Tire Ordeal
November 9th, 2009$$$$$$$
I was hoping to get 5-10,000 miles out of the existing tires on the Death Star, but it looks like that fantasy has imploded. I found a nail in one of my tires this weekend, and when I removed it, I found it was impossible to insert a plug. Truck tires are pretty tough. I went to the local tire store, and they refused to patch the tire, citing tread wear, bad juju, El Niño, and global warming. This tire has around 30,000 miles on it. They claimed it could explode if they patched it. Not sure I see the logic, since an internal patch would be nowhere near the tread.
I told them to put my spare on so I could drive out. Oh, no. It was too worn. I asked how they expected me to get home.
Shocking news: they had some tires they wanted to sell me. Bridgestones. I don’t know how good Bridgestones are now, but they used to be awful. The one thing the Japanese made badly, other than food. I told the tire people I was not having their Bridgestones.
I already had tires picked out; I knew this day was coming. I had chosen the General HST Grabber. Everyone seems to love it. And some tires get terrible reviews, so I wasn’t about to gamble on some random Bridgestone. I managed to get them to put my spare on the truck.
Since yesterday I’ve been trying to line up a deal. The tire store I dealt with first is a Firestone. They told me yesterday that they could get the Generals in less than a day. I told them to give me a quote as soon as they could, i.e. today. Then I got a quote from a General dealer, and it was actually higher! Now the Firestone people are telling me they can’t get the tires until Wednesday. Oddly, the spare tire that terrified them on Sunday is now okay to use until Wednesday.
I looked into road hazard warranties. Apparently, tire companies have entire corporate divisions dedicated to helping dealers avoid honoring warranties. So far I have not found any Internet reports of a tire road hazard warranty paying off. What I have found are experts saying warranties are stupid. I guess it’s a waste of money.
I could go with an online dealer and save maybe a hundred bucks on the tires, but I am not interested in making my life miserable for a week so I can chisel a few pennies off this monstrous cost. I want this behind me so I can get on with life. It’s amazing how much time it’s taking out of my week.
I should have just used Fix-a-Flat!
Check the Code
Forgot to mention this. Tires should not be kept longer than six years, and that period begins when they’re made, even if they haven’t been mounted. Every tire has a DOT code stamped on the sidewall. It’s four numbers. The first two are the week of manufacture, and the second two are the year. So “4305” means the 43rd week of 2005.
I just told Firestone to get me some tires, and I insisted they check the code. I’m getting 2009 tires.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:29 AM
My local Tire King took a nail out of my tire and patched it and charged me $0 as I had purchased the $5/tire “road warranty” to please my wife.
Maybe you are dealing with the wrong people?
-XC
November 9th, 2009 at 11:38 AM
What size tire? I’m looking at $23 each for 70 265/17.
.
I don’t think we have Tire King here.
.
As for dealing with the wrong people: not unlikely.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:24 PM
Even though they’re a French company, I run 10 ply all terrain Michelins on my 3/4 ton Suburban because all of the other crap had poor tread wear and some wanted to bubble up with tread laminate separation problems when I pulled my little 21′ boat longer than about four hours on the interstate.
Just driving down the road empty was no problem, it was when I put weight on that class III hitch rated at 10,500 pounds that I ran into trouble.
Carefully consider getting something more than a 6 ply radial if you really intend to haul a trailer loaded with anything more than some “lawn care technicians” and leaf blowers in the future.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:41 PM
Doesn’t your Costco sell tires?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Go with the Grabber tires: head of school, captane of everything, winner of the Mrs. Joyful Prize for Rafia Work.
Stay away from Fotherington-Thomas tires.
Chiz.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:04 PM
Seriously. Buy your tires from Costco. Sure, they don’t sell anything but Michelin and Bridgestone, but their warranties are excellent.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:34 PM
I have found Discount Tire to be a place I trust. Free repairs, and they’ve honored the road hazard warranty twice for me. I’ve more than broken even.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:47 PM
Goodyear tires! They’re actually made in America. And they’re NON-unionized. They might even be a set made in Lawton/Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Show my hometown some love. =)
November 9th, 2009 at 9:14 PM
I used to get tire-destroying crap in my tires all the time when I lived in Miami. And when I didn’t, I’d just get nails and have to get the thing patched. (Or replaced, but I was making a Miami wage, so that wasn’t always an option.) I learned to keep one of those cans of Fix-A-Flat in my car at all times, and driving on the donut spare for weeks wasn’t an unknown experience. Also there were the cheap retread places, though of course what I’d get there was usually crap, but it kept my cars going for a while.
Man, I’m so glad I moved out of Florida. I haven’t had a flat since I moved to Virginia. Of course I’ve probably just jinxed it now and will find my car sagging to the tarmac on three deflated tires tomorrow.
November 10th, 2009 at 6:59 AM
I used the tire warranty at Costco. They replaced the tire, no deductible due to few miles on it, and they did it with not a hint of hesitance.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:49 AM
I wouldn’t rule out Firestone’s heavier truck tires; they make some very good 10 plies. I have some Destination M/Ts on my Toy that are 9 yrs old with close to 55000 on them, still have ¼ tread left. Never seen a Goodyear on a diesel Dodge make it past 20,000 but I guess you don’t have as many gravel roads down there.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:35 AM
The highway tires Costco sells in this size are not nearly as good, and they’re a lot more expensive.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Steve,
I’ve used Tirerack via the internet. My Tahoe tires were cheaper than what Cosco offered.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:16 PM
Steve,
When Dodge began selling pickup trucks with the Cummins engines, many folks bought the trucks just to get the engine. That forced Ford and Chevy to put diesel engines in their trucks in order to regain some of the market share. Many years ago Michelin snuck their radial tires into this country mounted on some little foreign cars. I happened to buy a Renault Dauphine (used) and noticed the tires looked like new at 80,000 miles. My experience with bias ply tires was they were pretty well worn out at 25,000 miles. The word got around about the Michelin tires wearing well and, being much more able to control a car in adverse conditions and so the U.S. tire companies had to begin building radial tires.
I don’t drive a Dauphine anymore but I buy Michelin tires to run on my Dodge Cummins pickup. They last and last.
Twin
November 11th, 2009 at 9:05 AM
My truck came with Michelins, and they’re not too good.