Les Schwab Tires

[Rogue Ram]

For you guys that are on the West Coast and are around Schwabs, I have been running "All Terrain SXTs" 255 85 16 Ds made by "Avon". Les put a 40,000 mile treadwear warranty, and these things are about shot at 21,000 of easy driving. Schwabs is willing to prorate and put me into something else. Question is, "what"??? Anyone have experience with their TOYO tires? I am after highway tires, or a decent all-season for primary highway driving.



One other thing: any issues with running 235s on here??? Seems like a lot of us do, right? Thinking that might be the size with more variety.



Thanks,



RR

 

[Cummins4Life]

I havent heard anything bad about the M55 Toyos Schwab sells. Lots of people swear by them around here.



I had a set of the Toyo Open Country A/Ts in 285/75/16. They lasted 29k miles. I had schwabs rotate/check balance/check air pressure every 3-5k. Kinda dissapointed in their longevity. They had good road manners and performed well on wet pavement and packed snow.

 

[MUDDY]

m55 great tire. i had many sets thru out the years on several rigs

 

[24V-DSL]

Like Zach I was disappointed in the 285 Open Country. I took them off at 30k, but they would have gone 38K total. They made an adjustment, and what did I do?..... bought another set



I like their quiet ride, wet traction, looks... . everything but the durability. I've got 28K on this set, and they're wearing better. I'll get ~45K. They are a 50K warranty. I've run these on..... don't flame, the wear pattern is perfect..... 42psi front and 37psi rear and like always, rotate every 5K. I don't tow and am always empty. The first set were run at 50psi front and 45 rear, and this was overinflated by wear pattern.

 

[CPjMech]

I've got about 15,000 on my LS Toyos . Seem to be wearing pretty good. Should get 50,000 out of them. I like the way it drives empty and towing/loaded. Much better in the wet and snow than the factory Mich.

 

[BV]

The TOYO m55's are a commercial rated tire so they see better wear then other Toyo's.



My last set of LS tires on the car wore out way early and they were toyo's also. Haven't gone back since then.

 

[smartineau]

old truck always I ran wild country RTV (or was it RVT, the ones that run about $125) and wild country APT. I always got about 50,000 to 55,000 on a set. The APT were quieter and nicer on wet roads, the RVT/RTV were better in the snow. With the APT I just put it in 4WD a little sooner, then no problems.



steve

 

[Chipstien]

Originally posted by 24V-DSL

I've run these on..... don't flame, the wear pattern is perfect..... 42psi front and 37psi rear and like always, rotate every 5K. I don't tow and am always empty. The first set were run at 50psi front and 45 rear, and this was overinflated by wear pattern.

Funny you should mention this. I have a week on my new set of Dunlop Mud Rovers and am so far happy with them. But this is funny thing..... On my last set of BFG AT's I ran the front at max and the rear 6 psi less amd they were still squatting. But with these Dunlop I started at max which is 50 but noticed they were riding in the center of the tread. I could tell by the little "new tire stubbies" still on the outside of the tread after 1200 miles so I took them down. Well I now have the fronts at 38 psi and the rears at 34 and I can tell that the wear is over the entire tread now and all I can say is what a difference. The truck handles much better and doesn't seem as skittish and track the road as much yet the tires are not squatting at all in the front. Seems these tires have a stiffer sidewall then the BFG's. Probably have to take them up to 40 in the front when I add the Buckstop.

 

[Rogue Ram]

Thanks for the replies. We've talked about M55s on this board before. I think it was Illflem who used to have his M55s siped and swore by them.



My plan is to run traction tires in the winter on a separate set of wheels, and highway ribs or some sort of all season tires the rest of the time. The Schwab guy never called back yesterday, but I believe he was talking about doing an adjustment and getting me into some newer type of Open Country tire that has a tougher compound in it. Of course, the first thing I heard from all the Schwab stores was that "diesels destroy tires". I dunno, all voodoo to me, I just think the SXTs are crap and not sure if I should even try the Open Country. M55s are super spendy and according to Schwab go on sale once a year in the fall..... I think we're talking over $750 a set out the door.



The other plan would be to look at BFG Commercial T/A Traction tires or Michelin XPS Traction tires but I only know whats on the net. I like the fact Schwab is all over the places I hunt and travel so that is a big factor... ... ... . would help if he'd stay open on Sundays though.





RR

 

[JohnE]

Les Schwab siping

I will never recommend Les Schwab to anyone for tires, especially siping. They ruined 2 of 4 tires when they siped mine. Of course, I didn't discover this until after I moved from the area and had no way to drive it back to the shop for inspection.

They actually over cut (too deep) all the tires. One tire was siped deep on one side of the tread and properly on the other side. Another tire had twice the cuts per inch of the other 3 tires. I raised a stink all the way to corporate over my experience with them.

Did they warn that a diesel will eat tires up front or when you were looking for warranty? If you have a written warranty with no diesel exclusion then they are bound. They said NOTHING when taking my money but once I complained the excuses flew faster out of them than promises from a polititican.



ON the flip side, a properly set of siped tires are great.



Never personally run M55 tires. Everyone I know that has run them swear by them for longevity, but for some reason purchase something else. It might have something to do with the noise or ride.

 

[wcjp]

I'm running the Wild Country's. I'm near 40,000 miles. I expect to replace them around September. That should put me close to 50k.

