Tires...Walmart? Shop?

[Wabbit]

I need tires. $550-600 at shops with tires that hard to find reviews on or cheaper Walmart tires with reviews but what about the installers experience? Walmart has free tire rotations balancing. Is installation balancing new tires a job that I can trust Walmart to do? How hard is it to balance tires correctly. I like the Walmart because they are everywhere if something goes wrong with a tire. How often does that happen with a set of new tires? Thanks!

 

[ArtW]

I get tires at Walmart sometimes, It's sorta hit or miss, some of their techs don't balance tires right, but some of them know their stuff

 

[Wabbit]

Just got a quote from shop that already did 4k worth of work. Their quote was over $800. That shop pisses me off, they had GREAT reviews, but I feel I got shafted. Maybe the shop manager changed or sumtin...

 

[ArtW]

Mebbe so, or maybe he wrote the reviews?

 

[Gunny]

The best thing about Walmart you've already mentioned and the fact they do handle refunds or replacements without a lot of hassle. Balancing tires on the machines they have even I could do. Only way they can screw that up is haste or don't care.

Rob.

 

[ArtW]

actually they still can screw it up, if your tire has two weights on one side spaced apart, it's not right, sometimes you have to second guess the machine
but still, if the tech knows that. it's pretty easy to get it right

 

[Dennis]

Think I would hit the WalMart or try a Discount Tire if there is one near you. Keep that other $200-$300 in your own pocket. I have had pretty good luck with WM on tire mounting and balancing.

 

[Wabbit]

This is the cheapest I can get from a tire shop. He said they were prob 40k mile tire because size of van.

Looking at Walmart prices and installation fees, for about the same price I can get a set of Kumho ROAD VENTURE AT51 Tire P245/75R16 109T.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kumho-ROAD-VENTURE-AT51-Tire-P245-75R16-109T/45693093#about

Are they any good? I have no idea, they have decent reviews and look heavy duty. That's where my knowledge ends. I am thinking its worth the risk? to buy them from Walmart and hope they do a decent install job. That's where I am at now.

 

[Gunny]

90 reviews on Tirerack and almost all 5 stars.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Road+Venture+AT51

Sounds like a decent tire. Hopefully it works for you.

Rob

 

[Bud Smiley]

I trust just about any place to mount, balance, and rotate my tires.

I trust them because I started doing them myself and saw how easy it is. I've got a Harbor Freight tire changer and static balancer and have been able to change my own tires and balance them well enough that I didn't feel any vibration. So I figure any monkey can do it, especially with the automatic tire balancers they have.

 

[Wabbit]

I went with Walmart.

Hankook DynaPro ATm Tire P245/75R16
https://www.walmart.com/ip/19226823

It was $450 for the tires and installation at Walmart will be $88 with roadside hazard. So under $550 and tires seem to be decent ones. Thanks for the help!

 

[K9lestat]

It could hurt to check with a used tire shop, sometimes you'll find a like new set of take off tires. Mounted and balanced 250 bucks. That was three years ago, still riding the tires.

Sent from my Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70F using Tapatalk

 

[SternWake]

For future reference, One can find the best possible deal online on a specific tire, and print up the Shipped price, take it to Discount tire, and they will match that shipped price. They might try to then mark up balancing and mounting ect so be aware of those tricks.

Discount tire did not even list my desired tire on their website, but I printed up a tirerack price including shipping and they matched it. i saved about 85$ over other shops that made estimates on the tire I wanted.

 

[poncho62]

No to be a Monday morning quarterback, but the tires you showed a few posts ago for $557 were LT (Light Truck) tires and the ones you bought for about $100 less were P (Passenger) rated tires.......There is your difference. LT tires will take more weight and more abuse than P tires.
Not saying you got bad tires, but that is why the price is different.

 

[Wabbit]

ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!! How the F#CK did I miss that??? I had to many different tires running around in my brain. I knew I needed Lt... Until you mentioned it I was thinking I ordered LT and a load rating of 120...neither of those are true. They will just have to do, unless someone knows these won't work. Thanks for catching that. 8-(

EDIT: Tire Type: Light Truck/SUV - <------ this was in the description of the tire. So I imagine they will work, still...getting sick of getting every decision with this van wrong! Boo hoo. Oh well, in the end everything will be OK. If everything isn't OK, then it isn't the end.

 

[Gunny]

Take them back. Tell them you told them lt tires.

Rob

 

[Wabbit]

I ordered them so...but...the description says light truck\suv...and the tires have a "P" on them. I don't know enough about tires to know if I can argue that I thought they were LT. I guess I could try. The load difference between 109 and 120 is 700 pounds(ish). That seems like a lot. Grrrr.

 

[Txjaybird]

I'm with Gunny on this one.  You ordered LT/SUV?... and they put on P tires?  Sounds like a mistake you did not make.  Now that I think of it I've always accepted the fact that what I'd paid for is what was mounted/installed on my vehicle....NO LONGER WILL I DO THIS.  I live and I learn.  If it was me I'd take 'em right back....that's just me.  Hey..... you did just find out they are not what you ordered.

Good Luck   Jewellann

 

[Wabbit]

Just to be clear, I ordered the tires at Walmart.com I used the button where it says vehicle and then matches it up for you. So the website recommended the wrong tire. Anyways....

Firstly(secondly?), thank you guys. Not only for catching it, but also for the confidence in the answers to return them. It was a hassle with a few phone calls and EVERYONE saying they didn't handle it. After a lot of back and forth(I had to be WAY more assertive than I like to be at my age), I got the refund immediately(instead of 5 days) and was able to order tires I thought would work. Find link below. Again, thanks to all of ya all!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/50035809

 

[Gunny]

It makes my tired ol' heart feel better when a plan works. Good job Bryan.

Rob