how do car tires work: purchasing and installation
June 4, 2018 5:18 AM   Subscribe

HOW IS TIRE WORKED. I need to replace my car's P195/65 R15 tires, ideally 89H load/speed rating or better (I'm just going by what the manufacturer originally installed). I have never done this before and my budget is cheap. Can I buy online? How much should I expect for installation and alignment (my car pulls, I figure I need an alignment)? Can I go to a general mechanic or do I need to go to a specialty tire place? Location and so much more within.

I have a 2007 Honda Accord sedan.
  • How much should I expect to pay? Is this a simple job, or do I need to find a $$$ Premium Mechanic $$$? Like, how much time should I spend on Yelp, and is there a better place to get ratings?
  • I should get an alignment too, right? My car pulls.
  • Do I really need to go to a tire store and get it installed there? It will be cheaper to buy on my own and go to a mechanic, right?
  • I assume I need the exact measurements installed by the manufacturer, and speed/load rating should be the same or higher. The original speed/load was 89H.
  • I was going to buy all-season tires because I'm no performance driver and I won't be changing them in the winter.
  • Do these tires look OK?
  • UTQG is tread rating, right? The above tires are 500AA. Is that good enough?
  • I have bought used tires in the past, but only one at a time and I don't feel comfortable picking out all four on my own. This is probably a good idea, right? Or is this a lot easier than I'm assuming?
  • What about warranties? Are those done at the mechanic or should I be looking for tires that offer them? Are they worth it?
  • I have AAA. Is there any way I can work this to my financial advantage, aside from saving myself some time and having them install the doughnut I need to get to a tire place?
I know buying and installing tires properly is incredibly important for safety reasons so I'm willing to pay more than the cheapest . . . but right now I really am on a tight budget.

I live in Philadelphia, PA, so recommendations for mechanics are also appreciated. Thank you!
posted by anonymous to Travel & Transportation (19 answers total)
 
I have always gotten the cheapest tires and best/fastest service at Sears. If there's a Sears autorepair center near you, I would suggest driving there and getting whatever cheapish tires they sell that fit your car. It is easy and will be fine. It will cost $250 or so. This will ultimately come out to be about the same cost +/- $20 as buying on line and will be so, so much easier and less stressful for you. You'll see all sorts of "Buy 3 get the 4th one free" and "free installation" deals at all kinds of tire places -- in my experience, the cost always works out to be about the same, no matter what.

Unfortunately, the alignment will be expensive -- probably another $300 unless you can get some sort of special. Myself, I would just have Sears do it when they do the tires. I don't find that the cost varies much on alignments.
posted by OrangeDisk at 5:25 AM on June 4, 2018


Response by poster: Oh jeez, I thought alignments were $60 or so! They're really that expensive?!
posted by Anonymous at 5:27 AM on June 4, 2018


I had to get new tires last year and my trusted mechanic said that Discount Tire's labor day sale was the way to go. And it was far cheaper than Costco.

Maybe they still have a Memorial Day sale?
posted by k8t at 5:32 AM on June 4, 2018


$300 for an alignment sounds crazy expensive - should be more like $100-$125. Tires are a commodity. When I've tried to shop around in the past the result of calling six different name brand tire shops was six quote within a few dollars of each other. If your car takes a somewhat unusual tire you may save money buying online and having the tire drop shipped to the shop, but I doubt that is relevant for a 2007 Accord. Just go to Firestone, Goodyear, Sears, etc.
posted by COD at 5:35 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]


Tire Rack is like the Amazon of tires. Plug the make and model of your car in, and you'll get info on the various tire options, reviews of the tires, and information on local mechanics (and what they charge). There are also various guides and FAQs that will answer most of your questions above.

You buy the tires online, they ship the tires to the mechanic, and you just drop the car off and pay at the end. A well-timed sale at a tire shop might beat Tire Rack prices, but they're always very competitive, and it's also an easy way to compare local mechanics.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 5:40 AM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]


It will be cheaper to buy on my own and go to a mechanic, right?
Not in my experience. Mechanic>tire chain~=Sears and similar; for when you’re buying tires and service at the same shop.

