Tire Pressure

Tire Guy · 2005-09-28T19:11:29+00:00

I just put a new set of Michelin Harmonies on my 2004 Taurus.The tires have a max PSI of 44 listed on the sidewall.Ford recommends a max PSI of 30 for tires on this car.How much pressure should I use in practice? Car typically doesn't haul any heavy loads.TIA

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Ed White 20 years ago

I'd like to give FIrestones another try but I think I'll have to wait for a lot more positive feedback. I have a long history of bad FIrestones -

- Grand Prix Radials (Private Label Firestone 500's) on a Datsun 280Z - Seperated belt. Recalled after I had dumped them.

- Firestone 721 Radials on Ford Fairmont - recalled but they were so horrible I had already replaced them before they had 15,000 miles

- European Firestones on an Audi Coupe - Sidewall blew out on one for no apparent reason (replaced under warranty). The d#$@ tires picked up nails like a magnet.

- Firestone tires on an F150 - another set of nail magnets. I replaced them before 15,000 miles

- Firestone Wilderness ATs on a Ford Ranger - recalled, but all four had already been replaced (again before 15,000 miles. 3 of the 4 actually had the tread split (not seperate) in the middle of the tire. They just could not handle gravel roads.

- Bridgestones on a Mazada 626 - rode like iron, wore like peanut butter, griped like leather soles on glare ice. At least they didn't last very long.

- Bridgestones on a Saturn Vue - good tires. I would consider buying them again

1 for 7 is not good odds. Maybe if I see more positive feedback like yours, I'll consider Firestones again. I wold like to support a company that actully has a factory in my home state (Firestone has a tire plant near Wilson, NC).

Ed

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C. E. White 20 years ago

Well wouldn't you know it...after asking about tires I suddenly find that I need a set for my Vue. The Vue tires are a somewhat odd size - 235/65-16. My options are limited

Avon CR227 Avon CR227 Bridgestone Turanza EL42 Goodyear Eagle GA Goodyear Eagle GA Michelin Energy LX4 Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 Avon Ranger TSE Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684 Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684 II Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684 II

The vehicle came with Bridgestones and I have no complaints about them. However, the Michelins are cheaper if I get them from Tire Rack, The Goodyears are hideously expensive, so they aren't an option. I've never heard of Avon tires and hesitate to take a chance on them. That only leaves the Michelins and the Bridgestones. Any thoughts on which would be best? In the Tire Rack Ratings, the Michelins are the best (and the cheapest). So is the decision really as simple as it seems?

Ed

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Shoe Salesman 20 years ago

You could go with a 235/70-16, I bet that size will give you ALOT more options. And, its just slightly taller.

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C. E. White 20 years ago

Well after checking local prices, going with the 235/65-16 Michelins LX4s from Tire Rack was a no-brainer. Michelins from Tire Rack including shipping are $312. They'll ship them directly to a local installer, who will put them on for another $44.Total cost $356. A local retail store's out the door price for 4 Michelin of the same size and type was $710 (i.e., twice as much). Next best local option was 4 BFGs 235/70-16s from Sam's Club, but that would have been $515. What I don't understand is that the store that wanted $710 is always very busy. I've used them in the past to have tires repaired and balanced and they are nice guys. I just can't imagine paying them twice as much.

Ed

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Sarge 20 years ago

You may want to consider plus sizing to give you more options.

Here is a link to what different sizes will do to your speedometer.

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Sarge

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* 20 years ago

C. E. White wrote in article ...

I can't understand the abject fascination that Tire Rack commands. I guess it's sort of like E-BAY.....it's e-shopping, therefore it is, somehow, better.

Shop around a bit more, and I will bet you can find the same tire locally at a much better price than the one retailer you cited.

Here's my example on a pair of 245/60X15, BFG Radial T/A

? Tire Rack -

$72.00 each + $24.05 s&h (Delaware warehouse to Maine zip code) for a total of $168/pr OR a cost-to-me of $84 per tire.

A week or so for delivery.

Making sure someone is home for the UPS guy.

? Tire Warehouse - a local chain/franchise-

$86.00 each - $2 per tire MORE than Tire Rack.

Order today....pick up at store anytime during the day tomorrow morning.

No s&h.

ALSO - Tire Warehouse is local if there is a problem with the tire - although I have never had a problem with the BFG Radial T/As in more than

20 years of using them on-road and on-track.

ALSO - Tire Warehouse allows me to return two junk tires for every tire I buy.

What do you do with old tires when you buy from Tire Rack ???

....UPS them back???

....pay an additional $5-or-more per tire to have them disposed of??? (which would, by the way, increase the tire's cost-to-me to $89 per tire)

It simply isn't worth worth saving a measely $2-per-tire to deal with ANY mail order concern...

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Steve 20 years ago

Well, they're certainly a driving force in lowering tire prices. I've never bought from them, but I'm sure glad they're out there!

Or TELL the local retailer what the Tire Rack price is. Bring a printout. Odds are, they'll match the price.

No, you just leave them with the installer, who then sends them off for recycling.

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C. E. White 20 years ago

No, I'd really rather buy locally , but not a twice the cost.

Actually I tried four different local places. I usually use Sam's Club. They could not order a tire that they were also willing to install on my Vue. They would order me four tires of a slightly different size, but since they were not listed for the vehicle, they would not install them. And even then they were $30 more per tire than TireRack (for a lower quality tire in my opinion).

I am only paying $312 for four Michelin 235/65R16 Tires including shipping and handling. $78 a tire. None of the local stores that handled Michelin were even close. Plus I don't have to pay sales tax on a tire coming from Delaware (at least not yet). In NC this would have been another $5.50 per tire even if they only cost $78.

2 Days for delivery in my case (NC).

They are shipping directly to the installer, so I don't have to me home. But even if I did have them ship them to my home address, I'd just tell UPS to hold for pick-up. There warehouse is 2 miles from where I live.

The installer keeps them ($1 per tire). However, as an individual I could take them to the county dump for free.

To the dump with them, if necessary, which it is not.

My installer only charges $1 per tire for disposal.

Well I agree with you if it is only $2 per tire. In fact, if Sam's Club could have installed the tires, I would have been willing to pay $12 more per tire (for Road Hazard and free rotate and balance). However, in my case the savings was over $75 per tire compared to local prices for the exact same tires. I know this was a special deal, since TireRack had the Michelins at an incredibly low price, but that seems to happen regularly.

Regards,

Ed White

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