most cost efficient way to get flat car tires replaced? (Update 5/22)

[VAisforlovers]

I got a flat tire while driving and I was close enough to drive it to my house. It is currently in the parking lot. Everything is closed at the moment so I am going to get it replaced tomorrow.

I plan to replace two back tires. I think I can drive it somewhere close to a local repair shop to get them replaced. What is the most cost efficient way to do so?

Update 5/22

I went to a nearby shop and I got the tire replaced where the flat occurred. I was going to change two tires but they only had one in stock. This is what I ended up paying:

1 New Bridgestone Fuzion Touring P195/65R15T for $59.99
1 Tire mount, balance, and install valve stem $8.00
Valve Stem $2.50
Waste Tire Disposal Fee $2.00
State Tire Fee $1.75
Tax $5.00

Total $79.24

Was this price reasonable?

 

[Vic Vega]

What kind of car?

 

[VAisforlovers]

What kind of car?

early 2000 Mitsubishi

I talked to someone and he said that I should replace the back 2 tires (one with a flat). They're too old to be repairable

Edit: I have no spare

 

[lxskllr]

early 2000 Mitsubishi

I talked to someone and he said that I should replace the back 2 tires (one with a flat). They're too old to be repairable.

Driving with them flat would make me leery of repair. I'd put the spare on, and drive to Mr Tire, and get two new tires on the back. On your way back from Mr Tire, stop at Pep Boys and get a tire plug kit, and pump so the next time you get a flat you don't have to drive on it. You can fix it in the field.

 

[Vic Vega]

The cheapest way is used tires by far. I wouldn't buy them myself but they are cheap.

 

[VAisforlovers]

The cheapest way is used tires by far. I wouldn't buy them myself but they are cheap.

how much should I expect to pay for 2 tires all-in?

 

[Vic Vega]

I've seen used tires for $25-$50 advertised over the years. I'd Google "used tires yourcity".

 

[lxskllr]

how much should I expect to pay for 2 tires all-in?

Might not be legal*. It isn't in MD anymore. Personally, I have no qualms about used tires. Every car that's in use has used tires. Do a visual inspection, and get them installed. Back in the 90s you could get good pickup tires for about $20 each. Dunno about today.

Edit:
*I should say "officially". I'm sure there's places to get used tires, and places to install them, but you can't go through normal channels anymore.

 

[Vic Vega]

On a 13 year old banger used tires are good deal I think. No sense in dumping money in a car like that.

 

[killster1]

i got some used tires for extra set of rims i keep in case i get a flat hate spares. 20-25 for decent tred pirelli's last time i bought some. They where so big i had to put them on the back instead of front when tried them out.

 

[Vic Vega]

i got some used tires for extra set of rims i keep in case i get a flat hate spares. 20-25 for decent tred pirelli's last time i bought some. They where so big i had to put them on the back instead of front when tried them out.

I've driven full size cars for so long I was used to having a full size spare.

Now I drive a mid-small size car and it doesn't even have a spare (2012 car).

 

[Fenixgoon]

On a 13 year old banger used tires are good deal I think. No sense in dumping money in a car like that.

tires are your connection to the road. while you probably don't need the latest pirelli's that cost $400/tire, i wouldn't cheap out, either.

 

[Vic Vega]

tires are your connection to the road. while you probably don't need the latest pirelli's that cost $400/tire, i wouldn't cheap out, either.

That's far too simple an assessment. A used all season tire is going to grip better than a brand new summer tire in the rain. Did you cheap out for buying the brand new summer tire? :whiste:

 

[vshah]

That's far too simple an assessment. A used all season tire is going to grip better than a brand new summer tire in the rain. Did you cheap out for buying the brand new summer tire? :whiste:

some summer tires are excellent in the rain :awe:

 

[Meghan54]

That's far too simple an assessment. A used all season tire is going to grip better than a brand new summer tire in the rain. Did you cheap out for buying the brand new summer tire? :whiste:

Irrelevant. When you buy a used tire, are you using your x-ray vision and clairvoyance to determine how many curb hits it took before you bought it? How many times it was run underinflated at highway speeds, potentially leading to overheating of the tire and hidden belt separation? I'd never buy a used tire, I value my life.

And before the witty comeback "So, you never buy a used car?", I do. Our current vehicle was bought used. The tires were new. And if they weren't, they'd be replaced with new.

While I will buy used in a lot of things, I won't buy used tires, "soft" furniture (sofa, mattress, etc.), underwear, and a few other things. As for tires, there are just too many new and inexpensive alternatives to buying used with no accounting of their use history.

 

[Vic Vega]

Irrelevant. When you buy a used tire, are you using your x-ray vision and clairvoyance to determine how many curb hits it took before you bought it? How many times it was run underinflated at highway speeds, potentially leading to overheating of the tire and hidden belt separation? I'd never buy a used tire, I value my life.

And before the witty comeback "So, you never buy a used car?", I do. Our current vehicle was bought used. The tires were new. And if they weren't, they'd be replaced with new.

While I will buy used in a lot of things, I won't buy used tires, "soft" furniture (sofa, mattress, etc.), underwear, and a few other things. As for tires, there are just too many new and inexpensive alternatives to buying used with no accounting of their use history.

Maybe to you but not to everyone. I question your reading ability though as I already said I wouldn't buy used tires.

