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Comments
Item can only be shipped to a store, not to an address. There is no-cost shipping to a Wal-Mart Tire & Lube Express. Pay for the tires at the store.
$9.76 plus tax for installation, new valve stem, lifetime rotation & balance and road hazard coverage (full replacement first 25%, prorated after that.)
I really couldn't tell you about the Kumho's, but I can tell you that the LS-T is an excellent choice. Besides the longer mileage, they have the UNI-T w/AQ-II technology which in lamens terms, the tread is an advanced design that allows superb wet and dry traction throughout the LIFE of the tire.
Here are some real life examples: with the LS-T's, I was able to floor it from a stop AND slam my brakes to a stop, and DID NOT SLIDE! I can drive on curvy roads like they are dry pavement. The ride is smooooooth and corner well. Not to mention Firestone can offer the Tire Replacement program in which if a tire is defected or damaged beyond repair and the tread is 3/32 or higher, they will replace the tire FREE - only costing you an additional purchase of the protection plan. I opted for this, because the regular price for my tire size (215/60/16) was $110.99! And the protection plan is only around $10 per tire.
Firestone also offers 90 Days Same As Cash on their credit card you can apply for - and oil changes only cost $17.49 for SYNTHETIC BLEND if you use the card.
You can also purchase a LIFETIME ALIGNMENT PLAN for $99 if you haggle with the salesman. I did and it has paid for itself MANY TIMES.
Firestone also does courtesy inspections in which they top off fluids and look for any problems while working on the car. They offer a COMPLETE inspection for $19.99 (give or take), but sometimes have coupons for FREE complete inspections.
If you sign-up online at www.mastercareusa.com, you can have e-mail coupons that can save you further.
I have Firestone for random things for two years now and have no complaints. Know that you are getting GREAT service at reasonable prices.
As for the tires, pay more and get more. You WILL be getting a TOP OF THE LINE tire and notice it for 80,000 miles to come.
Peace,
- Alex
Like I said in an ealier post, I'll be buying my tires from the Tire Rack, so none of the Firestone stuff will be an option for me. I'm sure the TR has similar protection programs available if I decide I want one.
If you're bored,
Steve, Host
Question: I recently purchased 4 Yokohama Avid TRZ tires for my Honda Element. I noticed yesterday in a well-lit spoot that these tires have directional indications build into the sidewall and that 3 of the 4 are installed incorrectly (the inward facing side is facing outward.) They've been driven about 400 miles. I will be taking the vehicle back to the tire shop today to have it corrected.
Should I have any concerns about damage from driving with them improperly installed? FYI The markings for the inward and outward sides are not very prominent---you'd have to look closely to see them.
You have asymetric tires that have "outside" and "inside".
I would talk to whomever is in charge and ask them how do they rate themselves as "professional tire installer" after such "faux pas".
Krzys
PS The only damage could be to the pride and busines of the shop. I would not use their services anymore.
Indeed, it seems to be a pattern for me that I trade a car in shortly after purchasing a new set of high-end tires.
The shop manager and helper were quite surprised, obviously didn't know the Yokohama product they sell very well at all. In their defense, I didn't notice the markings either; you really have to know to look for them.
I also talked with them about mounting the tires using the yellow dot that is painted by the manufacturer to be at the valve stem. THe yellow dot is the "lightest" part of the tire, and should be aligned with the valve stem to minimize the need for wore weights when balancing (I read this on the Yoko website.) They say they had never heard of this.
Bottom line, the tires are now all right side out, they were all re-mounted and balanced with the yellow dot by the valve stem. AND....they gave me a free oil change coupon to be used whenever for my inconvenience. They also said they would use the yellow dot suggestion and talk with their rep about any other tips for mounting.
The AVID TRZ is an awesome tire. Great grip, quiet and handles well so far. Since I have an 80,000 mile warranty and the tires need to be rotated vevery 5,000 miles, I will be back at this shop a few times....
Krzys
PS I always double check shop work with directional or assymetric tires. Check air pressure too.
