Tires

as for decent quality for the rice I like the Daytons. I've run them a few times. I will say however if you bobtail ALLOT they like to cup. But I was bobtailing over 60% of the time, not many people do that.

There are better tires out there but the price goes up accordingly.

Around here a set of 8 dayton drives runs something like $280 per tire. My quote for 8 mounted and ballenced about $2800

The cheap no name chinese brand they carried was like $20 a tire cheaper. Caps were $230 something if I remember right or they could cap my cases for $140

 

Remember the old adage "you get what you pay for"? It is very very true with tires. I run only Michelin tires on my entir fleet of Kenworths for two reasons. First, due to the rubber compounds they use, you get significantly better wear life out of the tread. Second, due to the way the tires are engineered, and also partly because of the rubber compund used, michelin tires produce lower rolling resistance and thus you achieve MUCH higher fuel mileage. Yes the tires are very costly to purchase, but the savings in replacement interval and fuel mileage gains FAR outweigh the initial purchase price. The ROI on the Michelin versus the ROI on a lesser quality(cheaper) tire is staggering.

If you really want a reccomendation on a cheaper tire though, I would suggest Yokahamas. My local tire guy sells them for $307 out the door(mounted, FET, sales tax...all included in that price). He also sells the Daytons that Medman mentiuoned for $285 out the door.

 

We always ran Michelins only on our petes in the past. many like bridgstone but I always found them to ride too rough although I think they have a better case. And unless I'm mistaken you will get more for a bridgstone case than a michelin but the michelin rides much better. and when you run a truck with no air ride cab you need every bit of help you can get!! lol
Are you running a highway tread for drives or a lugger? I was looking at the closed shoulder luggers thinking it would be a decent compromise in fuel mileage and traction. I plan to run the south but I don't want to limit myself to it with too much of a highway tread.
How much you paying for your michelins? I actually say that flying J had a decent price on tires if you get the member discount from them

 

I run Xza3 on steers and xda2+ energy on drives. Run size 295/60r22.5 in all positions. Go to Michelintruck dot com and you can see the tread patterns and all the specs. They have a very good website. As for cost; $470 for steers and $525 for drives. Now keep in mind that I buy tires for 12 trucks and 20 trailers and thus get a decent discount on bulk quantities from my supplier.

 

Ouch, That's your bulk price?

 

LOL...yep.

 

But that is also installed. That is an out the door, on the truck price. I dont do any tire work at my shop(or any other work for that matter)anymore. I had a really good mechanic on payroll at one time, Since he quit/retired, I haven't been able to find a qualified replacement. I have been seriously thinking about recruiting a local high school kid and sending him to diesel tech school for free with a committment to work for me after graduation.

 

Okay well installed helps... I was really starting to sweat it. I didn't even price micelins because I knew I couldn't afford them right now.

I'll come work, I work for pete parts too!

really you'd be a step ahead if you even had someone competant enough to change oil and filters, grease etc.

 

I don't change oil remember? I do grease though(I don't trust those auto greaser systems).

By the way...When is the last time you bought tires? They have gone up dramatically in the last few years. That price I quoted you that I pay for Michelins is about what you would pay for Bridgestones at a truckstop on the road nowadays.