Comparing Wheels and Tires Online

These days, you can shop for just about anything online including wheels and tires. But like any other online purchase, you need to be sure just what that online price includes. Online-only as well as traditional tire stores have websites that make it fairly easy to choose the type of tires and wheels you want (all you really need to know is the make and model of your vehicle), but they vary wildly in what they include with the price you see listed.

Online-Only Stores
Online-only stores have some of the lowest list prices you are liable to come across. But keep in mind that with online-only stores, you get the wheels and tires you ordered and that’s about it. Once you receive them, you still need to find a place to install them on your car or truck – which will result in another charge. Most online tire retailers also charge for shipping and handling on top of the listed price. In addition, if you have warranty issues, you will have to pay for shipping to get the tires or wheels back to the company or to the manufacturer.

Online-only tire and wheel stores are often the best option for repair garages that occasionally need to install them for a client, or for companies that operate a fleet of vehicles and have the facilities to maintain them in-house.

Traditional Tire Store Sites
Often a better bet for the average driver, is to shop the online sites of traditional tire stores that have a physical location in their area. That way the shopper can be assured that along with getting the wheels and tires they want, they’re also getting professionals to install them -- often already included in the price. Traditional tire and wheel stores also will handle warranty issues for their customers, saving the cost and hassle of shipping them back to a manufacturer.

The “Extras”
When comparing traditional tire store prices online beware --just because a store includes installation doesn’t mean that will be the price you’ll end up paying. Many stores have an extra charge for essentials like balancing and valve stems, even though you wouldn’t install new tires without them.

One store makes the process a little easier by offering what they call an “out the door with more” price. It includes not only everything you need to motor out in confidence with your new wheels and tires, but also many items that will give you peace of mind and save you money down the road. The list of items included in their advertised price:

* Nitrogen Inflation
* Mounting
* Lifetime Spin Balancing
* Hand Torque of Wheels
* Rubber Valve Stems
* Tire Disposal
* Lifetime Tire Rotation
* Lifetime Flat Repairs
* Lifetime Alignment Checks
* Pro-Rated Road Hazard Warranty

The first item on the list, “Nitrogen Inflation” not only makes it much easier to maintain proper tire pressure (even with fluctuations in temperature), it results in much longer tire life. A nice feature that many tire stores don’t offer at any price.

The Bottom Line
Regardless of which tire and wheel store you choose to shop online or offline, the bottom line is to be sure you know exactly what their listed price does and does not include. The lowest price may not necessarily be the best deal.

About Belle Tire
Allen Park, Mich.-based Belle Tire was founded in 1922 when it opened the first Belle Tire location in Detroit, Mich. Today, the company has expanded to 80 locations across Michigan and Ohio. Belle Tire offers discount tires and variety of car care needs, ranging from auto glass repair, auto glass replacement, brakes, alignments, batteries, shocks and struts, exhaust system repair, batteries, and oil changes. For more information about Belle Tire, visit http://www.belletire.com/. Join the Belle Tire Advantage today, http://belletireadvantage.com/.

February Money Saving Coupons from Belle Tire

About Belle Tire
Allen Park, Mich.-based Belle Tire was founded in 1922 when it opened the first Belle Tire location in Detroit, Mich. Today, the company has expanded to 80 locations across Michigan and Ohio. Belle Tire offers discount tires and variety of car care needs, ranging from auto glass repair, auto glass replacement, brakes, alignments, batteries, shocks and struts, exhaust system repair, batteries, and oil changes. For more information about Belle Tire, visit http://www.belletire.com/. Join the Belle Tire Advantage today, http://belletireadvantage.com/.

Belle Tire Services Local and National Fleet Accounts

ALLEN PARK, Mich., – Belle Tire's expert staff has been serving the needs of the passenger and light truck owners for over 85 years, but Belle Tire is also a Fleet maintenance provider that services local and national fleet accounts.

With over 80 locations in Michigan and Ohio for fleet convenience, 300 ASE Certified auto technicians, 750 service bays with state of the art equipment, 250,000 major brand names in stock, easy and convenient centralized billing, and now more services than ever, including windshield repair and replacement, Belle Tire's Fleet Service is the right choice.

Belle Tire's Fleet Service management includes the following preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance repairs:

• Lube-Oil-Filter
• Tire Service
• Transmission Service
• Brake Service
• Steering and Suspension
• Alignment Services
• Charging and Starting Systems
• Battery Service
• Radiator Service
• Air Conditioning Service
• Windshield Repair & Replacement
• Brake Fluid Flush , Steering
• Fluid Flush , Fuel Sys Tem Flush &
• Cool Ant Sys Tem Flush
• Windshield Repair and Replacement

Belle Tire is also a national account provider subscribing with: ARI, Emkay Incorporated, GE Capital Solutions, Voyager, PHH ARVAL, MAP, Wright Express, Donlen Fleet Management Services, Enterprise, Lease Plan and Wheels Inc.

Belle Tire's ASE Certified mechanics and fleet management staff understand the success of any business is customer service. They are attentive to the demands of their customers, and make every effort to exceed their expectations. They make it a point to provide fleets with the best possible service and the guaranteed lowest pricing.

Belle Tire also understands that its customers' fleets are the key to operating their business successfully. After all, Belle Tire is a fleet operator too! They will make every effort to expedite customers' maintenance or repairs, politely, promptly, and professionally.