Mechanics do everything, places that specialize on tire can do it faster and cheaper.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:41 AM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]


Go to a tire place. That is what they do everyday. They will enter your car model and year in the computer and offer a range of tires they have in stock. Cost will range from $50 - $200 a tire small plus installation, most will check the alignment for free and charge only if it needs to be adjusted. Some will adding services if you are buying 4 tires.

I view tire as an essential piece of safety equipment willing to pay extra, Also a H rated tire is good for speeds up to 150 MPH. will you be driving that fast? Don't worry about getting lower speed rated tires, it is the one way to save some money.
posted by tman99 at 5:41 AM on June 4, 2018 [2 favorites]


The last alignment I got cost $89, for whatever that is worth.

I bought tires last year and found that online plus installation was at best only slightly cheaper than the prices I got calling around local shops (both chains like Discount Tire and independents). I bought from the one who said "if you come in today, we'll take 20% off"; there are sales all the time as well as manufacturer rebates.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:01 AM on June 4, 2018


Yeah, Discount Tire is easy and as cheap as I have found in ~20 years of car ownership. I have found that the sales are mostly to bring more expensive (better? who can say?) sets of tires closer to the entry level prices, so if you are shopping for "whatever is the cheapest" as opposed to a certain level of performance and/or brand name, it doesn't save you a ton of money to wait. Adding an alignment (a good idea if your car pulls) is probably around $80-100.

Discount Tire also does free rotations for the life of your tire, which you should take them up on, as it does extend the life of your tires somewhat.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:29 AM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]


Honestly, I find a tire I like on Tirerack, and then see if the local tire place (Town Fair Tire) stocks the same tire. If so, they price match, and will do a mount, balance, and four wheel alignment for $100.

If not, then I have my local mechanic do the swap (all four tires for $60), and unless the alignment is wonky enough to show up in steering or tire wear, skip that part.
posted by kaszeta at 7:11 AM on June 4, 2018


Another idea if you want cheap tires is to tell the tire place - look, I'm selling this car at the end of the year, I just need the basics.

I echo what others said above that the tire places do this all day, every day. Mechanics don't.

And tire places do offer financing. We opened a credit card through them and paid it off in 3 months. This was because there was a $300 visa gift card in exchange for signing up. All in all, we nearly got the tires for free.
posted by k8t at 7:17 AM on June 4, 2018 [1 favorite]


Bad alignment causes premature tire wear, so if your car is noticeably pulling you should get it aligned otherwise you'll probably be leaving at least $alignment in excess rubber left on the road by having to replace your tires even earlier next time.
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:25 AM on June 4, 2018


> Do I need to find a $$$ Premium Mechanic $$$? Like, how much time should I spend on Yelp, and is there a better place to get ratings?

Nope. I have successfully bought tires from and had them installed at Costco, Discount Tire, and a local tire shop.

> I should get an alignment too, right? My car pulls.

Yup. This helps your safety and extends the life of the tires.

> It will be cheaper to buy on my own and go to a mechanic, right?

Probably not.

> I assume I need the exact measurements installed by the manufacturer,
> and speed/load rating should be the same or higher. The original speed/load was 89H.

Yes and yes. There are some exceptions (like, your car came with race car tires or something) but they don't apply here.

> Do these tires look OK?

I've never heard of that brand and admit to being a little suspicious of a < $40 new tire. See if you can find some reviews on Tire Rack from people who have had them installed for at least a year.

> I have bought used tires in the past, but only one at a time and I don't feel comfortable picking out all four on my own.

It's best to replace tires in sets. Depending on wear you can do front pair, back pair, or all four.

> What about warranties? Are those done at the mechanic or should I be looking for tires that offer them? Are they worth it?

Look for something that offers a manufacturer's warranty. Additional warranties will generally not work out in your $$ favor.

> I have AAA. Is there any way I can work this to my financial advantage, aside from saving myself some time and having them install the doughnut I need to get to a tire place?

