Replacement Tires for 2003 F250 4x4 TV - Montana Owners Club

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-08-2008, 09:05 PM

We have 75,000 miles plus on our OEM Firestone Steeltex A/T 265 75R16 Load Range E tires on our 2003 F250 7.3L SRW LB 4X4 Lariat 3.73 Rear End Ratio TV with a more than safe amount of tread left. I haven't measured them lately. But they are now over 5 years old and I'm thinking I might want to replace these before our next 1600 mile winter trip to AZ. We are hauling a late 2006 Montana 3400RL running heavy with a GCVW probably over 22,000 lb when fully provisioned.

But it is my understanding that these OEM Firestone tires are discontinued and therefore I need to look for something else. I suspect there are a few other MOC'ers that have gone through this so I'm asking for some recomendations. I'll pay more for safety and durability and would buy the Firestones again in a heart beat. I don't have any particular store favorites but I will be sensitive to having warranty service available where ever our travels may lead us. Costco and/or Wall Mart would be ok since they are all over the West Coast and in AZ. Costco only sells Goodrich and Michelin in this size and I am concerned about the sidewall strength on the Michelins. But that isn't an educated concern. But with a SRW setup I don't want to compromise on the stability we have now with the Firestones.

But.... What have you replaced these tires with and are you happy with them?

stiles watson · 07-08-2008, 09:13 PM

Ford put BFGoodrich tires on my 2008 Ford. It is my understanding that BFGoodrich is owned by Michlin.

kerry · 07-09-2008, 04:19 AM

Michelins 10 ply all weather do a good job. Sears has a sale on them once a year. If you buy them from Sears you'll get free rotation and balance on them for as long as you have the tires. Kerry

racerjoe · 07-09-2008, 05:49 AM

I put Michelins on my F250 ,load range E, purchased and installed from Sams Club.
They seem to handle very well pulling the Monty, Would not hesitate to buy again.

jimcar827 · 07-09-2008, 05:51 AM

You are to be congratulated on your Firestone tire mileage. I had to replace my Firestones at around 50,000 miles. My '03 F-250 is a two wheel drive, so maybe my tire is a completely different tire. I have forgotten what particular name was on it. It was RWL Firestone, same size as yours though.
ANYHOO. I replaced mine with the Michelin RWL XLT's and have been very happy with them. The Firestone's used to hydroplane, not the Michelin's.
I purchased mine through Sam's Club at a very fair price, including free rotation and balancing, $761.28.
I chose Sam's Club because of availability to them as well as Walmart while on the road.
Jim

Charlie · 07-09-2008, 06:20 AM

Second set of Michelins XLT on my F-250. You had better luck with the OEM Firestones than I did. They had to come off at 30000. Jim is correct about the price, gonna cost you about $800 for the set of four.

ChuckD · 07-09-2008, 12:18 PM

Michlen LT M/S Discounttires.com 245/75/16 $166.00 No Sales Tax and free shipping

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-09-2008, 01:44 PM

Thanks so far for the input and suggestions. I had forgotten about the hydroplane issue and that is real on these Firestone tires. It's been dry here for a couple of weeks so we Washingtonians try to immediately forget the last 8 months of wet weather. :-) I have been startled a few times when running into puddles or standing water. That problem is a serious one, damned unsafe at times, which I would like to not have on the new tires. Have any of you folks noticed any difference in sidewall stability (side wind drift resistance on a SRW) from brand to brand? Or a difference in road noise due to tread design?

ols1932 · 07-09-2008, 04:35 PM

Michelins here also. 50,000 miles plus per set. I know it doesn't meet up with your 75K Firestones, but....

Orv

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-09-2008, 05:35 PM

Have found out that the Michelins are now over $200 per tire before tax. WOW! The high priced oil hits us at all sides.

dsprik · 07-09-2008, 06:51 PM

Michelin LTX here, too. Put mine on a little over a year ago as per advice here on the MOC. Best tire I have ever had on any vehicle. They cost me right at $200/tire a year ago. That was a great price back then, Dean. $200 per tire should be acceptable now.

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-10-2008, 06:34 AM

How about $220 each plus tax?

dsprik · 07-10-2008, 12:30 PM

I think that's within range of acceptable, but I would like a 2nd opinion from Lonnie B.

LonnieB · 07-11-2008, 03:36 AM

Yes, $220.00 each, mounted and balanced, plus tax is acceptable. I sell the same tire for $214.00 mounted and balanced, plus tax.

As far as the Discount Tire price of $166.00 goes, beware. You will still have to pay mounting and balancing, which can cost anywhere from $15.00 to $40.00 each. Some even charge extra for wheel weights, valve stems, and disposal fees.

jsnip42 · 07-16-2008, 02:48 AM

I had 83,000 miles on my steeltex tires and loved them. Wish they still made them. My current truck now has 18inch wheels and I want to get these crappy Contintal tires off. The only Firestone tires my store offered me was Firestone Transforce H/T LT275/70R18. It seems the brands in 18inch are limited to a few. Price was $813.20 out the door. I guess all tires are expensive these days.

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-23-2008, 03:15 PM

Ok, I'm leaning toward going with Michelin tires for my truck. Either LTX A/T2 or LTX M/S. The dealer I have developed some confidence in is recommending the LTX M/S primarily due to his customers feed back about excellent tread life with good traction even as the tread gets thinner. Now we do get some nasty weather here in the NW but we spend 5 months, November through March, in AZ. We did get quite a bit of snow here in April after our return home this year and do have a steep incline into our development. It would be nice to have the extra traction and longer tread life but is there a downside over the LTX A/T2? More noise? Less Mileage? More side sway? Or are they about the same with a slightly different tread design? Over 70% of the truck's annual mileage is running empty but I need the best tire possible for pulling the RV and the rest is secondary by quite a bit. Any suggestions or comments?

dsprik · 07-23-2008, 04:54 PM

Boy, Dean, not sure. I love my LTX M/S. Tread life is amazing. I have never had these tires in snow, though, so I am not sure how they would work. These are very quiet. Absolute workhorse tire!

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-23-2008, 05:31 PM

dsprik,

Thanks, that feedback is really helpful. Believe it or not, the only Michelin dealer I have found so far that I have developed any confidence in is the Costco store here in Everett, WA. They actually had a attendant/sales person that knew something about the products. A bit of a surprise. I also checked at the local Sears Store in Everett, WA and I must have hit them on a bad day or something because the sales clerks were no help at all and they only wanted to sell me what they had in stock. None of which was appropriate for my needs. Other local Michelin dealers so far have so many sales gimicks and add-ons its hard to get a bottom line price and understand what the real warranty is. At least there are Costco stores along most of our normal travel routes.

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