The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: billt on July 04, 2011, 06:55:42 AM
-
I've got 31X10.5X 15's on my Ford F-150. They're Goodyear Wranglers I put on back in April of 2000. They've got 60,000 miles on them, and Saturday while coming home from work, I had the right front start to come apart on me on the freeway. It still holds air, and I made it home, but it's got chunks missing out of it. Time for some new tires tomorrow.
I'm trying to get prices on line, but it's a PITA. I paid $785.00 back in 2000, and I don't want to spend $1,000.00 for tires on a 20 year old truck. No matter who's website you try, it's a pain to get an out the door price for 4 tires mounted and balanced. I don't want road service, road hazard warranty, or any of the rest of the crap they stick you with for a quick buck. Obviously I don't buy tires that often. Has anyone else here recently? Where did you go, and where would you stay away from? Bill T.
-
Buying tires for anything other than little sedan type "cars", is a PITA. Prices are all over the map.
When I needed 31's for my Tacoma, I sat down with the Yellow Pages and started calling folks for quotes. Some were schmucks on the phone and I moved on to another.
Usually, local papers/flyers have ads for "sales" but I would still get at least 4-6 quotes.
Are you determined to keep the Goodyears? Bridgestone, and a host of others can make a big diff on the bottom line. But one shop to the next may vary the SAME Goodyear's.
I had Bridgestone 31's from $90 to $150 a piece.... SAME tire....
Also, if you know someone with a tire shop, you can sometimes buy the tires out the door at one place, and just have someone you know just mount and balance them.
The disposal fee is an EPA sham,....
But Geez billt, 10+ years on those Wranglers? Not bad..... 8)
Cuts into your ammo/gun budget though,...... :-\
-
I've got 31X10.5X 15's on my Ford F-150. They're Goodyear Wranglers I put on back in April of 2000. They've got 60,000 miles on them, and Saturday while coming home from work, I had the right front start to come apart on me on the freeway. It still holds air, and I made it home, but it's got chunks missing out of it. Time for some new tires tomorrow.
I'm trying to get prices on line, but it's a PITA. I paid $785.00 back in 2000, and I don't want to spend $1,000.00 for tires on a 20 year old truck. No matter who's website you try, it's a pain to get an out the door price for 4 tires mounted and balanced. I don't want road service, road hazard warranty, or any of the rest of the crap they stick you with for a quick buck. Obviously I don't buy tires that often. Has anyone else here recently? Where did you go, and where would you stay away from? Bill T.
Try a local wrecking yard. They get in a great many vehicles where the car is trashed, but the tires may still be good. Other than that, you're pretty much stuck with retail in one form or another.
$250 a tire? Unless you do a lot of off-roading you don't need MT or even ATs. For a 20-year old truck, downrate the tires and maybe get them for less than $250? Also, don't go name brand, or at least not consumer name brand. I got Toyos 6 years ago, had never heard of them, but they have been excellent.
Admittedly, I have not bought tires for my F350 lately, so I have no clue what they would run. Maybe a lesson for today to check . . . . .
-
Bill, over the years I've had pretty good luck with Big A Tires. You've got a couple of outlets there in the Phoenix area, and I'd check with them. You might even be able to get a set of "blems" if you talk to the right guy. Blems have a cosmetic issue, but are not structurally compromised in any way. Have a look at WallyWorld, too. Once in awhile they will have a "deal." You could luck out.
I'd stay away from Tire Kingdom--just personal bad experience.
Getting tires online is always a possibility, but I've found the cost of shipping eats a pretty big hole in the savings. Then, you are left with the problem of getting them mounted and balanced. That will often take the rest of the savings.
A big part of the expense comes from excise taxes imposed by the Odamna regime. In trying to protect American tire makers, an onerous tax was imposed making anything from Japan, Korea, Germany, France and China vastly more expensive. The American makers like Cooper, Goodyear, BF Goodrich and others saw this as a great opportunity to raise their own prices and did so with little delay.
The only good thing I can say about any of this is that "back in the day" we felt lucky to get 20,000 miles out of a set of new shoes. Today 60,000 is not unreasonable and higher numbers appear with some brand/vehicle combinations.
I've got to come up with a new set of shoes for my JEEP here in the next couple of months, so I will feel your pain. I can get by with slightly smaller tires than you have on the F-150, but we're still looking at $600 before I'm out the door.
Good luck with your search, and keep us posted on the results.
Crusader Rabbit
-
I'm pretty religious about my Desert Duelers, as I have a lot of rain and do a bit of off roading. Frankly, I think tires are a dumb place to save money. No offense, but if one fails at 70 miles an hour it can ruin your whole day. They also effect mileage, braking distance and wear and tear on the drive train (not an issue in your case). So, if I were going to go cheap, I'd look at Sam's (might be worth joining if its cheap enough, I save enough on my prescriptions to pay the fee), or Wally World. Otherwise, just check the adds, someone's always having a sale.
