Where do you go change your tires?

[AznSensation]

I'm thinking about going to either costco ($70 MIR on Michelin) or Discounttire/Americastire ($100 MIR on all tires). I know that costco has better warranty and service... however, i hate the long waiting lines and the price seems higher. Has anyone replaced their tires from discount tires or america's tire? If I'm going there, I'm going to get Hankook tires.

 

[Jetster...]

Your best deals are online and pay to have them installed. Unless you find a better deal. Most tire shops offer good service. Free rotations, flats fixed.

 

[Elganja]

costco will match any online price and will order any tire they don't have in stock (good for us who have akward sized tires). mounting/balancing is free when you buy tires from them, plus they will use nitrogen to fill the tires.

 

[NutBucket]

Local tire shop. Cost of tires is similar to Tirerack (of course there's tax too, but should be paying that anyway!) but mounting costs are a bit higher. However, the service is worth it.

 

[Vic Vega]

Local mom and pop tire shop. They only have two bays but do good work, are friendly and honest. I don't buy tires from them however, they can't compete with TireRack.

 

[RKS]

You can have TR deliver the tires to the installer of your choice but most large shops will match the delivered price.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Discount Tire.


A few reasons - one, I have a fairly expensive car and nice wheels. *Should* something happen, I like the backing of a corp with some $$ versus a mom and pop where it makes or breaks the business.

Sure you can save ~5% from tirerack, but the pain of either bring the tires in or shipping them direct negates it. Plus you generally pay more for tires bought elsewhere.




Discount Tire is a great company.. I've bought 6-7 sets at least and referred a bunch of people with 0 issues, very rare nowadays.




I love costco, but the people that tend to work at the discount tires (at least around here) are very friendly and don't mind showing you around the bay etc... I like the huge open windows so you can see them work on your car.

 

[Vic Vega]

costco will match any online price and will order any tire they don't have in stock (good for us who have akward sized tires). mounting/balancing is free when you buy tires from them, plus they will use nitrogen to fill the tires.

My local Costco refused to match TireRack prices.

 

[NutBucket]

BTW, con for Costco is they won't install a tire that isn't OEM size.

 

[MotF Bane]

Local place.

 

[dainthomas]

costco will match any online price and will order any tire they don't have in stock (good for us who have akward sized tires). mounting/balancing is free when you buy tires from them, plus they will use nitrogen to fill the tires.

LOL

 

[exar333]

Either a local place or Discount tire for my car. My fiance's car, however, we use Tires Plus (I know, I know). They are good because we need to swap out winter tires and summer tires every year, and they cover this free for life on the tires. We got both the winter and summer tires price-matched there with very little to install them and we don't have to pay to swap them 2x a year. That does save some $$$ in the long run.

 

[RKS]

Either a local place or Discount tire for my car. My fiance's car, however, we use Tires Plus (I know, I know). They are good because we need to swap out winter tires and summer tires every year, and they cover this free for life on the tires. We got both the winter and summer tires price-matched there with very little to install them and we don't have to pay to swap them 2x a year. That does save some $$$ in the long run.

I have a separate set of wheels/tires for winter. All you need is a torque wrench to swap them at home.

 

[SJP0tato]

Sure you can save ~5% from tirerack, but the pain of either bring the tires in or shipping them direct negates it. Plus you generally pay more for tires bought elsewhere.

This is why I pretty much always go to Discount over anywhere else: If there's a warranty issue you're taken care of on the spot. Tire rack at best they have to ship over the replacement tire.

 

[KentState]

The last car that I had to change tires on was my GTO and there was a neighborhood shop that had excellent service and pricing. At times they were a couple percent more than a chain, but they would always get me in ASAP and would pickup and drop me off if necessary.

 

[sontakke]

Costco stopped free mounting and balance a while ago. Now it is $15 per tire :-(

 

[Doggiedog]

I change it myself. Have a nice jack from Harbor Freight, impact wrench, torque wrench and other goodies.

 

[ShawnD1]

I love costco, but the people that tend to work at the discount tires (at least around here) are very friendly and don't mind showing you around the bay etc... I like the huge open windows so you can see them work on your car.

wtf? Does anyone actually want to see the bay? Who cares? Usually I drop my car off then go shopping in that store.

 

[zerocool84]

Buy from Tire Rack and get installed at a small Mexican place near me.

 

[T2urtle]

I change it myself. Have a nice jack from Harbor Freight, impact wrench, torque wrench and other goodies.

you didn't list tire dismount/mount machine and wheel balancer....

 

[Kirby]

Roland's. Everyone I know in the area buys tires from them.

 

[Howard]

wtf? Does anyone actually want to see the bay? Who cares? Usually I drop my car off then go shopping in that store.

I can see why your cars are always in poor condition.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

I change tires at Burt Brothers.

 

[thomsbrain]

Discount Tire will price-match anyone, including Tire Rack and Costco. They will mount non-OEM size tires. They will sell you a tire that isn't a Michelin.

I like Costco, but they are absolute Nazis about tire warranties. If you don't take your tires back to them every like 3,000 miles for a rotation, they will refuse to so much as patch a flat in your tire. Meanwhile Discount will repair ANYONE's tire for free, regardless of where they bought it.

 

[jlee]

Unfortunately I am stuck with TireRack - no one else sells Star Specs now.

From what I'm reading in this thread, I'd probably go with Discount Tire.