Dropped by Discount Tire on my lunch break this afternoon, and came away very pleased with the experience so I thought I'd give 'em a plug.

I went in to get a price on some tires to see if they were competitive with Tire Rack. They were 28% higher, but offered to meet Tire Rack's price without even checking the web site! Plus I get an added bonus because their installation prices are much lower when you buy tires through them.

(Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what Tire Rack does to support NAM, car events, car magazines and everything else they do, but I do business locally when possible.)

Then I mentioned I was going to be getting wheels, too, so the guy at the counter offered to see if he could get me a better deal. He called Panasport while I waited, and got me $10 off each wheel. Not a huge discount, but $40 is $40.

All in all, Discount Tire has been great to deal with over the years - including one time when a co-worker had a flat and one of Discount's employees drove to our parking lot, put the spare tire onto her car, followed her back to the store, fixed the flat and reinstalled the tire - for free! (Yes, she tipped him!) Service like that, and their generally helpful attitudes, makes them well worth recommending in my book.

 

cool.

the no scuff tire mounting service is free at www.tirerack.com and
they also include the "mounting hardware kit" where discount tires asks
for another $25+ or so for free.

but you do need to pay for freight... but you don't need to lug your
factory wheels from the tire shop all the way home. be a pita if you
have a CD changer or subwoofer wired up in the boot.

so, there's trade offs, i suppose.

 

I didn't even get charged for the hardware mounting kit you mentioned (and I did pay for all the mounting upfront). Since Tire Rack doesn't carry Panasports, buying from them wasn't an option.

You're right that the lugging around of tires and wheels will not be fun. One trip to pick up the wheels to take them to the powdercoater. One trip back to Discount Tire to get the tires mounted onto the wheels. Then a trip to take the completed set somewhere to store until my current tires need to be replaced (I bought the tires now to get them on sale and get the $100 cash card from Goodyear). Then a trip back to get them installed. And a final trip with my stock wheels after that!

It's not a great system, obviously, and it is certainly going to be an exercise in delayed gratification! I'll love the results, though!

 

I am San Diego also, which Discount Tire did you go to? Thanks

 

Solana Beach, just off of I-5 at the Lomas Santa Fe exit (my office is a block away).

 

Discount Tire has always been very nice and polite when I have worked with them. I feel bad because I normally look at Tires and Wheels from Tirerack, and then buy them from Discount Tire. Discount Tire just provides excellent service.