Oh no, tires again!

[Different Drummer]

Had the tire repaired so I have a little breathing room. Looks like there are plenty of miles left on the Goodyears.
Perhaps some deals will pop up around Thanksgiving.
I most likely will buy one of the top 3 tires suggested depending on which is available and at what cost. I cannot really rationalize why but I seem to have an attraction to the Continental Terrain Contact H/T.

Also I am curious how the "Tire Rack" thing works. Do they have participating dealers or some type of an arrangement with tire stores?

 

[mxer201]

On my 2016 RAM 1500 4x4, I just replaced the original Goodyears after 50k miles with General Grabber ATX LT D rated. One of the Goodyear tires was damaged after running over something on the interstate a couple of years ago. Just a few months ago another one was sliced by a rock but probably my fault. Five plugs slowed the leak enough for it to be drivable. So far very pleased with the Generals and not as nervous when driving gravel roads.

 

[mxer201]

Duplicate

 

[Cory408]

I'm running a **** cepek all country exp. 30,000 miles later and I still love them

 

[patmanz28]

Had the tire repaired so I have a little breathing room. Looks like there are plenty of miles left on the Goodyears.
Perhaps some deals will pop up around Thanksgiving.
I most likely will buy one of the top 3 tires suggested depending on which is available and at what cost. I cannot really rationalize why but I seem to have an attraction to the Continental Terrain Contact H/T.

Also I am curious how the "Tire Rack" thing works. Do they have participating dealers or some type of an arrangement with tire stores?

I have purchased those exact set of tires. Very very pleased with them (i used to work selling tires so i am a little knowledgable, and very picky) they are quiet, track well, good traction in the wet, and i picked up some fuel economy to boot. I have had them since july and through only one snow. they are far far far superior to the factory goodyears, and better than my previous tire a kuhmo ht51 (still a good budget tire) with no mileage penalty. They also ride very very nice.

 

[PJ Snyder]

Why not check out the BF Goodrich KO2. I've been using them for over 30 years with good results. Great in winter and wet surfaces.

 

[Bill Blackmon]

Have to tried to look for Pirelli Scorpion tires. i have had a set for over 5 years that wear like iron.Am going to replace them next spring only due to age snd not tread wear. Just a thought.

 

[Jim Ballantyne]

One thing for certain, with the exception of totally junk low budget tires, you will get a huge amount of great recommendations for tire type and brand.

Not everyone has the same need or driving style. For example, I pull a 35' RV with near to max towing weights during the summer with lots of offroad. During the winter I drive on ice and snow in North Dakota on pavement and dirt roads. This is nothing like driving in a big city in the south where looks and driving conditions are totally different.
Now that you have time, do your research for your type of driving and what YOU desire in a tire. There is no tire that can do it all. You will have to compromise.

 

[kurek]

Also I am curious how the "Tire Rack" thing works. Do they have participating dealers or some type of an arrangement with tire stores?

I've ordered from TireRack.com four times now, just had them delivered to my house and then took them to a local shop I was already familiar with.

 

[boblonben]

Looks like the Michelins get a lot of love.
Most of today was spent trying to track down tires. I did a ton of research late last night and when I started out his morning I was giving the edge to the Continentals. Nothing in particular to substantiate that. It is just the way I felt I guess.
Sooooo, after a day on the phone as well as visiting several tire places this is where I am at.
Continentals are no where to be found. Not only locally but every tire store tells me their suppliers show not available / backorder.
So I then suggested the Toyo. Same exact answer on the Toyo. The old standby Michelin is available. Price certainly is a premium for the Michelins. That is OK, but I guess I was just looking for something different.
I probably would have Michelins on the vehicle tonight except for one thing.
We have a new tire shop that is very convenient to me. 5 minutes away. Went there and the manager was very personable, patient and willing to work with me. Although as noted earlier he could not get the Toyo or the Conti. I had him look at my punctured tire. Puncture is in a repairable location. Tread remaining on the tire is 5/32's. He is doing the proper inside out plug/ patch repair with balancing etc. Tomorrow I will go to the shop and he will remove the funny tire and place the repaired tire back on the truck. Total cost is $35.00
So after all this discussion I guess I have bought a little time to make a definitive decision and wait until whatever I decide on can be obtained. Considering how well I have done with the original tires ( I should hit my original goal of 50,000 miles if I have to ) I may very well go that route for the price and see if I was just lucky the first time. I did manage to finish polishing the RAM today in between phone calls etc.
Definitely having a second glass of wine tonight!