About Belle Tire
Allen Park, Mich.-based Belle Tire was founded in 1922 when it opened the first Belle Tire location in Detroit, Mich. Today, the company has expanded to 80 locations across Michigan and Ohio. Belle Tire offers discount tires and variety of car care needs, ranging from auto glass repair, auto glass replacement, brakes, alignments, batteries, shocks and struts, exhaust system repair, batteries, and oil changes. For more information about Belle Tire, visit http://www.belletire.com/. Join the Belle Tire Advantage today, http://belletireadvantage.com/.

Tires Rely on Shock and Strut Performance

It’s easy to notice if your tires have uneven or excessive tread wear, spot a tell-tale coolant leak under your car or hear that grinding sound that tells you your brake pads need replacement. Shocks and struts are different.

Like other important vehicle systems, they do wear out over time, but often so gradually you don’t even notice. They’re also more difficult to inspect. But, because they’re an important part of your car’s suspension system, your shocks and struts should be inspected for wear and tear at least twice a year. And, you can depend on your local Michigan or Ohio tire store to have ASE Certified Technicians with the training, tools and quality replacement shocks and struts from Tenneco to do the job right.

Suspension Basics
Most suspension systems have three primary components: coil springs, anti-sway bars and shocks or struts. Coil springs support most of the weight of the vehicle, maintain proper ride height and also help resist pitch and dip when you accelerate or stop. Anti-roll bars, sometimes called anti-sway bars, connect the left and right suspension systems to the frame and help resist sway or body roll during cornering.

A shock absorber, also called a damper, is an oil or gas filled tube that helps the coil springs and anti-roll-bars work more effectively by preventing unwanted motion in the suspension system. It converts kinetic energy created by the up and down motion of the tires into heat energy by forcing fluid or gas through a series of control valves inside itself. A strut is a single, self contained unit that integrates a shock absorber within a coil spring. In addition to absorbing road shock, noise and vibration, shocks or struts play an important role in keeping your tires firmly planted to the road every time you accelerate, stop, corner or hit a bump.

When is it Time for New Shocks and Struts?
Most vehicle owner manuals recommend frequent shock and strut inspection and replacement every 50,000 miles, depending on your personal driving habits. However, any of the following warning signs can tell you if your shocks and struts might need replacement.

• Pitching or dipping – Coil springs can’t do it all. If you experience excessive pitching or dipping whenever you accelerate or stop, your shocks or struts may need replacement.
• Body roll – Anti-roll or sway bars also can’t do it all. If you experience excessive body roll as you go around corners, it’s time to check your shocks or struts.
• Tire bounce or hop – If your tires bounce, hop or lose contact with the road after you hit a bump, it’s a sign your shocks or struts may need replacement.
• Fluid leaks – As shocks or struts wear, the seals that contain the fluid or gas inside them can begin to leak. Streaks of fluid that look like tears on the outside of the shock or strut tube are a sure sign of a fluid leak.
• Excessive tire wear – Cupping is a type of excessive tire wear associated with worn out shocks or struts. If you see a diagonal wear pattern across the tread of a tire, worn-out shocks or struts may be the problem.

Why spend your time bouncing through even minor bumps in the road, swaying through corners and replacing your tires more frequently then you should? Visit your local Ohio or Michigan tire store and have an ASE Certified Technician inspect and replace your shocks or struts if necessary. You’ll not only enjoy a smoother more comfortable ride, you’ll also maximize the performance and tread life of your tires.

About Belle Tire
Allen Park, Mich.-based Belle Tire was founded in 1922 when it opened the first Belle Tire location in Detroit, Mich. Today, the company has expanded to 80 locations across Michigan and Ohio. Belle Tire offers discount tires and variety of car care needs, ranging from auto glass repair, auto glass replacement, brakes, alignments, batteries, shocks and struts, exhaust system repair, batteries, and oil changes. For more information about Belle Tire, visit http://www.belletire.com/. Join the Belle Tire Advantage today, http://belletireadvantage.com/.

Save Money at Belle Tire With the Purchase of Four Goodyear Tires

ALLEN PARK, Mich., – Between December 26, 2009 and February 28, 2010 Belle Tire customers can receive up to an $80 mail-in rebate with purchase of select sets of four Goodyear tires.

For additional savings, when customers use their new or existing Goodyear credit card to purchase the tires, the rebate is doubled. Customers can then get up to a $160 mail-in rebate. In addition, new or existing Belle Tire Advantage members can use the $20 off anything coupon for a total savings of up to $180 on select sets of four Goodyear tires.

The qualifications and restrictions include:

• A set of four (4) qualifying Goodyear tires of the same model must be purchased at the same time.
• The set can only be for one vehicle.
• All offers expire at the end of the day February 28th, 2010.

Visit Belle Tire's website to print and fill out the Goodyear Tire Mail-In Rebate Form. Customers will need to supply their zip code, the last four digits of their Goodyear credit card and their contact information. Mail complete forms to America Gets There With Goodyear, P.O. Box 54989, Cincinnati, OH 45254-0989. Customers may also pre-submit and track their rebate online at www.GoodyearRebates.com.

Prices shown on BelleTire.com do not reflect the promotional offer. Mail-in offers are generally received six to eight weeks after they are submitted.


About Belle Tire
Allen Park, Mich.-based Belle Tire was founded in 1922 when it opened the first Belle Tire location in Detroit, Mich. Today, the company has expanded to 80 locations across Michigan and Ohio. Belle Tire offers discount tires and variety of car care needs, ranging from auto glass repair, auto glass replacement, brakes, alignments, batteries, shocks and struts, exhaust system repair, batteries, and oil changes. For more information about Belle Tire, visit http://www.belletire.com/. Join the Belle Tire Advantage today, http://belletireadvantage.com/.