Spare Tire Hoist

**0rion** · 01-10-2014, 04:03 AM

Originally Posted by 5.0THIS

I should really start operating that thing once in a while to make sure it's freed up. I admit I've never done it. lol

I can't imagine having a flat on the side of the road and dealing with that thing there. It took me a long ass time to get mine down and I pretty much threw my toolbox at it. No way in hell I could've got that down on the side of the road. If I were you I'd maybe take a few minutes and lower it and lube that catch on there. I didn't even put my spare back under the truck. Like cutlass said....tires are made much better than they used to be. I don't even remember my last flat it's been so long. My spare tire wasn't even the same size tire as I'm running on there now so it was kinda pointless having it under there and we have AAA so I have a back up plan.

**Firebirdjones** · 01-10-2014, 05:01 AM

The only flat I had was way back when I was 16 years old on a company vehicle. Never had one since on anything, that is until moving to AZ.

Now living out here in AZ for the past 5 years I've seen more flat tires in that span than my entire life back in Ohio. Almost everyday, specifically in the summer time I'll see someone with a flat somewhere along the side of the road. Alot of it has to do with the heat on the pavement generated by the intense sunshine we get here (so I've found out). And if tire pressures are too low (which generates heat anyway) couple that with the hot pavement and next thing you know you have tread seperation and blowouts.

Last year, the truck I bought had cheap china tires on it that I had planned to change in the coming weeks. They were in good shape visually, and I kept tire pressures up to spec as I do on all my cars, but still didn't like the tires and wanted something better. But before I got that chance, coming home one afternoon this past June the left front blew in spectacular fassion. Going 70 mph it was everything I could do to keep it under control and slow it down. It all happened in a matter of seconds but in that short amount of time, it destroyed the front bumper ripping the steel bumper brackets in half, blew the inner fender out of it, wires hanging down, it was a mess. I couldn't even drive it home even after installing the spare, too much crap was dragging the ground

I found out recently talking to a tire guy I now know, that the big Firestone scandle several years back wasn't really Firestones fault. They were contracted by Ford to build a cheaper tire so Ford could save some money on sales. There is alot more to it than that but that's the gist of it. When customers (as people often do) don't check tire pressures, it led to excessive heat and blowouts. That incodent is what led to the cars now having tire pressure monitors. Proper tire pressure likely wouldn't have started that whole scandal in the first place.
He explained the cheaper tires like this. Every year the car manufactures go to the tire manufactures for quotes. They are quoted based off the predicted millions of tires they will buy in bulk that year based off production. In the end the car manufacture ends up buying these tires for about $1 a piece which sounds crazy cheap to us. But the tire manufactures bank on the fact that returning customers with these cars will be back and they can then make 150% profit on the next set of tires sold. The problem starts when the car manufactures try to save a few pennies, and if another tire manufacture comes in at .98 cents, you can bet they'll go with the cheaper quote that year. Cheaper price means cheaper construction and possible problems. This doesn't always happen but it might help to explain some of the issues.

Bottom line, good quality tires has always been something I look at. After my blowout that could of ended badly (thankfully it didn't) good quality tires are even more important to us, so I'll pay a little more for that piece of mind.

**RONS98TA** · 01-10-2014, 06:57 AM

Basically goes back to the old saying, "you get what you pay for"

**Firebirdjones** · 01-10-2014, 07:43 AM

Interesting for sure. That's how it was explained to me, I'm just passing it along since we are on the subject. Not sure how much is true but I would think at least some of it has some merrit.

I agree with the others though, alot of good tire brands out there with prices all over the place, and they likely won't give you much trouble if they are taken care of.

**5.0THIS** · 01-10-2014, 08:27 PM

I worked for Ford during the whole Firestone fiasco. There was little if anything wrong with those tires. When the mechanics could get away with it, they wouldn't destroy the tires they pulled off as was protocol, since most of them were new or near new. Then they'd run them on their own trucks.

As far as flats... I don't as much fear a flat from a flaw in the manufacture of the tire, but rather from road debris or damage caused by a foreign object.

I remember an engineer from GM one time ranking tires based on quality. I don't recall his entire list, but the top couple were Michelin (and BFG and Uniroyal, all the same company), and then Bridgestone/Firestone.

**konigandy6** · 01-14-2014, 02:42 PM

I hate my Bridgestones.... Stock tire on a Z71 Silverado. They handle the wet and snow fantastic, but those fuckers are almost impossible to balance out. And when they're cold... might as well be driving a clown car with square wheels. But, only 5600 miles on them... I can't justify dropping a grand on a new set of tires yet.