BFG Goodrich Rugged Terrain are THE best and not so 'dear' as the Michelins, which are way over rated and over priced. Good luck.

 

[Gary Fields]

Just my 2 cents worth. Two years ago I needed tire and bought a set of Continentals for a Mitsubishi I have. They now have about 33K miles on them. I had them rebalanced once and normal rotations. Not even a flat tire. They still have good tread left and ride great. I'm very happy with them. My eldest son has a set on his Tacoma and they have been good for the 10K he has on them. Continental is a German company but makes tires in the USA. Not sure why they would not be available but they are worth ordering.

 

[Different Drummer]

On my 2016 RAM 1500 4x4, I just replaced the original Goodyears after 50k miles with General Grabber ATX LT D rated. One of the Goodyear tires was damaged after running over something on the interstate a couple of years ago. Just a few months ago another one was sliced by a rock but probably my fault. Five plugs slowed the leak enough for it to be drivable. So far very pleased with the Generals and not as nervous when driving gravel roads.

Yeah, damage to mine was a slice of some kind. No object found. Glad you like the Grabbers. I think I really need to stay with my convictions though and get something in the H/T category as opposed to A/T. I am trying to be realistic in recognizing what my driving style / needs are. Virtually 90% of the mileage on my truck is open highway.

 

[Different Drummer]

I have purchased those exact set of tires. Very very pleased with them (i used to work selling tires so i am a little knowledgable, and very picky) they are quiet, track well, good traction in the wet, and i picked up some fuel economy to boot. I have had them since july and through only one snow. they are far far far superior to the factory goodyears, and better than my previous tire a kuhmo ht51 (still a good budget tire) with no mileage penalty. They also ride very very nice.

Assuming you re referring to the Continentals?

 

[Doug Ram]

My advice on tires is based on only 40 years of riding motorcycles, driving trucks and cars and towing trailers large and small:
1. Avoid cheaper never heard of / no name "budget" rubber. The best will vibrate because they are out of round. The worst explode. Somewhere in the middle they are slippery when wet, don't grip enough to stop well and are useless in snow. They're cheap because of hard rubber compounds made by companies without engineering expertise.
2. Never buy tires rated for less speed and weight than what you have now.
3. "Upgrading" to larger rims, lower profile tires ALWAYS means a rougher ride for marginal handling improvement. ALWAYS.
4 a. For those who must drive in winter: Nothing stops better on snow and ice than a studded winter tire. NOTHING. Second best is a non-studded winter only tire. "M&S" tires really are not "&S". Whatever the tire guys say. .
4 b. The marginal added cost of snow tires is greatly offset by extending the number of years you will have those expensive summer tires. Not to mention the avoided cost of the damage from that loooooooooong slow slide/crash in an ice storm.
5. Price shop by calling and getting an "out-the-door" price. Tire shops are notorious: you buy 4 sale priced $220 shoes and wonder how you end up with a final bill of over $1,100! Out-the-door pricing means that the costs of balancing, TPMS charges, new valve stems, tire disposal tax, shop charge, other fees, taxes, installation and other BS are all taken into account before you walk in. You can go nuts with all the pricing sales BS offers that are out there.

 

[Different Drummer]

I'm running a **** cepek all country exp. 30,000 miles later and I still love them

Thank you for your input. First mention of the brand.
I searched, found Fun country , extreme country and trail country. No all country.
If they lean toward off road it would not suit my needs.

 

[Different Drummer]

BFG Goodrich Rugged Terrain are THE best and not so 'dear' as the Michelins, which are way over rated and over priced. Good luck.

