Dear Tire Rack, please frig off

"FrankenBlaster" (FrankenBlaster) 11/18/2014 at 16:09 • Filed to: None

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I have spent more time than I care to admit over the last couple of days trying to find a cost effective way to get winter tires and wheels shipped to my house, mounted and balanced. Tire Rack, who I have been loyal to over the years, has recently stopped mounting tires to wheels for cars if you do not purchase TPMS and your car is confirmed to have it.

Discounttiredirect.com has the wheels and tires I want, but you can't buy a package with steel wheels, meaning they won't come mounted and balanced. Lug nuts and valve stems are also extra. 1010tires.com doesn't offer any packages with any of the tires that are within my criteria for a good winter tire.

Tire rack only allows you to search for wheels by vehicle. I can understand this, as there are a lot of precise measurements a non-gearhead wouldn't understand. Putting hub bore, offset, wheel size, bolt pattern, along with tire sizing all together is hard to do for someone who hasn't done much research on what will or won't fit a certain car. the problem is, I know for that all I want is steel wheels that are 16x6.5 with a 42 offset, a 67.1 hub bore diameter, and some 205/60/16 tires to wrap them. The only way to do this, have them mounted, balanced, and shipped to my door, is to trick Tire Rack.

Mazdaspeedforums.org shows that some members used to be able to tell Tire Rack that their car was a 2007 Mazda 3, without the TPMS option. These members were able to buy the steel wheels that fit and have tires mounted to them and balanced. It seems that Tire Rack may have caught on to this, as the only option for 16 inch steel wheels for that car now is a set with a +55 offset, which is dangerously risky as to whether or not it will clear the calipers. This is, as far as I can tell, one of the only Mazda cars that Tire Rack will allow you to purchase a 16 inch wheel for. Ironically, when I put in the 2012 Mazdaspeed3 I'm trying to buy the fucking tires for, I can buy exactly what I need, but only if I pay $250 extra for TPMS.

The 2006 Honda Civic EX Sedan has a 5x114.3 bolt pattern, allows for a selection of a 16x6.5 steel wheel with a +42 offset, and also allows for you to have tires mounted to them without requiring TPMS. However, on further inspection, it is revealed that Hondas have a hub bore diameter smaller than a Mazda. It's 64.something instead of 67.1. Tire rack does not include the hub bore diameter of the generic steel wheels they sell. They don't even have their own webpage. You can't search for them or find any other information, they just pop up sometimes for some cars as "basic steel wheels". There's almost no way to know exactly what you're getting.

After searching through almost every year of every Mazda car that could run a 16" wheel and looking for the offset of the steel wheels the tire rack website decided to grant me access to, I read where a forum member said that he was running Ford Fusion wheels as his winter wheels. The 2006 Ford Fusion just so happens to have TPMS as an option. It also has a hub bore diameter of 67.1, and a bolt pattern of 5x114.3. For my thousandth search of the tire rack site (the page actually stopped loading in Google Chrome, guessing it's related) I found that I could purchase exactly what I needed.

So, many hours later, I have finally purchased 16x6.5 steel wheels with a +42 offset in a 5x114.3 bolt pattern with a 67.1 hub diameter, along with 205/60/16 General Altimax Arctic tires for this winter.

Jayhawk Jake > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 16:12

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That must be really new. I ordered wheels and tires without TPMS a few months ago on tirerack

JGrabowMSt > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 16:12

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Why would you have that shipped to your house? Do you live in the boonies? Ship the tires to an authorized tire rack installer, don't let the monkeys do it before shipping.

CalzoneGolem > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 16:14

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Why not just purchase tires and wheels and get them mounted yourself?

Are the tpms sensors really that expensive?

FrankenBlaster > JGrabowMSt 11/18/2014 at 16:14

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I wanted them shipped to my house because the last time I had wheels and tires separately shipped to me, my work schedule never lined up with a time that I could get them mounted, and when I did they made a fit about transferring TPMS from stock wheels to aftermarket ones, charged me out the ass, and did an extra shit job of balancing the wheels. This time I just wanted them to show up at my house ready to go so I could mount them and not have to wait until I had time to get to a tire mounting place.

Brian Silvestro > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 16:18

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That is such bullshit. Seriously.

