New Tire Pricing & Load Range Advice

[rayin]

I've been pricing new 275/70R22.5, LR H all-position tires. So far the best pricing I've found has been local dealers. a small independent tire shop in the city is enrolled in the FMCA tire program. The manager also said he sells Firestone, and quoted me $$2,478.20 for 6 FS560, total price including taxes, mounting, balancing. Quoted $2,580.20 for 6 FS561, which are load range L, whereas my owners manual calls for load range H.

I hesitant to buy the LR L because the sidewall may be too stiff/rigid, and result in a log-wagon ride. Which do you recommend?

FWIW,my MH is 1,8xx#  under GVWR of 31,000# as we travel.

[rayin]

I"ve made my decision and new tires are on MH.

[manholt]

RAYIN.  So what did you pick and how is the ride?

[five]

10 hours ago, manholt said:

RAYIN.  So what did you pick and how is the ride?

Yes, good question.  Your post is no help if you don't tell us the results.

[rayin]

I apologize men, I've been mainly focused on caring for my wife and trying to maintain our farm. Anyway, I decided on Sailun S637 all-position truck tires. The Firestone FS 560 were a discontinued tire, replaced with FS561. The load range L tires would have been too much for my GVWR of 31,000#, and caused a very harsh ride unless deflated to an unsafe level, plus excessive sidewall flex=more tire heat, which is the main enemy of tires.

The 6 Sailun S637 load range H tires were $1,930 final bill.

I had a 4 wheel alignment done on the MH last Thursday. Toe-in was .53" more than double Spartan specs., and thrust was out .34". My old Goodyear tires wore-well considering the alignment corrections necessary. The alignment cost was $300, but by the time I drove to Indianapolis(next-nearest truck shop), fuel cost+alignment would've added up to nearly the same money.

[tireman9]

6 hours ago, RAYIN said:

I apologize men, I've been mainly focused on caring for my wife and trying to maintain our farm. Anyway, I decided on Sailun S637 all-position truck tires. The Firestone FS 560 were a discontinued tire, replaced with FS561. The load range L tires would have been too much for my GVWR of 31,000#, and caused a very harsh ride unless deflated to an unsafe level, plus excessive sidewall flex=more tire heat, which is the main enemy of tires.

The 6 Sailun S637 load range H tires were $1,930 final bill.

I had a 4 wheel alignment done on the MH last Thursday. Toe-in was .53" more than double Spartan specs., and thrust was out .34". My old Goodyear tires wore-well considering the alignment corrections necessary. The alignment cost was $300, but by the time I drove to Indianapolis(next-nearest truck shop), fuel cost+alignment would've added up to nearly the same money.

Without seeing the actual tire specification from the tire plant I can't know for sure but increased Load Range does not always translate into stiffer ride (at the same inflation). Just because a tire can hold a higher inflation does not mean the ride will be stiffer.

To hold the air pressure a tire needs higher tensile capacity in the sidewall. Tire steel cords are pretty flexible in bending.

When you selected the Sailun tires did you confirm the warranty and get a list of locations that could provide a replacement tire if you ever get a non-repairable puncture?

 

Unrelated to the tires, Did you also get the rubber parts of the bolt in valves replaced too. We all know that the rubber in tires can "age out" but few people remember that other rubber components in an RV also can age out. New "O-rings or gaskets for the valves is low cost insurance and making a change when you get new tires makes it easier to remember when you made the valve rubber change.

[rayin]

Roger, starting with the last of your reply first, The entire metal valve stem was replaced. The tire shop said the aluminum rims used their own design and the gasket was not replaceable, the steel rims were different, gaskets were replaced on them. 

Sailun S637 truck tires are available nationwide today. The tire shop I patronize is one of a small midwest chain, however most truck stops carry Sailun truck tires today. They are all-steel construction, they do not have a limited lifetime mfgr. tread warranty. reviews on simpletire.com

Here is one tire thread on escapees.com about Sailun S637 tires dated 2016.

I did discover something that mildly upsets me after I got home. Sailun truck tires are now made in Vietnam, under the same ISO and USDOT standards used in China. It brought back memories better left in the past.

