Cheapest/Best Place to Buy Wheels & Tires? Question about Paint, also

[IVIaverick]

Where is the best online place to order wheels and tires? I'm trying to find a place with great selection and low prices but it's not going too well. In your experience, what is the best brand and type of "off-road" tires for the price? Right now I'm looking at 35x12.50x18 Nitto Mud Grapplers that I can get for $265 each. They have a nice, aggressive type of tread to them and look great. Any that you guys would recommend above them?

In addition to that, (I just remembered I needed some help with this) what do I need to look at as far as Suspension Lifts? I've read that 3.5" can comfortably accommodate 35's (I'm not going to do any off-roading, this will be my daily driver) but when I look for them, there are like 5 different versions of a 3.5" lift ranging from $400 to $2,000. In addition, how much would a place like Duff's charge to install one of their suspension kits and my new wheels/tires? They are around 2.5 hours from me so I'm considering making the drive and letting them handle it if it isn't too expensive.

My question about paint is for those of you who have had your Broncos repainted to an original color, around how much did it run you for a quality job on the entire vehicle? I'm wanting to paint mine Grabber Blue once I get it so I am trying to budget everything out. My first three goals, assuming the vehicle has no problems, are wheel/tire upgrades, sound system, and paint. After that, I will be slowing down a bit and upgrading what I need to as I go.

Thanks!
Andrew

 

[shonivey]

just remember to add in shipping , mount and balance(if online place does not mount em) when getting your qoutes. compare that to a local tire store. I live 15 miles from a 4wheel parts so I check there as well as other local shops. Best mileage tire I have run is the pro comp extreme AT. got over 40k out of em.
The variance in lifts equate to offroad functionality. With your statement of no offroading a body lift may suffice.
shon

 

[IVIaverick]

just remember to add in shipping , mount and balance(if online place does not mount em) when getting your qoutes. compare that to a local tire store. I live 15 miles from a 4wheel parts so I check there as well as other local shops. Best mileage tire I have run is the pro comp extreme AT. got over 40k out of em.
The variance in lifts equate to offroad functionality. With your statement of no offroading a body lift may suffice.
shon

The place I found for the Nitto's has free shipping and 10% off. I honestly haven't found any 35's for cheaper than that (looking for more of an aggressive looking tire as most AT's are somewhat flat looking) and I think the Nitto's might even be my favorites look-wise. So, I can get 4 of them for around $1,000 shipped. It's been a long while since I had my Jeep and ordered tires to get them mounted and balanced. I believe the last time was 3-4 years ago when I bought my 33x12.50x15 BFG AT's and it was something like $900 total. Wheels are pretty easy to find w/ free shipping. I'm assuming they ship them packaged well so that no scratches or chips happen? I definitely wouldn't mind if I could find a local place to order everything through, but locally I only really have small businesses where the prices are quite expensive.

As for Body Lifts, I'm not a fan if they are anything like Jeep body lifts. It makes them look awkward with the body separated from the frame and if I'm not mistaken, it makes them more unstable than a suspension lift, also. I'm not saying I won't consider it, I just would rather not.

 

[Explorer]

Just call Duff's. They may even be able to help with the tire deal. I'm sure they've bought enough of them.

 

[IVIaverick]

Just call Duff's. They may even be able to help with the tire deal. I'm sure they've bought enough of them.

I don't think they sell wheels and tires, though, do they? I looked on their site but didn't see anything about it. I'm sure they can order them from other places but it's probably going to end up more expensive, I would assume. I can definitely check into it, though.

Do they paint there, as well? I'd love it if I could just get everything done in one place. haha

 

[richparsonsx]

I got mine at Pep Boys. They are having the buy 3 get 1 free on the Definity MT tires. Definity is a rebranded Cooper tire that is manufactured as Pep Boys house brand. So far NO complaints

 

[Heus33]

Take a look at this thread for ideas on suspension.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168596

In my experience Deavers give you the softest ride. It will all depend on how high you're going in terms of what else you need. Its not just springs and coils...

 

[IVIaverick]

I got mine at Pep Boys. They are having the buy 3 get 1 free on the Definity MT tires. Definity is a rebranded Cooper tire that is manufactured as Pep Boys house brand. So far NO complaints

I looked into that but they only have one brand of tire in 35's which is Dynapro MT and they cost $400 each. Thank You for the suggestion, though.

Take a look at this thread for ideas on suspension.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168596

In my experience Deavers give you the softest ride. It will all depend on how high you're going in terms of what else you need. Its not just springs and coils...

