Tires from Costco or Sam's
Purchasing tires from Costco or Sam's. Is it a good idea.
Forum Discussion
Take your pick / name your poison .....
Costco, Sams, Wally, Discount Tire, Mom & Pop tire stores, etc -
Turnover of employees in some/many/most of the above is frequent.
Some employees have little (or no) experience. (It's OJT).
May have been working at Taco Bell the week before - and don't plan on a career mounting tires!
Also - High volume = busy, busy - hurry, hurry - "maybe" cut corners.
Latest and greatest "thing" at Costco is free Nitrogen.
Great.
HOWEVER - now the employees mounting tires are constantly interrupted by folks wanting their tires "topped off" with Nitrogen - frequently none is really needed..:R
(The DWs are told to do same by their DHs - and are clueless)..:S
What *you* must watch for is the final (hand) torquing of lug nuts, .....especially on aluminum wheels!
*You* should know the torque specs for your wheels, and ask the installer to see if the spec *he* has is correct!.:@
Have a good idea of what the sequence for the final TQing should be.
When he is using his impact wrench, he should use the impact to "snug" the lug nuts, then hand torque (with a TQ wrench) in proper sequence.
When to call a halt:..:E
(As politely as possible)
1. If his TQ wrench "clicks" immediately -
he has already run down the lug/s too tight with the impact..:(
2. If he claims his impact is set to whatever the required TQ is for your wheels - so it's OK to tighten them (completely) with the impact..:(
An Orange Co., CA Costco is famous for snapping wheel studs due to both the above.
It has a standing contract with a close-by facility to replace the broken studs.......at their cost, but of course, on *your* time..:(
(Posters need not ask how I know that).
Mom and Pop - your "trusted neighborhood tire shop" - even somebody you are familiar with:
No matter what they say.....*ALWAYS* check the date codes on in-stock tires, -or- tires you order.
Local guy ordered 4 trailer tires for me.....he didn't check codes when they came in, BUT I DID!..;)
(His employees had already mounted two!)
Seventeen months old was a "no thanks" for me!..:(
He found a different brand (acceptable to me) that were about one month old - same price.
Shop prices for the best deal that makes you happy - but buyer beware!!..:W
.
Costco, Sams, Wally, Discount Tire, Mom & Pop tire stores, etc -
Turnover of employees in some/many/most of the above is frequent.
Some employees have little (or no) experience. (It's OJT).
May have been working at Taco Bell the week before - and don't plan on a career mounting tires!
Also - High volume = busy, busy - hurry, hurry - "maybe" cut corners.
Latest and greatest "thing" at Costco is free Nitrogen.
Great.
HOWEVER - now the employees mounting tires are constantly interrupted by folks wanting their tires "topped off" with Nitrogen - frequently none is really needed..:R
(The DWs are told to do same by their DHs - and are clueless)..:S
What *you* must watch for is the final (hand) torquing of lug nuts, .....especially on aluminum wheels!
*You* should know the torque specs for your wheels, and ask the installer to see if the spec *he* has is correct!.:@
Have a good idea of what the sequence for the final TQing should be.
When he is using his impact wrench, he should use the impact to "snug" the lug nuts, then hand torque (with a TQ wrench) in proper sequence.
When to call a halt:..:E
(As politely as possible)
1. If his TQ wrench "clicks" immediately -
he has already run down the lug/s too tight with the impact..:(
2. If he claims his impact is set to whatever the required TQ is for your wheels - so it's OK to tighten them (completely) with the impact..:(
An Orange Co., CA Costco is famous for snapping wheel studs due to both the above.
It has a standing contract with a close-by facility to replace the broken studs.......at their cost, but of course, on *your* time..:(
(Posters need not ask how I know that).
Mom and Pop - your "trusted neighborhood tire shop" - even somebody you are familiar with:
No matter what they say.....*ALWAYS* check the date codes on in-stock tires, -or- tires you order.
Local guy ordered 4 trailer tires for me.....he didn't check codes when they came in, BUT I DID!..;)
(His employees had already mounted two!)
Seventeen months old was a "no thanks" for me!..:(
He found a different brand (acceptable to me) that were about one month old - same price.
Shop prices for the best deal that makes you happy - but buyer beware!!..:W
.
