tires again - pick between two BAD choices - things change

[Mbrooks420]

While AWD might not always keep you on the road with ice, it surely helps get moving and turning with less fishtailing. With the front pulling the rear end is much less apt to slide out ESPECIALLY with the limited slip.

 

[ELeBlanc]

i never had internet as a kid,, we never had computers till i was in my 30's,, at least,,
we used to just handle problems ourselves ,, go get it done stuff,,
it's what made life an adventure,,
in the week spent on the thread, you went nowhere and still are faced with the same problem,,
sure a lot of info changed brains, but all that info is already all over this forum,, it's why it's here,,
thanks @Rick

Corkey - as I was trying to decide between two options I got lots of opinions all of which helped me... In the end, the tire that deflated was actually fine and I drove all 250 miles on my 2007 tires and just had the late 2015 Hankooks installed and all is good and I spent less than any new set of tires.

I live in an apartment in brooklyn. No garage. Not even a parking space just street parking. I spend 20 mins twice a week moving from one parking space to another. Its not a "woes if me tale". Its a life in NYC tale. Limits my ability to do work myself. Doesn't ELIMINATE but does limit...

I looked at the Goodyear Wranglers but rejected cuz a) $80 @ Walmart, b) side walls flex very easily

 

[96eb96]

Corkey - as I was trying to decide between two options I got lots of opinions all of which helped me... In the end, the tire that deflated was actually fine and I drove all 250 miles on my 2007 tires and just had the late 2015 Hankooks installed and all is good and I spent less than any new set of tires.

I live in an apartment in brooklyn. No garage. Not even a parking space just street parking. I spend 20 mins twice a week moving from one parking space to another. Its not a "woes if me tale". Its a life in NYC tale. Limits my ability to do work myself. Doesn't ELIMINATE but does limit...

I looked at the Goodyear Wranglers but rejected cuz a) $80 @ Walmart, b) side walls flex very easily

Very hard to keep a car there and the insurance is insane too. I used to work in large park parking lots (like Marine Park). I did have shops who I could bring parts too for reasonable prices. One place I did computer work for and he let me use the lift, I did my own repairs and even some work for his customers (like a brake job). There is repair shop on every block there, but not all of them are good.

 

[toypaseo]

I looked at the Goodyear Wranglers but rejected cuz a) $80 @ Walmart, b) side walls flex very easily

If those were the Wrangler Radial, good choice. I had a buddie in high school that had those on a full size 4x4 Chevy. Pretty much dismal. They held air, and that was the most positive thing about them.

 

[RandomNerd2000]

I had a set of the Wrangler Radials, I gave $40 for them, on the wheels holding air. In the time I owned them, I learned that if you run over anything, they go flat. Tiny tack? Flat. I had one that at 5 years old, when it went flat, it wouldn't hold air any longer. I then had two break belts, both without even being run flat, one was just a small patch of abnormal wear appearing up and that was it, the other broke belts, proceeded to bounce the entire truck and the tread cap wore through to steel belts in SHORT order. They're also loud, handle poorly on rain, forget ice traction of any sort while you're at it, and offroad sucks too. They're TRASH. It wasn't my driving either, I haven't changed my driving habits one bit as I've changed to different brands.

 

[allmyEXes]

any old crappy tire is a crappy old tire

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d take a 5 year old set of Grabber AT3s, TAKOs, or Safari TSRs over a brand new set of Wranglers.

I really miss Mud Rovers........ I had like 5 sets of those.

 

[CDW6212R]

My old Blizzak snow tires are around ten years old. I hate to leave them on to use them up, given their age, they still stick to ice and snow way better than any regular tire. But they are getting old, and being Winter tires, the rubber is so soft I don't think they would ever show dry rot. I keep them in my garage about 340+ days a year, we only get a few snow events worthy of putting on snow tires here. I bought a new kind last year, but didn't feel the need to try them yet. The Blizzak's don't take studs, the new kind I got came with them built in.

 

[XLTrunner]

Wow...you're still allowed to use studded tires in TN? We used to run them on our rear wheel drive cars in IA back in the late 60's/early 70's. That is, until it was determined that the damage to the road surfaces was too great (I remember the grooves cut into the concrete highways from them) costing the state too much in repairs and they were banned. I'm not aware of any central/upper midwestern states that allow studded tires anymore.

