Need new tires for my POS plow truck:

Both 4 ply.

TIRERACK delivered (with shipping): $111.63 per tire

VIP: $125 per tire, doesn't include installation, add $15 per tire, not including disposal, add $7 per tire

Our local tire ship only charges $6 per tire to swap them out not including disposal...not sure what that is, but my old tires are good enough to sell cheap locally, so I'll make a few bucks off that.

TireRack all the way...not sure what the VIP price includes, but you may need to include some sorta shipping, state taxes and shop fees on top of what you already listed. Local shops I found that had the tires I wanted weren't all that far off per tire...but when the other charges and fees started piling up, it amounted to about a $250 difference between using Tirerack and just having someone swapping the loose tires and having a shop be all inclusive.

Local tire shop will NOT mount anybody else's new tires. Closest tire place that will participate in the Tire Rack method is 130 miles away.

UTfball68 said:

TireRack all the way...not sure what the VIP price includes, but you may need to include some sorta shipping, state taxes and shop fees on top of what you already listed. Local shops I found that had the tires I wanted weren't all that far off per tire...but when the other charges and fees started piling up, it amounted to about a $250 difference between using Tirerack and just having someone swapping the loose tires and having a shop be all inclusive.

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Forgot about all the extras they charge at VIP....the $111.63 was delivered to my door and I already had a local shop work on my tires in the past for $6 a tire to swap.

fatherdoug said:

Local tire shop will NOT mount anybody else's new tires. Closest tire place that will participate in the Tire Rack method is 130 miles away.

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Wow....I wonder if that really makes them money or not.....forcing them to have to buy through them. I guess if all the other tire shops around that same area do the same thing, you really have no choice. In my little town alone, there are about 5 tire shops that will pretty much do anything you want them to do when it comes to tires.

You should have seen them work with me on my dent, with those 36" super swampers and the spacers in between when I got my new chrome wheels. That was a fun day.

taxreliever said:

Forgot about all the extras they charge at VIP....the $111.63 was delivered to my door and I already had a local shop work on my tires in the past for $6 a tire to swap.



Wow....I wonder if that really makes them money or not.....forcing them to have to buy through them. I guess if all the other tire shops around that same area do the same thing, you really have no choice. In my little town alone, there are about 5 tire shops that will pretty much do anything you want them to do when it comes to tires.

You should have seen them work with me on my dent, with those 36" super swampers and the spacers in between when I got my new chrome wheels. That was a fun day.

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I think you're right Ken. The profit margin on the tires is probably equivalent to the profit margin on mounting, balancing the tires. It's probably a wash for them, but they have always been anal about "buying local".

The sad part is that they get their tires from the same distributor 130 miles away that will mount Tire Rack tires.

^^^Any time I come across a shop like that, they say it's all about the liability. I never understood that, I can understand if the tire falls off, or if they unknowingly install a non-oem sized tire (another topic that baffles me)...but they should have good faith that the tire is good, right??? Although...I'm sure it could be construed as a negligent installation and a bad tire should have been caught.

Yes. I think I would be more worried about the installer of the tire than the tire itself.??

UTfball68 said:

^^^Any time I come across a shop like that, they say it's all about the liability. I never understood that, I can understand if the tire falls off, or if they unknowingly install a non-oem sized tire (another topic that baffles me)...but they should have good faith that the tire is good, right??? Although...I'm sure it could be construed as a negligent installation and a bad tire should have been caught.

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Never thought of the liability issue, but when's the last time you heard of a lawsuit of someone suing a tire installer for putting on someone else's tires.....and even so, all the tire dealers in my area also deal in used tires, meaning they buy used tires (other peoples tires) from the public and from used tire wholesalers and install them on vehicles.

fatherdoug said:

Yes. I think I would be more worried about the installer of the tire than the tire itself.??

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Now this is what I would tend to agree with for sure!

What about any of the membership club's like BJ's, Sams Club or Costco , have you got any around you ?

m78 said:

What about any of the membership club's like BJ's, Sams Club or Costco , have you got any around you ?

