How fast can I get new tires in Independence?
Often the same day. If we have your size in stock, we can mount and balance a set while you wait or while you're at work. When we don't have your size, we order it, and orders often arrive the next day.
That matters when your truck is how you get to work. A worn-out set or a tire that can't be patched doesn't leave room to wait a week for a dealership appointment. Call 620-331-3730 with your tire size (it's printed on the sidewall, something like LT265/70R17) and we'll tell you what we have and when we can get you in.
Which tire brands do you carry?
We carry three brands we trust to hold up on Southeast Kansas roads:
Goodyear
An American name trusted for generations, with tires for nearly every car, pickup and SUV, including the Wrangler line for trucks and the Assurance line for cars and minivans.
Cooper
Durable, dependable truck and SUV tires, including the Discoverer all-terrain line built for gravel roads and work.
Kenda
Trailer, ATV and UTV, and lawn and garden tires, plus light-truck options. A smart choice for the boat trailer, the stock trailer and the side-by-side.
Not sure which is right for you? Tell us what you drive and how you use it, and we'll recommend the best fit for your vehicle and budget.
Why buy tires from a local shop instead of a big-box store or the dealership?
- Tires and the work behind them, under one roof. If your old tires wore unevenly, we can check the alignment on our Hunter machine and fix the suspension or steering problem that caused it, so the new set lasts.
- Every make, no dealership wait. We service tires for domestic and import cars, pickups, SUVs and EVs, usually the same day or the next.
- A road hazard plan that travels. Our optional nationwide plan is honored at participating shops across the country.
- You talk to the people doing the work. Honest recommendations from a family-owned shop that has served Independence since 1945.
Which tires should I buy for Southeast Kansas roads?
It depends on what you drive and where. Here's how we usually talk it through:
- Mostly town and highway: an all-season tire with a good tread-life warranty is the right call for most cars, minivans and crossovers.
- Gravel, chip-seal and county roads: pickups that spend time off pavement do better on an all-terrain tire with a tougher sidewall. Sharp rock and farm-lane debris are hard on thin passenger sidewalls.
- Towing and hauling: if you pull a stock trailer or a camper, you want a load range that matches. LT tires rated for the weight, not a passenger tire that happens to fit.
- Lifted and off-road builds: bigger mud-terrain and all-terrain tires need careful balancing, and usually an alignment check afterward.
We'll give you an honest recommendation based on how you drive, not on what's most expensive.
What does installation include?
When you buy tires from Ashcraft, installation covers:
- Check the size and load rating against your door-jamb placard, so the tires match what your vehicle was built for.
- Mount the new tires and replace valve stems, or service your TPMS sensors so the pressure light works right.
- Balance each wheel so you don't get a shimmy at highway speed.
- Set the pressures to spec and torque the lug nuts.
- Look at wear on the old tires. If they wore unevenly, we'll tell you, because that usually means an alignment or suspension problem that will wear out the new set too.
What does the Nationwide Road Hazard Plan cover?
Our optional Nationwide Limited Road Hazard Plan protects passenger and light truck tires against damage from a puncture, bruise or break that happens during normal driving on a maintained road. Nails, glass and potholes are the most common examples. Coverage lasts 3 years or until the tire wears to 2/32 inch, whichever comes first, and it travels with you nationwide.
- Repairs: if the tire can be safely repaired, we repair it free of charge. If another participating shop repairs it, the plan covers up to $20.
- Replacements: if the tire can't be safely repaired within the first 25% of its usable tread, it's replaced with coverage up to 100% of the original price. After that, you pay only for the tread you've used. Taxes, mounting and balancing are extra.
- Away from home: more than 10 miles from our shop? Call the program administrator at 855-429-2791 to find the nearest participating facility. Keep your original invoice, and get approval before a tire is replaced.
- Not covered: commercial vehicles and vehicles rated over 1 ton, off-road use, collisions, vandalism, sidewall scuffs, and wear from misalignment or mechanical problems.
The plan is purchased with your tires and must appear on your receipt. Read the full Nationwide Limited Road Hazard Plan (PDF).
Do new tires need an alignment?
Not always, but it's worth checking. If your old tires wore down on one edge, the problem that caused it is still there, and it'll start on the new tires the first day. We can check alignment while your vehicle is already on the rack. See wheel alignment.
Tires for electric vehicles
We sell and install tires for Tesla, Rivian, Lucid and other EVs. EVs are heavy and deliver instant torque, so they wear tires faster than most drivers expect. For EVs, our service is tires only.
Farm, trailer and equipment tires
Tires for tractors, implements, skid steers and trailers are a different job. Those are covered on our farm and ag tires page.