oo7spy

You can see in my other thread from today I have a flat. I tried to get discount tire to change the flat, but to no avail. They refused to put on any other tire besides what is already on there b/c of the difference in diameter and AWD blah blah blah. They measured the other tires and found one to be worn enough to cause a diameter difference against their policy blah blah blah...

So my options are this according to their "policies"
1) buy two new Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 for ~$600
2) buy four new Conti Extreme Contact DWS for ~$850
3) buy four TSW Nurburgring with tires for ~$2300, something I was going to do anyway, but not this year.

Is discount's policy too strict (stupid)? Does anyone else have a recommendation of where to go to get 1 tire?

I need to make a decision by end of the business day.

baboya96

I would say go with 2).... only b/c that's what I have on my car (w/ aftermarket rims) and they have been nothing but great! Cost was reasonable which was a big selling point for me. If you think other (3) tires are truly due for new set, bite the bullet now and go with a complete new set.

BTW, noticed you have Tech package. Not sure whether it was changed on 07 models, but does that come with PAX as well? if so, have you changed your original PAX rims? so you don't have to put back stock Michelin?

oo7spy

The other two tires that discount are okay with not replacing will be done in 8-12 months. So if I went with two tires, I would be dropping another $650 in a year, and a pair would be worn more than the other. Right now I am leaning towards a new set just to have all the same tires (brand and tread life) on. I was very serious about the wheel upgrade, but I didn't think that would happen until winter or next spring. I know If I spend $850 now, I won't buy the wheels for probably 2 more years, but in the grand scheme, that is probably the most reasonable solution since wheels aren't anything more than a material desire.

As for the PAX, the trim levels changed in '07. The'05 & '06 had 2 trims, base and Tech. The '07-'11 has 3, base, Tech, and PAX/CMBS/ACC. Pax was actually dropped in the '09+.

Chas2

Get four new tires, because you would have to shave the new tire(s) anyway to match the others.

AWD is sensitive to different diameters and is not recommended. You can read this in your owners manual.

It is best to replace all four tires at
the same time. If that is not possible
or necessary, replace the two front
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
affect your vehicle’s handling.

Other places such as Tire Rack maintain the same advice.

"With an all-wheel drive vehicle, it is important to keep all four tires the same model, brand and tread depth.

"The ability of an all-wheel drive vehicle to divide the engine's horsepower between its four tires is especially useful on loose or slippery surfaces. However, it is important to remember that in order to transfer the power, the all-wheel drive vehicle's driveline mechanically connects the tires to work in unison. Mismatched tires will lead to excessive heat and unwarranted wear until the system fails.

"When replacing only one tire, there are a few simple steps to follow:
Have three remaining tire's tread depth measured.
Have new tire shaved to the tread depth of remaining three tires.
Replace damaged tire with same brand, design and tread depth."

Here are recommendations from some of the manufactures that Tire Rack currently serves for matching the tires used on their four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles. Additional recommendations from other Original Equipment Vehicle Manufacturers is pending.

Audi....As published in their vehicle owner's manual, "rolling radius of all 4 tires must remain the same" or within 4/32-inch of each other in remaining tread depth.

Porsche....Cayenne within 30% of the other tire on the same axle's remaining treadwear.

Subaru....Within 1/4-inch of tire circumference or about 2/32-inch of each other in remaining tread depth.

037

go with Conti DWS's, they are guaranteed for 50,000mi (this means no new tires for over 3 years, sorry).

rtr

Get new wheels! If its summer all year you should of had upgraded rims and tires already.. Everyone else has

01stang

Get the dws they are quietier than the mmx I have them on for a week and i thinks it's better than the stock.

037

I think the OP has long made his decision, we're couple days behind

oo7spy

I ordered 4 DWS from Tire Rack through Discount Tire this morning since they didn't have any. Mounted, road hazard warranty, out the door price somewhere between $822 and $890 depending on how sales tax works out since the tires aren't in Texas. They come in between Friday and Monday. I'll post the final price and first impressions once they are on. I have been longing to drive fast. Max 55 is killing me.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

Do you need a DWS in Texas?

Great tire, I love them on my car especially in the rain.

037

from TireRack through DiscountTire?

I buy mine from www.discounttiredirect.com cause they rock w/ the ability to buy hazard warranty after the purchase and after you punched a hole in your tire!

oo7spy

I don't need a DWS here. However, they don't make a DW in 245/50/17. They make 245/45/17 and 235/50/17. I would have loved to get DW, but .

