Experience with buying tires online help

[joph09]

Just shopping around for tires because its about time to change them and one of my stockers has a hole/damage too close to the sidewall. I'm on an elcheapo student budget and literally have no time in the winter and during school to swap in winter tires so all-seasons for me. I'm also stretching my wallet a bit, for a wider 205 tire over 195. I'm pretty much set on the falken 912's, reviews seem pretty good and they're pretty cheap but also open for suggestions. I've got some local quotes (a little on the high side).
I know 205/50/15 is small and the speedometer will be off etc, but that's ok however I'm still weighing out the pros and cons.
http://www.1010tires.com/images/tires/Falken/falken_ze912_lg.jpg
kaltire
205/55/15 - $508
205/50/15 - $392

Gas Performance
205/55/15 - $580
205/50/15 - $420

Speed Factor (gotta call still)

And Online quotes. Does any canuks have experience buying tires from these sites?

1010tires (in canada)
205/55/15 - $430.21 shipped
205/50/15 - $371.83 shipped

carmodifier (in canada)
205/55/15 - $439.16 shipped
205/50/15 - $362.96 shipped

wheelsnext (freeshipping through fedex plus customs and taxes)
205/55/15 - $360
205/50/15 - $276

I'm also crazy because I really thought I put this in the tire and wheel section.

[kylemorg]

Check www.tirerack.com and www.discounttiredirect.com. They are both very reputable.

Narrower tires are better in the winter and in wet weather, so if winter / inclement driving is a priority, get the stock size.

[hyunelan2]

I have the 912s in OEM size that I got from discounttiredirect's super-sale last fall for about $200 ($100 off buying 4). Paid another $60ish for mounting when they arrived.

I have the 912s in 205/45/17 that I paid $360 for the tires from discount tire's ebay seller for $360 - still need to pay for the mounting balancing.

[rckozma]

Moved to Wheels and Tires section.

[Ugzz]

not sure if they stock what you are looking for, but ive done two orders with www.buywheelstoday.com and both have been good experiences.

[2002 GLS]

I have 195-50-15 No problems but with the speedometer. When the car say's you are going 60MPH, The GPS says you are going 57.7. When the car says you are going 80MPH you you are really going like 73 MPH. Also add more millage to your car then you really put on it.. But who cares!!

[joph09]

Moved to Wheels and Tires section.
thanks

Check www.tirerack.com and www.discounttiredirect.com. They are both very reputable.

Narrower tires are better in the winter and in wet weather, so if winter / inclement driving is a priority, get the stock size.

I've always wondered why narrower tires are supposed to be better in the winter. I would think that a wider tire gives more traction because of more tire surface touching the road and that narrower tires would just try to slice through almost like ice skates but not really ice skates.


not sure if they stock what you are looking for, but ive done two orders with www.buywheelstoday.com and both have been good experiences.

Pretty much free shipping to Canada if the company is in the states. I've checked out buywheelstoday, discounttiredirect, tirerack, etc shipping is expensive plus to add to that is the customs taxes and duties. Wheelsnext has free shipping to canada.

[hyunelan2]

I've always wondered why narrower tires are supposed to be better in the winter. I would think that a wider tire gives more traction because of more tire surface touching the road and that narrower tires would just try to slice through almost like ice skates but not really ice skates.

There could be a couple reasons for this. One would be that on a narrower tire, the weight of the car is pushing down on a smaller area, providing greater pressure (traction). The other is, with a wide tire, if you go over a small part of pavement that has a rise in it, the tire will ride over it (imagine something like an elevated crack). Now the contact patch is only as wide as the elevated pavement. The wider the tire, the more elevations in the pavement you are going to find.

[Pete03GLS]

narrow tires are better for winter because they do slice through the snow better, where a wide tire would float ontop of the snow. thats why most people have a set of summer wheels and a set of winter wheels.

[hyunelan2]

That, and if you care about your summer wheels you don't want to expose them to winter salt.