Well, from the way I understand it and the things I've looked at, basic 3.5" lift kits include:

Variable Rate Long Travel Coils
14 Piece C-Bushing Kit
Tracking Bar Drop Bracket
Add-A-Leafs
Drop Pitman Arm
4 Pro Comp Explorer shocks

So, you think it would be better to order each part separately instead of a set kit?

I have no intention of adding a lot of extra weight to it. I'm not going to buy a Winch, the bumpers will be regular Chrome bumpers, and the rest will be mostly stock. I don't have any ridiculous goals with the Bronco other than to restore it and make it a dependable daily driver.

 

[jw0747]

why mud treads on a daily driver? they'll be noisy and probably beat you to death. unless your daily drive is through off road country go with an AT tire.

best place online for tire/wheels is tirerack.com

however consider this. our local Discount Tire stores will match Tireracks price which is probably their nationwide practice. in some areas Discount is labeled Americas Tire, I believe.

 

[Heus33]

I looked into that but they only have one brand of tire in 35's which is Dynapro MT and they cost $400 each. Thank You for the suggestion, though.



Well, from the way I understand it and the things I've looked at, basic 3.5" lift kits include:

Variable Rate Long Travel Coils
14 Piece C-Bushing Kit
Tracking Bar Drop Bracket
Add-A-Leafs
Drop Pitman Arm
4 Pro Comp Explorer shocks

So, you think it would be better to order each part separately instead of a set kit?

I have no intention of adding a lot of extra weight to it. I'm not going to buy a Winch, the bumpers will be regular Chrome bumpers, and the rest will be mostly stock. I don't have any ridiculous goals with the Bronco other than to restore it and make it a dependable daily driver.

It sounds like you're jumping around a little. Before you rush into buying something it would help if you gave us some additional info so the guru's on this site can give you better feedback. (trust me, I've been there more than once!)

What lift, if any is on there now?
Remember add-a-leafs will make the ride harsh

I'd hate to see you spend time and money on a kit that results in a ride thats not what you had in mind. Continue to ask questions and if possible drive one thats lifted.

My last Bronco had a 2.5" SL and 1" BL, sway bar and street tires and it drove like a modern pickup - took me a few tries to get there but I was finally satisfied.

Hope that helps

 

[IVIaverick]

why mud treads on a daily driver? they'll be noisy and probably beat you to death. unless your daily drive is through off road country go with an AT tire.

best place online for tire/wheels is tirerack.com

however consider this. our local Discount Tire stores will match Tireracks price which is probably their nationwide practice. in some areas Discount is labeled Americas Tire, I believe.

Mud Treads are for the looks mainly. However, we get a lot of snow around here in the winter and I have read they do great on snow. All Terrains are fine but I think they look more flat and small than the MT's. I'm not looking for something extreme like Super Swampers but just something with a more aggressive tread than AT's. When I had my Jeep, I bought 33" BFG AT's when I had my heart set on the MT's and I regretted it from the moment I saw them installed simply because of that fact. I'd rather have a bit of a rougher ride and be 100% satisfied with the looks than vice versa.

There is a Discount Tire around 15 minutes from me and it says they will mount and balance for $12.50 per tire. However, their prices are higher than what I've found elsewhere. They have the Nitto Mud Grapplers I want for $306 each and while they will price match, it says they won't match a sale price. I can get them on another site for $264 each w/ free shipping but for w/e reason it does charge an additional $80 for something....After all is said and done, if Discount Tire price matched the $294 I've found not on sale, it would only be like $35 more to buy through Discount Tire. The problem is they don't have much of a Wheel selection so I would still probably have to buy them elsewhere. So, how should I go about that then? haha

It sounds like you're jumping around a little. Before you rush into buying something it would help if you gave us some additional info so the guru's on this site can give you better feedback. (trust me, I've been there more than once!)

What lift, if any is on there now?
Remember add-a-leafs will make the ride harsh

I'd hate to see you spend time and money on a kit that results in a ride thats not what you had in mind. Continue to ask questions and if possible drive one thats lifted.

My last Bronco had a 2.5" SL and 1" BL, sway bar and street tires and it drove like a modern pickup - took me a few tries to get there but I was finally satisfied.