I use BFG Commercial T/A's on a one ton . I like them, they have served me well. However, the Rugged Terrain are on the opposite end of the spectrum from the H/T tire I seek.

 

[Different Drummer]

Have to tried to look for Pirelli Scorpion tires. i have had a set for over 5 years that wear like iron.Am going to replace them next spring only due to age snd not tread wear. Just a thought.

Search shows me that there are 19 Pirelli models with the name Scorpion. I will take a look at them and see if one is more road oriented for my purposes.
It would appear that tread life is foremost on most peoples mind. At least it seems to get the most comments.
Wet weather / road condition performance and quietness is a consideration I have above tread wear. If I need to replace tires every 3 years it is something I can live with if the tire excels at the other parameters I am looking for. If it happens to last longer that is a bonus.
I guess what I am saying is performance / safety outweighs longevity for me.

 

[Different Drummer]

One thing for certain, with the exception of totally junk low budget tires, you will get a huge amount of great recommendations for tire type and brand.

Not everyone has the same need or driving style. For example, I pull a 35' RV with near to max towing weights during the summer with lots of offroad. During the winter I drive on ice and snow in North Dakota on pavement and dirt roads. This is nothing like driving in a big city in the south where looks and driving conditions are totally different.
Now that you have time, do your research for your type of driving and what YOU desire in a tire. There is no tire that can do it all. You will have to compromise.

Valid points you make and ones I am well aware of. Not sure if you have read the entire thread but the tires I need and how they will be used are pretty well defined.
Again, what you say is sage advice. I also realize the compromises that may be involved.

 

[Different Drummer]

My advice on tires is based on only 40 years of riding motorcycles, driving trucks and cars and towing trailers large and small:
1. Avoid cheaper never heard of / no name "budget" rubber. The best will vibrate because they are out of round. The worst explode. Somewhere in the middle they are slippery when wet, don't grip enough to stop well and are useless in snow. They're cheap because of hard rubber compounds made by companies without engineering expertise.
2. Never buy tires rated for less speed and weight than what you have now.
3. "Upgrading" to larger rims, lower profile tires ALWAYS means a rougher ride for marginal handling improvement. ALWAYS.
4 a. For those who must drive in winter: Nothing stops better on snow and ice than a studded winter tire. NOTHING. Second best is a non-studded winter only tire. "M&S" tires really are not "&S". Whatever the tire guys say. .
4 b. The marginal added cost of snow tires is greatly offset by extending the number of years you will have those expensive summer tires. Not to mention the avoided cost of the damage from that loooooooooong slow slide/crash in an ice storm.
5. Price shop by calling and getting an "out-the-door" price. Tire shops are notorious: you buy 4 sale priced $220 shoes and wonder how you end up with a final bill of over $1,100! Out-the-door pricing means that the costs of balancing, TPMS charges, new valve stems, tire disposal tax, shop charge, other fees, taxes, installation and other BS are all taken into account before you walk in. You can go nuts with all the pricing sales BS offers that are out there.

Thank you for your input.
Good points you make and ones that I agree with. Perhaps one of the reasons I seem to be leaning toward the Continental Terrain Contact H/T is my experience with Continentals on my GS motorcycles in the past. When it comes to understanding tires and the technology I am not a total neophyte. However, I certainly have not had the opportunity to try them all so my quest here is to hopefully get other's first hand experience.

Edit: Looks like we are neighbors.

 

[Different Drummer]

Just my 2 cents worth. Two years ago I needed tire and bought a set of Continentals for a Mitsubishi I have. They now have about 33K miles on them. I had them rebalanced once and normal rotations. Not even a flat tire. They still have good tread left and ride great. I'm very happy with them. My eldest son has a set on his Tacoma and they have been good for the 10K he has on them. Continental is a German company but makes tires in the USA. Not sure why they would not be available but they are worth ordering.

Thank you. Your comments support my assumptions ( all I can do as I have no personal experience with the Conti's ) and agree with several others. Your first hand experience is what I was in search of when starting this thread .