help with my drive tire choice

I have looked at them. just left t.c.i. & mgriff. got the sticker shock from both. the m726 EL looked good. the r.r. & price were higher both stores said most drivers love the dr444 for the drives. they give a very good ride. to me they look like too much tire my my regional run. wide & deep. michelin dealer said their new recap tech is different than other retreads they use steam instead of electricity. I have no idea what that's means. anyway. I am thinking of putting my type steer on my drives b.f. 244 just for the better m.p.g & the ride.still not sure. I was planning on having tires put on today, but due to having a windshield put in today, it will be next week before the tires go on.

 

My buddy Mike bought a set of those at the same time I bought my TY577's. At the time they were the newest drive tire of that style from Yoko. I think they are replacing the TY577 - the tread pattern is similar, has the same closed shoulder.. but the TY has a groove around the outside edge that the 703ZL does not have. Mike really likes those tires and has gotten much better wear out of them than I did my TY's. I think he even said he would buy another set. I'll ask him later to make sure that is the same tire as what he has.

 

Educate yourself on fuel milage. Do the math and understand your numbers. The time a tire last is a mute point if you lose 15 k because of poor fuel milage in 3 years. That old school way of thinking is or should be history if you are an O/O. DR444 & M726 are a prime example! Go to Michelin.com they have a tool that clearly explains the numbers on ANY tire and combination of tires from ALL manufactors.

 

If it were from an independant source it might be trustworthy. That is why I said in an older comment in this thread michelin rr ratings on competitor brands is useful for maybe a general reference but we really can't know what sort of real world conditions they tested tires in, and of course they are obviously biased.

 

I have and am doing it on a "real world bases" and have been tracking my fuel milage without fail for 18 months, every tank and I can tell you it works and Im not running Micheliens

 

I agree. that's why I am considering st244. I also notice the 244 are about 25 lbs lighter per tire than the other drives with lug type.

 

and you run what type tire? & your m.p.g. is what compared to other tires you had?

 

More than happy to share my scope of operation:
Equipment
1984 Pete 359, 220 WB, 3406B 350 HP economy, 14613 single OD, 3:55 on 11R 24. Avg highway speed 61 mph. Improvements, K & N dual air filters in steel cans & PP mufflers. 244s on steers & M280 on drives
2000 aluminium Mac FB on spread 11R 24.5 TR144, micro blue trailer bearings.
RR for both units combined 95. MT WT headace rack and gear with 280 gals fuel 29200.
Dedicated VA to TX 1200 miles around 15 K payload incudes DH
Return adv 1300 miles 42 K includes DH
DH AVG MILES 10 - 12% of 2500 total.
2012: 114574 miles, 15488 gals, 7.39 mpg, $58,517.00 .51 cost per mile
1/4 2013. 30653 miles, 4162 gals, 7.36 mpg, $16,065.00, .52 cpm
Note: the 1st qt is historically the worst. The improvements have been made over the course of the previous 3rd, 4th & 1st qtr of the period mentioned. Im hoping for 7.75 for 2013. I was a 6.5 to 6.8 mpg before I really started to educate, plan and track. 1 mpg per year will be huge if I can pull it off!

 

I was running premimium tires that lasted the longest 444's, 726 ect they alone cost .5 mpg easy

 

Sure, in a perfect world with no wind, perfect pavement and clear weather 24/7. I personally think RR numbers are just a bunch of mularchy. Gives all the Kevin Rutherfords in the world something else to try to sell to consumers. I'm at an avg of 7.2mpg last year on my 726's with a truck as aerodynamic as a brick and big ol' fuel gulping CAT. It's all about how u drive the truck, not what the salesman or government agencies (EPA and Smarteay) tells you is good.

I also pull an open deck trailer with lots of oversize loads on the deck. Not a smooth sides van trailer running highway miles.