Front-Wheel Folly

Everyone gets a first car,...        read full caption Everyone gets a first car, but how many of us end up with a cool little cruiser that looks this good for only $1,436? That's right, $400 for the car, $716 for the wheels, and $320 for the tires.

www.tirerack.com

You can make your vehicle...        read full caption You can make your vehicle selection on the www.tirerack.com home page. First click on Select Make, and then Select Year. After that, choose the product you are looking for: wheels, tires, brakes, suspension, or one of the other choices.

In our case, we are working...        read full caption In our case, we are working on a black Neon. So, Misty picked a Tire Rack-supplied image of a black Neon from their pull-down menu. you can scroll through the wheel choices, and actually see your choice on the car before you buy it. If you click on View wheel up close, it takes you to a window with all the pertinent specs of the wheel.

It all began a few months ago, when we announced our Neon project. we were quite surprised at the volume of e-mails we received telling us what to do to it. We heard everything from "you have to do wheels and tires," all the way up to "yank the engine and transmission out, and put a V-8 in it." We must admit, the latter sounded appealing to us, but Misty (and her mom) were very adversarial to the idea. In her mom's words, "Are you crazy?"

Since no one in their right mind would argue with a mom, we opted not to gut it and make it rear-wheel drive. We did, however, decide to add a wheel and tire package. We say "package" because by simply going to www.tirerack.com, you can place a tire rack-supplied image of your car in the search window and see a variety of wheels on your car. After you choose the wheels, select the tires you want, place the order, and the tires you chose come mounted on the wheels you chose. It doesn't get any easier than that. keep in mind, it's impossible for www.tirerack.com to have every automobile ever built in their database, but if you know the wheel and tire size you're looking for, they can help.

If you are looking for suspension parts, brake parts, and even accessories, www.tirerack.com is definitely a "one stop" auto shop.

So, we placed Misty in front of a computer, and let her do the looking since it's her car. After putting an image of a black Neon on the web page, she started looking through the selection of wheels. she decided on a set of ASA wheels: model AR-1 in 17x7 inches. The AR-1 features a one-piece construction with a polished lip and painted center.

When it came time for tires, she had no clue what she needed, so we suggested an summer performance tire. by searching the desired tire size, rating, and handling characteristics, our search led us to the Avon Tech M-500 tire. We placed our order online and waited for the UPS guy. When the brown truck arrived, we found each wheel and tire protected for shipment to avoid any damage. We removed the protective foam and cardboard, and mounted the wheels and tires on the car. can it get any simpler? you don't even need to leave the house until it's time to mount them on the car!

What's it take to get a "package" from www.tirerack.com? For starters, just click on their logo here, and we'll send you there.

Misty chose ASA's AR-1 wheel...        read full caption Misty chose ASA's AR-1 wheel that features a polished rim and painted center. Choosing wheels has never been easier.	When it came time for tires,...        read full caption When it came time for tires, we clicked on the Recommended Tire Size to the left.	That took us to the tire selection...        read full caption That took us to the tire selection page. Here you can choose the tire you want by simply checking the box next to the specification you are looking for. You want a particular brand? Just click the box and that's it. You can choose by speed rating or even the type of handling characteristics you're looking for.
We ultimately chose to use...        read full caption We ultimately chose to use Avon's Tech M-500. We have heard good things about Avon's tires and felt confident with our choice.	Say you would like to know...        read full caption Say you would like to know more about your tire choice. You can simply click on the overview, specs, warranty, and reviews to find out anything you need to know, even what other tire purchasers think of them.	When our wheels and tires...        read full caption When our wheels and tires arrived, they were individually wrapped and protected for shipment. We put one of them in place in front of the stock wheel--it's definitely a dramatic change to the hubcaps.
If you think having a wheel...        read full caption If you think having a wheel and tire package shipped to you will damage the wheels, think again. each tire and wheel package is wrapped with foam and cardboard.	A major concern with buying...        read full caption A major concern with buying an oversize wheel is fitment problems. By choosing your wheel and tire package through www.tirerack.com, the guess work is already taken care of. Nevertheless, always check clearances before you hit the road.