Billy Joel once sang, “It’s a matter of trust.”
If you own a Corvette, you can certainly relate to those words when it comes to finding the right shop to mount your expensive tires and rims.
Over the years, fewer and fewer tire shops are willing to touch your pricey wheels for fear of damaging them. Because so much is riding on your tires, you must find someone you can trust with your Vette.
When we asked around the Corvette community who we should use, one name kept coming back, Brad McKissick at Hometown Tire Pros in Monroe, Ga. Brad packs a literal lifetime of tire and automotive experience into owning and running his shop.
Not only did they do beautiful work, but we picked his brain about tires and his state-of-the-art Hunter Revolution tire changing system. What we learned might surprise you.
What follows is the edited transcript of our conversation with Brad. Enjoy.
Breaking Ground
Rod Worley – Editor – Brad, you grew up in the tire and automotive business. When did you first start working for your father in the family business?
Brad McKissick – Owner – Rod, you know, I started working for my father when I was 12 years old. I made a $1 an hour washing the blue off of whitewall tires.
School had just ended, and it was my first week of summer vacation. At the end of that first week, I made $76 because I worked 76 hours.
My father recently passed, but I’m grateful for the time we had together and the work ethic he instilled in me.
In 1990 I was 18 when my family broke ground on the building we’re in now. So, I’ve been here since day one and have done every job, from sweeping the floor to running the business.
Corvette Horsepower
Rod Worley – Editor – What drew you to this business? Have you ever owned a Corvette?
Brad McKissick – Owner – I’ve always been fascinated with cars and horsepower. My real passion has always been vehicle suspension.
Yes, I’ve had a couple of Corvettes over the years.
My last one was a pewter C5 coupe and probably the fastest car I’ve ever owned. It was pushing 670 hp at the rear wheel, according to the dyno.
Tire Age Matters
Rod Worley – Editor – I remember the story back in 2013 of the accident that killed Paul Walker, the actor from the Fast & Furious movie franchise. The Los Angeles Times article reported that the Porsche Carrera GT he was riding in had 9-year-old tires, which contributed to the accident.
In your experience, how many years do tires last?
Brad McKissick – Owner – Other than the obvious, which is tread depth, the number one killer of tires is age. Few people look at the manufacturing date of their tires.
When you’re having the vehicle serviced, they should be looking at your tire’s overall condition, including the age. We see the tire’s age become a factor, usually with motor homes, trailers, and seldom driven cars like a Corvette.
If you store your car, you should know where to check the manufacture date. In my experience, tires reach the end of their service life in six years or so.
Manufacturers advise that all tires, including spare tires, be replaced at ten years regardless of tread depth or visible condition. Let’s get back to tread depth for a minute.
All tires have wear bar indicators inside the tread that take the place of the traditional penny test. When those bars are even with your tread, you’re at 2/32 of an inch and time to replace.
Tire pressure is critical as well to tire performance and longevity. Be sure to check it often throughout the year for the best performance.
Hunter Revolution
Rod Worley – Editor – Brad, Corvette tire and wheel combinations cost thousands of dollars today. Many tire shops won’t even attempt the wide rims we use on Corvettes because of the potential damage risk.
What gives you the confidence to take on wide, expensive rims and stiff run-flat tires?
Brad McKissick – Owner – Rod, we feel confident changing even the most challenging wheel and tire combinations because of the money we’ve invested in our people and equipment. The Hunter Revolution tire changing system, in my opinion, is the Cadillac of tire changing machines.
When you start changing run-flats and low profile tires, they can be challenging for most shops to change.
With the Hunter Revolution, there are no bars; it’s hands-free and computerized. It’s an expensive machine but worth every penny when it comes to changing tires.
Experience Matters
Rod Worley – Editor – There are other automotive and tire shops in the area. What, in your mind, separates Hometown Tire Pros in Monroe from the competition?
Brad McKissick – Owner – We believe you have to have the right equipment, but you also have to invest in the technician’s ongoing training doing the work. Technology will only take you so far.
You’ve got to have a trained technician who understands how it all works to give you the best possible service. Experience, ongoing training, and state-of-the-art equipment are what separates us from others.
When we’re talking about experience, you should look at the team’s tenure who’s servicing your car. That’s very important.
As an example, I’ve been doing this my entire life. We’ve got a handful of people who’ve been here for ten to over 17 years. That level of hands-on experience makes a big difference in the overall quality of our service.
It’s especially crucial when it comes to alignment. You’ve got so many people doing alignments who don’t understand what those camber/caster readings represent.
They don’t understand the geometry and how that plays into handling. Many big box stores hire minimum wage guys, and they align your $80,000 Corvette based on the green, yellow, red lights on a machine.
It just doesn’t make sense to me.
The Right Expertise
Whether you spend your time searching for quicker lap times or Best In Show trophies, tires and rims play a significant role in your success. A set of sticky tires can easily be worth 50, 100 horsepower, or more on the track.
As any trophy hound will tell you, the right combination of tires and rims goes a long way in making a strong first impression with the judges.
While there is a lot of work, you can do in your garage to get your Corvette ready for the track or the next car show. Changing rims & tires isn’t one of them.
To do it, and do it right, you’ve got to search for an experienced shop with the right equipment and expertise.
Talk to Brad McKissick and his team at Hometown Tire Pros in Monroe, GA, and you’ll find that your search just got a whole lot easier.
Articles We Recommend:
Gasoline Vibes Makes The C4 Corvette Great Again
Why You Should See Georgia’s Racing Hall of Fame
Vettes4Vets Gets Your Heart Pumping At Talladega Superspeedway