IT's hard to believe that story! That's been the case, tires market for mounting location, for 30 years?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I was expressing how I felt about the LS-T's per your request. I know nothing of the Kumho's. If you want to save money, go for it if they are suitable for you. I just wanted a premium tire and I read great reviews on the LS-T. I was tired of dealing with "cheap" tires, so I bought top-of-the-line for my car and loving every minute it.
I used Firestone b/c of the fact I get oil changes there for a great price (usually $18-21 for synthetic blend oil), and I had a lifetime alignment. So it made more sense to have everything done there. It also helped having the "BUY 3, GET THE 4TH FREE" sale and FREE XM RADIO tuner at the time. I saved over $200 off normal price. I also like the fact of nationwide warranty if anything goes wrong.
If the Kumho tires can suit you well, go for them. I had a 2000 Corolla and did feel that premium tires weren't too important on that car, but I did have cheap tires on there, then switched back in '04 to some Bridgestone Insignia SL - MAJOR difference. Also, I only spent $50 more on them total then the cheap tires before (which only lasted 25K). The Insignia's were 65K.
Bottom line, a premium tire does payoff, if not in overall performance throughout the life of the tire, but the greater service and warranty that goes with it.
The choice is yours,
- Alex
I don't believe Michelin has a 'cheap' tire in their lineup.
Also doesn't Michelin own BFG and several other brands we thing of as independent?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I drove on a set for almost 2 years...they were borderline "crappy". Though were starting to dryrot somewhat.
Offhand I'd say your installer doesn't know what he is talking about.
What you can do is use the 85% as a starting point. Too low/high etc. Since 1# of pressure is pretty hard to notice, you might want to adjust in 2 psi increments. Best of luck !!
You need to tell us what vehicle you are using and what exact tire (size wise).
Krzys
Makes it a whole lot simplier than 25, 26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44 ?
And that is only for a 44 psi max tire wall tire!!!!
Tire dealers seem to want to use one value for their tire busters to use. I suppose that's because it's just too complicated to get them to look at the placard everytime. Or maybe it's because they are lazy. But the one thing that doesn't seem too complex or too lazy for them is to come up with some lame excuse when they screw up. Admitting mistakes is rare (but just to be fair, see some the earlier posts concerning tires mounted inside out)
What's written on the sidewall is not a good guide - too many variations as to what gets printed there.
Hope this helps.
I ran 250,000 miles on 5 sets of the SAME sized tires as the Explorer BUT on a 1987 Toyota Landcruiser (at 38 PSI). This of course peaked my interest in the Explorer debacle. I was actually horrified to find out the placarded PSI the vehicles OEM RECOMMENDED !!!
The wear was always DEAD even across the width of the tire tread. It was used as a business client/delivery vehicle 5 days a week. On the weekends it was used to go on longer 100 mile- 400 mile R/T jaunts up to the mountains. So I do have a "little bit of history" at this TP. Another is 71,000 miles on a Z06 Corvette, and 73,000 miles on a VW Jetta TDI. The only thing in common other than the fact I or mine drives them is the max TP on the sidewalls of 44 PSI.
Couple of questions--the tires definitely look a bit worn, and looked chaffed/whitish on the side, but aren't bald or really even close yet. Should he buy now, or just wait til Fall/Winter? What is considered 'normal' wear or life expectancy for this tire on this vehicle with this type of usage (mostly urban runabout)? I saw some BF Goodrich Rugged Trail T/As on sale at Sears for $90 each, which seemed like a decent price (tires for this thing tend to run $110-125 for most 'brand name' tires)--any experience with these? I also saw some Dunlops for a bit less, but I've generally not heard good things about that brand. Any advice? Thanks again.
on a 2000 GM/LS
I have contacted Mercury, no response to date.
Hey, 46,000 miles is excellent!
Just FYI, I'm convinced that the Cross Terrains are the best SUV tire made today. They transformed the two vehicles I've put them on so far. Very, very smooth ride, and QUIET.
However, I googled the P6s and they seem almost universally rejected by anyone who's tried them -- in fact, they sounds downright unsafe. Nor do the Pirelli P6000s sound much better.
Any suggestions for long-wearing tires with good traction in wet conditions and occasional snow use? I'm reluctant to go back to Michelins, having had many bad experiences with their sidewalls blowing out...