 

[desura]

The last time I shopped for tires, I opened up the yellow pages and called every shop I could find to figure out the cost.

Seemed to work pretty well. Of course, uh, some places can install/rotate the tires for you, and a lot faster/easier than you can working by yourself b/c they have the equipment.

 

[VAisforlovers]

The last time I shopped for tires, I opened up the yellow pages and called every shop I could find to figure out the cost.

Seemed to work pretty well. Of course, uh, some places can install/rotate the tires for you, and a lot faster/easier than you can working by yourself b/c they have the equipment.

how much did you pay? I'm unable to drive too far

If I don't go with used tires, it looks about $100 per tire at Goodyear so that would be about $200 total. Does this seem about right?

 

[desura]

how much did you pay? I'm unable to drive too far

If I don't go with used tires, it looks about $100 per tire at Goodyear so that would be about $200 total. Does this seem about right?

You don't have another car?

I don't remember how much I paid. $100/tire seems appropriate, but just saying that you can't really online shop for tires, and so the smart thing to do is to call up local shops to query their prices. IIRC, there were cheaper options. It's just they weren't exactly the same model of tire.

 

[Fenixgoon]

That's far too simple an assessment. A used all season tire is going to grip better than a brand new summer tire in the rain. Did you cheap out for buying the brand new summer tire? :whiste:

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/tire-test-all-season-vs-snow-vs-summer.html

Wet Test Results
As with the snow test, it takes a purpose-built test surface to get meaningful and accurate wet test results. What's needed is a large flat VDA with a special asphalt formulation and a water-delivery system that can maintain a uniform depth of water (the approximate thickness of a quarter), so there's a consistent coefficient of friction across the entire surface.

We find it at Arizona Proving Ground (APG) near Phoenix, formerly a Volvo facility and now branded as Ford. Its pristine micro-pool looks gorgeous on this May afternoon as the surrounding mountain peaks, little fluffy clouds and spring sunlight reflect in the glassy surface.

It turns out we can test everything to and from 60 mph here, so for brevity's sake we'll stick to a discussion of those results. Those who want to can find the 40-mph results on the accompanying charts.

Acceleration testing provides the first surprise, as the all-season tire trails the pack with a 15.4-second 0-60 run. The snow tire's 12.7-second effort for 2nd place is significantly better, but the summer tire tops them all with an 11.9-second performance, over 20 percent quicker than the all-season tire. In fact, the all-season tire began encountering trouble near 40 mph, where it had been only 0.4 second behind the summer tire's performance when hydroplaning and wheelspin paid a visit.

Things are much the same when braking from 60 mph. The summer tire's 157-foot stop is the shortest, the snow tires come up 2nd at 181 feet and the all-season tires lag further behind in a flurry of ABS activity on the way to a distance of 215 feet, some 58 feet longer than the summer tire.

On the wet skid pad the summer tire smokes them once more, even delivering a little tire squeal as it churns out 0.81g — a figure many car-tire combinations can't match on dry pavement. The winter tire trails with a 0.71g run characterized by noticeable squirm, presumably from the side loads acting on the numerous sipes in its snow-biased tread pattern. That said, it still bests our all-season tire, which once again brings up the rear with a disappointing 0.65g showing.

all seasons are no seasons. i was very happy with my Bridgestone RE50A's, and my new Dunlop ZII's are stupidly amazing for dry traction. it's like someone put superglue on. permanently.

 

[kitatech]

In the "used tire" class, the best way to go is to ask around/call used tire shops and ask for "like new OEM pull-offs"...that's a tire that was likely replaced and upgraded by the new car owner...

I got lucky and found such a pair at a used tire shop THAT MATCHED the new pair up that were up front when I bought the car used from the dealer...I paid $35/ea incl. mounting/balance/tax...a tire that is $100 new/retail.

 

[twinrider1]

Have a buddy with a car?
Jack up car.
Remove flat tire. (And the other rear if you want)
Take to any dealer you want now that you are mobile. ]
Have them replace tire (or both).

Back in business.
Buy buddy lunch.

I'd also buy a used wheel and have that good rear installed on it to keep as a spare, but that's just me.

 

[desura]

On this topic...

don't some car shops sell a "wheel alignment" service of some sort? Does that matter? As opposed to just installing tires yourself.

 

[SearchMaster]

On the topic of used tires...

The vast majority of them are going to be just fine as long as they are in good visual condition (reasonable treadlife, etc.) They are just takeoffs for people who have gotten new tires for whatever reason. Many times someone will have a single blowout on relatively new tires and all four are replaced, leaving three perfectly good tires to go onto the used tire market. It's all a scam, because the dealer/tire shop charges you a disposal fee for all four tires, then sells or gives them away to a used tire wholesaler, who turns around and sells them to the used tire retailer, who sells them to the public.

The one thing to consider with used tires is you often don't get to choose what you get - you pay your $30 or so and they go to a big stack and pull off the tire(s). So you might get the almost new tires I described in the previous paragraph or you might get something that will last only a few months or a year.

The quality of tires in general is higher than it was a couple of decades ago so IMO used tires are a consideration if you're on a tight budget and just need something to tide you over for a while.

 

[ProchargeMe]

Plug the tire and fill it with air, drive to tire place, problem solved.