FQ13
-
Sam's and/or Costco. I paid for the membership and was still money ahead. Sam's usually has better Goodyear choices, Costco usually has better Bridgestone choices.
-
Bill the 1st place I guy is tire rack dot com, quick and easy and will set a baseline, on a name brand tire, definitely look at Sams and Wally world, next , check with your local new truck dealer, customers upgrade wheels and tires all the time when they buy a new vehicle, sometimes you can get a take off set with new wheels and tires for 100 beans apiece.
-
I can get by with slightly smaller tires than you have on the F-150, but we're still looking at $600 before I'm out the door. Good luck with your search, and keep us posted on the results.
Crusader Rabbit
My F-150 came with 235 X 75 X 15 passenger car tires on it from the factory. They were shot at 23,000 miles. I then switched to 31 X 10.5 X 15's, and have been running them ever since. They ride much better. You really have to watch the advertised price per tire. You cannot take that price X 4 because the out the door price will be much higher. Mounting, balancing, "tire disposal fee", excise tax, all kinds of hazard warranties they stick you with without even asking, etc., all add a lot to the out the door price. It's almost as bad as buying a new car, with having to deal with these hucksters. Bill T.
-
Are you determined to keep the Goodyears? Bridgestone, and a host of others can make a big diff on the bottom line. But one shop to the next may vary the SAME Goodyear's.
I had Bridgestone 31's from $90 to $150 a piece.... SAME tire....
But Geez billt, 10+ years on those Wranglers? Not bad.
I can't complain. 11 years and 60,000 miles in this heat isn't bad. I like the Goodyears, but not at the $175.00+ a tire I'm finding. Add into it all of the other fees, and it's real easy to hit $900.00 out the door by the time you're done. Also we've got that lovely 9.3% sales tax to deal with, not to mention federal excise tax, etc. I'll try calling around, but it's like you say, they don't want to commit to a price over the phone. It a bit like that joke you always hear about car mechanics....."ALWAYS get a WRITTEN ESTIMATE before having any work performed." Yeah, right. Try to find someone who will put ANYTHING in writing before they work on your car. They'll have an answer for everything to put to them. It will never be the right one. Bill T.
-
Sam's and/or Costco.
I forgot about COSTCO. We've got a membership there. Bill T.
-
I've always been very please with Discount Tires. Free lifetime rotation & balancing. I do get (and have used) the road hazard insurance. They have always honored it with no questions asked.
-
One other consideration is convenience.
I use to chase all over town buying tires from whomever seemed to have the best deal. Costco, KMart, Sear, NTB, Tiretown.
I finally realized that, for me, convenience counted for something. I now use the local Goodyear dealer. He's only 4 blocks from work, drops me off and picks me up, lifetime balancing and rotation, and road hazard repair. A small discount because I am a neighbor and my wife teaches his grand-kids. The balancing and rotation are enough to pay for the cost over the discount stores. Not to mention the extended life of the tires because I'm more apt to get the work done than with another store that might be 10 miles or more away.
Just a thought.
-
2 years ago I bought bigO brand for the work truck( same size) they have been great, 20k miles on them no iisuses they were about 150 each. They were made by kelly in japan. they have a pretty aggressive tread, but make no noise.
sams and costco does not carry that size, trust me I looked.
-
Bad experiences with Cooper tires and the belts shifting.
You are going to get plugged with anything you get for a truck, mostly because BHO PUT A TAX ON IMPORTED TIRES AND DROVE THE COST UP. Most of those things are imported, so...when I was expecting to pay $750-$800 last year for 10 ply tires for the F250 it turned out to be $1,100. So I'm thinking the gov made off with $300 last year.
I ended up with Firestone Transforce HT. 80 MPH for hours at 100 degrees and no problem. They may be cheaper than the Goodyears...I dunno, certainly cheaper for 1/2 ton and fewer plies. 1st set for the truck, like the 4th for the Excursion....good for 60k miles.
I'm glad you brought this up. Next time I buy I want American made if for no other reason than to keep the government from getting the tax directly from me.
-
Bad experiences with Cooper tires and the belts shifting.
I had the same thing happen to me with Remington Tires. All of a sudden at 15 to 20 MPH the whole car started acting like it was on drugs. As I pulled it into the garage, Mel noticed the tread was zigzagged on the tire. The whole tread was squirming around on the carcass of the tire itself. That's when I put these Goodyear Wranglers on. Tires are like guns. You get what you pay for, except they're not as much fun. :'( Bill T.
-
Bill, I have (like M25 said) bought several sets of tires from TireRack.com and had really good luck and pricing. But their prices have went up.