Some shops may offer a discount for AAA members.
posted by 4rtemis at 7:26 AM on June 4, 2018


And if you can't find a tire chain around you, I second Tire Rack - I pick something that doesn't seem too cheap / too specific a climate / whitewalled / whatever, then I pick a mechanic around home who can deal with the tire pressure management system in my car and place the order.

You'll get tracking information from Tire Rack and if the mechanic hasn't called you by the end of the day they receive the tires, go ahead and call them - they just took delivery of a pretty big item, they'll know what you're calling about. You set up an appointment, it can take a half a day or so.

And definitely get an alignment at the same time. All told I think I spent about $100 per tire for parts and labor, and another $125 or so for the alignment.
posted by Kyol at 7:27 AM on June 4, 2018


I see you're in Philly and have AAA. I just picked up some maps and tour books at AAA on Columbus Blvd, behind the Home Depot (entrance off Columbus Blvd) in South Philly. They have a multi-bay garage and certainly sell and install tires and do alignments.

Not sure what it'd cost, but presumably less than retail as a service to AAA members.
posted by citygirl at 7:42 AM on June 4, 2018


Also a H rated tire is good for speeds up to 150 MPH. will you be driving that fast? Don't worry about getting lower speed rated tires, it is the one way to save some money.

From personal experience: one chain would not sell me tires with a lower speed rating than the OEM tires on my car, despite the fact I had previously mounted the same lower spec on the same car. They looked in the computer, saw that the car left the factory with V-rated tires, and refused to sell me H-rated replacements. (In my particular case, the H rated were "Grand Touring" tires with a nicer, quieter ride than the original V rated "Sport" tires, and I got more miles out of them, so I went somewhere else and bought the tires I wanted).

You might be able to drop from an H to an S or T, but you should do that only in consultation with someone who actually knows what the characteristics of the various tires are. The handling of the car may change in ways you're not expecting, and you don't want to find that out while you're already moving at high speed.
posted by fedward at 7:44 AM on June 4, 2018


One advantage I've found to a chain tire store is the guarantee. We use Hoffman, and they patch or replace their tires for free for the life of the tire, and we can go to whichever store of theirs is closest when the tire blows. Living in Atlanta, I average 2 flat tires a year from road debris and potholes, and it sure is nice to save on those endless replacement costs. It sounds like this may not be a problem where you live right now, but it's something to keep in mind.
posted by hydropsyche at 8:56 AM on June 4, 2018


If you happen to have a Costco membership, I've been happiest with getting tires from them(cost, no hidden fees, road damage warranty, etc). Note: they do not do any other work, so you'd need an alignment elsewhere.
posted by TheAdamist at 9:38 AM on June 4, 2018


Alignments cost - depends. Nothing wrong with front end except adjustment, honest shop, less than 100. Front end work is expensive precisely because it is a huge pain the a**. And back.

Check reviews of shops before you take the vehicle in.
Lots of tire shops will park you in a waiting area, put your car on the lift, and take it apart. Then they'll come tell you your left hand fluzernoble is nackered, and offer to fix it for dollar$$.

Never be afraid to tell them to put it back together, you'll take your business elsewhere.
It may be true you need repairs, it may not, but don't take the first shop's word for it.

I grew up around cars, rebuilt motors, trannys, etc but now I am old and don't want to work on cars anymore. I went to buy some tires for my truck in town, and had this exact scenario happen.
Magicially they discovered it was a loose bolt that needed tightening, not hundreds in front end work.
My wife went for an oil change in RI one time, she came back and told me they had to replace the drain plug, she had the old plug (she was smart.) Nothing wrong with it. We went back down there, walked into the waiting room, just as a mechanic walked in and told a woman sitting in the waiting room she needed a new drain plug.

If you do take the *tires one place, alignment another* route - front ends cannot be aligned on oddly worn tires. You can however get a tire rotation front to back and get it aligned on what were the back tires, which should be worn square.
I think that is the course I would take, not being there to run my hand over your front tires and look at them.
posted by rudd135 at 6:23 PM on June 4, 2018


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