Thing No. 1 The where.
Aye carumba tires are sold so many places now. You can order them
online and have them shipped directly to you or to a tire
dealer/installer in your area, you can buy them from a big tire dealer,
like Bell Tires, or a small owner-operator joint, or a big box retailer
like Costco or Wal-Mart or you can go to your car dealer.
You can save some bucks and get them online, at a place like, tirerack.com particularly if you install them yourself but
let’s assume you don’t have the energy for that. You can also save
money buying them online and having them sent to a dealer/installer
which they’ll direct you to from tirerack. Remember to include all the
installation costs so you’re sure the savings are worth it.
For ordering all four tires as a replacement it probably works but if
you get a flat you probably don’t want to wait. That means a
retailer.
The big box guys like Costco and Wal-Mart are fine and you get a good
deal but not a lot of counsel. Your car dealer is a good choice
if you have a lot of time on your hands, more money than you know what
to do with and a desire for the sleepy ambience of the old boy dealer
hangout. If not then consider the big chain Tire Dealers like
Bell Tire or a stand-alone tire store if someone you know and trust
recommends them highly. The service people in these stores tend
to provide a lot of counsel. You have to watch it a bit in case
they’re being spiffed on a particular tire but overall you’ll get the
help you need.
Thing No. 2 The tires.
Christ almighty, who wants to know about tread and all that
shite. Check the owner’s manual and make sure what you get at the
dealer matches. Frankly the tire dealer will tell you what is
required so you shouldn’t sweat this too much. If you do care
about all that though here’s the dilly: The treadware gives you the
expected mileage: 300, 400, 500 etc., the higher the more mileage
you can expect. Traction grades tell you how well the tires do in
stopping on a wet road. A is best and so on down the line.
You live in Seattle = you need better traction. If for some
reason you feel extremely passionate about these details then I
recommend:
Thing No. 3 The dealer visit.
When you go in the joint it’s important to remember that sticking your
finger in between the treads is an insufficient method for picking your
tires. Bring your owner’s manual in with you or write down on the
back of this sheet the specs listed in the manual for your car. I
always try to strike a balance between appearing knowledgeable and
getting help. That’s a crock. If you don’t know you don’t
know. Just bring the info and get the right product.
Thing No. 4 The purchase.
Tires are not well known as a negotiable item. But it is fair to
ask and particularly you can ask if there’s any brand that fits your
requirements which is offered at a discount that month. That’s
not a bad segue even to asking for a discount, “is there a brand
on sale this month? Can you offer any discount on the tires we’re
talking about?” you could end up with a few extra bones.
What the hell.