I will say they ride well, an improvement over the 9 yr old Goodyear G670's that I realize were hardened by age.

Only time and rolling experience will tell me more about these tires. I may discover I should have bought the Firestone FS561 LR L tires; at the least I will be a test-case for running Sailun truck tires instead of a top-tier tire.

 

[tireman9]

Good info on tire brand availability. I have heard some good reports on Sailun brand.

 

RE DOT Regs.  The is only one set of regs ( passenger, LT , trailer and truck have their own section, for any tire with the symbol DOT.

[rayin]

Thanks to whoever mentioned tire tiers, It made me do some research on the subject.

What I gleaned from reading the following websites is; tire tiers are basically established on initial price, mileage expectations, and market. Tire quality and workmanship does not appear to be a qualifier.

http://www.moderntiredealer.com/blogpost/b-o-b/340110/what-s-in-a-tier-who-knows by Bob Ulrich

http://www.moderntiredealer.com/article/312245/what-is-a-tier-two-tire-tier-three by Bob Ulrich

http://fleetowner.com/management/feature/fleet_tire_gamble by David Cullen

Those are just a few of the search results:"differences between tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 tires."

Michelin and other major tire mfgrs. say some tires they make overseas does not have a USDOT number because they did not design that tire for the U.S. market. All tires made for the U.S.A. market will  have a DOT number on them.

Roger am I viewing this correctly?

[tireman9]

On 9/4/2017 at 3:31 PM, RAYIN said:

Thanks to whoever mentioned tire tiers, It made me do some research on the subject.

What I gleaned from reading the following websites is; tire tiers are basically established on initial price, mileage expectations, and market. Tire quality and workmanship does not appear to be a qualifier.

http://www.moderntiredealer.com/blogpost/b-o-b/340110/what-s-in-a-tier-who-knows by Bob Ulrich

http://www.moderntiredealer.com/article/312245/what-is-a-tier-two-tire-tier-three by Bob Ulrich

http://fleetowner.com/management/feature/fleet_tire_gamble by David Cullen

Those are just a few of the search results:"differences between tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 tires."

Michelin and other major tire mfgrs. say some tires they make overseas does not have a USDOT number because they did not design that tire for the U.S. market. All tires made for the U.S.A. market will  have a DOT number on them.

Roger am I viewing this correctly?

It is illegal to sell or operate tires on public highway that do not have the DOT symbol molded on a tire sidewall.

 

RE tiers. While quality statements are not used in the ranking as there is no cross company tire quality comparison test. IMO I think it is reasonable to use the ranking level as the cumulative opinion of hundreds of tire dealers and fleet owners on the relative quality and durability of the different brands of tires.

[rayin]

To update my evaluation of the Sailun 275/70 R 22.5 tires; they now have approx. 5,000 miles on them, ride very smoothly and hold the road well, they make a bit more noise than the old Goodyears. I attribute that to the tread design, which does not have the stone ejector strips in the Goodyear design.

[manholt]

RayIN.

Thank you for the update!

Carl

[tireman9]

On 9/3/2017 at 11:12 AM, RayIN said:

I apologize men, I've been mainly focused on caring for my wife and trying to maintain our farm. Anyway, I decided on Sailun S637 all-position truck tires. The Firestone FS 560 were a discontinued tire, replaced with FS561. The load range L tires would have been too much for my GVWR of 31,000#, and caused a very harsh ride unless deflated to an unsafe level, plus excessive sidewall flex=more tire heat, which is the main enemy of tires.

The 6 Sailun S637 load range H tires were $1,930 final bill.

I had a 4 wheel alignment done on the MH last Thursday. Toe-in was .53" more than double Spartan specs., and thrust was out .34". My old Goodyear tires wore-well considering the alignment corrections necessary. The alignment cost was $300, but by the time I drove to Indianapolis(next-nearest truck shop), fuel cost+alignment would've added up to nearly the same money.

2

Sorry but I do not agree with the concept that running 110 PSi in a LR-L would be "unsafe and result in excessive flexing and heat.  This assumes you are running the correct inflation based on your measured load. While not the same product I have been writing in my BLOG about what inflation to run when you change size or LR