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Need new tires - thoughts?

26K views 118 replies 37 participants last post by  SHO4CY 
#1 ·
Here is some back story: I have had a set of General Grabber HTS's for the last two years and about 34k miles. I have rotated them every 8-10k miles, kept pressure even and checked it often, kept the truck in alignment and all that jazz. They have worn a lot faster than I would like and currently have about 4-5/32nds left on all four. I'm very worried that there isn't enough meat left on them to get me through the winter. Am I over-thinking this? Is that amount of tread still safe for snow driving? Beyond that, no matter what I do, they've become very loud. One or both of the front tires has a very annoying wobbling noise that hasn't gone away even after a rebalance. There is a 6-year/45k mile warranty on the tires, BUT I would have to replace these with another set of General tires. I'm not about to do that.

My tire shop has always been very good to me, so I'm sure they'll work something out. I'm looking for some recommendations before I talk to them, though. I do all easy miles on two-lane roads and highways - just your basic commuting. I never go off road, so I have no need for A/T tires. My main concern with tires is their noise level, their longevity and their price. Any decent set of all-seasons will perform well enough in snow and other forms of inclement weather, so I'm ok with that. I'm not about to drop $160+ per tire, but I don't want to get the cheapest ones out there, either. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
 
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#42 ·
Please let us know what they say. That is most impressive!
 
#46 ·
My budget was $160/tire w/o fees
I found this sale from my local tire warehouse chain
Michelin LTX m/s 245/65R17 for $175ea

install quote incl tax is $836. Sound decent?

Also, I'm new to tire pressure monitoring systems. I'm guessing I'll be asked about rebuilding the sensors.
 

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#51 ·
Also, I'm new to tire pressure monitoring systems. I'm guessing I'll be asked about rebuilding the sensors.
I recommend you stick with Honda OEM TPMS sensors if you're planning on changing them out - the factory ones can't be rebuilt, nor can you just have the batteries changed in them (the batteries are sealed inside). The OEMs should last you 7-10 years - I just replaced mine at about 7 years and they were working fine, but I had new tires installed and replaced the sensors as a preventive measure. I bought new Honda sensors; the system recognized and calibrated each of the new ones immediately after it was driven after the new tires and sensors were mounted.
 
#48 ·
A nice email but very corporate language. Ah well. It was worth a shot.
 
#49 ·
I am sure they get quite a few letters and they send thank you letters like that too. Some may be lucky if they get a Pen or a Key chain with the Michelin Logo or Mr. Michelin man on it. Ha ha :act035:
 
#54 ·
Thanks for the info on the sensors.

I'm going to squeeze some more life out of what I have but will consider the LTX.

My local service shop (where I go when I'm doing my own service) offered Bridgestone Destination LE2 for $740 installed w/tax incl. as an option.

http://www.bridgestonetire.com/tire/destination-le2
 
#57 ·
I just put a set of Michelin Latitude Tour all seasons and love them. I replaced a set of DAKOTAs and there is a night and day difference in the smoothness and quiet. The new tires are so much better. I must say though, the old DAKOTAs were softer so they felt glued to the road. I estimate a 2-3 MPG improvement.
 
#60 · (Edited)
Ok, all, I'm really on the fence about the tires I want to get - still. We had some pretty deep snow and some freezing rain happen over the holiday break. Luckily, I didn't have to drive much, but when I did, it wasn't fun. My current tires do have a sliver of tread left, but I have come to the realization that they just aren't safe at all in winter weather. Most of which tire I choose is going to depend on what my tire shop says about the warranty. I only have 2 years and 35k miles on these tires and the warranty is 6 years or 45k miles. If they are fully or even partly warrantied, and I have to get the same brand/type of tire, I will likely just do that. They performed great for about the first 20k miles. They just didn't last too long. However, if the tire shop allows me to get any other brand of tire and just take a certain percentage off of them, I'll do that.

So here are my thoughts now: I don't want a tire that is going to be noisy or hurt my gas mileage due to higher rolling resistance, however I do want something that is good in the snow. So, I've been considering highway tires and A/T tires. The ones that have caught my attention are the Kumho Road Venture KL61's and KL51's. The 61 is a GREAT looking on/off road tire that has been said to have good highway road manners. The 51 is a highway tire that has great treadwear rating and are inexpensive. In addition, I'm looking at the Yokohama Geolander A/T-S. Price is good and ratings are good as well. Plus, it comes with 13/32" of tread to start - an extra 32nd. Lastly, I think the Cooper Discoverer HTP's look like a good option, too. Great reviews and specs for the price.

In the spring, my wife and I will be moving closer to my office, so my commute will be cut from 25 miles to about 5 miles. I can put up with some noise for that distance, but I don't want a ridiculous, annoying hum on the highway when we take the truck on a trip. I also don't want to lose 2-3mpg just due to rolling resistance increasing. Anyone have any experience with these tires or have any suggestions for other ones? I'm going to the tire shop on Friday to discuss my options.
 
