Tire Talk - Michelin and Cooper

[mr ed]

I bought new take offs from Jim Norton Toyota last time I needed tires. Some kind of Michelins

 

[Claybuster]

The last several sets I bought I ordered online from Simple Tire. They are like Tire Rack but also carry some less premium models and brands. Both Simple Tire and Tire Rack will send them to Mobile Tire OKC (Chris) which will come to your house or work and mount, balance, and install them (405) 694-1088. You even pay for the install at the time of ordering. Yes the install is generally a bit more than having it done at a brick and mortar store, but the convenience of not having to wait or drop off a vehicle is worth it in my opinion.

 

[madokie]

when i bought my used 1500 4x4 ram it came with michelins LTX's i think,,,great tires,lasted a long time, never did go off road with them,,,after 10 years or so , i must of had 80-90 K on them,and they looked it too.plenty of sidewall cracks and all over too, but still working good, till i ever so slightly rubbed against a curb, and tore out a hole in the sidewall like it was paper....still had another year of wear on that tire...for highway use only,, the Michelins are best,, but if you go off road cooper at3's or whatever they are selling now, would be my choice,,, ALL tire makers void warranty after 6 years no matter what..last i read...but for off road once its under 40% tread i would replace it,, more tread ,more traction and you will need a good strong 3 ply sidewall...

 

[dennishoddy]

You can pretty much tell how good a tire is by what it costs.
You get what you pay for in most cases.

Every passenger car tire manufacturer has different levels of tires, they have them listed by mileage charts in most cases.
lowest grades usually are the 20-40 thousand mile tires
Top tier will be 60-80 thousand mile tires.

If you want you can find first responder tires that are manufactured by Goodyear and Michelin
there used to be a big difference in them. Not so much any more.

There are three codes on tires for Tread wear, Temperature Rating and Traction ratings.
Date code is also on a tire, shows week and year of manufacture date.

I always found Michelin to out perform in most cases, but they always cost a bit more.
Bridgestones have worked well for me also, a Michelin owned company.

Goodyear make great tires also, I just prefer Michelin, they seem to always out do Goodyear for me.

I always run slightly more air than they recommend also.
A well inflated tire will have less friction while rolling, you will lose some grip, but gain in tire wear and fuel consumption. Tire pressures probably affect how a tire wears and performs, about as much as anything.

If you want to check the difference in tire pressure and how much difference it can make, experiment with a set of bicycle tires. You will find it is much easier to peddle a bike with well inflated tires.
A Streetcar Racer can tell you about how tire pressure can affect car performance also.

There is also a code on the tire for the speed rating. If one has a lead foot, that can be a critical metric for the tire staying in one piece.

 

[Wheelgun]

Not a Michelin fan here, but lots of people like them…

We’ve got
- 6 full sets of Coopers on 3/4tons
- 2 sets of Toyos on 3/4tons
- 3 sets of 6, 1 set Cooper, 1 set Toyo and 1 set Hankook on 1 ton duallys.
- 3 sets of Cooper mud tires on 1-ton feed trucks
- 3 sets Hercules mud tires on 3/4ton feed trucks.

 

[BryanDP]

For one reason or another I've had at least 4-5 vehicles and 5+ trailers in my life for the last 30+ years. There was a day that I purchased name brand top-of-the-line tires at least for the vehicles but these days I just purchase the best price tires I can find at the time of need that have at least some warranty. What I figured out years ago is that the high dollar tires can get a hole in the sidewall from a road hazard every bit as easy as the cheap ones, a scenario for me which more often that not results in a whole new set of tires. Going the "cheap" route I've had some really great tires and some really crappy ones which is similar to my experience with pricier name brands.

 

[magna19]

1. Cooper is owned by Goodyear. Goodyear, Kelly, Dunlop and Cooper are the SAME TIRE. Kelly and Dunlop are normally the cheapest, but Kelly is hard to find.
2. The specs on any given tire determine where it is sold. The tightest specs are for new vehicles. Slightly wider specs are for dealership replacement tires. The next tier is Goodyear store. (Some are company owned and some are franchises. In Lawton, the NW store, on Quanah Parker is a company store. The 11th St store is a franchise and easier to work with.) Next tier is the tire stores; Discount Tire, Tire Warehouse, Bubba Tire, Sam's, Costco etc. At the very bottom is Wal-Mart, a tire that doesn't make Wally specs is shredded.

I buy my tires through Marketplace or Craigslist. Get the OEM (best) tires where they purchased a new vehicle and then purchased new tires and wheels.
Saves lots of $$$$ and you get the best tires.
The difference in tire A and tire B is:
1. the cost / quality of components used to build the tire and
2. the quality of construction (final specs).

Can you give an example of these specs on the tire to determine where its sold from and/or factory installed etc.

 

[turkeyrun]

Can you give an example of these specs on the tire to determine where its sold from and/or factory installed etc.

Nothing is marked on the tire.
Specs are measured on final tire, bases on tread overnight (how straight it is laid on), roundness, balance, and other measurements
Every measurement could be in spec, but one be 1 mm out and drop tire to a lesser tier.
It is amazing what goes into making a tire and then grading it.