Tire Delima

[Tonetacular]

Hey guys and gals I'm stuck in a decision and looking to see if the masses may have a sway in direction. So here's the story...

My TPMS has been yelling at me for months off and on telling me that my left front tire is at 0. Yet it's still clearly holding air and I'll put a gauge on it and it is just a few PSI low from what I think it should be (38psi). Randomly it will come back on the TPMS and all is happy and good in the world. Then it may tell me another tire is low and it actually is. Typically its the left front that give me issues. No problem fire up the scan tool and it tells me that the front sensors batteries are low. Well that would make sense why it's getting wonky. So take it to the local tire shop to put in a new sensor and they won't touch the truck because the tires are too old. Ok I get it, it's a liability for them and I'm sure they would like the extra bucks. So with that said I have been shopping for months to find the right tire to fit all my needs and budget.

So I have come across a few tires all of the same tread style but different brands. Gone through the numerous threads on here about tires and sizes and what everyone loves and what every one says to not go with. We all know brands change, prices change, and types of tires change. So of the three that I'm looking at anyone have experience with them?

I am leaning to the walmart tires but really like the idea of the Discount tire option. Gotten many tires from them before and always worked out. Never bought from walmart but my step dad put a set on his truck and loves them, Not to mention I like how they perform on his truck. Want to keep options open.
Typically drive on the street with some dirt parking lots when I take the ATV out. I do tow trailers. Typically ATVs but sometimes wood and a car here or there. Don't do a ton of highway driving since being forced to work from home. And anyone wondering yes I'm having 4 new sensors put in with the new tires.

Thoughts anyone?

Choices:
Pathfinder AT https://beta.discounttire.com/buy-tires/pathfinder-at/p/26174
Thunderer Ranger https://www.tirediscounters.com/tire/Thunderer/Ranger_A_T/ATH10290
Cooper Discoverer AT https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cooper-Discoverer-A-T-All-Season-275-55R20-117T-Tire/970231905

 

[Raekal]

Keep in mind that rpetty much all chain-based tire sellers will price match eachother. This includes dealerships. Hell, chrystler is doing their buy 3 get one for $1 sale and depending on the tire can be a great price. The goodyear eagle a/s that are going on my charger were $220 from belle tire for example and the dealer was only $224. So i got one for free. But i've also had it where they'll be 30% more expensive on a tire and it be a wash-out. So, shop multiple places, print out the best, and go wherever you please. They can price match online too.

Tire rack is a great place to do tire shopping. They have their own tire ratings tests as well as comprehensive tire reviews from customers (where they rate tread ware, traction, ect along with their vehicle and usage)
I havent owned a truck long enough to swap off the set, so i cant give any real recommendations as far as general use tires go. I'd just trust the tire rack ratings for the most part then shop for price. For example, unless you're expecting to find yourself frequently in deep mud, (doesn't sound like you are) these are a top choice for a 17". with an 8.8/10 or higher in every category. Generally speaking, if there isnt a particular need for offroad performance, i prefer to go with something a little more highway orientated for fuel efficiency and reduced wear on the truck. All that road noise is added vibration to the drive train. There are numerous factors in tread design that people dont often pay attention to that make one tire act completely different from another even within the same brand and the same nameplate. A Bridgestone blizzak LT acts different compared to a standard blizzak on the same truck. In the same vein that a summer tire acts different than an all season on a sports car.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Cooper&tireModel=Discoverer+AT3+4S&partnum=665TR8DA4SOWL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Chevrolet&autoYear=2013&autoModel=Avalanche Z71&autoModClar=

Generally, the blockier the tire, the better the traction for mud and deep snow, but the worse the traction on flat pavement, and ice. (its all a matter of surface area) A blockier tire will also be louder than a relatively smooth tire, thanks to how the tread blocks smack against the pavement. Wet traction is based on how much siping there is on the rubber (those hair-thin. squiggly grooves in the middle of the rubber) as well as how many grooves are cut to allow water to be squished out and expelled from the sides or down the center of the tread. (those 0.25" bands running around the diameter) Most truck tires dont have an issue with this latter portion, modest tread blocking does this pretty well, but too aggressive of tread reduces surface area contact and to an extent can really harm your grip when the pavement isn't ideal.

