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Tires & Wheels

Duluth's Nokian Tire Dealer. John Gilbert of the Up North Newspaper Network says: "Once you drive on tires like Nokians, you will actually enjoy tackling winter driving." Nokian RSi Winter Tires Nokian Tires, from the city of Nokia in Finland, are simply the best winter tires available. We have used them on our own cars for many years and have always been quite happy with the results. They provide excellent traction on snow and very good traction on ice, important for safe driving on the steep hills in Duluth and on the highway when the snow is packed down and traction is at a minimum. Nokian i3 All-Season Tires Nokian also manufactures performance tires and all-season tires. We carry a selection of popular sizes, but if we don't have what you need in our inventory, we can usually have it the next day. Nokian Z Performance Tires

Many of our customers have a large investment in their cars, which is why they choose Foreign Affairs of Duluth to do the maintenance and repairs. Performance tires and wheels are an important part of getting the most out of a performance car. That means the job must be done correctly, with no scratching or denting of high-priced alloy rims.

To ensure that our customers get the best service on wheels and tires, we added the latest top-of-the-line tire mounting and wheel balancing equipment from Coats to our shop.

MOUNTING: The Coats 9024E Rim Clamp is state-of-the-art for mounting and dismounting wheels. It can handle rims up to 24 inches in diameter and up to 16 inches in width. That easily covers nearly all performance wheel and tire combinations in used today, including low profile, short sidewall tires. It can also mount and dismount Run Flat tires, which older mounting equipment cannot handle due to the stiffer sidewalls.

The Rim Clamp machine means that the tire is removed using a series of rollers and carefully placed ramps so that nothing touches the rim. The old-style center-mount machines require a bead-breaker lever between the tire and wheel to remove the tire, and that can lead to scratched rims.

Hydraulic and pneumatic power makes the tire tech's job easier, so he can concentrate on accuracy rather than muscling the tires off and on the wheels.

BALANCING: A smooth ride is what you get when your tires are balanced on the Coats 950, recognized as the workhorse of the wheel service industry. This computerized balancer has an accuracy of 1/10th of an ounce. Weight is added as necessary to the inside and the outside of the wheel rim to offset any imbalance in each wheel/tire assembly.

The Tire Rack - Recommended Installer. Since our primary focus is auto maintenance and repair, we do not stock a huge inventory of tires and wheels. We also know that companies that specialize in wheels and tires, such as The Tire Rack, can match or beat the prices of most local tire installers. Foreign Affairs is a Tire Rack Recommended Installer. Below are The Tire Rack's criteria to be a Recommended Installer.

All of The Tire Rack’s Recommended Installers are carefully screened to ensure they have the right equipment and experience to satisfactorily serve our customers. In fact, to become a Recommended Installer a company must: Use proper mounting and balancing equipment including touchless or rim clamp, European-style tire changers and high-speed computer spin balancers. Employ properly trained technicians capable of safely performing damage-free installations. Be an automotive business that can offer additional services to customers (e.g. alignments, complete repairs, auto detailing, etc.) Possess a positive attitude and the ability to treat The Tire Rack’s customers with the highest level of professional courtesy. Only after these criteria are met is a company approved to become one of our Recommended Installers. (From The Tire Rack web site.)

Whether your needs are for everyday driving or you want to have performance wheels and tires installed, visit Foreign Affairs of Duluth. We can help you determine the proper combination for safety and to fit your specific needs.