R Compound and TireRack

[spnkzss]

I normally get my tires local and mount and heat cycle myself. For giggles on went on TireRack because I am looking for a new set of rims. I priced up my new rims with a set of Hoosiers mounted and heat cycled and it came out to be about $100-$115 more expensive then if I did it myself, which I don't consider it all bad. What are your thoughts on the tires coming already heat cycled? Will it be as good as if I did? I would consider it to be better because it is more controlled.

Thoughts?

[joeg]

money spent better elsewhere

[loperdw]

I bought 8 tires and rims from TireRack. Had them mount, balance, and heat cycle them before shipping. Two of the tires blistered and came apart. Two others have splits on the sides about 1.5 to 2 inches long, right on the edge of the sidewall. Spoke to one of the on-track tire guys and in both cases he asked where I got them and if they 'Heat Cycled' them for me. His verdict was that he'd seen it before with that type of heat cycling and suggested that in the future I save my money and do the heat cycling myself on the track. Something about the process that TireRack uses isn't a true heat cycle and blah blah blah (insert technical jargon here). I'm going to do it myself going forward, 8 tires and four were basically useless?!? Saving my money for a Fozzy the Bear bobble head.