I ordered a set for my younger son last year for his Chevy 4x4 and we got a heck of a deal from DiscountTire.com. He bought 4 Nitto Terra Grappler 265/75/16's for $600 shipping included. These are very nice tires and after nearly a year, show no serious wear.
They run specials all the time. We ordered on Monday and got all 4 by Thursday.
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/home.do
http://www.tirerack.com/
**As a side note: I buy my BF Goodrich tires from Sam's, but will probably go with DiscountTire.com next time. My last experience (last year) with the Sam's in my area was enough to sour me. It took 3 1/2 hours to get 4 new tires mounted and we were the only vehicle there. Also, I have bought my last set from Wally world also. I got a set of Goodyear Wranglers two years ago for my wife's Envoy and can't keep them balanced. One of the local tire guys said that wally buys 'seconds' and sometimes they just are so bad out of balance that there is nothing that can be done......and it takes an act of Congress to get wally to replace the bad tire (even with the warranty) if there is no 'visible' damage.
JMHO, FWIW
-
Tire pricing is tied to oil pricing. Nothing you can do about it at this point.
I have Wranglers in my PU too but I probably wouldn't buy them again. You'd spend a grand on a gun to protect your life so 1000 bucks on tires for your vehicle should get the same respect.
Tires, having sold and mounted a few thousand back in the day, are the single most important safety issue (besides the brakes) you can buy for your vehicle. This is a no brainer....f..k the cost and buy the best tire you can afford which I'm sure ain't gonna put a dent in your ammo budget!
Your tires didn't fall apart from mileage, they shredded because they were ten years old. Rubber gets brittle, four or five years, regardless of their mileage, they need to be replaced. Tires are stamped at the factory with a "born on date", I always check the dates before I have them mounted at the dealer. For that reason I won't buy them from an online resource.
-
Personally, I would rather buy from a local dealer....but all the tire shops in my town have too much mark-up. The BFG Long Trail's I have been buying from Sam's cost me about $750 mounted and balanced, with warranty and lifetime balancing. They guy in my hometown (that my family had used for years) wanted just over $1200 for the exact same 4 tires. I understand it is due to the fact that he can't buy in bulk like Sam's, but I just can't afford to pay the extra $500. Heck, if he could just get close to Sam's price, I'd buy from him because he will do it on a 90-day payment plan.....but again, 500 smackers is just too much.
-
I run 31's on the Suburban, and just went through this. I ended up getting the Yokohama's over the Coopers, mainly for price. These tires are going to run you $150 and up for anything reputable right now. On my truck I run even bigger tires, and for those I use Coopers as I need the more aggressive tread. I never get full tread life due to our road and using 4x4 a lot.
I use Costco for my wife's Suby more for convienince, but the local Tire Rama dealer for all else. Costco just replace them on my her car at a steep discount. We had 40k on 60k warranty tires and they were darn near bald. They were shocked, I wasn't. The local dealer has been excellent.
I did check out Tire Rack, but the places that will install the tires are so far away that it eats up any savings I would get. You will probably have much better luck down in your area.
-
I got my Goodyear wranglers at Sam's about 3 years ago for about $500 (SET OF 4)out the door, this included mounting,balancing, new stems,tax and road hazard warr. with free rotations. They were the 31x10.50x15, WELL WORTH THE $45 MEMBERSHIP FEE
-
The last tires that I bought I found on Craigslist. I didn't need them at the time but were such deal I couldn't pass it up.
The guy bought a new truck, drove it across the street and had new tires and wheels put on and sold the take-offs on Craigslist. They were the exact same tires and wheels I had on my truck.
I paid $425.00 for 4 mounted P265/70R17 on factory chrome rims and he even gave me the chrome lug nuts that matched the rims.
-
Holly crap!!! 3 pages on where to get truck tires? ? ? ? ? ? ??? ::) ::) ::)
-
Holly crap!!! 3 pages on where to get truck tires? ? ? ? ? ? ??? ::) ::) ::)
At least there was a topic this time. ;D
FQ13
-
Bill, I have (like M25 said) bought several sets of tires from TireRack.com and had really good luck and pricing. But their prices have went up.
I ordered a set for my younger son last year for his Chevy 4x4 and we got a heck of a deal from DiscountTire.com.
Peg Leg gets the butt kiss of the day!!!!
I found these at Discount Tire 3 miles from my house......In Stock!
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/cart/selectStore.do?productTypeId=1&r=AZWINT%7Cpc%7C85307&storeCode=AZP-49&productId=28889
$596.84 out the door with a 50,000 mile warranty. I'm going there when they open tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how everything works out. Bill T.
-
Peg Leg gets the butt kiss of the day!!!!
I found these at Discount Tire 3 miles from my house......In Stock!
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/cart/selectStore.do?productTypeId=1&r=AZWINT%7Cpc%7C85307&storeCode=AZP-49&productId=28889
$596.84 out the door with a 50,000 mile warranty. I'm going there when they open tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how everything works out. Bill T.
