Tires, tires, tires.

BlueknightWI · 02-25-2016, 05:48 AM

I'm not asking so much about tires for the TH here. More so, about tires for my tow vehicle. My Duramax is going to need new tires this Spring. I currently have the original equipment tires on it. The Bridgestone Duravis M700. I live in WI, so in the winter I do need a tire that is good in snow as well, but I also want to hear what others have installed. I'm leaning toward just keeping that as my next set of tires, but am interested in others' experiences. Thanks.

PhilDeb · 02-25-2016, 08:23 AM

Blueknight? As in Reffner or LEO?

If you like the tires you have, stick with them. I'm down by the Dells so I know about the snow problem. We had customers put on some Generals and they just didn't last. The Bridgestone Duravis seemed like they held up well and weren't too noisy like the Mastercraft or Fuzion tires. Most of the less aggressive Goodyears did well but the more aggressive the tire, the more they tended to chop. Especially with the torque and weight of the Duramax. I'd stick with what you have, not sure if Schierl Tire can hook you up with those or not. (family lives in Marshfield and that is where they take their cars.)

hdxbonez · 02-25-2016, 01:58 PM

I'm 20,000 miles into this set of Goodyear Wranglers on my Ram 3500, and am very happy with them. 60,000 treadlife warranty, quiet on the highway, excellent snow traction and wet grip. No signs of abnormal wear, they look like they'll have no problem seeing 60,000 miles. I rotate them every 7500 miles.
https://www.goodyear.com/en-US/tires...rain-adventure

bsmith0404 · 02-25-2016, 04:55 PM

This subject has been discussed many times, you will find a lot of info if you search it. As for my opinion, I'm originally from WI, have lived in WY and IL as well as transported RVs out of IN. I always had good luck with Michelin LTX M/S2 even during some pretty heavy snow storms/bad road conditions last year. My parents still live in northern WI and my dad runs the same time on his truck. I have switched to Cooper Discoverer HTPs on my truck now only for cost purposes (about $600 less for the 6 tires), but haven't had them in snow so I can't say if they're any good or not.

Bigg-limo · 02-25-2016, 09:53 PM

I've had great luck with Nitto Terra Grapplers in all conditions. I have been very surprised with them in the snowy and icy conditions. I've been using them for the past 10 years, and am currently running them on 3 vehicles.

msp2jxr · 02-26-2016, 07:48 AM

I agree with BSMITH 0404 on Michelins tires. I have switched to them and will remain with them when my next set wears out. The feel the ride quality is better with no loss of grip and longevity. I have used them in the snow and they Michelins had more grip than the Continentals I had before. The only down side is expense. Jay

hdxbonez · 02-26-2016, 11:13 AM

I had Michelin's on my previous Ram. Coming home from work on the highway one afternoon, on my left rear tire, the entire tread seperated from the carcass of the tire before I could safely move to the shoulder. The spinning 6 foot long piece of rubber caused more than $6000 damage to the bed of my truck. The tires were only about a year old, with less than 15,000 miles. When I contacted Michelin, they determined over the phone that there was no way anything might have been wrong with their tire, and they would not accept any responsibility or warranty the defective tire. I fixed the truck on my dime, and replaced all 4 tires with another brand. I will not run another Michelin tire on any of my vehicles ever again.

bsmith0404 · 02-27-2016, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdxbonez

I had Michelin's on my previous Ram. Coming home from work on the highway one afternoon, on my left rear tire, the entire tread seperated from the carcass of the tire before I could safely move to the shoulder. The spinning 6 foot long piece of rubber caused more than $6000 damage to the bed of my truck. The tires were only about a year old, with less than 15,000 miles. When I contacted Michelin, they determined over the phone that there was no way anything might have been wrong with their tire, and they would not accept any responsibility or warranty the defective tire. I fixed the truck on my dime, and replaced all 4 tires with another brand. I will not run another Michelin tire on any of my vehicles ever again.

I've seen the same thing happen with several brands of tires. Any piece of road debris could have cut the tire down. A cut tire will do some crazy things in a very short period of time at 60-80 mph. You can blame it on Michelin if you want to, and you may be right, but I would comfortably say there are people out there who have experienced the same thing you did for every brand of tire on the road.

gearhead · 02-27-2016, 05:52 AM

Michelin LTX if I was buying a set. I had them on the previous F350. The new Ram has Firestone, probably will go to Michelin when needed.

hdxbonez · 02-27-2016, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

I've seen the same thing happen with several brands of tires. Any piece of road debris could have cut the tire down. A cut tire will do some crazy things in a very short period of time at 60-80 mph. You can blame it on Michelin if you want to, and you may be right, but I would comfortably say there are people out there who have experienced the same thing you did for every brand of tire on the road.

All of those things may be true, or they may not be, but what really soured me was Michelin's arrogance, rudeness, and lack of interest. They did pay for shipping to send them the carcass and tread, but informed me they couldnt determine what occurred, so it couldnt be their responsibility. Really? Consequently, I decided that I would never give another nickel of my hard earned money to them. I hope everyone else that buys Michelin products has better luck than I had with them.

gearhead · 02-27-2016, 06:08 AM

I understand, been there. In the mid 1970's we had a new Olds Cutlass with Firestones. Nothing but trouble. Had a friend that owned a Firestone store that did all he could to help. When we stranded on the Atchafalaya Swamp bridge I swore I would never buy another Firestone. Soon after they were bought out by Bridgestone.

