Where to buy Kumho Ecsta V710 tires...?

[davewadd]

Hey Gang
I'm looking to buy some Kumho Ecsta V710 15" tires to use for autocross, and some track driving. Obviously, all tires are expensive nowadays... Does anyone have a good recommendation on where to go to get a good price on such tires?
I live in Southern California, if that makes a difference.
thanks
Dave

[ttweed]

My experience has been that Tire Rack usually has the best price on them, but sometimes Discount Tire will have specials of $100 off a set of any 4 tires and you can get them just as cheap at one of their local stores, and they will often match the Tire Rack price if you ask. With Tire Rack, you have to pay shipping. With Discount Tire, you have to pay Ca sales tax, so that's kind of a push.

TT

[davewadd]

Thanks Tom. I've never used Tire Rack. In your experience, do local shops charge more for mounting/balancing on tires you bring in versus tires they sell?
thanks

[MarkS]

Not Tom but in my experience no they do not charge more. I switched from Tire Rack to Discount in the past year and never looked back. Either place search around for rebates, freebies, etc.

[Gburner]

Thanks Tom. I've never used Tire Rack. In your experience, do local shops charge more for mounting/balancing on tires you bring in versus tires they sell?
thanks

Not Tom but in my experience no they do not charge more. I switched from Tire Rack to Discount in the past year and never looked back. Either place search around for rebates, freebies, etc.

Discount for any labor is a bad recommendation.
Discount tire jockeys are monkeys with hammers.
Had several problems with mount and balance, damaged wheels that took months to replace among other crappy issues at Discount.
Ran away from Discount and never looked back but I try to warn all my car hobby buddies.
I use Tire Rack for street and R rated tires.
Then I got into bed with a local motorsports shop that has the newest touch less mounting machine.
They agreed to $15 per mount and balance.
My current tire guy/shop owner worked for years at Dan Gurney racing, seems a level above anything you would find in the garage at Discount.
I prefer not to let some inexperienced min wage Discunt hammer learn on my wheels.

[ttweed]

Got an email from Discount that they are running their "get $100 off on any set of 4 tires" promo again on May 14 & 15 only. It's a mail-in rebate offer, but last time I used it on a set of Kumhos it was pretty painless and I got the check in a reasonable time frame. With the rebate, it was slightly less than the Tire Rack price (w/mounting and balancing added).

YMMV,
TT

[ttweed]

Thanks Tom. I've never used Tire Rack. In your experience, do local shops charge more for mounting/balancing on tires you bring in versus tires they sell?
thanks

Not if you develop a relationship with the local shop, as Mike mentions above. If you bring in loose wheels and tires and don't expect them to do the work "on the spot," but are willing to come back later to pick them up, so they can use the job as "filler" during the slack times in the day, and you pay cash and clean the rims before you take them in and otherwise be a considerate and respectful customer, I have been able to negotiate a lower price with a shop than they charge for customers who buy their tires there. High volume doesn't hurt your negotiating position either, as most track junkies know....

TT

[davewadd]

Hey Tom.... good tip on the Discount tire $100 rebate. I went into Discount Tire this weekend....the guy matched the TireRack price, and I'll get the $100 rebate. Not bad.
thanks