 

[CDW6212R]

Wow...you're still allowed to use studded tires in TN? We used to run them on our rear wheel drive cars in IA back in the late 60's/early 70's. That is, until it was determined that the damage to the road surfaces was too great (I remember the grooves cut into the concrete highways from them) costing the state too much in repairs and they were banned. I'm not aware of any central/upper midwestern states that allow studded tires anymore.

I still have coworkers who leave theirs on all Winter, and often wear them out by Spring. Now what they buy is likely hard rubber tires made for studs, kind of an off road tread, so they aren't special tires really. I used to use cheap tires when I was part time, lack of money etc, but as full time I bought dedicated Winter tires and spare wheels. The best tires you can get are worth it, when you have to go no matter what.

The brand I just got are some 9th version, some Scandinavian brand, the studs recede into the tire somewhat, has an inner type and outer type of stud. It's supposed to be better on roads and still do great on ice/snow. I'm changing routes again to get off this Mountainous route I picked last September. I'll be back to moderate roads, few hills, much safer to drive if when you have to do it.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Still used in PA. Road damage here isn’t important.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I still have coworkers who leave theirs on all Winter, and often wear them out by Spring. Now what they buy is likely hard rubber tires made for studs, kind of an off road tread, so they aren't special tires really. I used to use cheap tires when I was part time, lack of money etc, but as full time I bought dedicated Winter tires and spare wheels. The best tires you can get are worth it, when you have to go no matter what.

The brand I just got are some 9th version, some Scandinavian brand, the studs recede into the tire somewhat, has an inner type and outer type of stud. It's supposed to be better on roads and still do great on ice/snow. I'm changing routes again to get off this Mountainous route I picked last September. I'll be back to moderate roads, few hills, much safer to drive if when you have to do it.

They sell a tire I was going to try that has silica and carbide chips in the tire. As it wears more is exposed. They aren’t hard on pavement like studs, don’t have restrictions, don’t growl, or skate on dry pavement.

 

[CDW6212R]

Still used in PA. Road damage here isn’t important.

How many times a year do they pave, how many sections that fall apart regularly? Sorry, I know you have it bad there, we whine about the regular paving done here, and I know it's worse other places.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Road work happens continually here. A good run for a stretch of road here is a few years. The thaw!and bitter cold cycles destroy the road in cracks and potholes long before the surface wears. Every road here get serviced here every year. The year after a full dig out and repave they have to do a run of hole patching and sealing cracks. The next year they’ll tar and chip it, and then grind and repave the next year most likely.

 

[CDW6212R]

They sell a tire I was going to try that has silica and carbide chips in the tire. As it wears more is exposed. They aren’t hard on pavement like studs, don’t have restrictions, don’t growl, or skate on dry pavement.

This is the one I have, I see they are about $30 higher now, and not as available as last year.
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV (Studded) 245/65R17XL 111T BS...

 

[XLTrunner]

I also remember trying to break loose the rear wheels and watching the sparks fly from the studs on dry pavement at night. Usually took a little help from some loose sand on the roads to make it happen, though...lol!

 

[RandomNerd2000]

For reference 5 years old is within acceptable on tires, there was no dry rot, and I've had trucks with older tires on them. I have a pair of 2014 Cooper Discoverer ATs on the back of my 2000 right now, they are doing perfectly fine, zero complaints, and I've seen older tires go problem free most of their tread lives although that's not advised.

I'd imagine some of the rough luck comes with the fact that our SC roads here are so bad that you can see the dirt in most potholes and they fixed a bridge locally a couple years ago you could see through when they decided that was a problem. It floods a good bit here now where I'm at, so that's not helping anything either.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Never mind. They are retreads.
Green Diamond Tire

Great concept though.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I also remember trying to break loose the rear wheels and watching the sparks fly from the studs on dry pavement at night. Usually took a little help from some loose sand on the roads to make it happen, though...lol!

Those days are long gone. I’m not sure anyone allows steel pins anymore.

 

[ELeBlanc]

Back home. 500 mile trip is over. Hankook DynaPro ATM 2015s were fine.

Oh, just noticed that my other white 1997 5.0 AWD has Goodyear Wrangler Radials - oh well.