Well Ive gone about 54,000 miles on my 4Runner and the tread is going a little bald. REALLY bald is more like it. Time for some new rubber. Anyone have any advice on purchasing tires? Does brand matter? Should I go to a popular store like NTB or Discount, or just get something from Sam's or Sears. Appreciate the help as always.
get something with the longest warranty, better than being in this same position next year.... I bought 4 tires for 150 dollars at some store, michelin too...
nope, good sale right after chrismas break, they were small tho, the size for a ford escort. One of them got an air bubble in it after 3 months, but they replaced it for free..
Oh, and as far as tires, try www.tirerack.com. Sometimes you can get great deals on tires there even though they charge additional for shipping. You can also read reviews about tires from people who have bought the tires. They also have tests and ratings on the tires. Buy them there and have somebody like Walmart mount and balance them for next-to-nothing. Or take it somewhere else and have them mounted and balanced for a little more than next-to-nothing.
Oh, and of course as you already stated, alternatives would be Sams or Costco. Then Discount Tire. I'd only go to NTB as a last resort (btw, unless something has changed recently, NTB is a division of Sears).
Depends on the tire you want: -size of the rim/wheel -size of the tire you want -brand of the tire you want Tirerack.com has good prices...pretty much unbeatable unless you have connections. And if you know someone that can mount the tires on for you, then you're all set. Discount Tire WILL lower their pricing with some haggling. Granted, haggling is NEVER fun but they will move their price just to make money. As for Sams and Sears...never purchased from them but my brother tells me that those are 'can't go wrong' places. Good prices. NTB...er.....haven't been to one in 4 years
Base on professional, and personal experiences, I would stay away from Sam's. Labels like Goodyear specifically make brands that they can sell cheap, and the quality is pretty low end. I bought a set there a few years ago and they were a rough ride. If you are here in Houston, check out Tire & Wheel Connection over on 1960. They are very fair in their prices and they don't charge a whole bunch of extra crap for mounting/balancing and disposal fees.