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The closest retail center(Costco, Sam's Club, etc) are all 130 miles. There is another tire shop about 80 miles the other direction, but they also do not install other people's tires. However, they will gladly sell you somebody elses used tireds.

fatherdoug said:

The closest retail center(Costco, Sam's Club, etc) are all 130 miles. There is another tire shop about 80 miles the other direction, but they also do not install other people's tires. However, they will gladly sell you somebody elses used tireds.

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Dang Doug, where do you live? At the top of a mountain?

Even walmart in our town was able to swap my winter and summer tires on my Camaro (I know, I know!).

taxreliever said:

Dang Doug, where do you live? At the top of a mountain?

Even walmart in our town was able to swap my winter and summer tires on my Camaro (I know, I know!).

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This is why I call this place the "armpit" of Montana. You get used to driving 80 miles for underwear, etc., etc.

On another note, did you just say the 'C' word?

fatherdoug said:

This is why I call this place the "armpit" of Montana. You get used to driving 80 miles for underwear, etc., etc.

On another note, did you just say the 'C' word?

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Did I mention that my wife has a nice Mustang?

fatherdoug said:

This is why I call this place the "armpit" of Montana. You get used to driving 80 miles for underwear, etc., etc.

On another note, did you just say the 'C' word?

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Hey Doug, speaking of armpits and Montana, I don't think I mentioned this, but on our cross country trip from Washington to Maine when we bought the dent, I got a flat tire somewhere between Missoula and Butte on I90. (the PO and I decided it would be a better ride if we put normal truck tires on for the trip instead of the super swampers, so the big wheels/tires went in the back under the tonneau cover with plenty of room to spare actually). We spent half a day on the side of the road waiting for someone from AAA to drive out to pick us up and take us to Butte where we got the tire fixed and stayed for the night. Kinda cool little town. I'm sure you know where I'm talking about. We even got a Christmas ornament (key chaing with Butte on it) from Butte to remind us of our little adventure.

I'm surprised that you were able to get cell phone service. Yes, I know the place. One of the boys in their younger years, left Seattle without a spare tire, had a blowout about 50 miles west of Missoula. He spent the night in the car in below zere weather(Thank God he had sleeping bag with him). The next morning, a snow plow stopped and called a tow truck driver in Missoula. It was a scary but very valuable lesson he learned.

fatherdoug said:

I'm surprised that you were able to get cell phone service. Yes, I know the place. One of the boys in their younger years, left Seattle without a spare tire, had a blowout about 50 miles west of Missoula. He spent the night in the car in below zere weather(Thank God he had sleeping bag with him). The next morning, a snow plow stopped and called a tow truck driver in Missoula. It was a scary but very valuable lesson he learned.

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Interesting that you brought up the cell service.....when the wifey and I planned our trip home, we thought it would be prudent to bring a satellite phone for these very instances......CAUSE THERE WAS NO CELL PHONE RECEPTION! I thought Maine was bad......would love to retire out in that part of the country.

taxreliever said:

.....would love to retire out in that part of the country.

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I bet its nice and quiet there, with no sirens or anybody blasting bass out of there cars with the door panels vibrating off.



Makes me want to pack up and leave, but I wouldn't want the winters.

It takes a certain kind of person to want to live out here...

I would rather the east coast any day, but that's what I grew up with... seems right to me.

funny thing, perspective...

taxreliever said:

Interesting that you brought up the cell service.....when the wifey and I planned our trip home, we thought it would be prudent to bring a satellite phone for these very instances......CAUSE THERE WAS NO CELL PHONE RECEPTION! I thought Maine was bad......would love to retire out in that part of the country.

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Come on out. There's plenty of room for everybody."Everybody" being ten people or less.

m78 said:

I bet its nice and quiet there, with no sirens or anybody blasting bass out of there cars with the door panels vibrating off.


Makes me want to pack up and leave, but I wouldn't want the winters.

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The noise abatement laws include use of a gun here.

SuperCab said:

It takes a certain kind of person to want to live out here...

I would rather the east coast any day, but that's what I grew up with... seems right to me.

funny thing, perspective...

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And sometimes, you just have to go where the jobs are.

Pretty much. There's a lot of work around here...