 

[fflipski]

I have a terrible experience with cooper tires. But it wasn't the model you showed. Their wet grip is almost to the unsafe level on my ford ranger but it may be because of the light weight on them. But if you like the performance of those in your step-dad's truck, I'll say go for it. I have no clue on the other brands.

 

[Tonetacular]

Keep in mind that rpetty much all chain-based tire sellers will price match eachother. This includes dealerships. Hell, chrystler is doing their buy 3 get one for $1 sale and depending on the tire can be a great price. The goodyear eagle a/s that are going on my charger were $220 from belle tire for example and the dealer was only $224. So i got one for free. But i've also had it where they'll be 30% more expensive on a tire and it be a wash-out. So, shop multiple places, print out the best, and go wherever you please. They can price match online too.

Tire rack is a great place to do tire shopping. They have their own tire ratings tests as well as comprehensive tire reviews from customers (where they rate tread ware, traction, ect along with their vehicle and usage)
I havent owned a truck long enough to swap off the set, so i cant give any real recommendations as far as general use tires go. I'd just trust the tire rack ratings for the most part then shop for price. For example, unless you're expecting to find yourself frequently in deep mud, (doesn't sound like you are) these are a top choice for a 17". with an 8.8/10 or higher in every category. Generally speaking, if there isnt a particular need for offroad performance, i prefer to go with something a little more highway orientated for fuel efficiency and reduced wear on the truck. All that road noise is added vibration to the drive train. There are numerous factors in tread design that people dont often pay attention to that make one tire act completely different from another even within the same brand and the same nameplate. A Bridgestone blizzak LT acts different compared to a standard blizzak on the same truck. In the same vein that a summer tire acts different than an all season on a sports car.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Cooper&tireModel=Discoverer+AT3+4S&partnum=665TR8DA4SOWL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Chevrolet&autoYear=2013&autoModel=Avalanche Z71&autoModClar=

I totally Agree with you, I have been going over Tire rack reviews and seeing all of their reports. The one thing that I have seemed to have found is that the Cooper AT3 is a revised new version of the AT. Walmart contracted cooper to continue the older design at a discount. Hoping that's the truth.

I'll do some digging to see if I can find the same tire. I have seen a lot of places will vary the tire slightly to avoid the price match. I hadn't found anything on the Pathfinder brand. It's some kind of off name brand.

 

[Raekal]

I totally Agree with you, I have been going over Tire rack reviews and seeing all of their reports. The one thing that I have seemed to have found is that the Cooper AT3 is a revised new version of the AT. Walmart contracted cooper to continue the older design at a discount. Hoping that's the truth.

I'll do some digging to see if I can find the same tire. I have seen a lot of places will vary the tire slightly to avoid the price match. I hadn't found anything on the Pathfinder brand. It's some kind of off name brand.

Im not sure how much truth there is to that claim, but in general when a new revision is pushed out, the manufacturer clearences the old style. This can also happen when tires have been sitting in a warehouse too long and they push them on clearence to clear them out while they still have usable life. (clearance tires tend to be a couple years old. Not a big deal if you dive a lot)

Sometimes just because a company revises a tire, they dont discontinue the old one. This is because even though the new one is a revision, it doesn't necessarily mean it's better in all use cases. Like I mentioned before, everything is a balance of design. Usually when you have an already-good tire, you have to make a compromise to revise it. Even just changing the tire compound can affect how it works. So they may keep the old one to satisfy people that prefer it, sometimes its just until they're sure the new one lives up to the expectations that the old one had set, and sometimes, like you implied, there are special circumstances. Though it doesnt quite make sense for walmart to special order an old mold to sell for a cheaper price. usually the smaller the run, the more expensive it is. But hey, anything is possible. My bet is on clearence.

Also, there really aren't THAT many variants of the same tire. Presuming that they're the same tire size and name, they're going to be the same tire. Companies might have a different internal part number, but the manufacturer part number will be identical. Usually, the marketing fluff can alter the "title". You just have to make sure it isnt one of the company's other tires.If they give you grief online, take a copy of the webpage instore. (set up for your zip code). Technically, the only way they should have around it is if its a: closeout/ clearance, marked promotion/ sale, black Friday, or the site isnt considered a competitor. (If it is a more localized chain, you might have to go to the store direct so they accept it). if you've never heard of a tire chain, chances are the wont accept it where you live. Big O tires for example used to be here in michigan when my dad ran a number of them, but ever since it was embezzled and left the state, you cant get them to price match here despite being a nationwide competitor.