Importing wheels and tires?

Castle

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Sep 1, 2012
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This morning I noticed my car has a flat tire. I could go get one, if only they sold that kind of tire here. Tires are RFT or runflat, and you are not supposed to mix RFT with conventional tires. So that means I have to buy all 4 tires or just 1 RFT. Importing a RFT tire is a pain, I've done it before. Tires are heavy and shipping gets expensive, plus they are over $200 each so I'd have to pay taxes. Long story short, I'm done with RFT tires. Plus, I also want to change my wheels for cosmetic reasons (midlife crisis, I guess)

Browsing a little on ebay and specialty websites, I find there are a bunch of people in the same situation who are getting rid of their perfectly good wheels and tires for something else and selling them. Price wise the numbers are good. For less than US$1,000 I can get a full set of OEM wheels and tires. Of course, the problem is the shipping.
Tomorrow I will call my carrier to see if I can import used wheels and tires. I will also shop around locally, but my guess is I won't find anything decent below US$ 2,000 and I'm sure they won't be anything special. So if I can import them and pay around $500 for shipping+taxes, I'd be very happy.

My question is, has anybody imported wheels/tires? used? new?

Sorry for the long text, this has been bothering me all day and I thought maybe somebody here has a better solution, and that's why I shared the extra background of the pickle I am in.
 

Castle

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Sep 1, 2012
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So if your car has runflat tires why don't you just run them flat? Or does it have a hidden esoteric meaning not obvious?

hahahaha. They run flat but for some 100-150 miles, then they start to fall apart like any other tire.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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You can buy them mounted (and even balanced , I think )......
I got a $50 rebate from BFGoodrich from a special they were running.... Michelin has the same special , oftentimes.

JUst hunt th best price/deal.... free shipping is the bigger saving (to the mudanza)
 

beekaynz

Member
Aug 12, 2011
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4
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I imported new tires and wheels fiited and balanced for my car. Used Encargo. no problems. Think it was about $700.00 in sgipping and duty. New tires and wheels.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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For shipping via ocean, Encargopaq told me that the price for door to door service is 33% of the price of the items (not including electronics like TV which is more).
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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That may be right Windy...

My 8 tires totaled about $900-1,000 and it was a $300 mudanza bill.... they didn't know the price but they do this all day, every day.
As I have said before - these guys have a system... ~$400 for new 'fridge, ~$300 for used......
It seems to work.

Ihave shipped all manner of things and NEVER had a problem (just shoot me for typing that = DOOMED from here forward)


JD, the OP may want to keep running the run-flats (hahaha) so needs to import.

Actually, thinking about it.... run-flats eliminate the side of the road problems that one can have w/ a flat tire.
Good idea if the missus is alone driving... never thought of it before..... $$$$ but might be safer.

Stiffer ride , I hear.... don't the new Corvettes use them as standard equipment?
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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Reviving this old thread.... I have 8 tires en route as we type !

2013 price was $300 for 8..... $275 this year

I got good deals on Amazon and took the 6 mo payment plan they offer

Got Hankook DynPro AT2 & WranglerTrailRunner AT
$550 for 4 --- $385 for 4 --- big sale on the Wranglers.... ~$40/tire to ship on top of that
 

cavok

Silver
Jun 16, 2014
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Cabarete
Reviving this old thread.... I have 8 tires en route as we type !

2013 price was $300 for 8..... $275 this year

I got good deals on Amazon and took the 6 mo payment plan they offer

Got Hankook DynPro AT2 & WranglerTrailRunner AT
$550 for 4 --- $385 for 4 --- big sale on the Wranglers.... ~$40/tire to ship on top of that
I assume you are using Awilda Shipping. How do you get Amazon to put on the boxes/tires somewhere that they are to be forwarded to you?
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
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Wm Webster
Casa El Faro
c/o Awilda Shipping

Awlida knows me.... I'm 'on file' w/ them
But if you alert them to an arrival.... they'll forward it
After all- it's their business
 
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josh2203

Bronze
Dec 5, 2013
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I assume you are using Awilda Shipping. How do you get Amazon to put on the boxes/tires somewhere that they are to be forwarded to you?

We've used Awilda now for 4 times I think. I do the following:

Delivery address:

My name
Awilda Shipping
Awilda's street address, postal code etc.

Then: I call Awilda's office in NYC that my name is this and that and I have a shipment coming in. Awilda notes my name on the packaging and without any further action from me, they know to make sure it ends up in Santiago. Once In Santiago, they call me (or I call them) to schedule delivery to POP)... Awilda has never once provided anything less than 100 % reliable service...
 
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