Newbie needs help

[RoyalViking]

This is my first Corvette and I need to buy tires. I have aftermarket wheels and I have no idea of where I can take it to get tires mounted without the shop damaging the rims.

I'm wide open to suggestions.

Roy

 

[TomsToy]

Another place to look, search the phone pages for your local corvette club. The members will usually give you the "heads-up" on who they use locally.

 

[Rob]

Roy,

Welcome to the Corvette Action Center. Stop by the Portal section (click the tab at the top of this page) and look under Repair and Restoration Shops. I believe there are 1 or two shops within your area of Massachusetts that should be able to handle your wheels.

 

[RoyalViking]

I haven't checked the local clubs yet. I did find a local shop.

They have the BF Goodrich KDWS G Force for $185 plus $35 per tire for mounting. Seems steep. They said because of the width of the rim/tire they have to send them to another shop to get mounted.

I have Michelin Pilot XGT Z4's on it now. This shop wanted $276 plus mounting. I had found a great tire shop in PA but have not found one since moving to MA.

Should I keep looking?

Roy

 

[TomsToy]

Tires/mounting

I found that the on-line dealers such as Discount tire or Tire rack have the bottom line in Tire cost. The Corvette speciality shops usually know who does the best hi-speed balance. That is the shop I would have mount the tires I bought. The least expensive going rate when I was looking was about $8 mounting, $20 balance, and $180-200 /Tire. Max was about $270/tire That was last year.
Hope this helps

 

[Bill C]

Royal

I went to Town Fair Tire here in Groton CT ( They are all over the east coast) and showed them the prices that I could get on line and from all of the other tire dealers in the ares. I got a set of AVON ZZ1's way below what any one else offered. These tires are great! They will keep up with any of the others at half the price. Nitto's were next on the list.
The tire store that you choose to mount the tires must have a changer that does not contact the rims. Most tire stores have them now. Just ask the manager to let you see the machine and how they change tires. That will give you an idea on how the job will turn out.

I am VERY happy with the AVON ZZ1 tires and much happier with the money that I saved by checking prices and making deals. Hell I even got a tire failure warrenty on them for little or nothing. Not many "Z" rated tires will offer you that at all!! Some stores (Town Fair Tire included) will let you purchase the tires and if you are not happy with them you can up-grade to "say the Nittos or BFG's without paying any more than difference between the AVONS and the other tires that you want to try.

 

[Topless]

Do you need all season tires? That is the first question. That will shorten the list quickly.

FYI PriceClub/CostCo has Michelin XGT Z4's for $243 each, including mounting, balancing, and road hazard. Just add tax.

It is possible to get really good tires for less than $200 each. It just takes a bit of time shopping.

I just went through this. My tires will be here this week.

-Mike