Thinking about new tires

[garyde]

Prevost in Mira Loma has always had fair pricing on Michelins. Including balancing and mounting they are my choice.

[Pete]

Kevin, I took your advice and just had 8 new Continental HSl 1 Coach tires installed, with Equal. All info I could gather seemed to be positive and the ride is very quiet and smooth. Hope they are as good as most folks say they are!
Thanks,
Pete

[AmeriStar]

Pete, you won't be disappointed. This is the BEST tire we've found for motorcoach application, hands down. Pricing is somewhat higher than Firestone or Toyo, but the Continintals will give your many more miles.
As for our friends at Michelin, WAKE UP, you are no longer the best tire available, and your pricing needs to reflect that.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

What we need is not long tread life, unlike the needs of commercial operators, we need tires with a high resistance to the factors that cause sidewall cracking, and ultimately tire failures as a result.

I know it can be done because I am using a set of tires with snow treads that are now 18 years old on a trailer I use to haul my Bobcat and trackhoe. They have no evidence yet of cracks in the sidewalls due to age despite the fact the trailer sits outside. Aircraft tires last years with no evidence of sidewall cracking. My Bobcat tires are 12 years old, no cracking. Ditto for my Gator tires.

I think POG members would be pleased as punch to only get 100,000 miles of tread life if the casings would go 10 or 15 years.

Listen up tire manufacturers.

[truk4u]

My friend in the tire business sells the take-offs from his Bus and RV customers to local and long distance trucking companies that then run them until they are wore out who then get a casing credit for re-capping. At least he gives the RV customer a credit for the take-offs. This is a normal practice for the tire companies and if you don't get a credit for your take-offs, your getting hosed.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Forgot to mention........Double Coin tires still hold air. At the time Roger and I bought ours they were about 1/2 the price of comparable Michelin tires. I have tag axle Michelins with a 2003 date code with zero signs of sidewall cracks so I continue to watch them very closely, but continue to run them. When I do decide to replace them I will shop for the best price and this time the new ones will go on the steer axle. The last time the Double Coin went on the drive and Michelins went on the steer, but unless someone knows why Michelins can justify their pricing I cannot bring myself to pay what they want.