Tire choice

Yokos are nice tires. The best gripping tires I ever bought were Yokos, $100 a piece at Discount Tire Direct. The one's on my wifes car are way cheaper, only V rated, and they are awsome too. No complaints. I don't think I'll ever pay for a Z rated tire again, we've been having such good luck with V's. They last longer, wear better, and stick just as well. The speed ratings are so high for either that it makes no difference for 99% of the population. Buying from Tire Rack isn't a bad idea, as long as you know in advance that whoever mounts them for you is OK with you buying tires from someone else. Sometimes you can find a local guy who will give you a better price, and it's worth checking on first. There is only one tire place around here I'll let touch my car, and he told me flat out he can't beat my Discount Tire Direct prices, so just buy them and bring 'em in when they show up. I've never dealt with Tire Rack, but they have an outstanding facility with a testing track where they take out all their tires and beat on them before they decide to carry them, and a bunch of gearhead employees (many of whom are professional drivers) who know what they're talking about because they have driven most of the tires at their limit; so I'd imagine they'd be good to deal with if the price is right. I'm happy with where I get tires though, free shipping and it's fast, with locally unbeatable prices. Sizes? Couldn't say. Better figure that one out with them.

Nice post Stangbear; my brother's in the wheel and tire business. He pretty much concurs with your description. He sends a lot of his high performance customers to TireRack and Discount Tire because he can't compete with their prices. However, as Stangbear said, check around about mounting. There are some cases/places where you'll pay an arm and a leg to have someone mount tires purchased elsewhere. And if you're contemplating wheels too, by the time everything's mounted and balanced, some local shops can come close to competing. And you usually get a guarantee of some sort that allows you to have some recourse if there's a problem. It's a bit tougher if you have a problem with a tire/wheel you bought from 900 miles away. Don't confuse lowest cost with best value. Sometimes it's worth paying just a bit more because if you do have a problem, it'll be much easier/less expensive to get it resolved locally - with the vendor/supplier you've established a relationship with.

Michael Yount said:

And you usually get a guarantee of some sort that allows you to have some recourse if there's a problem. It's a bit tougher if you have a problem with a tire/wheel you bought from 900 miles away. Don't confuse lowest cost with best value. Sometimes it's worth paying just a bit more because if you do have a problem, it'll be much easier/less expensive to get it resolved locally - with the vendor/supplier you've established a relationship with.

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This is worth paying very carefull attention to. Some people never have any trouble with tires, but I somehow manage to blow one out every six months or so. Back when I was buying Cooper Cobra's from my local guy, I remember at least three times when I'd put four new tires on and pick up a nail two weeks later. He usually just gave me a new tire for nothing, and charged for the mount/balance. You won't get that service in mail order. Now, I've done lots of construction work, so it's a common thing for me. You may never be in this type of situation, and don't need to even think this way. Just thought it was worth a mention.