Found two cheap tire shops in North OC for used sales/mounting/balancing
06-08-19, 01:20 AM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Found two cheap tire shops in North OC for used sales/mounting/balancing
I spent the last few months searching for a cheap economical tire source, and I found two vendors worth mentioning.
Santa Ana Wheels, which is actually in Anaheim (www.santaanawheels.com), buys and sells a huge amount of OEM wheels, and also "take-offs".
"Take-offs", I learned, are new tires removed by owners of new cars when they upgrade to larger rims.
They sell near-new (<500 miles) take-off tire sets for 50% off.
I almost picked up a set of MXM4's for ~$450, but someone else beat me to it (a set of new MXM4's would cost four digits in my size, 245 45 18).
I missed out on that deal, but I saved even more today by buying 4 used (~7/32") MXM4's for $200 cash (including mounting/balancing) at Ruben's Tires.
Also in Anaheim (9041 Katella Ave Unit E, NE corner of Katella and Magnolia), this place won't win any cleanliness or spaciousness awards, but they have a large selection of used tire sets.
You can see many of them on www.offerup.com, which came out of nowhere to offer an even bigger selection of tires than CraigsList.
And, you guys will love this - Ruben loves to text! Text him (@714 499 4779) the tire size you are after, he'll text back what he's got, and let the negotiating begin!
I don't think I was there for more than 15 minutes - I pulled up onto their small lift in their driveway, they raised the car up about 4" and 2 guys pounced on my car as if they had stolen it.
Unlike some other shops that won't let you near the work area, you are free to hover over them, to ensure quality-control.
I used that opportunity to check out the inside of my rims, to ensure there was no inner lip corrosion.
They filled the tires to 45 psi and dunked them in a water tank to ensure no leaks - never saw that before.
A few minor issues - they didn't reduce the pressure to 32 psi after they mounted the tires, so my ride home was rough.
And they used an impact wrench so my lug nuts were way too tight - I had to loosen them when I got home.
But, I got 4 MXM's for $200 cash - no tax, no receipt....no problem! I was so happy I even tipped the techs.
Be sure to bring bring cash – it’s 8% (!) extra for credit cards.
I buy used tires for the same reason I buy used cars - I like to let someone else pay for the depreciation, and I accept the added risk of a used product.
I realize this is not for everyone, so spare me the used-tire horror stories. We have all heard them or experienced them ourselves.
But for those looking to minimize their tire expenses, I'm comfortable recommending these two facilities, if you're nearby.
Santa Ana Wheels, which is actually in Anaheim (www.santaanawheels.com), buys and sells a huge amount of OEM wheels, and also "take-offs".
"Take-offs", I learned, are new tires removed by owners of new cars when they upgrade to larger rims.
They sell near-new (<500 miles) take-off tire sets for 50% off.
I almost picked up a set of MXM4's for ~$450, but someone else beat me to it (a set of new MXM4's would cost four digits in my size, 245 45 18).
I missed out on that deal, but I saved even more today by buying 4 used (~7/32") MXM4's for $200 cash (including mounting/balancing) at Ruben's Tires.
Also in Anaheim (9041 Katella Ave Unit E, NE corner of Katella and Magnolia), this place won't win any cleanliness or spaciousness awards, but they have a large selection of used tire sets.
You can see many of them on www.offerup.com, which came out of nowhere to offer an even bigger selection of tires than CraigsList.
And, you guys will love this - Ruben loves to text! Text him (@714 499 4779) the tire size you are after, he'll text back what he's got, and let the negotiating begin!
I don't think I was there for more than 15 minutes - I pulled up onto their small lift in their driveway, they raised the car up about 4" and 2 guys pounced on my car as if they had stolen it.
Unlike some other shops that won't let you near the work area, you are free to hover over them, to ensure quality-control.
I used that opportunity to check out the inside of my rims, to ensure there was no inner lip corrosion.
They filled the tires to 45 psi and dunked them in a water tank to ensure no leaks - never saw that before.
A few minor issues - they didn't reduce the pressure to 32 psi after they mounted the tires, so my ride home was rough.
And they used an impact wrench so my lug nuts were way too tight - I had to loosen them when I got home.
But, I got 4 MXM's for $200 cash - no tax, no receipt....no problem! I was so happy I even tipped the techs.
Be sure to bring bring cash – it’s 8% (!) extra for credit cards.
I buy used tires for the same reason I buy used cars - I like to let someone else pay for the depreciation, and I accept the added risk of a used product.
I realize this is not for everyone, so spare me the used-tire horror stories. We have all heard them or experienced them ourselves.
But for those looking to minimize their tire expenses, I'm comfortable recommending these two facilities, if you're nearby.
Last edited by PERRYinLA; 04-16-24 at 06:32 PM.
06-28-19, 02:22 PM
#3
it's a hit or miss with lots of used tire places but I've had my fair share of them, all similar to the OP.
it's shopping for the right tire size that is difficult. if they have it in stock, at the right price, and offer install, it's certainly a win-win!
thanks for sharing your post, and hopefully this saves folks money which we all love right?
it's shopping for the right tire size that is difficult. if they have it in stock, at the right price, and offer install, it's certainly a win-win!
thanks for sharing your post, and hopefully this saves folks money which we all love right?
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