everything and bend up your rotors. They are also
>> apt to find lots of other things wrong and wind up sticking the customer for
>> the cost of an alignment (which more often than not is actually a misalignment).
>>
>> So it's good to at least beware of these things.
>> --scott
>>
>
> I've finally found a shop that I trust to install tires on my car - if
> any of you are near DIA I can tell you where to go. (no, I'm not being a smartass <G>)
>
> nate


I go down the road to a large independent tire place that sells Cooper. I
have them put on and get out. Cooper is all they have.

Years ago there was a mail-order tire place in WVA. They used to have a
tire installation inside a department store in Pittsburgh. They had good
deals. Next thingI know they are NTB. Never went to NTB. There are three
independent tire discounter near me. It's hard to find better deals
overall. Don't know what I'll do when I have to replace my truck tires.
They are low slung big rimmed. Gona cost.

Greg

On Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:48:41 -0800, jgar the jorrible wrote:

EVERYTHING jgar said was on the money!

Thanks.

On Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:28:36 -0500, Scott Dorsey wrote:

> Problem is the cheapest local installer is going to be using torque
> sticks and are apt to overtorque everything and bend up your rotors.
> They are also apt to find lots of other things wrong and wind up
> sticking the customer for the cost of an alignment (which more often
> than not is actually a misalignment).

I understand 'what' you're saying ... but ...

The problem is trying to simplify how to get four round black ones her
daughter's car - and - well - it just seemed senseless to try to have her
judge which installer to use when there's really no way to tell which
installer is better than any other installer.

Is there a way to tell which installer is better than another?

On Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:53:46 -0800, jgar the jorrible wrote:

> Be sure and print everything, it seems there are sometimes different
> prices between franchise and corporate web sites.

I just got tirerack tires shipped to a "recommended installer", Midas,
and, guess what?

Midas charged me 10% more than their advertised price for the
installation on TireRack.

So, I signed the estimate and then called Tire Rack who called Midas who
then lowered the price after an hour of phone calls.

But just for me (by adjusting the labor rate).

The only problem with that is that the NEXT person who goes into Midas is
not going to get that price so they're still fleecing people (bait and
switch).

On Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:55:09 -0600, Paul in Houston TX wrote:

> What country do you live in?

Silicon Valley.

> What do you do if a new tire is bad?

I've never had a "bad" tire but if it were bad, I'd call TireRack and
complain. I'm sure they have a procedure (although I confess I don't know
what it is).

> The tire store will blame you or the installer.

Depends on what went bad. If it has a nail in it, then they should blame
me. If it wore prematurely, then they have to look at how the other three
tires wore to see if it was the alignment. If it delaminated or developed
a bulge in the sidewall, well then, I would think they'd make good on it.

> What do you do for free tire rotation and balance as the tires wear?

You know. I must confess. I bought tires a few times from Costco when
they had the free rotation and, well, I just NEVER took it to them for
that free rotation. I just did it myself. Much more convenient than
waiting in line for hours for something that takes less time (with 4 good
jack stands) than it takes to drive to the place.

> What do you do if tire gets destroyed?
I would buy another tire using the exact same process only I'd match the
tire to the other three. I'm not sure why this question was asked.

But, back to the intent:
These are all good questions which a mother and her daughter might need
to worry about ... so I take them as good advice. But they don't answer
what we can tell that mother and daughter directly by way of algorithm.

On 2/7/13 10:33 PM, Danny D. wrote:
>
> The only problem with that is that the NEXT person who goes into Midas is
> not going to get that price so they're still fleecing people (bait and
> switch).

But that's the Midas way, or should I say, the Midas Touch!

I've avoided going to Midas the past 25 years because of their shady
practices. Friends don't let friends go to Midas.


- Peter

On Feb 7, 10:29*pm, Joe Mastroianni > wrote:
> On Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:28:36 -0500, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> > Problem is the cheapest local installer is going to be using torque
> > sticks and are apt to overtorque everything and bend up your rotors.
> > They are also apt to find lots of other things wrong and wind up
> > sticking the customer for the cost of an alignment (which more often
> > than not is actually a misalignment).
>
> I understand 'what' you're saying ... but ...
>
> The problem is trying to simplify how to get four round black ones her
> daughter's car - and - well - it just seemed senseless to try to have her
> judge which installer to use when there's really no way to tell which
> installer is better than any other installer.
>
> Is there a way to tell which installer is better than another?

Obviously not, as even a good one may go bad. And obviously, the
feelings that women have that they are being taken advantage of come
from some truth (really, taking advantage of suckers is gender-blind,
and surely some macho guys overestimate their own ability to judge).
Part of the reason I got a good deal on my bug was the little old lady
felt the vendors were taking advantage of a little old lady. Perhaps
they were, but there were things that simply needed to be fixed. I
felt the same way getting those things fixed even understanding the
issues as a car guy.

All you can really do is ask your friends who've they had reasonable
dealings with recently, there's no deterministic algorithm. And then
you risk the fact that your friends might be bat-**** crazy. With
yelp and similar, there's the additional sock-puppet risk.

When I was in car clubs there were usually people who worked in the
biz who could direct you towards the good guys. That's not feasible
for the general public, though perhaps everyone knows a car guy that
can help. I can say there was one group that was got uncomfortable
when they realized a member was subtly ripping them all off.

Years ago when I was auto-crossing, I got to know my local Goodyear
dealer well, really liked him, and gave him a lot of business. Then
he got some roid-raged weightlifter guy as a manager, I couldn't deal
with it, so went elsewhere. Eventually that guy left and I went
back. With that set of tires, the ABS light came on as I left, and
they told me it would go out in a few miles (true in some cases).
Well it didn't go out, turned out the installer had cut the ABS
sensors. So they had to replace them, the manager showed me the
invoice, parts alone certainly wiped out any profit they might have
made. While I felt they tried to make good both by fixing it and
fessin' up, really, this is brakes we're talking about, they lost my
business. So it goes.

My wife is a psychologist, and doesn't want me to go to one place
because one of her patients works there. There's another place I
avoid because a former tenant works there, he bolted and left me to
deal with junk truck and engines. lol

jg
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