#253971 - 13/07/2005 22:45
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: DWallach]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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I've put around three thousand miles on them, i'll probably take me another six months to get to ten. (While the majority of my driving is on the freeway back and forth, I try and take public transit as much as I can to avoid the driving.) I'll definitly pull this thread back up and let you know.
Matthew
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#253972 - 14/07/2005 16:05
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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That would require patronizing the Wal-Mart, though. I refuse, even for a savings of 90%.
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Bitt Faulk
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#253973 - 14/07/2005 16:36
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: wfaulk]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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Well, $11 per tire works out to about $50 after tax (plus environmental disposal fees that I assume are tacked on here in CA), so it's only a 60% savings. I can't stand walmart stores, so it's not even an ethical choice for me.
Matthew
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#253974 - 14/07/2005 16:57
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: thinfourth2]
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old hand
Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
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Quote:
try driving a caterham i get 2k from my favorite tyres
but boy oh boy do they stick avon ACB-10
Ouch! My boss needs new rear tyres for his Maserati GranSport - he got it at 3,500 miles and it's now on 7,000. They need 265/30/19 and he wants the factory fitted Pirelli P-Zero Rosso. The dealer quoted £206+VAT each - I suggested Micheldever Tyres who are pretty much the cheapest in the country and only 1/2hr drive away - they quoted £203 including VAT and fitting.
Gareth
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#253975 - 14/07/2005 17:21
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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I don't know what the big deal is about going to Walmart to get a deal but aparently 2 people in a row feel that way. I'd rather keep my money than needlessly give it to yet another shop that underpays its workers. Plus, Walmart's tire center is open until 9PM which is just plain convenient. I don't need to waste my weekend or take off from work to get tires mounted, thank you very much. Quote:
I can't stand walmart stores, so it's not even an ethical choice for me.
All the Walmarts around here have a seperate entrance for the quick lube/tire area. It feels like any other Jiffy Lube-type place until you cross the threshold into the main Walmart building.
If you don't like Walmart because of the abundance of Chinese goods they sell, whatever. That's what's cheap for them to buy and what Walmart shoppers can afford. Are you going to boycott 99¢ stores because nearly nothing there is made in the US?
If it's because you feel you're above shopping at Walmart, that's just dumb.
Let the flames commence...
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#253976 - 14/07/2005 17:28
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3995
Loc: Manchester UK
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I'm with you Rob, I don't get paid enough to worry about ethics, my employer certainly doesn't. To pay double the amount for something you don't need to doesn't make any sense, and for each person who boycots there's probably a dozen who don't.
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Andy M
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#253977 - 14/07/2005 18:31
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: robricc]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 13/09/1999
Posts: 2401
Loc: Croatia
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I am not sure how effective boycotting outfits like Wallmart is. One can always tip extravagantly the guys who did the work - I suppose they will appreciate that more than boycott. 
_________________________
Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Q#5196
MkII #080000376, 18GB green
MkIIa #040103247, 60GB blue
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#253978 - 14/07/2005 19:01
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: robricc]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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Mainly I don't go because the stores around here are crap. I've been to nice walmarts in the midwest, but the ones around here are cramped and overflowing with people to the point that you can't move around the store.
Ethically, walmart's bussiness practices are horrible. They've locked the night cleaning crews in the store with the manager with the key home and asleep. They've also shaved time off timecards to keep from paying their employees their already low wage. They also dictate magazine covers - and not just to the point of refusing to cary a magazine for the cover, but telling the magazine to change it or else.
Considering my bargain hunting shopping habbits, my hands definitly aren't clean in the matter, so I won't be throwing any more stones.
Matthew
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#253979 - 14/07/2005 19:53
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Walmart goes into communities, usually small ones, lowers prices until the local stores can't compete and go out of business, then raises prices back up, just when the local wages go down because Walmart is the only employer in town.
Not to mention that they're still riding on their pro-US-manufacturers binge a while back (before Sam Walton died, maybe?) despite the fact that they do as little business with them as possible (not that I can blame a bottom-of-the-barrel discount store for going Chinese).
And their poor employee treatment doesn't help. I don't know about you, but the places I've had my tires put on weren't places like Pep Boys or JustTires, either, but local honest mechanics, who I feel much better about patronizing.