PhilDeb · 02-27-2016, 06:35 AM

Tires brands are as bad as discussing truck brands or TT brands. I'm a paramedic and every day we have people that say, "Don't take me to XYZ Hospital, they are a bunch of hacks! Take me to ABC Hospital instead." Then on the next call, the patient will tell me, "Don't take me to ABC Hospital, they are a bunch of hacks! Take me to XYZ Hospital instead."

I'm glad to hear that the Michelins are working on the Fords and Dodges. Prior to leaving the GM dealer last year, we couldn't get a round set of Michelins to stop the new generation of Silverados/Sierras to stop vibrating. Every vehicle has their own frequency and quirks, as do each tire.

Find what works and stick with it.

kilolima · 02-27-2016, 07:33 AM

If you are looking for a great price and are willing to compromise, I wish you luck. If you want quality and are not willing to compromise there are several quality tire manufacturers. I roll 31,000# and when you think about the road conditions, temperatures, weight, it's just not safe to risk over a few hundred dollars. If you pull light-medium you may be able to find a bargain. If you pull heavy, why save a couple hundred? One blown tire is a couple grand to fix! is it worth it? I don't think so.

I sleep well and ride on Michelins. There are several manufacturers who build quality tires but you will spend a bit more. Money well spent 👍 Happy hunting!

**sourdough** · 02-27-2016, 10:08 AM

This thread sounds so much like the threads on trailer tires!

I think this subject is like the GM/Ford/Dodge or diesel/gas conversations. All of us have used various brands of tires and seems like we all have different experiences. As for me I always run Michelin on my SUVs and Goodyear or BF Goodrich my truck and haven't had any issues. As far as Firestone, years ago I said I would never buy another one after an entire set on a new car self destructed in the first year. Now they are on my new Ram....and I almost didn't buy it just because of that. I will replace them at 40k like I always do and think I'll go with the Michelin LTX series this go round because I've always had good luck with Michelins.

bsmith0404 · 02-28-2016, 05:58 AM

Keep in mind that a tire turns about 1000 rpm at 70 mph, that's roughly 16 revolutions per second. Let say you get a flat tire, by the time you realize what has happened, start slowing down and safely come to a stop on the side of the road, that tire has probably made several hundred revolutions. When you add several thousand pounds of weight to that flat tire, it's not surprising to me that they come apart. As for determining what caused a tire to fail. Think back to the Firestone problems that occurred on the Ford Explorer back in the 80s, how long did it take them to determine that cause? That was Firestone, Ford, and the NHTSA all working to figure it out.

BlueknightWI · 02-28-2016, 07:38 PM

As in retired LEO. I work at a car dealer part time and get great prices on stuff. Thanks for the reply.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilDeb

Blueknight? As in Reffner or LEO?

If you like the tires you have, stick with them. I'm down by the Dells so I know about the snow problem. We had customers put on some Generals and they just didn't last. The Bridgestone Duravis seemed like they held up well and weren't too noisy like the Mastercraft or Fuzion tires. Most of the less aggressive Goodyears did well but the more aggressive the tire, the more they tended to chop. Especially with the torque and weight of the Duramax. I'd stick with what you have, not sure if Schierl Tire can hook you up with those or not. (family lives in Marshfield and that is where they take their cars.)

BlueknightWI · 02-28-2016, 07:46 PM

Thanks for the input people. I will either go with the Duravis or the Michelins. Depends on what price I can get at work. My TH is 11,000 dry for the person who mentioned weight, and heavy towing, etc.

roadglide · 03-02-2016, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueknightWI

I'm not asking so much about tires for the TH here. More so, about tires for my tow vehicle. My Duramax is going to need new tires this Spring. I currently have the original equipment tires on it. The Bridgestone Duravis M700. I live in WI, so in the winter I do need a tire that is good in snow as well, but I also want to hear what others have installed. I'm leaning toward just keeping that as my next set of tires, but am interested in others' experiences. Thanks.

Are you running a duramax with 20 inch rims?

denverpilot · 03-04-2016, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilDeb

Find what works and stick with it.

If you add "until it doesn't" I'm there.

Many brands start out great and somewhere along the way either for cost cutting or changing machining or whatever purposes, the brand goes downhill.

I tend to stick to "what works" but keep a close eyeball for an uptick in complaints online. It's often a sign of something gone very wrong.

Interestingly the opposite can happen also. Around the time of the Ford/Firestone problems I wouldn't have even have looked at a Goodyear -- not because of the problem but for my own reasons. After that "event" Firestone really got their act together for a while.

Still not a tire I want for my own reasons, but they had a reason to "rebuild the brand" and did. For a time.

Whether that holds true now, I can't say. I don't follow them that closely.

BlueknightWI · 03-05-2016, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadglide

Are you running a duramax with 20 inch rims?

Duramax with 17" factory rims.

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