Tire Opinions

The tires at the big box stores and sears etc do hav different model numbers. I have customers that say they want this tire or that and I check into it for them only to find it is a Sears or Walmart version.

Thanks to all for your experiences and opinions. I found some Michelins that I am getting installed Monday. They are not the same size but I think they will work. These tires are for an ’00 Oldsmobile Bravada. For some reason the only tires used on and recommended for this SUV are P235/70 R15, if I search for tires and say I have a ’00 Chevy or GMC they offer as an alternate size the P235/75 R15. As it turns out the Blazer had 3 different suspension packages and three different tires to go along, the cheaper package used the P205/75 R15 tire size. The slightly larger tire were used on their premium ride suspension, said to be more car like than the slightly lower profile 70 series. I am not sure what differences there were in the springs and torsion bars but I found that the rear stabilizer bar is slightly larger diameter on the Chevy, I am not sure what they did for shocks, they may be the same. This Olds has Bilstein shocks, probably the originals, they should have been replaced a while ago, when you drive over a patch of rough road it is like being on rough seas, it takes a while to quit bouncing. My plans are to replace them soon with new heavy duty Bilstein shocks but at ~$70 a shock x4 that is another big blow to the pocketbook.

So now the odometer and speedometer will be off a little, about 3 ½ % and the little computer that shows how many miles left until the gas runs out and the fuel mileage but that’s all minor stuff. If I am satisfied with the larger tires, and we’re only talking about an inch, there are many more options available in the 75 series than the 70. Search Tire Rack for P235/70 R15 and you get back 20 results, search for P235/75 R15 and you get 69 results.

I almost went with Kumho tires, they would have been $130 out the door, the Michelins will be $148 out the door, I hear a lot of good about Cooper Tires also but they seem to be about in line price wise with the Michelins. My experience with Michelin truck tires has always been good. For even wear and high mileage wear they can’t be beat so I wanted to try them on a car or pickup. If I am disappointed or impressed beyond all expectation I’ll report back.

Cap wrote:Glen,
I just bought this tire for my service van
LT245/75R-16 MICHELIN LTX M/S2 E

That is the tire I am getting the LTX® M/S2 P235/75 R15/XL if I like them I will probably go with those next time my pickup needs tires. My pickup takes the exact same size as your service van. Where did you say you park it?

mof1964 wrote:
Remember this, Costco, Walmart, Sears etc all sell tires, but the tires they sell are not made to the spec of the manufacturer. They are made to their own specs, thus you don't get the same tire there at those stores as you do with non nationalized tire retailers.

Mitch

100% True. The model number is slightly different on these tires. Go to a tire shop for tires.

I have often bought the Michelin X tires offered by Sam's Club for my cars. They handle reasonably, have low rolling resistance, and are OK but not great for tread life. What I like is, I have yet to get a bum tire in a set of Michelins -- you know, that one out of four that isn't quite round or has a flat spot or never can be balanced exactly right.

I've heard that this same practice goes with John Deere tractors sold at Home DEEP-ooooh & Lowe's. The chain store models, while they look identical to ones in the John Deere showroom, are built to 'Depot ( or should that be DESPOT ...) standards .... read: cheap.

Makes sense that companies would do this with tires as well. This is the sleight-of-hand business practice that is just accepted as regular business these days. There's probably a million or more people who have no idea about any of this .... and wonder why their tires, or lawn tractor, is a heap of crap in too short a time frame.

When 'Depot or Sears starts selling Harley-Davidsons, it's time to run in the other direction!

Smitty,

You are exactly right that this happens with tractors at the home depot and lowes. This also happens with appliances. friend of mine drives truck and said that when he picks up and delivers to the box stores, the stuff is labeled and boxed for the box stores. Other side of warehouse goes to samll retail appliance stores. He was told that the retail stores get the better products.

I guess if we really dug deep into this, we would find this holds true for many things.

Mitch

mof1964 wrote:Remember this, Costco, Walmart, Sears etc all sell tires, but the tires they sell are not made to the spec of the manufacturer. They are made to their own specs, thus you don't get the same tire there at those stores as you do with non nationalized tire retailers.

