The Winter's Coming Winter Tires Thread

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

You are right. Online purchases don't require a membership. I don't know how they handle installation in those cases though. When you order online is it just the tire cost or do they also include the $15 per wheel installation and mounting fee?

I looked into it more and it says they auto charge the $15 and refund if you don't install with them.

There is a message that they won't do "service" for non members but as keratosis mentioned it sounds like they will do the initial installation if you buy from them.

[Diemenz]

Don't be so quick to think costco is the be all end all. I strongly suggest looking at tire direct and pcm tire as last year I was able to get the exact same tires from tire direct for $200 less then Costco and that included shipping. The deal was so good I bought 4 sets and distributed them out to friends and family.

In addition you can pick up federal himalaya WS2 for around $110 in your size from tire direct and they are often placed in the top ten in winter tire performance.

[Sliver]

Hey Cecil, don't waste your money on steel wheels. They look like crap and are only marginally cheaper than nicer rims that will actually look good and won't rust. Tire Pirates sell some nice looking cheaper ones. Definitely worth a phone call.

Nicer rims will actually have resale value down the road when you sell the car so I don't think you end up actually paying anything for them in the long run and at least you won't look like your rolling on Chevette rims.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by Diemenz

Don't be so quick to think costco is the be all end all. I strongly suggest looking at tire direct and pcm tire as last year I was able to get the exact same tires from tire direct for $200 less then Costco and that included shipping. The deal was so good I bought 4 sets and distributed them out to friends and family.

Those are interesting sites and under the right circumstances (distributor oversupply) it could definately be cheaper. Looks to me like the lesser brands would stand a better chance of being a better deal than say, Michelin. I saw some XIce3 in my size that were about the same price as Costco.

The one thing I think could be the equalizer - installation charges. Tire shops generally charge more for installing tires they didn't sell. Costco is a steal at $15 a tire + free rotation + road hazard.

That said, Costco's free services are effectively worthless to me as the lineups / lack of appointments at their tire shops make sure I can never take advantage of them. So I keep paying $40 a pop to fix a nail in the tire which happens 1-3 times a year to me. This reason alone will be why I pay a bit more and buy from my tireshops closest to me (Kaltire / Blaskin) so I get flats fixed for free.

[btimbit]

Most online store shops will mount and balance for free, just throw them on the vehicle yourself

[jeffporfirio]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

....
That said, Costco's free services are effectively worthless to me as the lineups / lack of appointments at their tire shops make sure I can never take advantage of them. So I keep paying $40 a pop to fix a nail in the tire which happens 1-3 times a year to me. This reason alone will be why I pay a bit more and buy from my tireshops closest to me (Kaltire / Blaskin) so I get flats fixed for free.

This.
The Costco at Beacon Hill accepted appointments last season (something they are no longer doing), went in twice for swaps and each time I was there for over three hours.
Not worth it. Country Tire on Edm trail will do swaps with balancing for a bit more, and you're in and out in less than an hour.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by sliver

rims

no

rims

no

[Diemenz]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

Those are interesting sites and under the right circumstances (distributor oversupply) it could definately be cheaper. Looks to me like the lesser brands would stand a better chance of being a better deal than say, Michelin. I saw some XIce3 in my size that were about the same price as Costco.

The one thing I think could be the equalizer - installation charges. Tire shops generally charge more for installing tires they didn't sell. Costco is a steal at $15 a tire + free rotation + road hazard.

That said, Costco's free services are effectively worthless to me as the lineups / lack of appointments at their tire shops make sure I can never take advantage of them. So I keep paying $40 a pop to fix a nail in the tire which happens 1-3 times a year to me. This reason alone will be why I pay a bit more and buy from my tireshops closest to me (Kaltire / Blaskin) so I get flats fixed for free.

I echo the good luck getting a reasonable time frame for install from Costco.

I agree that there is some "lesser" brands on a site like Tire Direct but there is also some amazing extremely well reviewed tires like the Federal Himalaya. If you check a place like Urban X here in town which is very well reputed they will also tell you the Federals provide performance of tires triple the price.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by zamler

no

??

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

??

Technically wheels are not rims.

However despite years and years and virtually 100% of the population using the terms interchangeably some people get riled up when wheels are called rims.

It is semantics. Rims are wheels. Wheels are rims.

[photon]

Originally Posted by Diemenz

I agree that there is some "lesser" brands on a site like Tire Direct but there is also some amazing extremely well reviewed tires like the Federal Himalaya. If you check a place like Urban X here in town which is very well reputed they will also tell you the Federals provide performance of tires triple the price.

$88 each for my car, that's pretty impressive.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

So I specifically need a couple of front tires for the car that's currently en route to me in 245-40-r19, so I just checked out Tire Direct to see what's on offer. They have a pair of Pirelli Pzeros in the clearance section - perfect! Exactly what I need, two of them. I look at the price... it says $720.00. Well, $360 per tire isn't exactly a great deal. It's not really a clearance price, more like a slight discount over retail (those tires go for 440 at Canadian Tire). But it's still a discount.

I add to cart and... no. It's $720 per tire. That's the clearance price. What the #### is wrong with this site? Now I'm just annoyed.

If anyone has a good idea on where I can find two of those tires for cheap let me know.

[Enoch Root]

245-40-19 Pzeros should not be $720 each. $360 sounds right.

If you only need 2, did you try ebay?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I didn't actually... I've never bought tires other than in person. Got two Pirelli Rosso Asymmetricos for the rear wheels with more than half the tread left off Kijiji for 90 bucks per tire and fifteen minutes' drive. Best option I've seen so far online is Discount Tire Direct, which will ship me two more of the same tire for the front for $520 all in. It's not bad, but it could be better.

I've had a lot of luck with used tires on Kijiji, so I'm always choked at paying to actually buy from a retailer. I'll have a look at ebay and see what I find.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

I went to the tire shop at Costco and they suggested I wait until September to start shopping for winter tires. They'll have a lot more selection by then.

Yep, Christmas stuff in August, winter tires in September. Makes sense.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Hey Cecil, don't waste your money on steel wheels. They look like crap and are only marginally cheaper than nicer rims that will actually look good and won't rust. Tire Pirates sell some nice looking cheaper ones. Definitely worth a phone call.

Nicer rims will actually have resale value down the road when you sell the car so I don't think you end up actually paying anything for them in the long run and at least you won't look like your rolling on Chevette rims.

What do you define as marginally cheaper?

Pirates doesn't list prices online but every other source I've looked at, nice rims are at least double, usually more like triple the cost of steel rims.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

What do you define as marginally cheaper?

Pirates doesn't list prices online but every other source I've looked at, nice rims are at least double, usually more like triple the cost of steel rims.

Not always.

I had gone the steel route as well, and then when looking for the next set (17s), I decided to look around and got a nice looking set of 5 spoke aluminum wheels for $107 each (I think the steels were basically $100, give or take). Personal taste notwithstanding, the silver aluminum wheels look way better than black steel wheels

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Not always.

I had gone the steel route as well, and then when looking for the next set (17s), I decided to look around and got a nice looking set of 5 spoke aluminum wheels for $107 each (I think the steels were basically $100, give or take). Personal taste notwithstanding, the silver aluminum wheels look way better than black steel wheels

That's a good price. Mind if I ask where? I'm pretty flexible on colour etc.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

That's a good price. Mind if I ask where? I'm pretty flexible on colour etc.

that was Kal Tire

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by zamler

no
no

Haha for serious? Rim is 100% acceptable. From wiki on 'rims':

The term rim is also used non-technically to refer to the entire wheel...