FrankenBlaster > CalzoneGolem 11/18/2014 at 16:19

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$250 for the set, and since it's for the winter set I don't want to mess with it. Also, finding the steel wheels at a good price online was pretty hard in the size I needed, let alone finding the tires I wanted at the right price. I work hours that make it hard to get to a tire place, and the ones that are close get real shady about mounting without TPMS sensors if the car theyre going on requires one.

JGrabowMSt > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 16:21

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Understandable.

I'd probably just deal with the TPMS light. It's pretty easy to see when a tire is too low.

CalzoneGolem > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 16:21

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That's all stupid.

FrankenBlaster > JGrabowMSt 11/18/2014 at 16:26

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Yeah that's what my plan is with the light, that's what started the whole mess, is they refuse to send tires and wheels to me without TPMS if I say I'm ordering it for a Mazdaspeed3. The only way to circumvent was to find out that a 2006 Focus has the same specs for wheels, ordering the set saying it was for a Focus, and having it shipped.

DrScientist > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 16:36

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i assume it's the same as removing a safety device. as in... you won't find a shop that will replace an airbag steering wheel with a non-airbag wheel.

i guess TPMS is considered a safety device.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 16:39

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I'm currently fighting a different battle with Tire Rack. Sort of the same, but not quite.

My issue is that they won't order wheels from brands they carry unless their system says it fits.

Which is silly, because I *know* what part number I need.

I guess I should just order them from Summit Racing and have them shipped to the South ATL Metro store.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > CalzoneGolem 11/18/2014 at 16:41

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That's all stupid.

That's the government regulations for you. Thanks to the idiots who won't check their pressures.

Takuro Spirit > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 16:59

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As an installer for Tire Rack, I THINK we can still call and have them sell us whatever we want, TPMS or no. Haven't been using them at all lately though.

NeedsmoreaftermarketXTparts > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 17:18

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Craigslist or ebay for wheels

tire rack or discount tire for tires

local tire shop for mount and balance (such as sears $15 per tire and can be re-balanced for free for life of the tire)

save time

????

profit

burntartichoke > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 17:20

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Why is it $250 for TPMS? I got new tires from Costco last week and the four TPMS were a whopping total of about $20.

JDIGGS > JGrabowMSt 11/18/2014 at 17:24

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Uh they usually get pist you bought your tires from the rack and charge you a poop ton to mount and balance.

George McNally > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 17:29

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I bought a set of steelies, TPMS and Blizzaks for my 2014 Elantra from Tirerack.com

I didn't have a problem paying extra for TPMS, when I ordered my set-it was still an option. I really don't wanna stare at a red dashboard light all winter.

They must figure out back spacing really well....my steelies barely clear the brake calipers.

Tapas > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 17:33

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Commendable work!

Also, fuck Tire Rack.

JGrabowMSt > JDIGGS 11/18/2014 at 17:38

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I have a local shop who's race car is sponsored by tire rack. I can ship tires there and have them mounted and balanced for cheap.

Hooneriphic > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 20:21

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I had no idea 16" wheels would fit an MS3. Mine is a Gen2 but I run 17" wheels in the winter. Had I known I could get away with 16" I would have done it.

FrankenBlaster > Hooneriphic 11/18/2014 at 22:13

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I wouldn't have guessed it either, but a lot of the local guys run 16's so I figured I"d do it. I wanted as much sidewall as possible to prevent from another bent wheel this year. What wheels do you run just out of curiosity?

FrankenBlaster > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 11/18/2014 at 22:15

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Man I hate that so much. I totally understand Tire Rack's reasoning though. Since they're such a huge distributor I can only imagine they'd have to hire on hundreds of people to handle strictly returns for incorrectly ordered wheels.

However, for people like you and I, it is quite the ass pain.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > FrankenBlaster 11/18/2014 at 23:30

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Did you buy a set of 4 or just for the go wheels? I'm looking into getting a set for my wife's cobalt but I'm not sure if I should just do the fronts or all 4

FrankenBlaster > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 11/19/2014 at 09:18

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I did all 4. I wasn't going to risk it again this winter, almost crashed a couple times last winter, so I said screw it and went all out with blizzaks and smaller wheels.

thebigbossyboss > FrankenBlaster 11/19/2014 at 09:30

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Earlier this year I ordered quick struts from tire rack. I gotta say my experience was 10/10.

