Achilles Tires

Interesting difference in pricing on Achilles tires between Tires-Easy.com and Onlinetires.com. I placed an order with Tires-Easy for four 175 60 13 Achilles 122s at $33.20 each. There was a problem with the order, so I went in search of another dealer and found Onlinetires.com. The pricing of Achilles tires on Tires-Easy vs Onlinetires is as follows:
Tires-Easy: Achilles 122 - $33.20, Onlinetires: Achilles 122 - $36.41
Tires-Easy: Achilles Platinum 7 - $58.50, Onlinetires: Achilles Platinum 7 - $31.80
I ordered four 175-60-13 Platinum 7 tires from Onlinetires for $127.20.
Onlinetires does not carry Platinum 7 tires in 185-60-13, but they do have the 122s in that size, although at that size they are more expensive than Tires-Easy.

Yeah I had a similar experience ordering tires - they were out of stock and after a half dozen emails they offered me the tire for $50 a set more since they were getting it from another supplier.

I wound up went a different route and bought 175/70-13 Minervas for 140 shipped.

175/60-13 (21.2" tall) on the rear is going to make for one revving X1/9, especially if you have a 4.48 final drive in the transaxle.

Per rpm calculator with 4.48's and 175/60-13, at 70mph you'll be spinning 4766 rpm vs 4572 rpm with 165/70-13. The 175/70-13 turn at 4471 rpm.

Revs

Yes, I do have the short gears. I will be changing the engine and trans fairly soon to the 1500/5 spd, though (which with the 4.07 dif always seemed a tad tall to me unless you are on a long trip), and only drive the car on back roads. It will almost never see a freeway.
The issue I had with Tires-Easy is that I selected one of the shops they listed on their web site to have the tires shipped to (Discount Tires), but when I checked in with Discount Tires they said they would not accept the order. I let Tires Easy know about this, and after some back-and-forth between Tires Easy and Discount Tires, they said all they could do was cancel the order. They have said they will refund the cost of the tires when the tires are back with them, but would not refund shipping, which I think is crummy when there was no error on my part. Oh well.

"Oh well" my a$%. I would refute that charge on my credit card to the end of time. Can't ship them to your house? That's what I've done the last few times. Then I take them and the wheels into "my" repair shop and they mount and balance for $40.

Should Have...

Yah, looking back I wish I had just had them shipped to my house. I selected one of 'their' installers for convenience, which worked out well for me once before with TireRack tires that I had shipped directly to National Tire and Battery (NTB) for a Bronco. I thought this would be easy too with selecting an installer from their list (they did not show NTB on their list). I have asked Tires-Easy to refund my shipping money as well, and am waiting for their reply.

$40 to mount and balance??

jvandyke said:

"Oh well" my a$%. I would refute that charge on my credit card to the end of time. Can't ship them to your house? That's what I've done the last few times. Then I take them and the wheels into "my" repair shop and they mount and balance for $40.

Click to expand...

I wish I could find that deal Jeff. I have checked with a few local shops that I use to service my daily drivers. They all come in right around $100 per set. I got the HF manual mount tool and did the job myself for the set autoX wheels and tires last summer. Oh my. Its not an easy job at all, of course the Hoosier R6 tires may be tougher to mount than a "normal" street tire. I am thinking about ordering some Achilles 185/60s and mounting them myself for the 124 Special I recently bought.

Yes, they do it cheaply as a service I think. Super good shop, been going there for years but since I try to fix stuff myself, that's usually only 1 time a year for help with some other car I don't like. Taking in the wheels and tires (off the car) and letting them do it at their leisure helps too I'm sure.

Out here is socal the tire mount/balance price runs the gamut. Once I went to Americas Tire Co (known in other states as Discount Tire Co), whom I made deals with the previous manager to install/balance tires for $40 (2003), then $60 (2004), then $80 (2009). A new manager is there now and he wanted $122! I asked him how long it would take and he said about 30 minutes. At that point I said "So you want me to pay you $244 an hour to mount and install tires? No Thank You!

Now I go to a local mom and pop shop here in Temecula, and although the atmosphere is quaint (to be nice), I can get them mounted and balanced for $40. Go me.

AUSTIN... Don't let this rest... if not for your sake...

for MINE!

Make some phone calls and get to Corporate and ask them is this the way they really wanna do business with someone who WANTS to recommend them to others, but instead now you will just have to explain HOW you were ripped off through no fault of your own.

If you are retired (pun intended) take them to small claims and site the local online shop and corporate as defendants.

Good for you Rob... I pay 60 a set but get the best...

chrome valve stems and assured of a good balance as well.

I have found no one any less locally...

I have a feeling there is something going on with the...

Achilles Platinums... as Tire-Easy sold me a set for 33 bucks apiece and when I went back I found they were now 58 or something.

Strange stuff but what isn't in the tire world lately?

Thanks!

Thank you for the support, Tony! I'm going to see what their response is to my request for a refund of shipping charges and then take it from there...