my Goodyears aren't doing so great in wet conditions. Suggestions for replacements?

storemike · #1 10-14-2005, 11:45 AM

I've got Goodyear RT/S on my 1999 Silverado (5.3, 4x4, auto). They are 4 years old and have around 30,000 miles on them with plenty of tread depth, but I get a loss of traction in wet conditions. So much so, that my finacee doesn't trust the tires any more. If I'm stopped on a hill with the front of the truck looking up the hill and I try to take off, the tires will spin easily. I put an anti-sway bar on it to reduce axle wrap, which helped overall handling on dry roads, but didn't really seem to make too much of a difference n traction on wet roads. I live near Boston and have to drive in snow, so the tires should be able to handle snow, too. Does anyone have a good replacement suggestion? Or could it be that I just need new Goodyears?

Thanks,
Mike

mec · #2 10-14-2005, 12:56 PM

I have had great luck all around with BFG A/T's

A sway bars job is to reduce traction, it's really magnified in the rain but old tires just plain suck.

jeverett · #3 10-14-2005, 12:56 PM

Bridgestone Dueler A/T REVO's, or Cooper A/T's are a good choice.

TexasF355F1 · #4 10-14-2005, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mec

I have had great luck all around with BFG A/T's

A sway bars job is to reduce traction, it's really magnified in the rain but old tires just plain suck.

Huh? Sway bars don't reduce traction, they help prevent sway and reduce body roll actually increasing traction on cornering.

mec · #5 10-14-2005, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasF355F1

Huh? Sway bars don't reduce traction, they help prevent sway and reduce body roll actually increasing traction on cornering.

I guess I havent learned anything engineering race cars for a living.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...?threadid=2008

This is a pretty good lowdown on how bars actually work.

"If a car is understeering, it's because the rear end has more total traction than the front. If you put a big sway bar on the rear suspension to limit the total amount of traction available there"

storemike · #6 10-14-2005, 03:57 PM

well, according the the post in the link above, some load shifts to the outside rear tire, so I am noticing a more "secure" feeling in the curves and corners because of it. Although not addressed in the post, a sway bar does reduce axle wrap (in a manner similar to traction bars), or so I'm led to believe, and should help with getting traction on take-offs. What I'm trying to get now is traction in wet weather. I guess new tires may be the solution after all. But which ones? Maybe I'll just get new Goodyears. They were good for 30+K of city driving.

Thanks for all of the posts so far. This is getting pretty interesting...and more detailed than I'd expected. Not that that's bad. I'll keep my eye on this post and let you all know what I decide based on your suggestions.

Mike

tykrz · #7 10-14-2005, 08:31 PM

Michelin LTX MS

Best out there
You can check out the link below for reviews

http://www.1010tires.com/tires.asp

jers99z · #8 10-14-2005, 11:49 PM

I like my BFG All Terrains, have used them in sand, snow, mud, rain. I love the tires, mine have about 25k on mine and still alot of life left in them. I would reccomend these to anyone looking for a good all around tire. My dad lived by Cooper Discoverer A/T's on his truck, used them for almost 13 years, also very reliable.

rustcal · #9 10-15-2005, 08:54 AM

You might try and get your tires siped. here's a link to what i'm talking about. http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/tireSiping.dos

TexasF355F1 · #10 10-15-2005, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mec

I guess I havent learned anything engineering race cars for a living.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...?threadid=2008

This is a pretty good lowdown on how bars actually work.

"If a car is understeering, it's because the rear end has more total traction than the front. If you put a big sway bar on the rear suspension to limit the total amount of traction available there"

Hmm..guess I learned something new.

Everyone I've known with Goodyears has always said they suck in the rain.

storemike · #11 10-15-2005, 11:17 AM

thanks to the link to 1010tires.com, tykrz! The reviews support what I've been told about Goodyears and wet weather lately. I guess I'll pick up some of the BFG All Terrains. Why not, eh? My Nova has performed well on its BFGs.

Thanks again to everyone who posted. I'll remember you the next time I'm on a wet onramp and am NOT skidding sideways.

Mike

sportin83 · #12 10-16-2005, 11:49 PM

i have had really good luck with yokohama or pirelli and right now i have kuhmo and they are nice. i have had goodyear on 2 cars when i got them and i hated them all, they suck in rain, dry , snow , just all around a shitty tire.

sportin83 · #13 10-16-2005, 11:51 PM

www.tirerack.com you can go there and pick tires out and they have comparison charts and test results. and have customer comments sections about tires.

White Lightening · #14 10-17-2005, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportin83

www.tirerack.com you can go there and pick tires out and they have comparison charts and test results. and have customer comments sections about tires.

Interesting link to this tirerack.com. Been reading on this AF thread how Goodyears aren't any good in rain and winter. Boy, I disagree on that - but maybe it is the specifics that make the difference. My truck has the Goodyear Eagle LS tires P275/55/20. TireRack doesn't even show them on any comparison lists - so if readers are looking at those lists - remember - everything isn't there.

All I know is living in Western Wisconsin has lots of months of snow, ice, morning horefrosts, and we have lots of hills and valleys and big coulees. We just don't have long stretches of wide open runs like some parts of the country - so I'm not talking about flatland driving. We have challenging driving conditions in winter - and very fun driving conditions the rest of the year - lots of curves, irregular driving patterns, and bluff-top highways and river valley driving. If you're in the East Coast area - think of Connecticut with much tougher weather. My Goodyear Eagles - on my 2wd VHO work excellent - good on ice, great in snow, decent on hills, and great traction on our frequent rains and frost conditions. I dont' know about other brands of Goodyear tires, but I do know they make excellent motorcycle tires, and Chevy/GMC picked them specifically for their SS and VHO trucks - because of handling and all season capabilities for a sport truck - and top it off - they look good. Not the cheapest tire - but a good one IMO. Like I said - I have no experience with Goodyear RT's - only the Goodyear Eagle LS - and that one is a dandy tire.

Tirerack.com doesn't even list all the Goodyear tires. Here is the one I have - the one Tirerack doesn't even show on its listings:
http://www.goodyeartires.com/goodyea...ea=Performance

White Lightening

bigbadram51 · #15 10-17-2005, 01:39 PM

I am running Toyo Open Country A/T's and love them. I have a tough time getting mine to spin on anything but dirt. I can hear and feel them start to spin but then they hook up hard. I also might add they are 305/50's so they are pretty wide and also have them siped. I used to run a couple other brands. Wild Country RVT's made by Cooper and Avon Radial SXT's also made by cooper. They all have been stellar tires, never had one problem with any of them. Hope this helps

POST REPLY TO THIS THREAD