[joph09]

meh I'm just on gt alloys. I don't know about floating on top, it makes some sense though, I'm thinking the snowshoe effect with wider tires...sorta. The weight of the car wouldn't allow the car to float on snow anyways but I see your points.

[Pete03GLS]

its the same as hydro planing, just different sorta... with rain, the tread design dictates how well your tires handle wet driving. with snow, u kinda hydro plane too but mostly because its harder for the snow to be squeezed out from underneath a wider tire, than a narrower tire.

[joph09]

ah hydroplaning gotcha. Well I've driven here alot and going wider from 195 to 205 won't be a crazy difference, hopefully, but I can handle it.

[frijoli]

As an aside, Discount tire stores will match TireRacks prices.

Clay

[mnstrmech]

ive got a set of the 912's in a 205/55/15 size, and they look really good and did really well this winter!! i was amazed! even on our trecherous bypass, they sliced through and i had no issues. stick with the 205/55/15 size. you wont be sorry!

[KeWLKaT]

I can't believe someone from winnipeg uses 4 season tires.

Here in QC starting next winter winter tires are going to be obligatory. Finally. I'm tired of being scared of the other ones who have no real tires for the condition.

[BobMs_wht2k2]

Ah. . . another gov't knee-jerk reaction to poor driving techniques and improper training. Just wait until Hilarity or Ossama take over, we'll be right there with you guys. Socialism Rocks! [/sarcasm]

[KeWLKaT]

It's not a question of training or whatnot. I could drive my car in winter with bald summer tires if I want to. Though it would require much more alertness and being stuck more often in the snow. You guys have nothing on our winters.

[bmxdad]

Ahhh ... I'd rather drive in your snow, then our black ice ... one minute your fine, next your watching bumper cars in action.

[joph09]

I can't believe someone from winnipeg uses 4 season tires.

Here in QC starting next winter winter tires are going to be obligatory. Finally. I'm tired of being scared of the other ones who have no real tires for the condition.

Yup, i'm crrrraaaazzzzzyyyyy. I've done fine with the all season michies for 4 years, so anything else would be better. It's all about driving smart and avoiding those who aren't. I know mandatory winter tires were disussed but I don't know if and when it'll be implemented Oh we get black ice, blacker than you've ever seen, it's just covered with a nice fluffy layer of snow.

[Silentwolf]

Ah. . . another gov't knee-jerk reaction to poor driving techniques and improper training. Just wait until Hilarity or Ossama take over, we'll be right there with you guys. Socialism Rocks! [/sarcasm]

They obviously wont take the initiative to learn on their own and i wouldn't want to get wasted/car totaled by someone who wasn't willing to learn.

[joph09]

I don't have a problem with mandatory winter tires, just as long as they subsidize us. We just started mandatory immobilizers for high risk vehciles for free fromd our insurance (manitoba public insurace).

[KeWLKaT]

Ahhh ... I'd rather drive in your snow, then our black ice ... one minute your fine, next your watching bumper cars in action.

Because you think we don't have black ice? :abovelol:

What you people don't understand is that the MAIN purpose of winter tires is the fact that the compound they are made out doesn't freeze solid and lose its properties like on summer/4seasons. The extra grip is just a little extra coolness.

Here we get -60 degF temperatures with windchill sometimes and 4seasons just don't cut it.

They obviously wont take the initiative to learn on their own and i wouldn't want to get wasted/car totaled by someone who wasn't willing to learn.

That's also why I hate driving in the winter, because I know I can control my car, but I am afraid of idiots who cannot. This winter I was stopped at a light and I could hear the guy behind me coming down from the hill skidding non-stop on the ice, I thought I was a goner before I saw his van do 360s and whatnot and go to the other lanes, so I didn't need to get away from it. Had I not been that lucky the car would've maybe been a total loss.

[kylemorg]

From the comments about not knowing narrower tires are better in the winter, it sounds like some of you guys could use some help with "tire tech"...

Check out http://www.tirerack.com/about/techcenter.jsp when you get a chance -- Tire Rack has a lot of good info in layman's terms. Specifically check out the winter tire selection guide http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=126