What are your guys thoughts about buying tires from an online source versus buying from a local shop. In most cases I can buy the tires cheaper online but of course you usually don't have as good warrenty or problem support as you do if you buy locally.

Have you guys that have bought online, had any problems finding someone to install the tires and then take care of any problems if they occur?

I bought tires from Tirerack about 10 years ago and that was my one and only time I've bought online. It was a good experience but I just never did it again and I don't even remember who installed them. The few places I've inquired about mounting and balancing tires I bring in, did not seem very enthusiastic about it. Thanks for any input.

Wayne

 

Never done it. Can't say. I'm only about 45 minutes from Tire Racks main office, so it's that way or about 30 minutes the other way to Discount Tire. To me it's not the purchasing, but the mounting that's important, and if your installer doesn't want to do it, even if you pay him top dollar, he's going to probably do a crap job in mounting them.
I don't trust ANY of my local tech's around here.

 

I think Tirerack has a list of designated shops in your area, and you can even get the tires shipped right to the shop. We have an awesome shop in Lake Bluff that has a state of the art tire mounting machine. From here on out I am buying all of my tires from Tirerack!

 

Tirerack does have recommended installers here where I live and I can ship the tires to them. The one thing I have to take into consideration is that there is no lifetime balance and rotation offered by any of these shops if I purchase tires online. So in the end, the online tires might end up costing more.

The cooper tires that I"m seriously considering, tirerack does not offer. Treadepot.com has them but I don't know if they have recommended installers or not. There is a local shop that has them for more money but I don't know if they offer lifetime balance and rotation with the purchase.

I also want to make sure whoever I have install tires, has the best mounting and balancing equipment. Thanks for the input guys.

Wayne

 

its this some shops dont like it if you bring oil or fluids to there shop or tires thel think your stupid or dumb i hate that when a shop guy does that to me. as in bringing my parts to them and say can you put this on for me ill pick it up at 3 in the eavning.with tires or fluids or breaks they do a mark up. on them and they lose the mark up when you bring your own things