#61 ·
Ian, I just had a set of Kumho KL61's installed on my truck in Oct. and I am very happy with them. I wanted a tire that had a little more agressive tread on them, than the LTX M/S, and one that was snow rated (the snowflake symbol), but one that was not so noisy as I couldn't hear the radio at "normal" volume.

I did a lot of research and it basically came down to either the Cooper Discoverer AT's or the KL61's. After going back and forth I ended up going with the KL61's, as they were rated a tad quieter on dry pavement than the Coopers on the Consumer Report web page (I think the KL61's were the 2nd highest rated A/T tire after the Coopers.).

I've put about 3500 miles on them, driven through downpours, ice/slush/snow, and dry pavement and, I can honestly say, I am very happy with them. They are just as quiet as the LTX M/S, but heads and shoulders above the LTX's on snow/slush/ice.

We just got 18" of heavy/wet snow, and then it got very cold, so I had the opportunity to test the KL61's in all the forms of snow that was on the roads. They were excellent in slush...I didn't feel as if the slush was going to pull me this way or that. When the roads were just pretty much snow covered, from a dead stop, I stomped on the gas pretty good...not all the way to the floor, but probably 1/2 throttle, and the tires barely spun. On snow packed/icy areas, namely by stop signs, the truck stopped very quickly and, when taking off, the tires barely spun.

Again, overall I am very pleased with the Kumho KL61's I got in Oct., and would highly recommend them. They are great in adverse road conditions and are very quiet on dry pavement. Plus, they were about $60 a tire cheaper than the LTX M/S's when I bought them. Nice to be able to save close to $250 vs. the Michelins.

Anyway, hope that helps, and good luck with your tire purchase.
 
#63 · (Edited)
And that's the thing. So many tires look to have promise.. and seem to work well for the first year and 15k miles or so. But what tire seems to maintain traction and a good, quiet ride for most of its life?

Does the LTX M/S tire reign as champ? And this is a tire that starts out at 11/32 tread depth new.

I would be tempted to look at the Michelin AT/2 tire as well. It has 14/32 tread depth. Then I read a few comments by Kodiak on the OEM tires:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=238369&postcount=583
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=239386&postcount=596

I still think for most purposes, the OEM LTX M/S is going to be hard to beat.

There may be some bargains out there and I applaud efforts to find them. But in the end, is this another case of you get what you pay for?

Until proven otherwise, I believe it is.
 
#65 ·
And that's the thing. So many tires look to have promise.. and seem to work well for the first year and 15k miles or so. But what tire seems to maintain traction and a good, quiet ride for most of its life?

Does the LTX M/S tire reign as champ? And this is a tire that starts out at 11/32 tread depth new.

I would be tempted to look at the Michelin AT/2 tire as well. It has 14/32 tread depth. Then I read a few comments by Kodiak on the OEM tires:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=238369&postcount=583
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=239386&postcount=596

I still think for most purposes, the OEM LTX M/S is going to be hard to beat.

There may be some bargains out there and I applaud efforts to find them. But in the end, is this another case of you get what you pay for?

Until proven otherwise, I believe it is.
Then, for me at least, driving 35-40 thousand each year, my tire dealer network is one of the most important things for me. It is the only reason I'm not wearing the LTX M/S now. Les Schwab doesn't do Michelin. So far I've been more than pleased with the TOYO Open Country's I use in summer and the Toyo Observe's I am riding on now. They make my Ridge a "cat" in the winter.
 
#66 · (Edited)
That's good info feetdry. How many miles are you getting on those Toyos? Are the Open Country tires comparable to the LTX MS in terms of long wear, quiet ride, and good traction?

I notice on one site, the Toyos are $187 each. The tread design makes me think it more closely competes with the Michelin Latitude tire.

The MS are $194 and the AT/2 is $193. The savings are not enough to justify a change from OEM unless there are other good reasons to switch.
 
#67 ·
Figured I'd give an update. I took my truck to my tire shop yesterday. The guy I always deal with said, "yeah, we can warranty those. They sure did wear pretty fast." He was going to call the manufacturer and see what exactly the warranty will cover. I don't have to get another set of the Generals, which means I'm clear to get whatever I want for a replacement. Strangely enough, I went to lunch with a buddy of mine on Thursday who has a 2009 Pilot. He has a set of the Yokohama Geolander A/T-S on it. He said he had about 40k miles on them and they still had well over half the tread left. The ride was smooth, yet compliant and the tires were very quiet. I was sort of leaning towards these anyways, but that experience has pushed me towards them. I'll update again when I hear from my tire guy on Monday.
 
#69 ·
I am looking at the Michelin LTX A/T 2, they are 3 dollars cheaper a tire on tire rack than the MS. I have narrowed the field down to the Kuhmos and the Michs. The Kuhmos are about $40 cheaper per tire but from the reviews I've read, they don't last near as long as the Michelins. this is quite frustrating.
 
