A deal which seems too good to be true?
 

My "new" '74 240D has a shimmy at highway speeds which I have attributed to either a bad tire or one which is out of balance. I was going to have the tires balanced but my local shop charges around $15-$20 a wheel to balance them so I figured I would just look into new tires since they are mismatched, suspect and fairly well worn already.

I went to Town Fair Tire's website and on their closeout section I found I could buy 4 new whitewall all season 185/75R14 radials for $25 each, mounted, balanced and I get a free alignment with any set of 4 tires...so for $100 I ordered a set over the internet which they claim will be at my local store on Friday AM...we shall see! For about the cost of having my old tires balanced I will have a new set plus an alignment...can't beat that deal with a stick!

I don't know what brand they are but it really doesn't matter since this is not a performance car...any decent tire today is head and shoulders above what would have been available in 1974 and would be an upgrade from what is on there now too.

That's awfully cheap. Good luck!

Deals can be had, but you do get what you pay for just me .02 cents. Good luck

Yeah, sometimes though there are decent deals to be had. When I was driving up from PA in my newly acquired 300SD I had a blowout and stopped at Sears. The only tires they had were their house brand and they were on sale for $35 each. I would have not chosen them but they turned out to be fine tires, probably made by one of the big brands and for these old cars, especially a 240D the level of performance is so low I am not too concerned about it. Plus, these new ones come with a nationwide road hazard and manufacturer's warranty so there is really little risk.

Usually such tires are woefully out of round. You can balance them 20 times and they'll still shake your teeth out at speeds above 65 mph...........wait a minute..........a 240D can't go 65 mph.........correct???

;)

Haha, very funny...for your information I have had this one up over 70 (OK, it was a slight downward incline and there was a strong tailwind :D).

I just replaced the BFG Precept Touring tires. Supposedly a 70,000 mile tire. They lasted 35,000. I wanted the Michelin Destiny, but Discount Tire was out of them, but had the Pirelli P3000. I have those on, and they handles and ride way better thean the BFG's. The Pirelli's are also quieter, and hav an 80,000 mile treadwear warranty.

Well if your Pirellis wear as poorly as the ones I had on my E300 you'll be seeing new ones at around 25K miles. And forget their warranty. If you don't bring the car in for the periodic rotation and some even require you to present proof of annual alignment then they will simply blame your car for the premature wear...ask me how I know that.

Town Fair just called me to say they had the 4 tires in stock at my local store and would install them today...that's service! They are Hankook tires...haven't had personal experience with them but haven't seen anything too bad posted on this board about them either...will report back later. Here's what's included with the 4 tires for $100:

-Lifetime Tire Rotations
-Lifetime Free Flat Tire Repair
-Free Front End Alignment
-Free Tire Installation
-Free 30 Day Test Ride
-Free Snow Tire Changeover
-Lifetime Nationwide Warranty

Try to be there at the machine when they are balanced. Set up a fixed point off the machine or the floor and rotate the tire by hand. Look for the gap between the pointer and the tire. If it varies by more than .090" , you're going to have troubles with them.

I see Hankook's on a lot of cars so they must be pretty decent.

I'll rephrase that for you so that's it's accurate:

"I see Hankook's on a lot of cars so they must be pretty cheap."


Price sells the in greatest quantities..........not quality.

Thats true. Most people freak out and trade the car in over having to replace tires.:D

My dads new F150 came with Hankook's, I think Ford saved some money their. They used to come with Goodyears which would last 50k+ miles, these new tires are showing pretty good wear after only 4,200.:rolleyes: Its a 36 month lease tire.:rolleyes:

The ones on his truck are very soft, softer than the Yoko's on my SDL.

I had a good experience with Town Fair. I bought a set of winter tires on sport rims for my '97 in Dec. Good customer service. Wheels and tires are smooth and well balanced. Stores definitely are crowded though.

Well, I got the tires today...they seem fine to me, and since I probably won't put 10K miles on the car in the next 3 years they will last as long as I need them. The price did not include balance though it did include mounting. With the balance and a new stem each wheel was still under $40. I had them mount them whitewall out and I think they add a nice touch to the car, but that's subjective. All in all, for under $160 I got 4 tires and a badly needed alignment since it was way out of spec (go figure). Seems to have cured the shimmy.