I have always been a fan of Discount Tire for a few reasons. Their customer service kicks ass, they have locations everywhere, and there have been times that they have broke policy to give me a free tire. They have won my loyalty, so I try to return the favor by supporting them with my $. That being said, they didn't have the DWS in stock as their vendor had them on backorder. I jumped on Tire Rack and found them in stock in GA for cheaper and called Discount back. They said they could order them, match the price, and do everything else like they were their tires (warranty, mount, balance, etc.). The only confusion is Discount's computer automatically thinks I should pay state sales tax, but since the tires came from out of state, I should not. The guy on the phone said they will give me refund at the time of install, but we will see how that works out. Numbers can get pretty confusing on the phone.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

Noted. I had no idea there was a size limitation.

oo7spy

Yeah, they'll cover 18's or 19's but not our 17's.

oo7spy

Well I still give Discount 1 point for customer service, and I take 5 points away for lack of attention to detail.

I was sure to ask about their tire pressure policy, and they stated, "whatever is on the door jam." Worked for me until I got in the car and saw they put them all at 37-38 psi. Whatever, I can fix that. So I get out and see that the stem covers are all different, and none are the same as the ones I brought in. Whatever, I can change that if I REALLY want to. Then I notice how dirty my wheels looked all of a sudden. Not that they were sparkling when I came in, but they didn't have black shit all over them. Then I notice what looks like a crack in the paint. I touch it and am left with this,



and a paint chip in my hand. I proceeded back into the store and the manager comes to me to do damage control. I took him around the wheels and noticed many more scratches around the lug nuts from their impact wrenches. He offers to have the wheels refinished, but I have to leave the car from Monday afternoon to Tuesday evening. I am at a loss of words and don't know how to feel about Discount Tire anymore.

renedcruz

iTrader: (8)

^ Ouch!

That's why when I'm getting my tires changed or something of the sort, I tell the guy to be careful with my wheels while he's taking the lugs off. I don't care how much of a douche I come off as. I don't like dealing with things like that. And I make sure I repeat it a couple of times too.

Chas2

In the end, after experiences like this, I pay through the nose to have a really good shop mount and install tires. I am also now a believer in road force balancing. Unfortunately, they charge $120 per hour, but my BBS wheels have been treated like gold.

oo7spy

So I just dropped off my car to have the wheels refinished. I think the manager was bluffing, thinking I wouldn't actually come back. He offered me a refund for two tires, ~$380, instead of a refinish. That put me through a loop, but I went ahead with the refinish. Right move, or should I have taken the money.

oo7spy

Got the car back on Tuesday. They used a company in San Antonio that I thought was called Advance Wheels, but I couldn't find any info online. The wheels turned out great. They actually only refinished 3 wheels. I was worried that the paint would be slightly different and would be noticeable, but there is no difference that I can tell.

All in all, Discount Tire made right what they did wrong. They still have my customer service vote, but I am very weary of their ability to not damage my wheels. I'm not sure if I will ever be back or look for another option. Luckily, I shouldn't have to make that decision for 50k miles.

rtr

Wow ! I hate that shit but lucky they fix for you. I just took my black rl for service and they gave it back with a small hit to the quater panel and bumper! They say you gave us the car like that?? What are you crazy my cars are mint you loosers and left to avoid a fight now have to claim hit and run! Can't trust anyone to just do a good job the first time

Mine!!!

Ouch that bites... In a previous life before I had the pleasure of owning an RL, I had an idiot hit my Avalon. The dealership's body shop did a great job in repairing my car. 3 days later, I took it in for a major service - an idiot in the repair bay scraped my brand new bumper. When I did a walk-around, they denied that anything had happened. Because I was incensed (read #yall better call the cops before I start throwing stuff), they called the body shop manager up for a quick peek. He looked at the fresh dust scrapes and he read them the riot act. 2 bumpers in a week.

Lesson: ALWAYS do a walk-around at drop-off and pick-up. NEVER do the early bird drop off.

zonieruler

oo7spy, I've had great luck with Discount over the years. Tried Advanced Auto as a tire shop with my truck 4 years ago & they SUCKED! Goodyear tires wore out too soon & customer service was terrible. Mine!!! is correct, should always do a walk around at drop
off & pick up but I don't always do it... At least you caught it when you picked it up.

Replaced my Pilots with Michelin Primacy 245/50/17 MXM4s on my 2006 RL in May. They ride smooth and are great in the rain. Got caught in a storm in the mountains in July, no slips cornering at 65-70. I do hear some road noise but that seems to be normal?!? Never heard how you liked your tires?

oo7spy

I love them so far. Noise level is the best of any tire I have ever had, but that isn't saying too much. The ride is just as soft as factory Pilot MXM4s. However, it refuses to rain here so I can't attest to their wet grip. Dry grip is awesome. I get to take this corner everyday going to work.


I usually go in around 30, and I can feel the back end wanting to slip out. Just when that happens, the tires grip, I punch it, and SH-AWD pushes me through clean. I pushed the Pilots similarly with 30k mi on them, and I would get a lot of squeal and slip. We'll see how these do when they have that many miles on them, but I feel much more confident on these tires.