Good replacement tires??

[kpn]

Guys:

Any recommendations on replacement tires? I need all seasons for occasional snow here in Michigan. Also would like quiet tires. The Generals are too noisy for me. Handling is not one of my prioritys.

Does anyone notice the inside of the tires wear more on the front wheels only. I see this pattern developing on the fronts. I am curious if this is a common occurance or isolated to my van. The noise goes way up once this wear on the inside of the tire sets in, usually after about 10,000 miles I noticed.

Thanks,
Keith

[GTP Dad]

Check out tirerack.comThere is a link on this forum. I have had a lot of luck ordering from them. You can review a lot of tires and they have reviews from customers who have purchased the tires for their vans. The last four tires I ordered after 5 pm in the evening and had them delivered by 10:30 am the next day and I didn't pay for priority shipping.

[1999montana]

Keith,

I hated the Generals on our van. They may have been the GM engineer's choice, but based on what criteria, I have no idea.

I installed Michelin MX-4's at 40,000 miles and have nothing but praise for them. Good all round traction, braking, wet or snow. The van steered straight down the road the day they were installed (before the four-wheel alignement was done!) Before that, it was a fight to keep it on the road.

At just under 40,000 additional miles now and three years, the tires are less than 35% worn. I expect to get at least 90,000 miles out of them before I have to replace them (assuming we still have the van by then!) The MX-4's are actually rated at about 80,000 miles I think.

Your reference to the inside wearing tells me that you have an issue with camber perhaps. (although with a Mac-strut front-end, I don't think there is a lot of adjustment for camber or caster, but I could be wrong).

It may also be a toe-in/out problem. A good alignment shop can tell you what is out of spec. Depending on the miles, you may be due for shocks too.

[kpn]

Well, I went with Goodyear Assurance Tires at about $100 installed each. So far they seem really nice. Very quiet. Now we can hear other things in the van, like our kids talking. They are rated at 80,000 miles. Hopefully they last close to that.

Keith

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by GTP Dad

Check out tirerack.comThere is a link on this forum. I have had a lot of luck ordering from them. You can review a lot of tires and they have reviews from customers who have purchased the tires for their vans. The last four tires I ordered after 5 pm in the evening and had them delivered by 10:30 am the next day and I didn't pay for priority shipping.

I totally agree! I purchased a pair of snow tires and new rims for my Venture this past fall. The total with shipping was $198. I couldn't match that price anywhere locally, especially for new rims. I am very pleased with the snow tires as they are a neccessity here in Syracuse,NY. I am going to post a very positive review on tirerack's site shortly concerning these tires. I also plan to look at their all seasons this spring as I need to replace a couple of them. I like the site as it is easy to look at what's available, and you can compare, and read the customer reviews.

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Quote:
Re: Good replacement tires?? (Post #3)

Keith,

I hated the Generals on our van. They may have been the GM engineer's choice, but based on what criteria, I have no idea.
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It is my understanding that many car manufacturers put out contracts with the tire manufacturers for certain quantities of tires for their vehicles. If, during the production year they should run out , then they may use another brand of tire on the vehicle. They may not be the engineer's choice but they meet the specs set forth in the contract. I have seen the same model vehicle(same year) on the dealer lot a few months apart, and neither vehicle had the same tires on it.