When you add onto all that the fact that it's just a terrible, terrible, store with the dregs of humanity working there as both managers and clerks (sorry: register-monkeys and stockboys), and it takes half an hour just to stand in line to pay for something, I cannot envision ever setting foot in that store again.
Unsurprisingly, Wikipedia has a good list of Wal-Mart criticisms.
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Bitt Faulk
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#253980 - 14/07/2005 21:15
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: wfaulk]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
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Quote:
Walmart goes into communities, usually small ones, lowers prices until the local stores can't compete and go out of business, then raises prices back up, just when the local wages go down because Walmart is the only employer in town.
Not to mention that they're still riding on their pro-US-manufacturers binge a while back (before Sam Walton died, maybe?) despite the fact that they do as little business with them as possible (not that I can blame a bottom-of-the-barrel discount store for going Chinese).
And their poor employee treatment doesn't help. I don't know about you, but the places I've had my tires put on weren't places like Pep Boys or JustTires, either, but local honest mechanics, who I feel much better about patronizing.
When you add onto all that the fact that it's just a terrible, terrible, store with the dregs of humanity working there as both managers and clerks (sorry: register-monkeys and stockboys), and it takes half an hour just to stand in line to pay for something, I cannot envision ever setting foot in that store again.
Unsurprisingly, Wikipedia has a good list of Wal-Mart criticisms.
Amen.
These are the reasons to boycott Walmart.
edit: Is there any truth to the story that Walmart maintains a large portion of its workforce as 'part time' employees (with the result being the exclusion of such employees from benefit packages)?
Shop where you like, fine with me. I vote with my dollars going to the local shops.
Furthermore- I avoid 'chain garages' like the plague. I worked as a mechanic and in the parts supply world. It's worth it to find a good local mechanic that you can trust.
It's too easy to hide behind the anonymity of the big-name shops.
In general, I don't mind spending the difference in price for the peace of mind that the job is done right- and believe me, the job is done wrong more often in a big-name shop than in a small local one.
My $0.02.
Edited by Robotic (14/07/2005 21:25)
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#253982 - 15/07/2005 10:52
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: robricc]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
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Quote:
The shop owner agreed to pay for that stuff, but never paid a cent yet and this happened in September last year.
Seems like the most straightforward lawsuit you could ever imagine filing...
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#253984 - 15/07/2005 11:52
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Well, I don't have the machinery to balance tires...
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-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#253986 - 15/07/2005 20:53
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: Robotic]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Actually, I think those were my words.
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Bitt Faulk
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#253987 - 23/11/2005 02:08
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
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Pulling back an old thread, it looks like my Yokohama ES100's are sufficiently worn, at least in back, that it's time for new tires. So, how are those Goodyear's working out? Would you buy them again? Meanwhile, these seem to be the logical choices for installing my tires:
Part of me wants to go to the local BMW specialist, as I understand that BMW rims have a larger lip than normal, and inexperienced tire mounters have a habit of destroying the rims. However, my local BMW specialist, who last mounted my tires, managed to leave me with tires that were nowhere near their correct inflations, and with the balance weights on the outside where they're visible and ugly, rather than on the inside. That and it's a 20 minute drive to get there.
The NTB that I might use is around the corner from the BMW dealer where I bought my car and close to both home and work. That dealer outsources all tire work to this particular NTB, so that makes them (hopefully) know more about how to mount the tires properly. I don't know if NTB lets me ship them tires from TireRack or not. Their prices are noticably higher than TireRack.
Costco is appealing on price. They're charging the same price as TireRack, and that includes shipping, installation, everything. If I wanted to go with Michelin Pilot Sports or Bridgestone Potenza S-03s, then Costco is great. If I want Goodyear or pretty much anything else, then too bad for me.
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#253988 - 23/11/2005 02:36
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: DWallach]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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I'm about 500 miles from the third oil change after I got them, which is when I was planning to report back. So, at about 10k miles, they don't seem any louder, and I'd happily buy them again. I'm in need of an alignment, which has kind of been detracting from the driving experience recently, but that's not the tires' fault. I've had them in a bit of rain and havn't noticed any problems, but I don't play around when it's raining, and havn't needed to make any evasive maneuvers to test them out.
The one caveat about the noise that I've mentioned before is that my prelude is not a quiet vehicle, it goes down the freeway with the engine at 3500rps. That said, I've never noticed them being loud or getting louder with age.
