Bout time for tires

[Okie-Go]

With 75k on my Michelin tires they are starting to get worn down. can't complain about the wear just that they cost so cotton pickin much. They are the 235-80-17 ltx-ms. Really thinking of giving the Firestone transforce a shot. I like the deep grooves and at 160 a piece vs over 200 a piece for the Michelins it would make a diffrence in the money clip. I need 6 of them. Just had to gripe a bit I guess. 960 drive out as compared to a bit over 1400 is a good chunk of change.

 

[GaryOwen]

From my experience I found that the Transforce get about 2/3 the miles of the Michelins, but at 2/3 the cost. Ended up paying about the same per mile. I certainly agree it is quite a lick to buy 6 new Michelins! Good luck in your decision.

 

[Riverboy]

Look on Craigslist, you can find almost new factory rims and the Michelins for $4-500 all the time. Usually its due to someone wanting custom rims so they sell the originals. Thats what I am going to do when the time comes. Good luck.

 

[JRMora]

I ran the Transforce AT's. Got 55k miles out of them. Much more agressive tread than the michelins had. Very quiet and balanced with very little weight. I haul a lot and town heavy (around 23k GCW). When I bought mine they were nearly half of the price of the Michelins. The Michelins must finally be coming down in price.



I've gone to a less agressive tread Bridgestone Duravis R500HD this time around. $990 for six.



Juan

 

[Okie-Go]

It never occured to me to try craigs list. Might have to try it. Still trying to lean toward the Transeforce AT.

Okie

 

[Grizzly]

With 75k on my Michelin tires they are starting to get worn down. can't complain about the wear just that they cost so cotton pickin much. They are the 235-80-17 ltx-ms. Really thinking of giving the Firestone transforce a shot. I like the deep grooves and at 160 a piece vs over 200 a piece for the Michelins it would make a diffrence in the money clip. I need 6 of them. Just had to gripe a bit I guess. 960 drive out as compared to a bit over 1400 is a good chunk of change.

Pick more cotton and pay the price. Michelin are hard to beat. I believe in putting the very best rubber on all my vehicles and 5th wheel.

 

[mcsinfl]

Look around. I asked everyone I knew and found a set of 4 new michelins for $612 installed at a local high volume tire shop. This was a couple weeks ago

 

[SFPADGETT]

We have been using the Firestone Transforce A/T's for the past two years or so and have always gotten at least 50 from a set (either 4 or 6). We do rotate them at 5k. Ours are on heavy service trucks with welders in the back and are off road daily on new constuction job sites

 

[jgillott]

I've been a faithful Michelin buyer for a good part of the last 15 years or so now. Last summer we put a set of the LTX AT2's on the '04. 5. It's a great tire and I have nothing but good things to say about them.



Around the same time, I took our Chevy Silverado to our local tire shop for a set. At the time, the guy who owns the shop talked me in to a set of Firestones at $153/tire. I am also very happy with those. I'm not going to say that they are all around better, but I have zero complaints with them. Both of those trucks see high mileage and lots of off road work. Both brands are holding up quite well.



As I said in another thread on the subject, when it came time to put tires on my '07, I went with Firestones this time. Again, nothing against the Michelin tires, but I couldn't justify the additional cost up front.

 

[Barry]

Okie, are you still alive?



Barry

 

[Okie-Go]

Yes Barry, I am still alive. Went to another tire place yesterday and was quoted 1418. 00 for the Michelins. Can get the at's for 960 out the door. KInd of seems like a no brainer to me. If I go this route it will be the first since I can remember I didn't buy MIchelins. Have them on the travel trailer and wifey's car as well. They are good tires but they are proud of them. Looks like you moved to Florida, good to hear from you!

Okie

 

[Barry]

Hey Okie,



Yes, I have moved to Florida. Always said the if I were not married to a Texas gal, I would be back down in the Southeast where I belong. I'm not, and I am!

Only bad part about Florida is there was nothing in the Florida brochures that mentioned they are infested with yankees. Most unhappy folks I have ever met. Back in Texas we wave at folks. But we always wave with all 5 fingers. We are involved in what would be a road rage incident at least 2 or 3 times a month. Dang'dest thing I have ever seen. I just try to stay out of their way.



Now to the tire thing. Shop on Craigs for someone that just bought a 4X4 and pulled of their Michelins. I just bought 6 like new for $600 from a guy with a 2500 4X4 and then sold 4 of my takeoffs for $250. Have not put a pencil to it but I think I came out alright.



Then two months later, ran up on a set of 5 Ricksons with 225/70/19. 5 Goodyears for $1200. Then swapped with a friend of mine for his OEM wheels and 65,000 mile Michelins for $400 to keep in my garage if I want to sell the truck with out the Ricksons.



