A quick update on my tire issue.... and a startling discovery.
Things got to the point (in my head) that I just wasn't comfortable anymore with the steering tires. That terrible occurrence about the front tire blow out, wife ejected and run over was enough for me to err on the side of caution.
So I decided to start looking for new front tires. Some uneven wear lead me to look faster. I was at a truck tire dealer to get the fronts rotated to the back and my nicer looking rear tires moved up to the front when the salesman pushed my buttons. He said that he had a tire that would be as good or better than the XZA1's. I asked if he was sure it would work as well. ( I wasn't in THAT big of a hurry for new front tires.) He promised me they would be great and that I wouldn't notice the difference. He sold me 2 Firestone FS400s. Short story: I removed them today and put on new XZA1's after I lucked into a dealer that had them in stock. Dealer #1 is getting Firestones UPS'd back to him and I'm expecting a refund.
Long story: allow me to list how the firestone FS400s suck.
1. Immediately, I could tell that the bus didn't handle as well. The firestones seemed to track differently. IMO, in a random patter. Could just take some getting used to.
2. They heated up something fierce! Hot, hot, hot to the touch after a couple hundred miles. Filled cold to 120PSI, they got up to over 150 PSI. (My front end weights almost 15K, and this NEVER happened with the XZA's.... today with the new XZAs, also filled to 120, no problem at all.)
3. Maybe the most startling discovery of all.... driving the speed limit (55-65 depending on the road) and similar terrain, I averaged 6.6MPG with the firestones and 8.5MPG with the XZAs. This amazed me. This alone justifies the more expensive XZAs. Does this surprise anybody else? Ok, even if the wind was a LITTLE different, alomst 2MPG better?
This direct comparison was very eye opening to me. I for one will by sticking with the Mich. XZA1's for as long as I can find them... even if the price goes up.
BTW, the Firestones, for two tires, installed were $1000. The XZAs were $1500. At 2MPG difference and fuel prices nearing $4 per gallon, certainly worth the difference.
~Adam