Tire work
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Tire work
My 991 front tires are about to go bald and for some pleasant surprise I got a new pair from the dealer (not Porsche dealer) when I purchased the car a couple of years back. Should I bring them to the Porsche dealer to replace the tires or it's just fine to do that in places like Discount Tires? I always get tire work done in local tire shops and never in the dealer for other cars I owned before.
Race Car
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 690
From: Austin, TX
In Austin it just doesn't cost that much more to use the local dealership for mounting and balancing. I don't know about your area but I imagine in general most Porsche dealerships do high quality work. I buy the tires from Tire Rack and they have no problem with mounting them for me.
The advantage of this dealership is they remove the old wheel weights cleanly with no damage or residue left behind, they use top quality wheel weights and place them neatly, they have the best mounting equipment, and they use a top-of-the-line Hunter road force balancer. I have no problem paying $50/wheel for that.
Many places don't even know how to lift a Porsche at the proper lift points. I was at Discount Tire getting new tires on my old pickup truck and there was a 991 in the shop near the viewing window being lifted entirely incorrectly. They had it lifted using some long continuous rubberized padded support along the entire length of the bottom of the rocker panel area between the wheels; not the jack points. It made me wince.
The advantage of this dealership is they remove the old wheel weights cleanly with no damage or residue left behind, they use top quality wheel weights and place them neatly, they have the best mounting equipment, and they use a top-of-the-line Hunter road force balancer. I have no problem paying $50/wheel for that.
Many places don't even know how to lift a Porsche at the proper lift points. I was at Discount Tire getting new tires on my old pickup truck and there was a 991 in the shop near the viewing window being lifted entirely incorrectly. They had it lifted using some long continuous rubberized padded support along the entire length of the bottom of the rocker panel area between the wheels; not the jack points. It made me wince.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 402
Likes: 40
From: Great Nation of Texas
In Austin it just doesn't cost that much more to use the local dealership for mounting and balancing. I don't know about your area but I imagine in general most Porsche dealerships do high quality work. I buy the tires from Tire Rack and they have no problem with mounting them for me.
The advantage of this dealership is they remove the old wheel weights cleanly with no damage or residue left behind, they use top quality wheel weights and place them neatly, they have the best mounting equipment, and they use a top-of-the-line Hunter road force balancer. I have no problem paying $50/wheel for that.
Many places don't even know how to lift a Porsche at the proper lift points. I was at Discount Tire getting new tires on my old pickup truck and there was a 991 in the shop near the viewing window being lifted entirely incorrectly. They had it lifted using some long continuous rubberized padded support along the entire length of the bottom of the rocker panel area between the wheels; not the jack points. It made me wince.
The advantage of this dealership is they remove the old wheel weights cleanly with no damage or residue left behind, they use top quality wheel weights and place them neatly, they have the best mounting equipment, and they use a top-of-the-line Hunter road force balancer. I have no problem paying $50/wheel for that.
Many places don't even know how to lift a Porsche at the proper lift points. I was at Discount Tire getting new tires on my old pickup truck and there was a 991 in the shop near the viewing window being lifted entirely incorrectly. They had it lifted using some long continuous rubberized padded support along the entire length of the bottom of the rocker panel area between the wheels; not the jack points. It made me wince.
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Race Car
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 690
From: Austin, TX
BTW, I have had success with negotiating with the dealer on some parts before, plus there is often a PCA discount if you are a member. Just call them armed with a competitive price for the tires from someone like Tire Rack and see if they will match or come to meet you part way. It can't hurt to ask. If you call instead of going in to do this, they may take it more seriously that you might just go somewhere else.
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Pro
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 618
Likes: 22
From: Miami, FL
Why would you go outside the dealer when you can get price matching on tires and the assurance that if they mess up your rims they will respond. Also, I would not trust any other place but the dealership to do an alignment. Even if I have to pay a couple of hundred dollars more I won't take any chances. I have learned the hard way.