Hope that helps

I'm not trying to jump around if that is the impression I am giving. I am simply new to this and I'm trying to explain what I'm looking for but doing a poor job. lol

I am buying a Bronco that I am going to customize to my liking and I'm sure I will baby it. It won't be off-roaded and the harshest action it will see is snow and salt which I will spray the salt off immediately. I definitely want it to ride well so I'm looking for a nice lift kit to accommodate the Wheel/Tire Combo I have in mind which will be 35x12.50x18 Tires on 18" Rims. 3.5" seems to be perfect for that amount but I'm not sure if it will cause issues with any other parts? However, I don't want to spend money that is unnecessary, of course. I figured those $400 kits were extremely basic and rough so I definitely appreciate any help with it.

This Bronco will be my daily driver. My intentions are to make the Bronco as original as I possibly can and the only things that will be different on it will be the Wheels/Tires and Sound System. I plan on painting it Grabber Blue (I LOVE that color) and the interior will be painted to match with the upholstery being White. I hope to sandblast (I think that's what it's called?) everything underneath the Bronco and (I'm not sure if Rhino-Lining is used here but I'm looking for that type of Black and something to protect it all) Rhino-Line it to prevent rust and such. I will also, most likely, Rhino-Line the floors of the interior to protect them, also.

Hopefully, that explains things a little better?

Thank You guys for the help. I appreciate it so much as I know I ask a lot of questions but I love these old Broncos and I want to make sure I build mine correctly.

Here is the closest Bronco I have found to what I'm looking to build. I will be doing a few things differently, but the overall look and feel of this one captures it nicely, for the most part.

 

[IVIaverick]

I found a decent starter Bronco but I need to know how much these things will cost since I will have to pay for them in addition to the $3,000 for the Bronco:

Replace Floor Panels

Replace Front Door Posts

Full Paint Job in Grabber Blue (Bronco is currently Green/White and the paint job is fading badly so I will be changing it to the GB.)

Thanks!

 

[JRED]

The things you have listed are going to cost alot unless you can do the work yourself. I would find a different Bronco that is in better shape and closer to what you really want. Good luck

 

[jw0747]

Mud Treads are for the looks mainly. However, we get a lot of snow around here in the winter and I have read they do great on snow. All Terrains are fine but I think they look more flat and small than the MT's. I'm not looking for something extreme like Super Swampers but just something with a more aggressive tread than AT's. When I had my Jeep, I bought 33" BFG AT's when I had my heart set on the MT's and I regretted it from the moment I saw them installed simply because of that fact. I'd rather have a bit of a rougher ride and be 100% satisfied with the looks than vice versa.

There is a Discount Tire around 15 minutes from me and it says they will mount and balance for $12.50 per tire. However, their prices are higher than what I've found elsewhere. They have the Nitto Mud Grapplers I want for $306 each and while they will price match, it says they won't match a sale price. I can get them on another site for $264 each w/ free shipping but for w/e reason it does charge an additional $80 for something....After all is said and done, if Discount Tire price matched the $294 I've found not on sale, it would only be like $35 more to buy through Discount Tire. The problem is they don't have much of a Wheel selection so I would still probably have to buy them elsewhere. So, how should I go about that then? ha

every good point made by people on here who know what they're talking about are quickly discounted and probably ignored. seems like you're looking for an open debate on items you say you know little about.

 

[IVIaverick]

The things you have listed are going to cost alot unless you can do the work yourself. I would find a different Bronco that is in better shape and closer to what you really want. Good luck

Well, the problem is that aside from those few problems, it is exactly what I'm looking for. It runs excellent and is in great mechanical shape overall. I can get it for $3k while others for $5k+ are in like condition and ones around the same price are no thing but rust buckets. At the moment, it's definitely the best choice. I know the floor panels shouldn't cost much, so the main thing is the door posts. I can wait on the paint job. The green/white doesn't look bad so I can certainly tough that out for a while. I just want to make sure the costs are going to be reasonable before I get in over my head.

every good point made by people on here who know what they're talking about are quickly discounted and probably ignored. seems like you're looking for an open debate on items you say you know little about.

Uhm, what exactly have I ignored? I listened to your suggestion on Discount Tire and found one near me that I am going to get my Wheels/Tires installed at. I am also waiting to hear from Heus on his Suspension again since his lift seems to be extremely nice overall instead of getting a cheap, basic lift kit. The only thing I disregarded was your suggestion for getting an All Terrain Tire. I have ridden on both AT's and MT's and I will be doing all that I can with the Suspension to soften the ride. MT's look much better and will serve me nicely in the Winter. I'm not sure what exactly I'm trying to debate? I'm simply asking for suggestions and advice on a few things which I am listening to.

