Does anyone have a recommendation for a wheel/tire place in Chicago-land? Or is it better to buy on-line from a place like TireRack.com?

 

I would recommend just going with Tirerack and having them shipped to you or a local wheel/tire place for installation.

 

Or if you would like a drive tirerack is in southbend indiana which is just a short drive east on 90 or is that 94 over there. You'll definetly get the best pricing through them.

 

ive bought wheel/tire sets from tirerack many times...been there in
person to buy while the wife was shopping at MichiganCity too.

it's a great store.

 

One thing to note... if you ship them you save on sales tax. However I'd encourage a trip to Tirerack at least once. Pretty nice place to spend an hour or so while you wait for the installation. During the warmer months there's often events at the track on Saturdays to take in as well.

 

Yeah if you go there on Saturday in the summer you might see me out on the track. It's an awesome place, the showroom is pretty cool, everything there is just neat.

Has the Chicago MINI Club ever thought about holding an event there? There seems to be quite a few of you guys, plus if you'd make it open registration you might get some of the MINI guys around here to join in.

Go with Tire Rack... Definitely

Mikey

 

That sounds like alot of fun! And I like the idea of dropping off the wife at michigan city! That should be a chicago club outing! I am full of "!" these aren't I?

 

Event at Tire Rack, sounds cool, if theres track time too.

The Tire Question. I just put new rubber on the corners after months of research and visits to local dealers and CMMC members.

I went with, http://www.thefuzionzone.com/hri.asp got very high ratings that matters to me, at 500 plus miles a week, 52 weeks a year on my 05 Cooper.

I also changed my tire size after looking at, http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp

And used local dealer, http://www.wooddaletire.com/index.htm near my office for easy service and rotating.

I have been very happy with the tires in heavy rain and dry roads.

 

I just bought the same tires. Really like them and have them on both of my cars now.

 

yep, it's a great idea. she even asks me, 'when's the next time you're
going to tirerack?'

imagine that!

 

Hey Kenchan, can I drop my GF off with your wife so they can use YOUR credit card in MI City?

 

i tend to buy wheels from the internet through vendors from the web boards and tires through tirerack. get them mounted and balanced locally either at walmart or discount tire.

 

WALMART, you would really let ANYONE at WalMart work on any part of your MINI?

 

hmmm.. I'm not looking for new tires.. but I've never been to Michigan City either. Maybe we should have a TireRack/MI City outing in the spring? Everyone can bring their SO's while we look at tires

 

That's sounds like some fun. I'm always up for a good autox. Seeing a crapload of MINIs out there would be so fun. They are doing some awesome renovations to the track. For the ones that have seen it, they are resurfacing it (the guys from Gumball really took it to it with burnies a couple years ago) and the outside skid pad (farthest from the toll road) they are banking. How much im not sure, but I was able to get like 50-60 mph out of the flat one they have now before I spun out. Michigan City is pretty fun too... they got some nice beaches, and the fashion mall for the wifes seems like a good idea. I'm 17 so thankfully I won't have a wife and kids to worry about. I know of at least one other MINI in the area besides myself that would be up for this. Maybe two I dunno. I think it would be pretty neat though.

Mikey

 

Same boat, almost (still no winter tires, this could be a fun gamble all winter, just how long can I go.....) but I'm already set for summer tires, but a trip down to Tirerack for a CMMC autox would be fun. Now we just need to figure out a way to aoid the whole 80-90 lane blackage traffic stopping fiasco.

And I'm in the same boat as Mikey, no wife and kids for me to worry about.

 

^ What is that? I travel 80/90 all the time. I've been to Chicago 3 out of the last 5 weekends? Is there something I don't know about? We have to do this though, no freakin question.

 

the tires only get mounted to the wheels...i put them on the MINI...they do not touch the MINI only mounting the tires while they are off the vehicle