Help for tires (LdyFaire and me)

Great to be Debt Free · #1 (**permalink**) 09-04-2006, 10:09 PM

I read in LdyFaires (I think that's right) that she will need tires soon. I may too. Are tires from discount places okay? Are there secrets to getting tires for less? I know LdyFairre has some kind of special rim or something, but is there a cheaper way to replace the rims so that cheaper tires can be used without sacrificing safety?

I just figured some of y'all might be able to help on this one... when it comes to car stuff, I'm pretty ignorant (I check and add oil and fill the tank, but that's about it). So... toss your pennies on over... we'll see what everyones 2 cents can add up to!

JBinKC · #2 (**permalink**) 09-04-2006, 11:42 PM

My suggestion is to go to tirerack.com and look at the tire reviews for an idea of what to purchase. I bought my last set of tires online through them and been happy with the purchase but that was a while ago. I am sure shipping charges are much higher now.

Ima saver · #3 (**permalink**) 09-05-2006, 10:04 AM

My husband handles that, I know my last tires cost over $1200 but they will never go flat.

autoxer · #4 (**permalink**) 09-05-2006, 11:34 AM

I've become a bit carried away with wheels & tires. I have three sets of wheels and tires for one car. One is snow tires, one is high performance summer tires & the third is the original all seasons that came with the car. I've purchased four sets of used tires & two sets of new tires in the past three years and I've also sold a couple sets.

I have realized that I can buy a set of wheels w/ slightly used tires for much less than it would cost to buy new tires & have them mounted up. I bought a set of fancy Aluminum Alloy wheels w/ great tires for $1400 one summer, used up the tires, then sold the wheels w/ bald tires for $1300. The retail price for those wheels is around $2200 & the tires cost about $800, but it only cost me $100 to use them for the summer. I've also purchased some subaru OEM wheels w/ tires for $200. The tires are already mounted & balanced, so all I have to do is jack up the car and put them on. I wouldn't recommend doing this without a good understanding of tires though. Between making sure the wheels have the right bolt pattern & offset, to making sure the tires have a sufficient load rating & understanding what the wear patterns mean, it can get complicated. Other important things are knowing which tires are better for hydroplane resistance & which ones are just noisy, because that can really change the way the car feels.

Saving in So Cal · #5 (**permalink**) 09-05-2006, 01:35 PM

I think JBinKC has it right. Tires aren't something to skimp on. Find out which ones are the best and then price them at various places until you find the right deal for you.

I can't remember where I purchased my last set. (My tires last forever. I am diligent about keeping them properly inflated and I rotate them at regular intervals.) I have purchased them at Costco in the past with good results.

jodi · #6 (**permalink**) 09-05-2006, 07:56 PM

I was told once to never buy the cheapest or the most expensive tires. I generally skew toward the cheaper end, but never the cheapest. I also call at least three places for quotes before making a decision.
Other than that, I'm clueless myself. I run all car decisions by my dear ol' dad before making my choice

autoxer · #7 (**permalink**) 09-06-2006, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ima saver

I know my last tires cost over $1200 but they will never go flat.

Run flat tires are designed to be stronger so that they can still support the vehicle when they do go flat. That doesn't prevent them from losing air & they should be fixed shortly after going flat, but there is no need for a spare tire.