Mitch

I've always been aware of "OEM spec" tires for the automakers, but not aware of "Costco spec" or "Wal-Mart spec" tires. How can you tell the difference if say for example "Joe's Tire Shop" is selling a Brand M model XYZ tire and Costco is selling the same Brand M model XYZ tire?

I don't get tires at any of the big chain stores anyway. I always try to find a high quality independent tire/suspension/alignment/driveline type of shop. While living in Wisconsin I had a "tire guy" that was 5 minutes away and ran his shop in a small garage behind his house. But, he had a Hunter GSP9700 road-force balancer as well as the proper tire machines for alloy and racing rims. Not only that, he used torque-sticks on the impact wrench and then final torqued with a click wrench! Never a problem with stuck lugnuts from him. Best part is his prices were competitive and he spent a lot of time getting the road force and balance right. Once you've had absolutely dead smooth running tires at any speed, it's hard to go back to "normal" balancers. Unfortunately we moved (and he quit doing tires as he also had a day job) so I've been back to the local tire places.

Hey Smitty, I would be a certified cheapskate, too, but I didn't want to pay for the certification.
I try to stay away from the foreign Hanjob and Crakho tires out of patriotism. I don't drive much anymore since all the jobs went overseas. But I guess it's a global economy now so I might consider the Chingchung 200's. They have human boneblack in them; for better skidmarks. From China, where life is cheap. Samhill told me the rich people usually go for the Lookitme x's on their 300c's. I sure do resent those rich people. I've been asking poor people for a job all week, and it's really putting a lot of miles on my Dryrot 600's.
I usually go to the local autowrecker for a set of Mixmatch 700 Baloneyskins. The price has really gone up, it's $15 apiece now. But that comes with dented rim and pre-weathered wheel weights included.
I really wanted a set of Lincolnhead 1/16th's for Christmas, but since Maobamarx made that word illegal I always forget what day it is. I better check and see if they'll fit on my 91 GMC before I overload it again. I hope to do that before the tie rod end let's go, but don't worry, it's the passenger side one so I won't swerve into oncoming traffic, prolly just hit a guardrail in a bad latino neighborhood. Also, my ball joints are looser than a travelling salesman's wife, better wait 'till spring to check for sure.
Of course everybody is a little biased but we all gotta ply our trades.

And remember the motto, "If ya caint see the wires, ya don't need new tires."

:punk:

Now that was a post !!!! I'll remember that when I'm getting my Skidmore XXX's mounted!

I ran Dryrots for 20 years -- bounced off several poles & ran into an handful of ditches to prove it.

europachris wrote:

mof1964 wrote:Remember this, Costco, Walmart, Sears etc all sell tires, but the tires they sell are not made to the spec of the manufacturer. They are made to their own specs, thus you don't get the same tire there at those stores as you do with non nationalized tire retailers.

Mitch

I've always been aware of "OEM spec" tires for the automakers, but not aware of "Costco spec" or "Wal-Mart spec" tires. How can you tell the difference if say for example "Joe's Tire Shop" is selling a Brand M model XYZ tire and Costco is selling the same Brand M model XYZ tire?

One way is if you would go on michelins website there one tire the weatherwise(I think says for sears only) So it is built at a price point that sears can sell a michelin. I know another example of this type of practice is with lawn and garden tools. My uncle does small engine repair and had someone bring him I belive it was a troy built weed wacker. Thing is troy built doesn't build the same weed wackers for its dealers, the dealer did not have a listing for it so he couldn't get parts. So it was a one off thing for lowes or home depot, have fun getting parts in a year from lowes when they change models

What wires are you talking about, I always thought that was an inner tread indicator so you knew you only had about 5k miles of life left. Not to worry, the new kids on the block will be sworn in & all your rich friends will be knocking on your door so you can take some of that tax break money from them.

europachris wrote:... he spent a lot of time getting the road force and balance right.

I understand balance. But what is road force?

I bought my balancer from Greg Smith Equipment, after selling my old chinese one that would only work if you held a heat gun to the control board for 10 minutes. If I get the wheels within .10 of an ounce, my truck is smooth as glass all the way up to 130 mph.

Road Force? Must be a setting on a high end balancer to justify the 5-figure price? I don't know.