Tire prices today...

[gumpy]

Got a quote on some new tires today. 11R24.5. I need to put two on the front this summer and move the ones that are on there to the tag.

Firestone FS590 Plus - $356 incl FET, $25 mount, $5 liquid balancer (x2 = 822.89 including sales tax, FET, mounting, and liquid balancer).
Note: I put these same tires on the front in 2002, and they were $299 each plus sales tax.

Hankook (unknown model, but similar to the Firestone) - $327 each plus FET, $25 mount, $5 liquid balancer.

Comments?

[bobofthenorth]

I'm waiting for a set of Michelin XZAs (11R x 24.5) to arrive at my local dealer - $615 canuck bux per each.  I've got XZEs on the steers now - they have been on there 5 years now - roughly 100,000 km and show no visible wear.  They will go to the tags and the new ones will go on front.  XZEs & XZAs were the same price so my guy said to go for the XZAs "they're a better tire" - I know nothing so I said "OK".

[PP]

Bobofthenorth,
I don't know anything either, but I've been told that the XZE is rated for more weight than the XZA but the A will give you a much softer ride. I have the A's on my old girl (NO, not the wife ) and I love the ride (biting my tongue) . Not sure how many miles are on them, but the tread never seems to wear down. On my truck the only problem I had with Michelins was side rot. Now I keep my tires covered whenever we sit. There's a crane truck parked in the yard next to me with E's and yeap, they are rated almost 1200 more pounds per tire, if I'm reading them correctly. Hard to tell for sure since the sidewalls are like sandpaper, Will

Correction-I just went out there with a little vege oil and highlighted the side of the tires- mine read 7390 single and the crane which has the 'E''s reads 7390 single on the rears and 6090 on the front. The only difference I can see between the front and rears is the rears has a star after the 'E' and the fronts don't. I think you made a great decision with the 'A's FWIW.

One more note-I'm talking 12-22.5's across the board. Just noted that you run 24.5's

[bobofthenorth]

We've got two tire shops in town and I think they're both actually pretty good.  One is run by a grade A prick so I try to avoid dealing there but I think they are still pretty straight shooters.  The other one is run by a young couple and they really go the extra mile to look after us.  I know he's not always the cheapest but I don't mind him making a bit of money as long as I can trust his advice.  When we got to Regina I phoned him because I seriously need to change out my tags.  He's not a Michelin dealer but he got me the Michelins I have on the steers right now - he has somebody he swaps with to get them.  Last spring I put a set of Bridgestones on the drives so I told him when I called that, if he recommended them, I'd put his Bridgestones on the steers as well.  He said "no, I think you should stay with the Michelins".  So that's what we are doing.  We're waiting a couple days extra so that he can get the tires freighted in for free but he would have paid the freight on them if I had pushed him to get out of town earlier.

[DaveG]

Gumpy, if the Firestones have worked well for you in the past, use them again...but I would stay away from the Hankook if you're only saving $25 or so per tire.

[gumpy]

The Firestones worked great until I tried to reduce the air pressure according to their table. I had it down to 85 psi and cupped the sides pretty badly, so I'm going to move them to the tags and put the new ones on the front and run the pressure at 100 psi.

[DaveG]

So are you gonna get Firestones again?

[Barn Owl]

A = Long Haul  E = Regional

A strives for better fuel mileage, wear (long haul), and ride. The E is a tougher tire for rougher service. Both use the same casing according to the Michelin Rep. (I am dealing with tires right now and have had a good education on them recently). The E tire is a more versatile tire that is well suited for many types of applications including long haul (Jack of all trades). The A is very purpose built with its tread design and is the best performer in strictly long haul paved environments. You will probably be happy with either one. I am installing E on my steer because I get off pavement into the rough stuff more than I should.

[Barn Owl]

Last spring I put a set of Bridgestones on the drives so I told him when I called that, if he recommended them, I'd put his Bridgestones on the steers as well.  He said "no, I think you should stay with the Michelins".

FWIW

Michelin owns Bridgestone and Bridgestone uses Michelin casings. Michelin also owns Firestone.

[gumpy]

So are you gonna get Firestones again?

I think so. I had really good luck with Firestones on all my vehicles, and but for my stupidity, the steers were running excellent when they were new, even without balancing.

[belfert]

Michelin owns Bridgestone and Bridgestone uses Michelin casings. Michelin also owns Firestone.

I can find nothing that says Michelin owns Bridgestone.  I even checked Michelin's corporate website.  Bridgestone does own Firestone.

I bouight Firestone FS590 Plus tires in 11R24.5 for $365 each including mounting, tax, and everything in April 2006.  $411 doesn't seem bad considering the price increases in tires in recent years.

[WEC4104]

FWIW

Michelin owns Bridgestone and Bridgestone uses Michelin casings. Michelin also owns Firestone.

No. Sorry. Nope.    Michelin does not own Bridgestone.  Michelin's US HQ is in Greenville, SC (I have been in the building many times.)   Michelin does own BF Goodrich, however.

Bridgestone and Firestone are part of the same corporation.  Their North American HQ is in Nashville, TN.  (Again, been in this building many times)

[Sean]

Michelin is a publicly traded French company.  B.F. Goodrich is a Michelin brand.

Bridgestone is a publicly traded Japanese company.  They also have the Firestone and Dayton brands.

There is no relation between Michelin (and its brands) and Bridgestone (and its brands); in fact, they are major competitors.

It's a stretch, BTW, to say that, for example, Goodrich is made on Michelin "casings" (or vice-versa).  Like most major tire manufacturers, these are enormous multi-national companies, and all of them have plants all over the world, including right here in the U.S.  The only way to know where your tires were made is to decode the DOT code; plant of manufacture is buried in there.

We've been over this ground before, and there is plenty in the archives about it.

Craig -- I would not hesitate to buy either the Firestones or the Hankooks.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[white-eagle]

i got a quote on new mich 11r24.5 at about $650 ea. for 2 put on the steer, then old ones moved to one side of the duals.  totaled to around $1500, tax, title, balance, and changing them out. load range g.   mine mostly look good except the outside pass dual which has age cracks just starting all around, spider cracks, not crevices.  all are dot '02 or '03's, but they look fine to me, except the one dual.

doing the same thing with goodyear steer tires on the front, about $950.  turned the goodyear deal down becuase he tried to give me 06 tires.  the 7 yr warranty works off the date code, not the install date.

this was last month in houston.

[Barn Owl]

Must have my "B" brands mixed up. I will be talking with the Michelin rep again soon, so I will get it straight and report what was said.