 

[Fogie]

I'm 35K into a set of APT's and have more than 50% tread remaining. Was at Les Schwab the other day for balance and rotate and was told they are not staying with the APT. They said eith you love em or hate em... ... ... love mine... year around.

 

[RJOL]

Re: Les Schwab siping

Originally posted by JohnE

I will never recommend Les Schwab to anyone for tires, especially siping. They ruined 2 of 4 tires when they siped mine.

Maybe it has something to do with who is doing the siping. I've had several sets of Les Schwab tires, siped, for truck application and have always gotten good results. I've got about 43K on the Michelins that came with my current truck, and they will need to be changed in the next few thousand miles. I'm going to check out Les Schwab and see what they have to offer...

 

[Idaho Native]

Load Range?

I'm running a set of Toyo Open Country 265's on my pickup... not entirely happy with the wear to this point. I probably should have done my homework a bit better... they're Load Range D vs the Load Range E... wonder if that is contributing to what I deem as a general lack of longevity on these things. They have about 22K on them and look to get MAYBE another 10K if I baby them. Nearly zero off-road miles... probably 98% on road. Very tempermental to pressure as well for driveability. Will likely go back to a Michelin (take your shots) or take a look at the M55s that have been touted in this thread.



Inputs always welcome...



Loren

 

[RJOL]

Re: Load Range?

Originally posted by Idaho Native

... Will likely go back to a Michelin (take your shots) or take a look at the M55s that have been touted in this thread.

I went to Les Schwab, today, to take a look at the Toyo Open Country A/T and the M55. I also looked at the Wild Country XTX, and Wildcat Radial A/T. The tread design and number of groves/channels in the Open Country looked better then the other two. If your planning on mostly highway driving, I'd think twice before getting the M55. That tire has a pretty aggressive tread and I can't imagine it will be that smooth a ride on pavement at higher speeds. I've got about 42K on my original Michelin LTX A/S and they will need to be replaced before too long. I've kept them aired up and done 99% of my driving on smooth roads. I've been pretty gentle with them and never "peel" out or spin the tires. I think I will get just as good if not better service from the Open Country's, so I think that's where I'm headed... . JMHO...

 

[CougFan]

I have had the wild country tires and didnt think thet lasted well. I currently have the BFG AT they seem to be wearing ok but the tread pattern dosent suit me too well. They dont seem to do too good on wet roads. I had to get rid of the tires that came on my tuck about 3 weeks after I bought it, I would still be sitting in the snow spinning my tires if I hadnt. They were crap I think.

 

[Rogue Ram]

Update:

Schwab tells me they've had problems with diesels putting a bunch of weight the tire was not designed for on the Open Country, thus they wear early. That's what they tell me anyway. So, they brought out an Open Country with a harder tread compound... ... ... ... ... ... ... haven't gone to go get them yet but they should be there by now.



RR

 

[Brianpump]

The problem with Schwab is that they are always happy to take your money but will not back up their tires. I am in Salem Or and had been a loyal customer for years but the last two stes of wild spirits only reached about 50% of their recommended tread life.

The last set they had a bad tire on the leaft front. The first drive it started to pull to the right bad. I fought them for over six months to replace the tire, every excuse in the book. Other tire dealers saw the bulge and said that it was bad. The best offer from Schwab 50% off two new tires for the front. Went to Goodyear and problem solved. Great tires much better wear and handling. I am doing what I said I would bad mouthing a company high on hype but lousy in actual customer relations. I will never give them another dime. Spend a few more dollars in the first place and buy quality instead of hype.

 

[RJOL]

Originally posted by BScott

... I am doing what I said I would bad mouthing a company high on hype but lousy in actual customer relations. I will never give them another dime. Spend a few more dollars in the first place and buy quality instead of hype...

I used Les Schwab for years. My experience has always been very positive. Had a set of their tires on my jeep and one got a puncture in it. They took a look at it and said they didn't want to try to fix it, because of the location of the puncture, and replaced it with no questions asked. They have also fixed flats on several of my other vehicles (none of them had their tires) for free. They will rotate their tires without an appointment, and will get you in and out in short order. Try that at GoodYear. I've also found that even though their prices are a little higher then other places, the extra service and convenience is worth it. It sounds like you had a "bad day" at one of their stores, or there is more to the story then you're telling. Either way, exercise your freedom to buy tires anywhere you want...

 

[Rogue Ram]

It depends on the store..........

Keep in mind some stores with Les' sign aren't corporate stores, they are like a franchise. I refused to do business $$$ wise with my local one any longer, as they are this franchise thing and are generally jacka$$e$ when it comes to backing up warranties unless something is so blantantly obvious they can't get out of it. I have seen them not honor the "try em for 30 days with our money back guarantee" on a friends rig, and have seen them blame excessive treadwear on bad driving habits. Not sure if the bad attitude comes with the franchise thing or if that is just coincidence.



I am not sure how many corporate stores there are versus franchises... ... . but I do business with another Schwab 20 miles away to avoid these local guys, unless I want to pull in and make them fix a flat or air up "their" tires.



Also, Les personally is not and has not been running the shop for some time. Again, coincidence? Who knows. Schwab built the business on customer service---maybe the new guy running the show doesn't care. In any case I'll go to the stores that treat me right and stay away from those who don't.



RR