which are better truck and suv tires:

[Soylent Brice]

Poll question: which are better truck and suv tires:

[david13]

1. Meesh a Lyn. Or Mitch a Lin. For all purposes. dc

[Soylent Brice]

2. don't have $700. between toyo and firestone which would

be better? Consumer reports say toyo, mechanic BIL says firestone.

I have no clue.

[ChoralScholar]

4. I think Firestone is an American tire and a union company if that makes any difference. EOM

[david13]

7. They may be union, but I think they are owned by Bridgestone.

Bridgestone, or Stone Bridge, Hayabashi, came here, and founded Bridgestone, based on his name in Japanese, then bought Firestone. I don't know if they still own it.
dc

[MajorChode]

8. Firestone is owned by Bridgestone

Although I believe they still have some American factories with union employees.

Goodyear is American owned (the only one, I think) and also has union employees, however they also own factories in other countries.

[jobycom]

12. They are made all over, and have been accused of child labor issues.

They are made all over North and South America. They have a rubber plantation in Liberia that was accused of poor working conditions and using child labor. Some of that was probably not intentional, it was more a case of the plantation being in a poor, war-torn nation, where a lot of workers moved near the plantation and constructed shanties and started making their kids work on the plantations. Not sure how far to believe Firestone on that. Here's a wikipedia link on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firestone_Tire_and_Rubber_Company#Liberian_rubber_plant

"In May 2006, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) released a report detailing the state of human rights on Liberia's rubber plantations. According to the report, Firestone managers in Liberia admitted that the company does not effectively monitor its own policy prohibiting child labor. UNMIL found that several factors contribute to the occurrence of child labor on Firestone plantations: pressure to meet company quotas, incentive to support the family financially, and lack of access to basic education. The report also noted that workers' housing provided by Firestone has not been renovated since the houses were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s.<21>"

[david13]

6. No idea. I was never happy with Firestone. When I got my first

Michelins I vowed to get nothing else, forever.
dc

[jobycom]

11. Between those, Toyo. I don't like Consumer Reports at all

but in this case they are probably right.

Seriously, though, you'll pay more for the Toyos or Firestone than the Michelin in the long run, and they won't handle as well.

Find a Kumho dealer. That's what my bosses put on their trucks and cars, when they aren't using Michelins.

[ornotna]

3. General

http://www.consumersearch.com/suv-tires

[david13]

9. Generals may be the most expensive. dc

[OmahaBlueDog]

5. Seriously..

I had to buy an odd size - 270-75-16. I went to a membership warehouse that rhymes with yams that I can't admit to shopping at here at DU. The Michelin X-radial LT (light truck) in that size was being discontinued. I got 4 new tires -- mounted and balanced -- for under $500. The catch - there is no mileage warranty (although I still get the road hazard and free rotation).

This is the 5th vehicle I've had these tires on. They wear well, and are really smooth. Very good all weather handling.

[jobycom]

10. Michelin makes the best tire for most vehicles.

I work for a tire company. Michelin is the best. They have the best science, the best design, and the best construction. They last the longest, ride the smoothest, ride the quietest, and have the best traction in rain and snow.

I don't actually sell the tires, I'm the accounting guy, but IIRC the best tires would be LTXs or Latitudes, depending on what you wanted. The Latitudes have the best mileage, handling, wear, and traction, and are the most quiet. They are part of Michelin's Green line (I don't remember the actual marketing gimmick, but it has "Green" in it). They are mostly for road use, and are marketed for SUVs and Crossovers, not so much for trucks. If you pull something a lot, or drive where you need better traction, I think the LTXs are what they recommend.

Michelin also puts out the best training films, so find a tire dealer and they can tell you more. I can even recommend someone in Austin. :)

The best cheaper brand right now is Kumho, at least of the ones I know of. Used to be Coopers, but they've gone downhill. Goodyear usually makes a good tire. Also, Walmart carries a "house" brand that is actually a Goodyear tire rebranded for Walmart. I forget the brand. They can't advertise it that way, but it's really a Goodyear for a lot less.

Firestone/Bridgestone are scary tires. Several times they've been caught making unsafe tires because they cut costs too much. I haven't heard anything bad lately about them, but their history scares me, especially on a rollover risk like an SUV.

No idea if your thread was a serious one, but there's a serious answer. Find a Michelin dealer, grit your teeth, and hand him your credit card, and you won't have to worry about tires for another 80K miles. :)

[Soylent Brice]

13. thank youy everyone for the info.

Looks like I'll be looking at some new michellins.

Thanks!