 

[samandturtle]

discounttiredirect.com free mount balance and shipping

 

[Heus33]

ok lets spitball a little here...

Lets assume you pick up the Green Bronco for $3k. Lets also assume you want it to look like the pic you posted (beautiful truck btw).

You say it needs floor boards and door posts. Those are typical rust areas that are easy to spot. Odds are it will need more than that - inner fenders, core support, cowl area, windsheild, etc etc - these are all a little harder to spot but once you start replacing panels it will quickly snowball on you.

So here are a few guesstimates:

Body work - panel replacement, etc - if done by a shop....maybe $3-8k (ballpark)
Paint - for a nice paintjob - figure at least $5k - blocking, sanding, panel alignment, etc. Could easily be double that - seriously.
Interior - $2k
Rino lining - $1k

So at this point you're in at least $14k and you still haven't touched the drivetrain, suspension or anything else. You basically have a shiny tub.

Figure another $10k for all of that "stuff" and you're quickly running into the $25-35k category - and thats probably getting close to what that other blue one has into it.

The advice here is sound - these guys have been around Broncos for a long time.

If you have an unlimited budget - go nuts! Buy / upgrade as you see fit.

If you're trying to make a $8k bronco look like a $30k bronco you're fighting a losing battle.

Sometimes buying someone's finished project is a better road to take.

Hope that helps.

 

[IVIaverick]

Well, the problem with buying a finished Bronco is people are looking for $20-$30k for one that I would consider "finished". That is simply not in the budget right now. I'm looking for something that is in decent shape to slowly build over time.. I don't want something that will cost me $30k to fix, if that's the case.

I've seen that I can buy the floor panels and door posts for a few hundred bucks...It's really going to cost thousands to get them installed? Are they that difficult to do yourself?

My main intentions are to save the Paint and Wheels/Tires for last as somewhat of a finishing touch to everything else but I figured it wouldn't take me long to get there since I'm not going to do anything outrageous to it, I just want to make it look original. According to the owner, the Bronco is in excellent mechanical shape and runs without a hiccup so I shouldn't have to do anything in that area. He said the frame and everything underneath is solid. All that will have to be done is the replacement of the flooring and door posts. Do you really think the costs will be that high, overall?

Here are the pics I've received on the Bronco that I am referring to. Let me know if you guys think it's a bad buy for $3k.

"1974 Bronco for sale. Full hard top, 6 point roll cage, uncut rear quarters with a 302 V8. The following is all new - brake components from master cylinder, lines and all other parts, clutch, 2.5" suspension lift, 1" body lift, 31" Maxxis Bighorn tires, radiator, water pump, new seals on majority of the engine, rear fuel tank, fuel pump and dual Magnaflows. Also have factory parts to add power steering and five 15x8 slots.

Have title in hand and it is registered. I do drive it around town and have taken it on hour long road trips before with no problems, besides running out of gas once... Mechanically it is sound and rarely gives me any problems. There is the typical Bronco rust however."

 

[Dan's73]

"Typical Bronco rust", to me, means (in addition to the floor boards & door posts): rocker panels, inner fenders, lower tailgate, and possibly the cowl below the windshield and the rear quarter panel seams. You'll definitely want to crawl under it to look at everything and, if possible, have him pull up whatever carpet or floor covering there is to check out as much of the floor as is possible from above too.

I'm sure the current owner is sincere in saying it's "mechanically sound" but that means different things to different people...some are OK pumping their brakes to stop, others not so much. Some people are OK retuning a pesky carb every time the weather changes, others not. I think you get my point.

Since you didn't know exactly what sandblasting was, I'm gonna guess that you're metalworking & welding skills aren't up to the task of correctly replacing body parts like door posts, floor boards, or most anything else that doesn't simply bolt on. In that case, then, having a shop do them will be costly unless you have a connection or are able to work out a deal. I wouldn't be surprised if the estimates given earlier were a little light actually. Most body shops that will take on this kind of work (non-insurance related) aren't cheap: expect labor rates to be between $40/hour on the lowest end to over $100/hour on the upper end, not including the parts & paint. My '73 was rear-ended in January and the body work + paint to fix it is going to total over $9K; there was NO rust at all, just good old fashioned body work. If they had to repair rust or cut/replace panels you can bet it would've been much more expensive.

Hope this helps...from the sounds of it you might be putting the cart before the horse here worrying about suspension lifts & sound systems before you have a solid, truly mechanically sound Bronco to start with. Just my opinion.

 

[JRED]

This is some really good advice. Getting one of these to look nice is no easy task.