#70 ·
It's tough to have choices, isn't it? :D

Those Michelin A/T 2s caught my eye as well... just wasn't sure about the noise... if any.
 
#73 ·
I installed a set of the A/T 2's about three weeks ago on the advise of my nephew who sells tires for a living. At that time Michelin had a $70 per set rebate. His brother also installed them on his Pilot when he was living in Colorado. I have not driven on them a lot but I do not think the noise is any louder than the MS's.
 
#71 ·
Got about 40,000 on this set of Open Country HT's and about the same on the Toyo Observes. The Open Country's are very quiet for me. I only use the Open Country HT's for summer and of course the Observe Studless for winter. Both sets meet and beat my expectations. I have to say that this will be the last winter for the Observes and maybe one more summer out of the Open Country's. It's just me, I consider it cheap insurance to replace my tires at 60 to 75 per cent wear.
 
#72 ·
The Kumho KL61's are coming in a close second for me right now due to cdepuydt's recommendation. The treadwear number is higher, but the speed rating is lower. Not quite sure how the two compare with ride, but the specs and reviews on both the Kumho and the Yokohama are very favorable. I'm going to get a price on both of them after finding out what sort of help I'll get from the warranty. Thanks again, all!
 
#74 ·
I haven't seen any comments about the Bridgestone Dueler Alenza tire so perhaps nobody has used them. But I replaced my Michelins when I changed out to a 20" wheel. My Bridgestone tires now have 85,000 miles on them and getting close to the wear strips. Ride is excellent, light snow is no problem, is quiet (still to this day), and obviously has been a good tire. I would call it a touring tire and a bit less expensive then the Michelin tire. I am thankful Honda put a premium tire on the RL, but I have used the Bridgestone tire on my last three vehicles and find it to be my preferred tire.
I am now selling my "07 RTL with 125,000 trouble free miles. Oh, yes, for a 2013 RTL!
 
#78 ·
Thanks very much for that info. I don't subscribe to CR. is there anything on the Yokohama Geolandar AT in there?


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#79 ·
I must say that as much as the tires mounted on our Ridgelines are important, the dealer that you buy them from is as much or in my case more important. I will say that I can drive 1500 mile radius from home in about any small town and have my tires rotated and balanced for free. Lots of piece of mind if a tire is compromised by running over something in the roadway. They replace the tire, at no charge. (It's happened to me).
 
#80 ·
Ok, all, after speaking with my tire shop yesterday, they're going to set me up with a full set of the Yokohama Geolandar AT-S for $497 mounted and balanced and out the door. General gave a 20% credit to a new set of tires, so it's nearly like buying three tires and getting the fourth for free. I'm pretty happy about it. They're priced at $149 each on tirerack, so by the time I'd have them shipped and installed, I'd be at $650-700. I'm having them put on Saturday morning. Hoping to get better use of these tires than I did with the Generals.
 
#82 ·
Good price Ian. Too bad I didn't see your post earlier, but I wouldn't hold CR ratings as the final say. Also if u notice, the scores only range from 60 - 66 for all the tires, so I think such a small range of scores puts them all on fairly equal ground. I really wanted A/T tires for their aggressive look, but they don't perform well up here in Boston because of their terrible ice traction (they seem ok in snow though). The temperature always fluctuates near freezing in the winter which causes a lot of black ice. Not sure what the temperatures are like in your part of WV.
 
#83 ·
Yeah, I think it all comes down to how well you take care of the tires and flat out luck. Some people report great treadwear with a certain type and others - not so much. Hence, my experience with the Generals. Rotated them every 8-10k, kept perfect tire pressure in them at all times and drove easy miles on them. 35k later - shot. Hopefully these Yoko's will treat me a little better. I'm not really worried about the rating for ice braking. Other than specific winter tires, there aren't many out there that will allow you to stop on a dime on ice. As long as these things give a good ride/traction, are quiet and last a good bit, I'll be a happy camper.
 
#84 ·
Ok, got the Yoko's installed this morning. First impressions: these things are MEATY. The tread is huge on them and they just look like a mean tire (if that exists). They seem to have a slightly harder sidewall than the Generals because the truck doesn't seem to roll as much in turns. Cornering is certainly better. At 75mph, they were well balanced and didn't give any vibration. They do have some road noise to them. It's more of a faint, high-pitched whine on smooth pavement, but that is to be somewhat expected from an AT tire. The sticker was left on them and that could have been contributing to the noise. I'm hoping they quiet down a bit as they "break in". I only put 8 miles on them this morning, but so far, so good. Hoping they treat me well. Thanks to everyone for their advice!
 
#88 ·
Me too! Original OEM Michelins got 59K. This set will get around 48-49K. Always rotated at OICs (5-7K) and air pressured as well. This is a good thread! Thanks for the advice everyone!
 
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