Tires are not something you can install and just forget about. You need to constantly monitor the condition of the tires all the time. I've used my set of tires for about 60,000 miles, and now they are all worn out. And I'm about to get a new set of tires. When getting a new set of tires, what should I look for? 1. The tires themselves. 2. The skill of mechanics who will install them. The tires come from big factories, like Michellin or Bridgestone. Thus, I'm not worried about their quality, as long as I get the specifications right. R15, 215/65. But the skill of the mechanics who will install them gives me hard time deciding WHERE I should get my new set of tires. Any tire shop has almost every brand and model of tires available in the market, but depending on their experience, they do different job of installing the tires. Some shops, they do a good job and once you install the tires, you won't have to return to the garage to readjust the wheel allignment. But some shops, they do a bad job, and you have to return to the garage after only couple of months. So today, I'm going to get a new set of tires for my car, and I'm decided on getting Michellin, R15, 215/65. And I have to decide which shop I will go...
Changing tires is the easiest thing you can do to a car next to changing the oil. Just get yourself a tire iron and do it yourself. When you buy the tires, they should balance them and put the weights on right then and there. And plus, don't you live in Thailand? I haven't a clue of any shop there.
There's no way I could do it myself... I have to do it in a shop... In Thailand, they have big franchised tire shops, like B-Quick and ACT... they're like the McDonald's and KFC of tire shops. And then there are individual shops... they are like... a local fried chicken shop... Sometimes, I think I should goto the KFC coz they would have had standardized equipments and well trained mechanics. But I can't ignore the skill and experience of those individual shops which has been doing the tire jobs for decades...
Why? But if it must be done in a shop, go for a big chain. They have the big equipment, and at least their mechanics are trained. Besides, it's quite difficult to muck up a tire change.
Haha Definitely go to a big chain shop. I know at Walmart they charge like 5 dollars per instillation, so thats 20 bucks for 4 tires. When I can go outside with a jack and tire iron and change them in under 20 minutes. But definitely, like I said go to a big chain place.
B-Quick it is... Yeah... it doesn't cost more, it's faster, and the waiting room is airconditioned... good call. Thanks, buddy!
I just came back from B-Quick with a brand new set of tires. It wasn't EXACTLY what I had in mind, but close enough. I wanted 215/65, but they only had 215/70. A bit higher ride, which can't be bad. The new set is a bit slippery, being too new, but the setting was perfect. No vibration at high speed, no tendency to pull or push in any direction... let my hands go and the car drives in straight line... A bit too much air though... the mechanics put in 35 (air unit which I don't remember)... I prefer 32... But I'm gonna run at 35 for now. See how it effects the ride. I'm curious to know if it will have effect on fuel efficiency. In theory it should, but in practice? You never know.
Higher tire pressure will increase fuel efficiency because there is less contact on the ground from the tires, therefore less friction. Although between 35 and 32, it probably won't be too noticeable.
A lot of people my way will drop their tire pressure to about 20 PSI to go offroading, but forget to pump up again and get like 7 or 8 MPG and wonder why!
I realise you've already bought your tires but IMO independant places are better than big chainstore corporations. Atleast when you go to an independant store, theres a good chance the guy that does the work is financially involved in it so he just might give a shit about the work he does. He will rely on word of mouth and customer service as his main forms of advertising so he can't afford to stuff up. The franchisee run ones rely moreso on actual advertising to gain customers and any poor work they do won't reflect as badly on them. When I went to a big place to get my tires done some shithead 17yr old apprentice used a rattlegun to put the bolts back on crooked so all the threads on my wheel studs/bolts were completely fucked (yes he put 18 out of 20 on wrongly), I didn't realise till a month later and by then they told me it was my own fault for not picking it up sooner so its not their problem, ordering in all the new parts was a massive headfuck being for a car that wasn't officially ever sold in my country and all up it cost me near $300 and a full days work with my dad to fix one lazy pricks mistake that didn't want to spend 25 seconds extra tightening the bolts by hand or making sure they were on properly.