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Old April 2nd 17, 02:41 PM posted to alt.home.repair,rec.autos.tech,ca.driving
Ed Pawlowski
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Posts: 202
Default I used to buy tires from TireRack - now SimpleTire (how can theydo it?)

On 4/1/2017 10:24 PM, Jonas Schneider wrote:
> On Sat, 1 Apr 2017 20:50:42 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>
>>> I have nothing against good service, but since I mount and balance my own
>>> tires, I can't think of why I would need that good service?

>>
>> Very few of us mount our own tires. I can't justify the investment when
>> I buy a set of tires every18 months at best.

>
> I think most of us don't do "hard" things, where we define "hard" any way
> we want.
>
> For example, probably none of us roof our own homes.
> Probably none of us pump our own septic systems.
> Many of us don't even maintain our own pool chemistry.
>
> In the realm of automobile maintenance, most of us don't replace clutches,
> nor do most of us blueprint an engine. Probably we do basic repairs, but I
> agree with you that most people consider both mounting tires and aligning
> the steering and suspension to be jobs we routinely farm out.


There was a time I did all of that stuff. As I got older, I found it
easier to write checks than drop a tranny. I still put in the
windshield washer fluid though.




>
> Having said that we farm out the "hard" jobs, you'll note that I think your
> statement is completely incorrect that we can't "justify the investment".
>
> Mounting and balancing tools are about three hundred bucks, where it's
> trivial to justify that investment based on your cycle of 18 months per
> vehicle for a set of tires.
>
> At 20 per tire the equipment pays for itself in 15 tires, which for two
> cars would be about six years (at 18 months per set) if I did the math
> right.


On a monetary basis, yes. On a practical basis, no. I'm not willing to
invest a lot of time and space to save $20 when I can earn that in less
time than it takes to mount the tire.


>
> Similarly, the reason people don't do their own mounting and balancing is
> not the justification of the price - but it's the hard work involved - and
> also a bit of learning about technique.


Work is a factor. Some people actually enjoy the sense of
accomplishment more than the money saved. Or perhaps you can do a
little part time brain surgery and earn enough in an hour to pay for a
full set of tires, including mount and balance.



> My theory is that the reason why people think that price is an indication
> of quality is only because they don't know how to determine quality - but -
> they can figure out price. So, to make their simple minds process the
> problem set, they immediately assume a $500 tire is better than a $100
> tire.


Given the price difference it may be better, but not 5X better. I find
that as price goes up, value goes down. Applies to most everything we
buy. Double the price and get 50% better, tops. Is it better to have a
fully loaded Chevy or a stripped down Buick at the same price?


>
> But most of us can change our own tires.
>
> Besides, most of us carry a 12-VDC compressor in the trunk along with the
> OEM jack, triangle reflectors, chocks, spare tools, a flashlight, etc.


My car came with 5 ears of roadside assistance. Last time a tire had to
be changed I sat in the car at night in the rain for 20 minutes for the
guy to show up. Nice feature. I don't recall the last time I used a
lug wrench, but is is over 25 years.


> Your argument above seems to assume a $92 tire is worse than a $260 tire.
> But your argument didn't say a single thing about what you use to determine
> what a "good tire" is.


You have quite a list of tires. Some do not give a traction rating
though. Of course, I'd want A or AA. What the specs don't show is how
well constructed the tire is, how well it rides, how quiet it is. Name
brand means little too. There are plenty of lesser known companies that
make excellent products.

I a curious as to which one you would buy and why.

> Nonetheless, how would you compare these tires at Walmart today?
>


>
> HINT: I know how to pick the best tire in that bunch - and it's not by
> price alone.
>


You have my attention
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