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Keyword: Discount Tire Direct
Discount Tire Direct
Tire Information World : your friendly
independent source of tire help
 What is Discount Tire Direct? Part 2
Back to Part I
So you've had a good look through the Discount Tire Direct
site. You've played around with the interactive wheel system
which will show you how your vehicle will look with different
types of wheels. Maybe you've taken advantage of the Discount
Tire Co. CarCareOne Card available at either discounttiredirect.com or tires.com. Maybe you've downloaded
their complete catalog and considering something else from
their range. Maybe you're considering suspension.
Lowering or Raising Your Vehicle for a Tougher Stance and
Better Ride
Discount Tire Direct sells a huge range of suspension
upgrades. They have a kit for just about any purpose and you may be
impressed by the selection.
If you own a light truck, ATV or similar, you might be
considering suspension upgrades to better suit the conditions
you encounter. Perhaps you want extra clearance to negotiate
rocks or mud. Perhaps you're more into looks and sound and want
to lower your truck to make it look street tough- then put in a
killer sound system and that sort of thing.
Similarly, you might be the proud owner of a classic car or
modern performance vehicle you feel needs a tougher stance for
aesthetics and better cornering capability. Maybe you're a drag
racer and need suspension that gets all your horsepower to the
road with less wheel spin than a conventional setup.
Buying suspension on line or via a conventional magazine
mail order is nothing new. The savings are real because the
retailer doesn't have to hire staff and lease a shop front.
However, having a new suspension installed is a much bigger
step than mounting a new set of wheels or fitting a cold air
intake to your car. There's more chance that things can go
wrong.
There is a real
chance of unsatisfactory outcomes with suspension upgrades when you have
several players in the mix. Consider the following experience.
Tricked Up Subaru
I became acquainted with a person who had a tricked up Subaru, lowered with
massive wheels and low profile rubber. It's got all the other
good stuff with a stereo, Playstation and DVD screens so the
passengers can keep themselves entertained. The factory turbo
engine has been turned into a fire-breathing animal that
whistles and gurgles like the Tasmanian Devil off the old
Looney Tunes comics.
Yet, he's had a lot of grief with the suspension. No matter how
many times he rotates the tires or plays with pressures he only
gets around 5000 miles from a set of tires. Part of the problem
is the way he drives, and he admits it, but even on long drives where he can't
throw the beast into corners, the tires wear unevenly and at an
accelerated rate.
The suspension was purchased through mail order and fitted
by a shop that is known for good work. But, when things went wrong nobody knew
who was at fault. The company who supplied the suspension said it's
the fault of the mechanic who installed it. The mechanic blames
the supplier. The maker blames the big wheels and the supplier
of the wheels says the others are just passing the buck. The
whole thing just keeps going around and around in a circle.
Risk Avoidance
Can you avoid this kind of scenario? Perhaps not, because when
you enter the world of customizing your vehicle, you're entering
uncharted territory. If you enjoy this kind of challenge, or really
insist on having something made to your specifications, then you'd
best be prepared for something unexpected to happen.
Possibly the "safest" way
to do a suspension upgrade is to buy it from an experienced supplier who also
installs it. This might cost you a little extra upfront, but if
it gives you an extra measure of security.
On the other hand, solving these kind of challenges is part of the
fun of customizing a vehicle to be what you want it to be, instead of
settling for a show-room version of the latest design. As one
US president once said:
And, hey, if you do decide to take on the challenge how 'bout
putting up a photo of your creation and tell us all about it in our
Tire Show Off area? Below is a
sample of what you might find there. This is a photo I took in
Miami in February, 2008. I couldn't find the owner but I noted
that it uses Kumho 305/30 R26 tires on custom made rims.
Cool!
Did you know we have a special
place to show-off your favorite wheels?
See the Hot Wheels Show Room
Return to
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Tire Information World's
home page from Discount Tire Direct.
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