I Need New Tires

peter78

peter78

Super Moderator
I got my tires rotated yesterday. The inside of the tires were badly worn. The first thing I did was get a 4 wheel aligment and now I am in the process of looking at new tires.

The original tires were Firestone Wranglers (like the ones that blow up) and the dealer I was at gave me some choices. I have 34,000 miles on the 4Runner and I guess it was only a matter of time. So what do I get now? The dealer I was at gave me three choices, Trailmark AP and Conquest AP from Goodyear and Master Craft from Cooper tires. (I was at a Goodyear dealership because they offer life time tire rotation and balance for one price. That was the only reason I was at a Goodyear store.)

My 4Runner has P225/75R15 and is a 2 wheel drive. I drive some gravel roads and do a lot of camping but I mainly drive on the road as I guess most of us do. I have always had good luck with Michelin and Toyo tires on my Hondas, but this is my first SUV. Any suggestions???:rolleyes:
 
Register to hide this ad
Peter,

Michelins are always highly recommended, especially the LTX M/S or Cross Terrains. However, they also cost an arm and a leg! :( Quality costs $$.

Goodyear tires are pretty good, but are well below Michelin in terms of quality and ride. I would rank Toyo tires similar to Goodyears. However, i have heard rave reviews about their A/T tires.

Cooper and other smaller brands are cheap, but are probably no better than Goodyears...maybe worsts than GY??

The Firestone tire is definitely NOT something you want to get again if they wore out after 34K miles...i assume they were street-oriented tires. :eek2: :shakehd:

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for the advice. I'll look into the Michelins LTX M/S, Cross Terrains and Toyo A/T tires. I know a place that sells both brands. I remember a article a few years ago about SUV tires from Consumer Reports where Toyo and Michelin did very good.

When I bought the 4Runner it had Firestone tires on it. That was definatley one thing I didn't like, but the overall package and price was what I wanted. Thanks again for the advice.
 
I would recommend the Michelin LTX M/S, they have been an OEM factory upgrade for the 4Runner for many years now and they are still an option for the '03 I guess cuz I just saw them on a bunch of '03s at my local dealer. They come stock on the LX 470/LandCruiser (but maybe not on the '03s with the new 18" wheels). I would think Lexus/Toyota would have specified only the best tires for their flagship SUVs so I would want them on the 4Runner too :)
 
I called my local tire store here. The prices were $374 for the Toyo A/T tires, $604 for the Michelin LTX M/S and $654 for the Michelin Cross Terrains. That price is total, including free tire rotation and balance.

Now I have a good idea what I am looking at. Thanks for all the advice.
 
Last edited:
Strange, Paintball - I got the same truck and it had Dueller H/Ts on it. I recently switched to the new Dueller A/T Revos, much more aggressive but still pretty good on the road.
 
I just got my 30,000 mile tune up today and I am deciding what tires to buy. Costco just sent me a mailer with 60 dollar coupon for Michelin. I found out they will be $420 for the LTX M/S and $471 for the Cross Terrians. I am not wild about buying from Costco, but I figure for $50 to $100 over Toyos I can get Michelins. Costco has life time rotatoin and balance, but I am not sure how their service is.

Anyway, I am going tomorrow to order some tires. Any opinions before I go? I like the looks and lettering of the LTX, I know I shouldn't go for looks.:rolleyes:
 
Boy, Costco sure is a mad house. The sale rep said to get the X radial instead of the LTX, better traction in the rain. I looked at the treadwear of the tires and it was 440 for the X Radial, 500 for the LTX and 700 for the Cross Terrians. I decided to get the Cross Terrains. They are due in Tuesday.

It was very crowded due to the 60 dollar coupon. Does anyone know of the Michelin X Radial? Anyway, thanks for the help.
 
Thai, that is interesting about the Michelin X Radial. It is only sold at Costco, BJ's and Sams. I guess he was selling a tire that only warehouse stores sell and I bet they get a better profit. It was also interesting that it's use is for "recreational/commercial", what ever that means? :rolleyes:
 
Recreational or commercial use tires tend to be very heavy duty...usually, in LT-ratings (Load Range C (6 plies), D (8 plies), and E (10 plies)), which tend to have more plies than P-ratings (4-plies). Because they are stronger, they are also heavier (thus, increase unsprung weight & braking distance, and decrease fuel economy).

Most off-roaders prefer LT-rated tires for the trails (less chance of punture wounds). For reasons above, non-off-roaders should get P-rated tires.
 
I finally got my tires. They didn't come in before my vacation, so I had to drive on my old tires. I could tell the difference immediately. The biggest difference is the Cross Terrians are much quieter. I really like them. Thanks for your comments.

Also a picture of my 4Runner on a vacation. Bet you can't guess were?

edited due to mess up at MontyPics, which hosted the picture. It was a picture of Washington DC.
 
Last edited:
a little off subject

PWRHungry, yes I was in DC and I really liked it. I was there 20 years ago and the difference is amazing. You could walk the streets, everything was clean and the people were nice. 20 years ago, I was afraid to walk the streets anywhere in Washington DC. :rolleyes:
 
I like my tires (now we're on topic)

Yeah DC is very gentrified lately - the economy rocked during the 90s and property values are still insane, so it has naturally moved upscale. I went from being the yuppiest guy on the block to being the most alternative (in comparison with my new neighbors).
 
I am re-posting the picture of my new tires since it got lost. I was using Montypics and they got messed up.

By the way, after one month the new tires are really noticeable, even my Wife noticed the difference. The biggest difference is much less road noise.
 

Attachments

  • newtires.jpg
    newtires.jpg
    55.5 KB · Views: 580
Yup, those Michelin CT's are really nice on the highway and when raining. I have heard nothing but excellent reviews from them.

Good choice, Peter!:thumb:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 374 (members: 4, guests: 370)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,307
Messages
3,554,056
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top