Question about tires...

[Catshrink]

I need 'em. The tires that came on the car are getting "there" after only 32,000 miles but they were probably not such great tires to begin with and hey, it's Arizona, right? So I looked at Costco and the guy recommended one tire for that sounded reasonable given the amount I drive - $322 for 2, out the door. Wow! A year ago I had a blowout on the Beeline and replacing that one cost about $105. I was broke so got only one and the one that best matched, treadwise, etc., those still on the car. (They have a coupon deal on 4 that would make it 4 for $574 - not sure I can afford that right now.)

Now I'm investigating a little more since this is a lot of money. From what I gather, I need to worry about the temperature rating (good thinking) and speed thing. The "A" is best for high temps, that's us, and what I read said to get a higher speed rating tire because it is also geared toward higher heat - the Costco tire was an "H".

Does anyone understand this? This tire he's recommending is rated at 70K miles, he said it would last 50-60K. How much toll on the tires does AZ heat take? Should I figure another 10K gone? Is it worth buying a 70K rated tire for here or should I look at the 50K? They are maybe $20 cheaper. It's kind of like buying a car battery - anywhere else they'll last 5 years, here the best we can do is maybe 2 1/2. Damn, at that rate I'm due for one of those also.

I'm so mystified by this.

[tucsonlib]

1. I Sympathize.

Just spent $800 for 4 new tires after getting a whopping 19,000 miles out of the old ones. My suggestion would be to check out tirerack.com or discounttire.com. There you'll find suggested brands and models for your vehicle and driving conditions. You can also read customer reviews. Road conditions, improper inflation and aggressive driving habits can all shorten tire life. Still, I've never found tires to last anywhere close to the miles promised.

It's never a good idea to buy just one tire, unless its twin is brand new. The different tread wear and tread design could affect handling and put stress on other suspension components. Bite the bullet and buy at least two. For the front or rear.


On the positive side, installing four new, high-quality tires will, for a while at least, utterly transform your car. Handling, traction, braking, noise levels...you name it - Like brand-new or better...


Good luck. And bottom line - They're just tires. Not worth having an emotional crisis over.........

[Monique1]

2. I do understand your problelm

Last year I had a problem with my tires. I did shop around and ended up at Goodyear. They were the only place that said that two of my tires were in great condition and two of them bad. They did not try to sell me 4 new tires. What they suggested was to replace the two bad tires, they didn't have the same ones available anymore but replaced them with two that were almost the same. They rotated the tires so there was even balance. I also liked their warranty.

Some of my friends like Discount tires but I knew someone who bought four tires from Discount. They were returning from Flagstaff - guess what? Two of the tires fell of because they were not put on correctly. That is something you need to watch. On the whole most people like Discount tire.


I buy from Goodyear because that is what my car manual suggests. If a tire is discontinued - they do give you tires that replaces the one it is replacing. I was told at the time, I did not need all 4, not necessary to have the same tire but what was important that two tires that are replaced are the same.

Tires tend to rot in this heat. My mother when she was alive changed tires frequently because the car was parked in the sun all day and she drove very little but the sun rotted them.

I would say buy what you can afford but check out the warranties......... I believe Discount Tires has a decent warranty. I also know people are really happy with Costco tires. I guess it is a matter of preferences.

My experience with a battery. I just replaced my battery here in the hot Az weather after 5 yrs. I should not let it go that long because the battery leaked acid which ate into some of my wires. I not only replaced the battery but extra money was spent to repair the wires. My mechanic showed me how the acid ate into the wires. I think from now on I will replace my battery every two years. I did do that at one time but time got a away from me this time.

[Catshrink]

4. Thanks..

I'll check out Goodyear, too. I really want to get them this week.

[Catshrink]

3. Yeah, you're right, it's just tires.

And I have other things to stress over. I was worried about being oversold - getting more tire than I needed - but it sounds like I'm on the right track.

Thanks...I will most likely get just two now and another two in a couple of months. I want to replace the two worst ones now - a blow out on the Beeline sucks!

[tucsonlib]

5. Tires And Brakes

The only two systems on a car which, if they fail, might very well kill you. Other systems failing will, at worst, just cause the car to stall.

Moral - I always make sure my tires and brakes are in top-notch shape.

I'm a little suspicious of Monique's comment that her car's manual recommends Goodyear tires specifically (or any other brand). Definitely limits your choices. I'd check out Consumer Reports, or the sites I mentioned before. Customer reviews can be pretty enlightening.

Or try Googling "Best tires for (year, make and model of your vehicle)"

[mvccd1000]

6. I like Discount Tire, too.

I drive a fair amount... I think I've purchased 11 sets of tires from them in the last 10-12 years for various cars.

They have good warranty coverage, and they offer free rotating and balancing on tires you buy from them. (These are two maintenance items most people don't pay enough attention to, but they will definitely extend the life of your tires.)

I tend to buy older luxury cars (Olds 98, Pontiac Bonneville SSE, etc.) I usually get nice Michelins from Discount Tire, and I've always been very happy with them. I think I got 84,000 miles from one set, although they were nearly bald at the end of that run. I've never got less than 55,000 miles from a set of Michelins, so that's something to consider in your equation. If you're going to keep the car for more miles than that, spend a little extra now to get nice tires, rather than buy cheaper tires now and then buy them again in 20,000 miles. If you think you'll sell the car in less than 20-30,000 miles, get cheap tires now. They won't ride or handle as well, and they'll probably be noisier, but you won't be paying for rubber that the next owner will be using.

As far as your specific car, you can probably google the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) tire spec, or Discount can look it up for you. With decent tires, there's no need to step up in specification; my Michelins were stock replacements and got 84,000 quiet, comfortable miles (most of which were well in excess of the posted speeds). :)