Thanks,
Laurel :confuse:
I'm looking at the P400 Touring and the P4000 Super Touring presently... I understand that one or both of them may be comparable to the P4000s I currently have in back.
First of all the "REAL" answers are in the trade publication that is sold to "tire" professionals. The problem is I have NEVER in 51 years of being around cars EVER seen a tire professional use it to give advice. As a matter of fact, I have only heard it once from a tire person (very knowledgeable) and I was actually shocked to hear it.
So for example in my VW Jetta TDI, the placard has a range from between 26 to 41 PSI. Interesting to note how the higher psi is actually BELOW the 44 max PSI that comes stock with the vehicle !!!! So it should be obvious the 41 psi/44 psi max sidewall pressure can/should be used if one tends to run the vehicle fully loaded weight wise. So while there is a range of variables that one can use to justify whatever range/s both % and numerical, the fact is that the tire is designed with certain parameters in mind, i.e. an oem probably will not specify 51 psi for a max side wall psi of 44.
So if one does the math, the % range is between 59% to 93%. (26/44,41/44) So if you go by the placard; the numeric range is between 26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41. You will probably freak when I ask in the context of the above range: what is under/over inflation and/or why?
So in terms of problem solving (which is all we are trying to do) I run 38 psi fronts/36 psi rears . The oem tires have 73,000 miles on them and look good to go to app 100-125k. I ran this cross country from San Jose CA to Orlando FL and return in August 2005. (1-3 days pre Katrina, inxs of 6,000 miles)The fuel mileage was between 44-52 mpg and the overall avg was app 48/49 mpg. The tread wear is dead even across the width. I had the dealer upon delivery (5 miles) double check the alignment and balance.
I hope the answer defines the boundaries, hopefully for your fine tuning.
1) In another forum, you posted the response you got from Ford.
I'm surprised they gave you that spreadsheet. The only other time I have seen that spreadsheet was when Ford was discussing with its tire supplier (I work for them!) the appropriateness of their inflation specification relative to a potential recall. (BTW, the discussion group concluded that the placard value was OK and the report of early tire failures was unreliable, so the issue was put aside for a later review to see if any new information would change the overall picture. And it didn't!)
If you look carefully at the spreadsheet, it is clear Ford's engineers spent some time thinking about the implications of the pressure (and tire size) they chose to use.
As an engineer, this gives me confidence that when the placard says 32 psi, there is some solid, technical background behind that value. Plus it gives me a chance to look into their logic.
2) You will find that there is a lot of contradictory information out in the world - and that doesn't just apply to tires. Evaluating the contradictions can be difficult, but I have found that BS just doesn't stand up to step by step scrutiny of the process.
3) Vehicle manufacturers and tire manufacurers are in agreement as to what inflation pressure to use - the placard. Since their butts are the ones that will be hauled into court if something goes wrong, that ought to tell you to take their answer very seriously.
4) My take on the 85% rule? Since I was once one of those folks who decided what was written on the sidewall, I can tell you that the max pressure printed there is inconsistent from tire manufacturer to tire manufacturer, and therefore is not a reliable source.
5) US based vehicle manufacturers use one inflation pressure on their placard. The Europeans seem to put a range that is dependent on the vehicle loading. My best guess to the difference is that Europe is much more highly regulated, so they take vehicle maintenance much more seriously. Plus their historical background is for small cars and more difference between curb weight and fully loaded.
(I don't have enough information about Asian vehicle manufacturers to sense whether their placards consistently use one pressure or not.)
6) There is a trade publication called "Tire Guides" and it is published by Bennett Garfield. It lists - by year, make, and model - the original tire size and the inflation pressure for that size - all based on the placard! The only exception to that (aside from printing errors) is that they list only the maximum pressure on vehicle that have multiple values on their placard. In other words, they took the US approach.
Hope this helps.
Capriracer, over the course of reading your insightful and thoughtful posts, I have come to respect your opinion. However, you almost completely gloss over the consequences of what I have said about the " PLACARD" on my VW Jetta TDI, quoted above. In prior posts you also gloss over the OEM FORD placard on the Ford Explorer/Firestone debacle, which resulted in TIRE FAILURE. (26 psi was what was placarded?)