The sales guy I dealt with, even asked if he should hold up shipping for me, so I didn't have to pay extra at the place that I was shipping to. (Bringing parts across the border myself).

Getting my tires mounted and balanced has been equally hard. Everywhere I go they just say "booked for two weeks"

So my bologna skins roll on.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > FrankenBlaster 11/19/2014 at 10:31

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My issue is that they will only allow me to order 18x7.5 Enkei RPF1 in 5x112 for the Audi instead of the 17x7.5 in 5x112.

Stock Audi wheel size for a B5 S4? 17x7.5 in 5x112.

ColoradoTaco > FrankenBlaster 11/19/2014 at 10:56

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Craigslist for some regular non-speed3 wheels with Winter tires already mounted?

Slave2anMG > FrankenBlaster 11/19/2014 at 11:01

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I'd have done something dangerously old fashioned - I'd have picked up the phone and called them, gotten a manager on the phone and explained what I was trying to do...:)

FrankenBlaster > ColoradoTaco 11/19/2014 at 11:22

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Actually searched for about a week or two before I went on this hunt. I only found 1 set that would fit the car, then the seller sold them right before I was going to meet him to pick them up. Pissed me off a little, and most sets were around $500, so the $700 for brand new tires and wheels with the exact sizing I wanted didn't seem too bad.

straz85 > FrankenBlaster 11/19/2014 at 13:55

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On Sunday I ordered steelies with snow tires mounted and balanced for my wife's '13 Escape without TPMS and it wasn't an issue. Maybe you live in a state that requires TPMS for inspection and this would be akin to an exhaust shop replacing your cat with a straight pipe? Many shops won't do it because it's not worth the risk of a fine.

Hooneriphic > FrankenBlaster 11/19/2014 at 18:28

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I run a mismatched set of Evo IX's. Bought two off CL that were sanded and painted black. Found two more at a track day that were scuffed pretty bad but perfectly straight. I've got less than 400 bucks in the whole set and for me the fact that they're forged far outweighs the color. I'll paint them some day...

Destructive Tester > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 12/03/2014 at 08:59

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Dumb question, can't you just create a guest account for a vehicle that the wheels you want will fit? Pardon my ignorance, I never use Tire Rack since I have a couple of hook-ups for wheels and tires.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Destructive Tester 12/03/2014 at 10:43

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Yes, you could do that, but you have to also understand their feelings on it. (Once I thought through it myself, I know *why* its set up that way, but I prefer parts to be shipped to my house, as both the UPS and the FedEx guy know to leave that stuff by the shop door near the garage)

They are doing a 3D CAD simulation to see if the wheels actually fit around the calipers and stay within the confines of the well without hitting anything (suspension uprights, fenders, etc) under static and dynamic conditions.

Some people aren't that averse to modifying some components to get things to fit (i.e. shave the caliper metal). But they have to have it fit with a certain amount of fudge factor, so that they minimize someone sending product back saying "It doesn't fit".

They would have had to eat the shipping cost both ways (outbound due to the initial refund as the product didn't fit, and inbound due to the return), and that's not a good thing.

It would be nice if they would provide us with their analysis as to why they specify various sizes (The massive Lucas HP2 calipers on the B5 S4 are such a case, as they are much larger on external dimensions then one would be led to believe by the description), and let us make the decision, but their business guys feel that causing the engineer crowd in the car world inconvenience is a better thing to take place than cause lots of fitting hassle and returns for everyone else (otherwise known as a "bad customer experience").

So I've found a different wheel that they do specify that fits the S4 fronts, and the slicks will be going on next season.

Benni996 > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 12/03/2014 at 13:14

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I highly recommend against having mis-matched tires, especially 2 winter and 2 non, even all season. Figuring most would put the winter tires on the front, driven wheels, you likely won't notice any difference when accelerating or light cornering, but when you stop those fronts are going to grab better than the rears meaning the back end can come around. Not sure about yours but I can see many ways my wife would react, all of them bad. In addition if you go into an icy corner again the fronts will grip better than the rears making the back end step out easier. Might be fun for some, but again, my wife wouldn't take it well and you're pretty much negating any positive from having winter tires at all. In that case just get the best winter rated all seasons. Your results may vary...