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yalls thoughts on....

5.0Flareside

GingaNinja
14,463
384
La Vergne, TN
buying 2 tires at a time.

The Corsica needs tires. but not to badly. 3 of them match then the right rear is a mismatch and is a good bit shorter and skinnier. so i knew with the money we got from the F150 was gonna go towards tires. so i was pricing them and was thinking of a way to put some of the money from the sale of the truck to savings. buying 2 tires now and putting them on the front (FWD). and putting the decent 2 that are on the front now and putting them on the rear. and then by the end of the summer we should have 2 more new ones to go on also.

if i do this how would my tire rotations go? no rotations when i got 2 new and 2 old? then normal after the 3rd and 4th new ones?

also what brands are reliable in a small car tire?

im looking at Pirelli's (LINK). they are the same price as Kumho's and other reliable brands. and are the top rated and have some of the best reviews.

what do yall think? gonna go with a 195/70/14 size. stock is 185/75/14. will be slightly shorter but a lil wider. but there are only 2 tires that are sized 185/75. and one of them is the other tire im considering. Kumho Solus KR21 (LINK). and they also have a tire in the 195/70 tire. so im torn.

So i wanna hear yalls opinions on what think i should do as far as tire size and option.
 
couple things to consider-
A tire warrantee is only as good and dealership availability; Are there a good number of dealers along your normally traveled paths?
Don't buy discontinued lines or close-out bargains. Do some homework and make sure the tire you are looking to buy is going to be available in the event of a warranty claim- and don't special order for the same reasons.
2 at a time is just fine- IMO new tires go to the rear, tho there are those who'd disagree- but tires that have been used on the fronts have weaker sidewalls, and should be cycled out when purchased 2 at a time as you want to do. This way, should an older tire blow, it's not blindsiding you from the rear and you don't have to guess how to steer it.

But as you know, I can be opinionated and stubborn- I learned from my wife!
 

5.0Flareside

GingaNinja
14,463
384
La Vergne, TN
this is the way ive always been taught.

FWD cars. in a set of 2 new tires. they ALWAYS go on front since those are the ones that recieve the power and do the turning.

and RWD cars: typically still keep the 2 new tires in the front since there is a good amount of weight on the rear so the tread on the rear tires still grip decently..

2wd trucks: always place 2 new tires on the rear. rear tires have little weight on them. and need as much traction as possible. while you may loose steering for a quick second if you are confortable with the vehicle. you can normally throttle your way out of a problem.

4WD trucks/SUVs and AWD cars: Replace all 4 at the same time not really any exceptions.
 
especially if you can't steer the rear. can't react much to a rear out of control. at least on the front, I have a modicum of control, even with one flat.
 
... and remember the front tires take a lot more flexing in turns than your rear tires do.. running the new tires on the back for the first half of their life extends the sidewall life greatly.
 

1970Custom

They call me Spuds
14,107
447
Middleton, ID
A tire warrantee is only as good and dealership availability; Are there a good number of dealers along your normally traveled paths?
Most tire shops that I've dealt with will refund you the tire price when you take them the receipt and a statement from the place that repaired the tire stating the type of damage...

...Don't buy discontinued lines or close-out bargains. Do some homework and make sure the tire you are looking to buy is going to be available in the event of a warranty claim- and don't special order for the same reasons...
Dunno about the tire places back East but the three big ones out here have the similar slogan of if they can't warranty them then they won't sell them, even on the stuff going away...
 

Truckin4life

Texas Chapter Leader
Tom personally expieriencing both kinds of blow outs, I will take a rear blow out anyday.
I can control the rear of the car much better with the ability to steer correctly, a front blow out is much more difficult to control imho.
 

LEB Ben

Arrogant A-hole At-Large
34,919
1,124
outside your house
Tom personally expieriencing both kinds of blow outs, I will take a rear blow out anyday.
I can control the rear of the car much better with the ability to steer correctly, a front blow out is much more difficult to control imho.


I've also experienced both...and you're right. A rear blow out is much easier to handle. That being said, how often do you experience blowouts? And how often do you expereince rain or other slick/wet situations? I'd much rather not have to worry about my azzend coming out and around me every time it rained. I've always been taught to put the new tires on the drive axle.
 
Back in my days of running "anything that is round and will hold air," I always had to make the decision of which place I would rather have a blowout, and I had LOTS.
We didn't have front-wheel drive so much on anything back then; Whatever did was made of recycled beer cans, so in a wreck you were screwed, nonetheless. Given that, I can see some sense in the front-tire thought- and never really gave it much consideration, to be honest. When I finally HAD to own a front-wheel drive, I was in a better position financially and able to buy real tires.
As you know, Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) means the power is applied to the rear wheels. Conversely, so is deceleration, and fluid-drive axles just make it worse. In a rear-tire blow-out, the rear end is going to be pulled to whatever side the differential decides to go. Anyone who has ever driven with a "DONUT" emergency spare has felt that pull, and has seen the dog-track of the rear end.
That uncontrollable swerve killed a friend, in the back seat of a vista-cruiser wagon that had a right rear blowout- because the rear end swerved right, off the edge of the road and pulled sideways into a telephone pole.
The front tires were fine, recently purchased.
I hate used tires, now- you don't know what they have done or where they have been. You don't know if they hit curbs, rocks, etc (passenger-grade tires) or if they ran bleach burn-outs. (altho I almost can, since there are tell-tale signs)
And as for dealerships honoring the purchase price of a replacement tire, that and a buck-fifty will get you a cup of coffee, since if you want another matching tire, you'll have to buy it. Nationwide brands are the only way to go, in that case. Lesbo Schwabb has great prices, but his store brand won't be found elsewhere. That's why I said it's important to LOOK and to bear in mind where you intend to travel when selecting a tire.
Then again, I'm picky, even though it turns my stomach to pay "NEW" prices...
 

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