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Pokeyjoe and Tires Posted by pokeyjoe [Email]  (#3083) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from pokeyjoe) on Sat, 5 May 2007 21:23:49
In Reply to: Re: Tourevo Tires from Les Schwab, JMD, Sat, 5 May 2007 15:59:31 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I suppose my first realization of just how important tires are came from reading "Say Smokey" in Popular Science magazines as a kid. Smokey Yunick (famous mechanic and car designer) stated that the very first modification anyone should ever do to a car is put decent tires on it. He maintained that the tires that come on new cars are barely adequate at best. It wasn't until many years later that I could actually afford to replace the tires on a new car with anything that is better.
And there are many better tires out there. The best tires you can buy are summer tires. The grip and cornering characteristics are phenomenal compared to OEM tires and all season tires. Unfortunately, I need to keep all season tires on my car. Many maintain that these are truly "no season" tires because too many compromises are made to make them "all" season. Up until fairly recently, this has been true. However, Pirelli, Michelin, Avon, Continental, and Falken have all come out with some truly decent all season tires.
As far as brands go, stick with tire companies that have made a name for themselves. These companies have invested in their future and tested compounds and tread designs on race cars and in laboratories. Many companies have copied these compounds and "developed" their own tread designs to make a name for themselves (like Kumho). They've got some decent tires, but they "borrowed" the technology to produce the tires at a lower cost.
Many "off-brand" tires come from old name brand factories. Sears did this when they first introduced their radial tires in the seventies. They bought an old Michelin factory and started making tires in the old Michelin molds. Michelin didn't care because they had already moved on to newer - better - designs.
When you buy an off brand (like whatever Les Schwab is selling) you're getting an older technology tire. They can be sold for less money because there is no R&D, there are no labs, there aren't any race cars, nothing. All you've got is a factory and the people that run it. The tires are adequate. There the same tires the name brand companies were selling 10-20 years ago (more or less).
So. My recommendation is not to buy the most expensive tires you can find. I would recommend, however, that you do some shopping. Shopping is not easy, by the way. There are way too many choices. I've found that using the Tire Rack's comparison charts and reading the reviews put there by people that have the tires helps. If you happen to call the Tire Rack and talk to a salesman, take their advice with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, they are just salesmen and need to make a buck.
, Sat, 5 May 2007 13:46:02, Sat, 5 May 2007 21:23:49 <-- Viewing This Message
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