I have always HATED these tires (& I've had them on two different vehicles). They get good mpg & last a long time, but other than that I think they suck......Although they say M&S on them, don't believe it......

I found those tires to be ridiculously loud on the highway, they ride like cr@p & they are terrible in the rain/snow.

Today, I installed a set of Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza (255/55R-18) tires mounted on OZ Canyon wheels (I also installed a full size spare). I set the pressure at 42 lbs & went for a ride. It will be real interesting to see how these effect my mpg, but I can state the difference in ride quality is night & day (read the reviews of these tires at tirerack.com).

All the highway noise is gone (the difference is really dramatic) & they provide a much smoother ride. After riding around for a couple hours, I decided even if my mpg did go down slightly that it will be worth it, the truck is just so much more pleasant to drive now that I can't imagine going back to the old wheels & tires (I may even sell them at some point as they literally look brand new).

I will post how it effected my mpg after I get a full tank of gas through it.

~John

Pictures of a few of the modifications I have made to the truck:

http://www.pbase.com/jmorton10/inbox&page=all

Yup the Conti's bite, can't wait to wear 'em out.

Ok, so pics of DVD players, scanguage and other fluff. Show your new wheels and tires!

Take Care,
Steve
Oregon

Please Don't Feed the Trolls


4WD

"You have received an infraction at GreenHybrid - Hybrid Cars"
At: http://greenhybrid.com/discuss/showthread.php?t=12748

I don't believe most of your claims. But each man is entitled to his opinions, and these message boards are a great place to voice your opinion.

They do last a long time. Stock 80,000 mile tires by most accounts.
I have driven in mud and snow for two winters, and have never been stuck, or even slid off the lane of road I was on. Just went through Denver's worst snowfall in 25 years, and the 3 feet of snow we got in December melted and re-froze on the ground/roads/driveways for 3 months after.
I was nothing but pleased. But I have a FWD, so maybe FWD does better on snow and ice? I've gone "off road" on Rocky Mountain Trails with steep grades in melting snow. (probably shouldn't have, but wanted to test the limits of this FEH ) Went uphill just fine. Was a bit scary going downhill, but I don't think it was the tire's fault! So maybe the driver's driving technique plays a large role?

Now noisy tires? Perhaps. I can believe that. But I have nothing to contrast the stock tires with, so I cannot really comment.

You say Bridgestones offer a "much smoother ride".
I suspect the Bridgestones are circular in shape, and your stock tires were
also circular in shape. No six sided wheels here right? "Smoothness" is largely a result of air pressure.
I promise you, with 100% certainty, your stock tires would be the exact same "smoothness" of ride, with appropriate air pressure. Softer tires = smoother ride, so that claim in particular is difficult for me to swallow. 42 psi in Bridgestones may not compare to 42 psi in Contis, but 42 psi in Bridgestones would "feel" the same smoothness as 38 psi in Contis for example.

I've been nothing but pleased with these stock tires. They are better than any stock tire that came with any other vehicle I've owned. They are of course, not as good at a "niche" as specialty tires, but I do think they are a good all purpose tire. I'd love to buy your spares, if shipping was not outrageous. What major city are you near?

Here you go:

http://www.pbase.com/jmorton10/image/81813816

~John

Pictures of a few of the modifications I have made to the truck:

http://www.pbase.com/jmorton10/inbox&page=all

Rochester, NY

I just had the new wheel/tire combination shipped from Florida to here for $100. That was five wheels & tires mounted including a mag wheel with a full size spare.

~John

Pictures of a few of the modifications I have made to the truck:

http://www.pbase.com/jmorton10/inbox&page=all

Lookin' good John! Did you by chance weigh either old or new wheels/tires? I'm curious about reducing unsprung weight and the effect it will have on fuel economy.

Best trip: 48.9 mpg over 17.9 miles (scangauge)
Best tank: 40.7 mpg over 606 miles (calculated)

No, I didn't but they don't feel much different in weight when changing them.

So far, the swap doesn't seem to have affected the mpg much (I haven't noticed any difference at this point) but I need to drive it for a few tanks of gas to really do a fair comparison.

I drove it quite a ways last night & again this morning & at this point the improvement in ride quality & virtually no tire noise is so dramatic that there is NO WAY I am ever putting those stock tires back on. It feels like I bought a new more luxurious truck.......

~John

Pictures of a few of the modifications I have made to the truck:

http://www.pbase.com/jmorton10/inbox&page=all

Definitely keep track of the mileage and let us know. I'm also annoyed at the loud highway miles, but will wait until mine are worn down before replacing them. The mileage difference has always been my question.

As for their traction, I found them to have ok, but not great traction in snow/rain/ice. I know there are better tires for traction, but my primary reason for switching will be the noise.

2005 Ford Escape Hybrid - Titanium Green, 4WD, Appearance Pkg, Leather, Nav System

That's sweet.

Take Care,
Steve
Oregon

Please Don't Feed the Trolls


4WD

"You have received an infraction at GreenHybrid - Hybrid Cars"
At: http://greenhybrid.com/discuss/showthread.php?t=12748

Tell me again, what's the toggle switch you added to the dash under the "4wd" logo? And which mud flaps are you using? Thanks.