One more thing... ... ... ... You know what a pain it is to try and find something on Craigs? Well, have I got a deal for you. There is a group out of Jacksonville, Fl. that have a web-site called Site Mash. Google it. It takes all the Craigs ads AND the Ebay ads and rolls them altogether so you don't have to chase city to city... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... SLICK! It is how I found my Ricksons in Las Vegas.



Good Luck!

 

[Grizzly]

Consumer Reports likes Pirelli Scorpion ATR trucks tires best followed by, Yokohama Geolander, Bridgestone Dueler, Michelin LTX, Toyo Open Country A/T and so on. The Yokohama is by far the cheapest.



I still like Michelin best.



george

 

[macdaddy]

Ive had the Transforce AT's now for 50K. You can tell these things will go 80K, at least with a dually. The side wall are showing some cracking after 3. 5 years though.



Mac

 

[Grizzly]

macdaddy, no offence, Transforce AT are still made by Firestone. I don't believe I can have a Firestone on anything.

 

[jgillott]

macdaddy, no offence, Transforce AT are still made by Firestone. I don't believe I can have a Firestone on anything.

I hear what you are saying and in fact, I was extremely uneasy buying the first set of Firestones last year. I had not purchased anything but Michelin for my personal vehicles for at least 15 years. The tire store owner that we use gave me the devil when we put the Michelin AT 2's on the '04. 5 last summer and it got worse when I went back to get a set for our Silverado. He talked to me until he was nearly blue in the face to talk me in to the Firestones on the Chevy. He swore to me that since their Ford Explorer Nightmare, that in his opinion, Firestone has the highest quality control of any of the tire brands he carries, and he carries them all. Anyhow, I figured since I was going to be buying from him no matter what brand I chose, and that he was actually trying to talk me in to something less expensive, I'd give it a shot. I am certainly happy I did. I liked the Firestones on the Chevy so much that I put a set on my '07.



Having the AT 2's on the '04 and the Firestones on the '07 makes for an easy comparison. They seem to be as equal in performance and wear so far as they could possibly be. The only difference I can tell you is that the Firestone has a little more agressive of a tread and probably a little more road noise. But, I would argue that the AT 2's ride a little rougher and tend to wonder slightly more. Unless something major happens, or I end up with a huge difference in wear, I simply can't justify going with $235/tire for the AT 2's vs. the $153/tire that I spent on the Firestones.

 

[Grizzly]

I hear what you are saying and in fact, I was extremely uneasy buying the first set of Firestones last year. I had not purchased anything but Michelin for my personal vehicles for at least 15 years. The tire store owner that we use gave me the devil when we put the Michelin AT 2's on the '04. 5 last summer and it got worse when I went back to get a set for our Silverado. He talked to me until he was nearly blue in the face to talk me in to the Firestones on the Chevy. He swore to me that since their Ford Explorer Nightmare, that in his opinion, Firestone has the highest quality control of any of the tire brands he carries, and he carries them all. Anyhow, I figured since I was going to be buying from him no matter what brand I chose, and that he was actually trying to talk me in to something less expensive, I'd give it a shot. I am certainly happy I did. I liked the Firestones on the Chevy so much that I put a set on my '07.



Having the AT 2's on the '04 and the Firestones on the '07 makes for an easy comparison. They seem to be as equal in performance and wear so far as they could possibly be. The only difference I can tell you is that the Firestone has a little more agressive of a tread and probably a little more road noise. But, I would argue that the AT 2's ride a little rougher and tend to wonder slightly more. Unless something major happens, or I end up with a huge difference in wear, I simply can't justify going with $235/tire for the AT 2's vs. the $153/tire that I spent on the Firestones.

I don't know, I still feel a little uneasy about firestone, as I do about Explorers.

 

[Okie-Go]

Made a decision!! I bought the Firestone AT. Made a 425 mile trip this weekend and the ride was super. Wifey noticed the difference. The noise was non existent. So far no regrets. I could have bought any brand I wanted but 950 as compared to 1425 is not hard to figure out. Grizz, the 10ply at's and the explorer tires are two completeley different tires as I am sure you know. I think I made a good choice, I still like Michelin tires but I think the Michelin man could stand to go on a diet. His tires are pricey.

 

[JRMora]

Okie,



I had great luck with mine, hopefully you will, too.



Juan

 

[HBarlow]

I will buy nothing but Michelins. When I was transporting I routinely got 110,000 miles out of a set of Michelins and have never had a problem with one.

I calculated the cost of running Michelins out per mile. A set of six Michelins purchased at SAM's Club on a Ram 3500 dually cost me a little over one penny per mile.

Lesser quality tires are cheaper to buy initially but when you do the math they are more expensive to use.