So to address your 32 PSI/44 the math would suggest you AGREE/advocate with 73% of max tire wall pressure. So if it is merely a difference of 85% vs 73% I can say we can agree to disagree.
I will be the FIRST to say: this is 20/20 hindsight I know, but I think that if Ford Explorer folks that had the blow outs had put 35-38 PSI in their tires (and NOT what was on the placard) they might have NOT had the tragic results that were documented in the media. I also think the recall could have been avoided. As I said before, I had the EXACT sized tire the Ford Explorer came with (only on a Toyota Landcruiser, with you guessed it 38 psi) and followed the Explorer/Firestone controversy because of it. Again over 5 sets of tires for a total of app 250,000 miles the wear was dead even across the width.
Also keep in mind that while VW is obviously a Euro manufacturer. Even as the VW Jetta is assembled in that "51 state" MEXICO, ALL the OEM tires available on the Jetta or in my case the GY LS-H's are MADE IN THE USA !!! So again please address the RANGE of PSI I can put 26-41 psi or 16 numerical values, AND the fact I put 38/36 psi (app 85%). This is not a personal attack but an effort to address and advance an important discussion. I realize that most folks could care less the PSI I put in my Jetta, but the ones that visit this post at least do track what would be appropriate for each of them, in this discussion. Thank YOU.
Again thank you all for your help.
Just so that everyone who is following this thread understands the mechanics involved: When it comes to tires failing as a result of belt leaving belt separations (commonly called tread separations), deflection is a major contributor in this area. This is load / inflation combination.
This means that if one wants to err on the side of safety (and the biggest tire risk / consequence is tread separation), then overinflating is a good thing. That's probably why Fscarano's tire shop was unconcerned about using 38 psi - and they will probably continue to do so, since the only thing that is going to convince them they they aren't doing this right is customers returning with ride complaints - and then all they have to do is let out a few psi.
I am concerned that fscarano is still confused and I would like to find out what he is confused about.
Given my made (in USA) tires, GY LS-H's with max tire wall pressure of 44 PSI AND the PLACARD of 26/41 ( also IF the FORD oem tire HE is using as an example has a max tp of 44 psi) 38 psi DOES NOT meet the definition of OVER inflation!! So there is the measure and the resultant consequences. So if me putting 38 psi is "over inflation" then I should experience some sort of "irregular" wear patterns or wear patterns consistent with "over inflation". I have NOT!!! I have posted in several postings what my specific results have been. This is over a min of 394,000 miles!! You can bet what ever is precious to you, that I would not BET my life and the lives of my family and resultant innocent parties, if indeed I had ANY notion that this was incorrect (over inflated).
So I would agree, the easiest thing to do to keep a win win situation going is (for the customer) to let out a few psi. Specifically go from 38 psi to 32 psi. Or let out 6 psi. At that point to me that would be a comfort issue. But as you well know the variation of TP in a modern tire allows for that.
I would also SWAG the reason why that particular tire vendor puts 38 PSI: one word: LIABILITY. It is kind of hard to get the vendor on a technicality in court if the stated and enforced policy is to put 38 PSI on 44 psi max sidewall pressure for "UNDER inflation". Under inflation as we know is the LEADING cause of tire failure in contrast with so called "over inflation" So over inflation for legal purposes is OVER the max tire wall pressure of (example) 44 psi. So if the customer drops it to 23 psi (as in the case of the Ford Explorer/Firestone debacle)then that is the customers choice and he would obviously bear the potential liability and consequences.
So in an experimental test, I would hypothesize (SWAG) the set with 32 or less psi would tend to wear faster (less miles) than a set run at 38 psi.
Actually as an aside this is ONE ( of a few)reason/s why I run 38 PSI/44 psi. Review of the literature of folks who have this and other oem VW Jetta TDI tires indicate the majority of oem tires do not last more than 45,000 miles!!! As near as can be determined, most folks run 26 to 30 psi (as per placard) So far without any other efforts to prolong the tire tread life, I am at 73,000 miles when 45,000 miles is long since worn/changed. I also know this particular set of tires will go to 100k and SWAG it to to to 125,000. So IF 38 PSI can in effect double the life of the set of tires, then of course folks will have to make their own decisions.