Need new car tires? Tire Rack

This was something kinda out of my comfort zone but gave it a try. A new service offered by Tire Rack.
I was needing a new set of tires for my SUV and was not looking forward to sitting in a waiting room all afternoon at some tire store. I ordered from Tire Rack dot com and they came to work today with a fully equipped van to balance and install. Would have only been 4 days from order to install till the trucking company lost one of my tires :eek: but tire rack took care of everything. Price was as good or better than all others I checked. Will do again when needed.

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I met the guy that started Tire Rack, back in the '80's. He was racing on the same Prosail circuit that I was. There were qualifying races run on Friday, with the top 20 racing for money on the weekend. There were a few crews, including him, and me, eating in the same restaurant, at the same table. I had made the cut, but he didn't. In spite of that, he sneakily picked up the tab for the whole table, and wouldn't take no for an answer when we found out about it. Nice guy. I'm glad to see him doing well.

That's awesome. I've purchased many sets of tires from them but always delivered here for a local to install. Good to know they are offering this service now and rather timely...I'm ready for another set!

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Originally Posted by Tom M King

I met the guy that started Tire Rack, back in the '80's. He was racing on the same Prosail circuit that I was. There were qualifying races run on Friday, with the top 20 racing for money on the weekend. There were a few crews, including him, and me, eating in the same restaurant, at the same table. I had made the cut, but he didn't. In spite of that, he sneakily picked up the tab for the whole table, and wouldn't take no for an answer when we found out about it. Nice guy. I'm glad to see him doing well.

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Good story. I was just reading he passed away in 2014.

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Originally Posted by David Lageman

That's awesome. I've been many sets of tires from them but always delivered here for a local to install. Good to know they are offering this services now and timely...I'm ready for another set!

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They just started the service here in Cincinnati last fall. Charge $26 per tire. Local shop charges $21 per tire but Tire Rack tire price included 2 year road hazard warranty. Local shop was an additional $25 per tire for 3 years.
For the record ASAP tire is a separate company but owned by Tire Rack.

My last experience at a Tire Rack “show room” had them jack up an older classic car and damage the frame rails. Subsequently all they get is the wheels (after putting the car on the hoist and removing them myself.) The prices are good (albeit that repair jobs may be iffy) but you have to watch them, given that in more rural areas anything other than a pickup may be treated disrespectfully. YMMV.

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Originally Posted by Dave Lehnert

Good story. I was just reading he passed away in 2014.

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Sorry to hear that. He had just started the company then.

While I don't buy a lot of tires per se, in the past few years I have, I didn't find Tire Rack to be all that much better priced, especially considering after-the-sale expenses... sorry ;)

A few years ago I bought some nice tires for my boat trailer online. 16.5" Bias ply, same specs as the Goodyear Workhorse tires I was replacing, less than half the cost of the Goodyears. Had them shipped to a local tire store, and I took them the old tires and wheels, they didn't even have to dismount them. Didn't even think about it until I got the bill-They charged me $40 per wheel for mount/balance/old tire disposal, which was almost half the cost of the new tires, not much left of the discount...

--so I got these and change out my own tires now...
Attachment 456863

On our first trip with our new-to-us motorhome I screwed up a tire...
The tire store guy showed me how easy it is to change out 22.5 semi-sized tires--
Attachment 456864 Attachment 456865

--for the do-it-yourself-er ;)

Back in my poor as a church mouse days changing my own tires was a necessity.

One trick with tubeless tires is to run a rope around the tread and cinch it up tight to cause the bead to meet the rim when you give it air.

The other trick for doing this involves a flammable spray product and a lot of luck.

jtk

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Originally Posted by Jim Koepke

...The other trick for doing this involves a flammable spray product and a lot of luck.

jtk

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starting fluid and a stick match. But it DOES work!

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Originally Posted by Kev Williams

While I don't buy a lot of tires per se, in the past few years I have, I didn't find Tire Rack to be all that much better priced, especially considering after-the-sale expenses... sorry ;)

A few years ago I bought some nice tires for my boat trailer online. 16.5" Bias ply, same specs as the Goodyear Workhorse tires I was replacing, less than half the cost of the Goodyears. Had them shipped to a local tire store, and I took them the old tires and wheels, they didn't even have to dismount them. Didn't even think about it until I got the bill-They charged me $40 per wheel for mount/balance/old tire disposal, which was almost half the cost of the new tires, not much left of the discount...

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Forty bucks a wheel for that is reasonable, and a small part of buying decent tires. When you buy a decent tire, you want to treat it right. Good balancers are expensive, and I personally don’t have room for one anyway.

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Originally Posted by Kev Williams

While I don't buy a lot of tires per se, in the past few years I have, I didn't find Tire Rack to be all that much better priced, especially considering after-the-sale expenses... sorry ;)

A few years ago I bought some nice tires for my boat trailer online. 16.5" Bias ply, same specs as the Goodyear Workhorse tires I was replacing, less than half the cost of the Goodyears. Had them shipped to a local tire store, and I took them the old tires and wheels, they didn't even have to dismount them. Didn't even think about it until I got the bill-They charged me $40 per wheel for mount/balance/old tire disposal, which was almost half the cost of the new tires, not much left of the discount...

--so I got these and change out my own tires now...
Attachment 456863

On our first trip with our new-to-us motorhome I screwed up a tire...
The tire store guy showed me how easy it is to change out 22.5 semi-sized tires--
Attachment 456864 Attachment 456865

--for the do-it-yourself-er ;)

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The Tires I purchased from Tire Rack I could get local for the same price. But TR included 2 year road hazard warranty. Local shop was an extra $25 a tire for 3 years.

That's what a "Cheata Tank" is for. I built a smaller one for wheel barrow tires. Fill tank with air, locking tire chuck on tire and a quick shot of air at the rim, and tire is seated. Easy peasy!

They’re local to me so I just buy on line and drive over for the install. The have about 10 service bays. It goes quick.

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Originally Posted by Bruce Wrenn

That's what a "Cheata Tank" is for. I built a smaller one for wheel barrow tires. Fill tank with air, locking tire chuck on tire and a quick shot of air at the rim, and tire is seated. Easy peasy!

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The ones I see have a 1" discharge pipe and ball valve and a "flat nozzle that allows them to put it at the bead gap. They open the valve quickly and the large sudden volume of air pushes the bead against the rim. As I recall they have an air chuck attached so they don't lose the seal when they do this. I've used both the rope/ratchet strap method and starting fluid. The cinch method doesn't work on heavy ply super stiff tires.
I've never done it but a bicycle inner tube will work to in a diameter that's the same or a little smaller. Put in place between the rim and tire and add some air. Then it will just push it off as the tire inflates.