As to getting them installed, I had a great experience with the place I found through tirerack. They were extremely professional, called me when the tires came in and did it when they said they would and saved my best old tire for me as requested to keep as a full size spare. From my sample size of one, I'd guess that they were listed on tirerack because they were one of the more "together" shops in the area.
Matthew
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#253989 - 23/11/2005 14:09
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: DWallach]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Tirerack has a list of places you can have your tires sent to be installed. They also have reviews of these places. Reading those would be my suggestion.
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Bitt Faulk
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#253990 - 23/11/2005 14:22
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: DWallach]
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enthusiast
Registered: 18/02/2002
Posts: 335
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Quote:
Pulling back an old thread, it looks like my Yokohama ES100's are sufficiently worn, at least in back, that it's time for new tires.
I just bought these tires in 17 225 45 how many miles did you get out of yours? Ive only had mine for 1000 or so miles and I already notice them getting louder. Otherwise im satisfied with the tire.
It might be worth it just to not have your rims damaged, those rims can be pretty expensive.
Quote:
Costco is appealing on price. They're charging the same price as TireRack, and that includes shipping, installation, everything. If I wanted to go with Michelin Pilot Sports or Bridgestone Potenza S-03s, then Costco is great. If I want Goodyear or pretty much anything else, then too bad for me.
Do you need to pricematch to get tirerack pricing, or is that the default pricing at your local costco?
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#253991 - 23/11/2005 16:33
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: eliceo]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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Check for uneven tire wear. If you've got uneven wear with only 1000 miles, I would check tire pressure, and get your car's alignment checked. If you don't know what to look for, read the tire bible page, notably the section labeled 'Diagnosing problems from tyre wear.' Use a tire depth gage when checking. Low milage wear isn't always dead-obvious. -Zeke
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#253992 - 23/11/2005 18:15
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: eliceo]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
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Quote:
I just bought these tires in 17 225 45 how many miles did you get out of yours? Ive only had mine for 1000 or so miles and I already notice them getting louder. Otherwise im satisfied with the tire.
I haven't kept brilliant records on when all the service on this car has occured, but it's fair to say I've gotten something like 10-15K miles. The rear tires are worn to within 1mm of the wear bars. The front tires still have 4mm left. As such, I'm tempted to replace the rears and keep the fronts for now. I'm also tempted to replace everything to see if it quiets down the car.
Quote:
Do you need to pricematch to get tirerack pricing, or is that the default pricing at your local costco?
It's the default pricing. Costco charges the same, with installation and everything, that TireRack charges just for the tires. Redoing all four wheels, that could save me $100.
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#253993 - 28/11/2005 03:09
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: DWallach]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5539
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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Almost completely off topic... but still talking about tires. If anybody is looking for a tire for serious winter use, I highly recommend the Bridgestone Blizzak tire.
I just finished (like about three hours ago) a twelve hundred mile trip from Fairbanks to Homer and back, most of it on polished ice.
I drove 70-75 MPH most of the time, many times going into corners at that speed where there were warning signs to slow to 55 MPH (these are summer time, dry pavement warnings) and in the whole trip only got the back end of the car to wiggle just a little bit (not enough to scare me, but enough to get my undivided attention) a few times.
The best way I can describe what it is like to drive those Blizzaks is this: On packed snow and ice, it's like driving on loose gravel. Very progressive and predictable, no sudden surprises. No studded tire I have ever tried can match them.
tanstaafl.
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#253994 - 30/11/2005 19:34
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: tanstaafl.]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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Have you tried a Nokian Hakkapellitta II with studs? All the traction of the Blizzak, longer life, quieter on dry pavement and less tread creep on dry cornering.
Blizzak wins hands down in the price category, however.
-Zeke
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#253995 - 01/12/2005 02:07
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: Ezekiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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Better traction and overall handling than Blizzak.
I've run Blizzaks on an older car, Hakka I's and GT Radial Champiro on my Integra, some Michelins on my BMW 328is (came with the car) and now Hakka II's on the same car. Hakkas are simply the best. The GT Radial product comes in at number 2.
The BMW is RWD and in the snow without a good snow tire it just gets too scary. Driving with the former Michelins was a nightmare. Nerve-racking to say the least. With the Hakkas I can do 80kph in conditions I wouldn't dare do 40 in before. Worth the money if you have to drive in snow. I don't think anyone makes a more reputable winter tire on the planet (with or without studs)
Bruno
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