T/A and tire prices

Try the yellow pages in your area. I use Allied Tire in the Midwest.

 

Interesting, i never thought of that.

Since i'm buying this 82 mack, I called up "Truck Services" up by grand rapids, which is basically a junkyard. They told me they'll sell me 22s or 24s for $50 each with 40% tread. Hell, they told me they'll sell me aluminum wheels for $75 each for 24s.....

So i can get aluminum wheels and used tires for what used tires cost at ta..what the hell?

 

Even though the money didn't come out of MY pocket, I've had good luck with TDS. But they are only in 8 states:Alaska, California, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

 

As long as it isn't a working truck, used tires from a junk yard will probably do everything you need 'em to do. I bought 4 used tires to use while I'm getting my drives capped (4 at a time), and it took me a few weeks to trust 'em enough not to carry a spare with me....and I STILL won't load 'em like I load my good tires...and I keep my foot out of the throttle on the 70 mph roads, too.

When you buy a used tire, you don't know whether they have been underinflated, curbed, or in any other way abused. What you CAN check, though, is the DOT number. It will have the manufacture date encoded in it. I wouldn't buy tires more than a few years old...my used tires are on '03 cases and that was pushing it for me. Rubber breaks down with time, and after 7-10 years even a tire that has never been used is considerably more likely to fail than a new tire fresh off the line.

Like I said, if ALL you need the tires to do is hold enough air to keep the rims off the ground and occasionally move the truck around in the driveway where you are working on it, used tires would be all you need. However, before you put the truck in service, get some decent rubber on it. Spend the money at home with a local tire shop and buy what you want at a price you think is fair instead of having to rely upon whatever tire shop you can get ahold of happens to have on hand at whatever price they decide to charge you to bring it out to you on the side of the road.

 

Werner runs used tires and i dont seem to have any problem at all with them.

I'll check manufacturing dates before i buy. Good tip.

It's not just a junkyard though. Its a combination truck junkyard, garage, and used truck dealer. I can probably buy new tires there too, never checked..LOL.

 

Just to prove a point, I can call Freightliner right now and price any part. I can then call TA, and ask them about the same part. If they have the part in stock, they will quote me a price 50% higher. If they have to order it from Freightliner, they will quote me a price between 100 and 200% higher.
Never, ever, ever get anything done in a Truck Stop Shop unless you have absolutely no other choice. They can be right next door to a Freightliner and still Mark everything up. You're paying a premium to have your truck worked on by mechanics, most of which cannot hold a candle to the dealership mechanics, looking up how to replace a part on YouTube.

 

2010.......Excellent!