craig_vette

I'm in need of new tires for my 2000 Nassau Blue FRC. I don't plan on driving in snow, but I do plan on using it as a daily driver otherwise. I'm not sure if I should get summer performance tires (which I understand work well in rain too - correct me if I'm wrong) or All-Season tires. Any suggestions would be great. Do A/S tires have longer mileage life?

I know I can get the best deal online at places like Tirerck. Have you ordered tires online before? Were you happy with the process? Shipping is free at T-rack, right?

Any buying tips are greatly appreciated. I assume I'll need to get my tires balanced and whatnot at a local shop.

PDQC5

You will be paying for mounting that normally you wouldn't As it is included with the purchase

Jeff T.

TireRack has an installer network, see if they have someone near you. That way you can get a better idea if it truly is a cost savings buying online.

dmarkshark

The nice thing about online is the selection and not necessarily the price. Most of the time when you go to a tire shop, it is very limited. I also have found, I can find cheaper places to put my tires on then even the Tire Rack network. FYI Shipping is not free, but not expensive. I order tires from them for all of my 4 cars, and never a problem. I tried the Discount Tire online just to see, and never saw the tires or even heard back from them?
Good Luck.

foggy

So YES, go with the summer tires if you don;t drive in snow or COLD weather.
You will like their performance WAY better.
I switched last year from MIchelin RunFlats (big $$$) to
a non run flat summer tire..
What a fantastic difference. Mine is stored away in winter.

joe's98

I went with Michelin A/S non run flats and am very happy. I bought from a national chain. They matched the best price I could find, and I like having the comfort of road hazard warranty and service when I travel.

SG Lou

Shipping is not free....The Shipping Price depends on how close you are to a Distribution Center and pieces shipped.

For the hell of it I priced 4 tires for my 04, Shipping price to my zip code is $14.56 per tire for the front and $15.34 per tire for the rear, regardless of tire brand

I have purchased from Tire Rack a few times. I have them ship the tires to my local shop and have the mounting and balancing done there.

Taken from Tire Rack Web Site:

Does Tire Rack offer free shipping?
Free shipping offer is valid for all eligible products in the parts and accessories categories shown here.
Eligible orders must total $50 or more (not including taxes) to be eligible for free shipping on qualifying products.



What will my shipping charges be?
Most of our customers are within one to two business days of our distribution centers for timely, cost-effective delivery of their purchases.
Shipping charges as well as delivery times can be seen once you enter your ZIP/Postal Code and view product search results or detailed product pages on the site.

neutron82

I buy all my tires online... in many cases you can also avoid taxes and shipping... I mount and balance them myself though so I don't have to pay extra for that, the added cost of having that done is something to consider... also ask the company to give you the date codes on the tires they are going to send you to make sure they aren't too old... I would rather have a fresh set rather than some that have been sitting on a shelf for a year or 2

PhysicsDude55

I've bought my tires from Discount Tire exclusively for awhile now. I've always had a great experience with them, and their prices are usually the lowest or very close to the lowest. The last time I shopped for tires, the cheapest route was to buy the tires online at Discount Tire Direct (ebay) and have it installed at my local discount tire. They charge you installation, but don't charge you tire disposal.

You can call them and ask for a quote, its usually more expensive than doing what I just said, but depending on the manager they might match the price of buying the tires directly from Ebay.

bradc6

I bought tires for my Z06 online from Discount Tire. Had them delivered to the local store and they called when they arrived.

chasboy

I have Continental DWS06 A/s on my Challenger. They are great, and reviews reflect it too. Treadwear rating is almost double most summer tires.
Im picking up my new '02 today and getting Goodrich G-Force 3 season tires since this Corvette will not be my DD. Summer compunds do get squirrely in very cold weather. Bought these and the Contis local due to good service and advice from this dealer.

QCVette

I buy online too. Tire Rack charges shipping while Discount Tire Direct does not. The prices to my door are usually comparable. I usually use these two places. There are some brands that one or the other does not carry.

I also ask for date codes. Usually I ask for the set to all be the same and recently made. If you don't ask, you may get tires a couple of years old. The worst I got was 1.5 years old on one set of tires and because of that I have always confirmed the dates since then.

I also mount and balance my own, but that will be an added expense for most.

If you are not in an urgent need for tires, there are frequently some sales too. For example Discounttiredirect usually runs a rebate sale of up to $100 on a set of 4 at many of the holidays, plus many manufacturers have rebates too. The last couple sets of tires I bought had discounts of $150 and $175 off the price and the rebate came as a prepaid credit card so it was easy to get and use the money.

craig_vette

Think I'm going with the Continental DWS06 A/S too. The reviews sold me. I'm tempted to switch to BF Goodrich Force Comp 2s A/S simply b/c they look a little better. Do you Contis look good in person?

Jeff T.

Good question!!!

I remember a thread some time ago about a brand, I don't remember which, looking smaller than the others.

Be sure to check out the physical specs on the tires as well.

smartadze

My vote also for DWS-06 :-) FAR better ride and noise compared to the non-run-flat "summer" tires I had previously, plus much better tread-life rating. I'm not a track denizen, but I can find no difference in handling or performance.

But today is your day - Discount Tire is having a $100-off sale coupon, with free delivery at the store (4 times a year). Installation is cheaper (and better IMO) than what you will pay for a TireRack installer.

In my experience, it's better to call the local store - they will almost always give you a better price per tire than the online ordering, and will match the $100 discount.

craig_vette

Anybody know the difference between DWS ExtremeContact A/S and DWS ExtremeContact 06? The 06 has better reviews.

craig_vette

Indecisive me. Call me vain but I ended up switching to the BF Goodrich Force Comp 2 A/S at the last second. The DWS Continental 06 has slightly better reviews but they look rounded on the sides whereas the BF Goodrich Comp 2s look sharper which I find more aesthetic. Hopefully this wasn't a horrible decision.

92GA

I went and talked with my local discount tire and told them I wanted Hankooks, they didn't have any in stock because they don't stock that brand in my local store. So I bought them from discount tire on line and their installer in my area,, my local discount tire. The manager asked me why I just didn't order from them in the first place, and I told him they tried to sell me something else. He wanted to know which salesman I talked to because he wasn't happy. They did a swell job.

Bajaholic

I took my order from TireRack with me to the local dealer I work with on a regular basis (Big-O) for work. He looked at it and stated his cost was more than what I was paying.

He thanked me for the opportunity to match the cost and was more than happy to let me have them shipped there and he mounted and balanced them.

He was the first to point out that he understood I had to go with the best price price for the tires.

Cool thing was when they came in, I had already dropped off the wheels I was having them mounted on and when I came to pick them up, he thanked me for my other business and stated "No Charge". Now that is customer service!

TomD3

I prefer to shop for tires online and then install them locally. It is always cheaper. I can recommend a good online tire shop Supertiresonline. They sell predominately used tires, but with 80-90% of tread left. Also 90 days warranty (exchange or money back). For locals there is a free installation if you buy from them.