Seeking Advice on Truck Tires

[deerfield]

Vehicle is a stock 2012 Ram 1500 4X4 crew cab, with 76,000 miles. Tire size: P275/60R20.

Ram is my main source of transportation, used for daily drive to/from work (60 interstate miles round trip) and occasional short tow of the Outback to the lake or pulling a light duty utility trailer.

We have all four seasons here in the southern part of Virginia, with a mild winter and little in the way of snow. Terrain is flat. I do not go off road.

I have price quotes for a set of four tires. A full service Midas shop is my go-to place for oil changes and annual state inspection. It is suggesting Discoverer LSX Plus (65,000 mile warranty) for $814 or Wrangler SR-A (50,000 mile warranty) for $855.

Costco is an option. Never bought anything automotive from it, but Costco household goods have been a good experience.

Tires currently on the truck are Wrangler HP. They were on the truck when I bought it new in 2012. As mentioned above, tires have 76,000 miles of wear on them and clearly need to be replaced.

For my use, as long as they are the right size does it really matter what tires I put on the truck? Is there a material difference in tires? As an alternative to Midas and Costco, is there a national tire chain to consider or avoid?

I know little about tires, so guidance here is appreciated. Thanks, guys!

[zabooda]

Others can chime in on what are the best tires but I would recommend using a tire company that have stores where you travel simply for servicing if you have a problem.

[sandm]

take the coopers from the shop you get your oil changed at. if you ever have an issue, that will go a long way toward a solution. it looks like a decent price for a good brand of tire.

my .02, tire brands are like ford/chevy/dodge. everyone has an opinion and in the end, most all the brand names make a good product. looks like you do a lot of non-towing driving. make sure the tires are more car-like for noise. would not be as concerned about finding a 10ply for towing as it doesn't look like you do a lot nor have a particularly heavy boat to tow.

good luck and buying tires sucks. lots of cash for something that doesn't make the truck faster or look better

[New Guy]

I have the Cooper ST Maxx on my Tahoe and I love them. If I was driving alot of miles I would not choose them as they are a pretty aggressive tire. With that said I am extremely happy with the wear on them, they aren't going to go 80k but no mud terrain will.

[kaneboats]

Definitely an "all season" as opposed to a terrain tire for you. One thing I do is look at tirerack.com and their ratings and customer feedback. I have avoided a few bad choices that were kind of cheap doing this. On my Suburban I ended up taking KG's advice and going with the Firestone Destination LE2. Excellent wet traction was the most important thing to me in FL followed by heat and then ride/quiet. If you know what the most important things are you are looking for the ratings can really help you. (BTW, I buy tires for 5 vehicles plus 2 trailers so I shop price and look for free shipping then take to WalMart or other local places to have mounted and balanced-- saves hundreds a year but this method is not for everybody.)

Here's an example (scroll down to see the ratings):

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....151202153851:s

[mmandley]

I agree with Sandm, everyone will have an opinion on tires like they do oil.

Hell I wish I could buy decent tires for 800 bucks.

Everything for my truck is 265 a tire on up in my area. I personally normally shop Discount Tire, or America's tire, same company.

I like them because they do free flat repair, free rotations and balancing.

[maxpower220]

If you travel a lot, a national chain can be better for repairs or warranty work. Shop tirerack or amazon for reviews. Shop ebay, tirerack, and call your local shop for prices. Don't forget that your local truck dealers are trying to undercut prices to get business. They can be cheaper.

Generally, really cheap tires are made cheaply and wear much faster. Expensive tires last longer. But in the $700-900 range, look for aspects that you need (quiet, long wear, looks, etc) and then buy.

I think Super Swampers would look good on your truck.

[deerfield]

I think Super Swampers would look good on your truck.

Agreed. Did a little research. Would look good on my truck.

[dusty2221]

Where is the truck, all I see is legs?

[CFD3Captain]

That picture is WAY too small!