Stupid Question about shipping tires and wheels. I just received a set of wheels and tires from Tire Rack. Its the first time I bought tires online. They are great (ASA LW5's white with BFG Traction T/As).

Anyhow, I noticed they shipped them nude except for cardboard and strapping tapes or whatever you call the plastic thingies holding the cardboard on.

I was going to ship my old wheels and tires to a guy who bought them and was going to wrap the wheels in black garbage bags and then use the cardboard. Do UPS and Fedex prefer nude tires for managing them or for security? Is there some reason the rubber isn't protected in shipment?

 

I think it's more a case of cost/benefit... What would you be protecting the rubber from? given that the rubber was designed to deal with road contact, shipping carriers will probably be the nicest thing they will experience in their lifetime

 

Well I had a tire black protectant spray on them to look nice and shiny.

 

If you want to be sure the wheels get there okay I would box them inside boxes with plenty of cardboard protecting the face of the wheels. I had wheels shipped to me from a shop that were nude, as you say, secured with straps and they did not survive the trip - got to me damaged with broken straps.

 

There are safe alternatives to using cardboard boxes.

I've shipped several wheels with tires mounted using packaging technique that Tire Rack uses - circles of cardboard and a protective sheet of foam to cover just the wheels and then use poly packing straps to secure the packaging.

I bought the straps at ULINE.com http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_...Strapping+Kits
and they worked great.

The buyer was very pleased and no shipping damage what so ever.

 

I'm just saying better safe then sorry. I wish the shipper had boxed up the entire wheel/tire securely in cardboard instead of having straps fail and the wheels I had been waiting for getting detroyed Its great when the strap thing works I'm sure, but if it doesnt it is a royal pain.

You know, I wouldnt be surprised if some where in the FedEx chain someone, seeing that it was wheels/tires being shipped, slipped a strap to peek at the wheels and thus messed it up. Boxing it up disguises the contents which can help if that is the case.

Anyway, just my 02 from my experience. Never had any well boxed up wheels have a problem.

 

I've had several sets of nude tires and wheelsets sent to me from tirerack.com and all have arrived in good shape with no problems.
Lug nuts or bolts can fit inside one of the tires enclosed by the disks.

Usually two tires are strapped together with cardboard disks on the outsides and in between the tires. Clear strapping tape holds the mailing labels securely. Fed Ex or UPS can do the shipping.

I've also had USPS deliver a set that was covered in cardboard cut to conform to the outer sides of the tires.

 

...and how many sets of "boxed" wheels have you bought?

I'm just saying that you're drawing from a pretty limited experience pool there... Think about how many wheels tire rack ships out every day. Your strap problem was likely due to poor installation - or maybe just some freak accident. My feeling is that poorly boxed wheels are more likely to get damaged. They move around more relative to their packaging and could be harder to move for the carrier, leading to more risk.

TR probably started it because of logistical and cost reasons, but that doesn't make it an inferior solution.

 

We all draw on limited experience - everything dealing with the cars and various issues, from blown engines to rattling speakers, is limited to each incidence and not universally applicable and won't happen in every case. My friend and I have shipped several, 3 or more off the top of my head, sets of boxed wheels/tires with no problem and have easily bought an equal amount of wheels/no tires in boxes with no problems as well. The one set of strapped wheels with tires, from a professional wheel dealer (not Tire Rack), that I bought arrived damaged. Whatever the cause of the failure it happened and it is just as true as anyone's experience with the method that was successful - I was simply replying to a posted question with my answer based on what happened to me.

As to your point about the boxed wheels being harder to move, well since they are wrapped individually its converse - the single well packed wheels are easier to move then a stack of 4 strapped ones together. Anything "poorly" packed will get damaged, if something ultimately leaves the wheels vulnerable to damage.

I'm happy if Tire Rack's method works for them, I don't personally know how many might or might not get damaged in shipping and there is no control to compare the two methods or whether is is the same for an individual doing the packing as it is for Tire Rack (who knows if someone doing it themselves does the same job they do) - all I can do is report on what my experience has been and its as valid as any. Like any post, people can take it or leave it, I was simply trying to help.

 

Tire Rack does it because it is the most cost effective way and proably most wheel packages do not get damaged.

I use large boxes that enclose the wheel and tire combo. It makes them safer that way. Also, UPS/FedEx may hit you for an extra fee if they are not shipped in enclosed boxes..

 

I'd say 1 in 200 orders has an issue and 98% damaged by the carrier - a puncture.

We do it because its cost effective, and all of your carriers
(FedEx, UPS, DHL ...ect) are willing to stand behind our technique.

As long as we use corrogated disks for only 1 single shipment they will insure its safe arival - For instance when you order from me, and choose to return it

- I send more packing material, and make you rebox the, so UPS will fully accept transit responcibity.

Alex