An old HS buddy is the VP of Discount Tire in your area, I wasn't gonna bring it up since I've not spoken with him in twenty years. They have always been a good resource and Richard is a stand up guy. Great price, that's less than I paid three years ago at my local tire dealer for nearly the same tire.
-
I've have bought and had tires installed at tirerack.com at their headquaters in South Bend, but I can get there in 35 minutes from my house. Usually I use Discount Tire and they will price match tirerack.com Frequently Discount Tire has rebates available. I have found that many places will do price matching if you shop around and ask. I like Consumer Reports and tirerack.com for research on tires.
-
Peg Leg gets the butt kiss of the day!!!!
You know, you guys have been slaying me for years.. what a bunch of guys ;D oh, and M'ette too (don't want to get in trouble ya know).
-
Sam's and/or Costco. I paid for the membership and was still money ahead. Sam's usually has better Goodyear choices, Costco usually has better Bridgestone choices.
Bill, my last set (Michelin) for my truck I got at Costco in on 83rd Ave in Glendale.
The Costco on Cave Creek & Beardsley I won't go back to for a balance/rotate. They never could get it right - after 3 tries.
The guys at 83rd get it right every time, first time.
-
you know, tires are the one item I can think of that pays off big time to shop around.
-
you know, tires are the one item I can think of that pays off big time to shop around.
Much like women! Bill T.
-
Much like women! Bill T.
Actually, no. Its fun to shop for women. ;)
FQ13
-
Actually, no. Its fun to shop for women. ;)
FQ13
I won't argue with that! Bill T.
-
Much like women! Bill T.
Its like my dad told me as a kid...
if its got titts or tires its going to cost you money.
When I was younger I though alot of his sayings like that were funny and BS, as I got older, they became less funny and i reaslized he was 100% right.
-
When I was younger I though alot of his sayings like that were funny and BS, as I got older, they became less funny and i reaslized he was 100% right.
It always seems to work that way, doesn't it?
My dad used to love to repeat the story of how I told him I was surprised how much smarter he had gotten while I was in boot camp.
-
Well, there is good news, and bad news. The good news is I got out the door with 4 nice tires mounted and balanced for $596.84, just like the website said. The bad news is I never made it there. I got 2 miles away, and had a blowout. I limped into a 7-11 on the corner and called Mel. She brought tools and a jack. The damn spare was mounted under the truck and had not been taken off in 20 years, so of course it was flat. But they had a "Air Hose". (It cost a dollar for 5 minutes worth of air). I pumped it up to 40 pounds and put it on.
I drove it to Discount and left it, and told them to call me when it was done. They got it all together, but told me my spare was dry rotted from 20 years under the truck. (It was really nasty). The guy must have thought I was broke because I had the oldest truck in the joint, and bought the cheapest tires, so he gave me a spare FREE! The 2 poor kids spend a half an hour, with 2 big ass floor jacks trying to get the new spare put back in place underneath the truck! It was 113 out. I gave each of them a $10.00 tip and said thanks.
So all's well that ends well. On the way home I took it up to 85 on the freeway and it drove like a new Caddy. Then I heard the news on the radio that Casey Anthony got off. So that wrecked everything. Anyway "Old Chunky" is rolling smooth again. Bill T.
-
Five for the price of four seems like a good deal. ;) :D
*The spare is one of the most neglected things on a vehicle.....but probably the most likely needed.
I also keep an old-timey tire plug kit, and it has kept me from having to remove the spare several times on the roadside.
-
Five for the price of four seems like a good deal. ;) :D
*The spare is one of the most neglected things on a vehicle.....but probably the most likely needed.
I also keep an old-timey tire plug kit, and it has kept me from having to remove the spare several times on the roadside.
Hell, those sray cans of foam aren't too bad either. They don't last long, but they work well enough to get to a tire joint.
FQ13
-
Its like my dad told me as a kid...
if its got titts or tires its going to cost you money.
When I was younger I though alot of his sayings like that were funny and BS, as I got older, they became less funny and i reaslized he was 100% right.
Funny how that works out, isn't it ?
Seems to be a universal law, the older you get , the smarter the old man gets. ;D
-
Hell, those sray cans of foam aren't too bad either. They don't last long, but they work well enough to get to a tire joint.
FQ13
The problem is they won't fill the void left by 3 inch missing chunks! I didn't call her "Old Chunky" for nothing. ;D Bill T.
-
Its like my dad told me as a kid...
if its got titts or tires its going to cost you money.
When I was younger I though alot of his sayings like that were funny and BS, as I got older, they became less funny and i reaslized he was 100% right.
Put another way. "When I was 16 I thought my dad was the dumbest man in the world. Now that I'm 25, I'm surprised at how much the ol' boy has learned.