I may have to bite the bullet and get new tires to sell the VX: advice welcome...

[Osteomata]

Yeah I have not done an online search for how cheaply I can get the Generals. Might do that next.

[VX KAT]

Thanks Sue, I am close to pulling the trigger on those Falkens at your link. I actually like the look of them better than the other two. Shipping to Miami is only $53. So I am waiting on only two things:
1. I want to check on installation options, PepBoys might be my cheapest bet.
2. I want to hear RiffRaff's thoughts. I am shocked that a tire thread has not pulled him into the debate yet, it has been almost 6 hours!

Remember his comments are always geared toward an owner that's keeping the VX, so your needs are a bit diff here.

[circmand]

Thanks Sue, I am close to pulling the trigger on those Falkens at your link. I actually like the look of them better than the other two. Shipping to Miami is only $53. So I am waiting on only two things:
1. I want to check on installation options, PepBoys might be my cheapest bet.
2. I want to hear RiffRaff's thoughts. I am shocked that a tire thread has not pulled him into the debate yet, it has been almost 6 hours!

I bought4 on a buy 3 get one free but had them reduce their cost per tire on a match any offer. So I got 4 80,000 ,\mile tires with M&B plus allignment and valve stems for $640

[Mile High VX]

Big O Tires here is offering a buy 2 get 2 free on Sat and Sun between 7 AM and 10 AM. Limited to tires on hand and you have to buy their warranty and have an alignment...but perhaps you have something spectacular in your area as well.

[SlowPro48]

Too bad we don't live closer together! I'd sell you my almost new Terra Grapplers so I could buy some bigger ones. Not an off-roader so don't really NEED big tires but have to admit - they do LOOK better. I don't know why I waited until the VX got to 111,000+ miles to notice this. Wish that little discovery had kicked in BEFORE I bought the 255s... Oh well...

So anyway there's a tip in there for you - if you go with those Falkens see if there's a step up from the 245s - bigger looks better and better looks sell quicker.

[tom4bren]

Lots of threads about the importance of having the same size and same brand of tires due to TOD issues. If you go with different ones make sure that you measure the circumfrence of the tires and make sure that they are exactly the same, otherwise you could be trading newer tires for TOD issues. Even if you find 4 of the same used you will need to make sure that they are worn evenly and measure them IMHO.

Even checking the circumfrence may not be enough. Different brands have different sidewall stiffness so your rolling radius may be different when loaded (weight of vehicle squishing them down). Also may even be different due to dynamics of cornering & such.

BLUF: don't put mismatched tires on any 4X4 especially a VX.

[fotomaker]

I just put Pirelli SCORPIONS on my 4 Runner and drove a 600 mile trip in the past 3 days.

Best tire I've ever experienced on a 4x4! Tremendous steering and cornering response. Not for serious off road.

They are available with either white or black "advertising" on the side walls.

I was surprised to discover that white raised letters was $ 40.00 a tire more.

I paid $ 132.00 each at NTB for the black lettering.

[RickOKC]

I wish you were closer, too. I have a set of Yokohama YK520s that I need to sell. They came on my VX but I didn't keep them long because I wanted A/Ts. They seemed to be a nice, comfortable tire and I had no complaints other than wanting something more rugged.

[SilverBullet75]

Hi,
I'd go used if I were selling. Why spend a bunch just to give it away?
I've bought some from Craigslist ads before (and sold some too).
WAY cheap. Sometimes people are installing off-road tires and need to get rid of their old ones for cheap.

Just a thought.

---JIM---

[Riff Raff]

2. I want to hear RiffRaff's thoughts. I am shocked that a tire thread has not pulled him into the debate yet, it has been almost 6 hours!

Damn, I musta' been asleep at the wheel by not seeing this thread earlier. LOL

Okay, here's my thought process and criteria concerning this matter:

o Focus on a price point near or at the $100 mark per tire.
o Choose a size tire that will visually make the VX more stout with a wide aggressive look while making a distinct impact upon the perspective buyer. Don't just stick with the OEM size of 245/60R18; instead, use the wider and more stout size of 285/60R18 that will give the VX a wide mean aggressive stance while still fitting onto the OEM 18x7 rims.
o Choose a radical tread pattern (preferably a V-tread) that makes a distinct impact upon the perspective buyer.
o Bottom Line-- The tires should be cheap, wide, and with a wicked tread pattern for that "WOW" factor. By meeting this criteria, the new tires will actually help sell the VX at a higher price point, thereby covering the cost of the cheaply acquired tires.


My #1 Pick: Fuzion - ZRi (radical V-tread pattern) in 285/60R18 @ $107.25 each from www.OnLineTires.com. These tires are a bargain at this price and normally sell for $150 each at other websites.

My #2 Pick: Cooper - Discoverer H/T (a highway version multi-role tread pattern) in 285/60R18 @ $103.00 each from www.Treadepot.com

Don't forget about many local tire shops in your hometown that have a "Price Match" guarantee!!! Oftentimes; if you take in a valid computer print-out advertisement from an on-line internet dealer, your local tire shop Manager will gladly Price Match the advertisement just to win over your business. By convincing a local tire shop Manager to Price Match your on-line price, will save you the "shipping costs" by not buying from the on-line tire dealer. In addition, you won't have to wait a week for the on-line tires to finally arrive from the UPS man.

Stick with the wider 285/60R18 size tire at a much cheaper cost. Forget about the OEM size of 245/60R18 that will just make to VX look too meek & mousy with no pizazz.

BTW, another website for cheap tire prices is www.Tires-Easy.com. Keep us posted on what you finally decide.

[etlsport]

If youre going to change the size, might I suggest a 265 60 18.. They are easier to find and not quite so extreme for a buyer who doesn't necessarily want a very wide tire because remember that the wider you go the lower your acceleration performance and gas mileage.u

"V shaped" (directional) tires also tend to be noisier/rougher on the road so they will accentuate any rattles you may have. But increase wet traction.. Not quite as important for test drives. They do give a sporty look if your buyer is a street only/tuner type

That said the vx looks much better with larger than factory tires, and there are more options in 255/55/18 (wider), 265/60/18(wider and taller), 265/65/18 (wider and tallest) and 285/60/18 (widest and tallest)

When/if you go to have your tires price matched, keep in mind in order to match online pricing, many places will require you to factor shipping cost into the price per tire. If its a huge price difference, some places won't match because as much as they want your business, its not worth it to them if they are losing money on the tires.

[VXdoc]

I Have Bought And Sold Now Near 100 Vehicles And Tires Are Not Something You Want To Replace When Selling A Vehicle, Any Vehicle! So My Recommendation Is To Go With Some Used Tires And If You Must Go With New. Try To Find Some On Ebay Through Discount Tires. My Personal Recommendation For Tire Would Be A Cooper Discover A/t. They're Relatively Inexpensive And Look Good Too. This All Depends On Your Demographics Of Course. And Maybe You Sell It To This Guy. His Name Is Richard Payne. He's On This Forum And Last I Spoke With Him He Mentioned He'd Like A Yellow One

Anthony

[Osteomata]

I want to thank everyone for you ongoing advice, and feel free to continue to weigh in, perhaps others will benefit from the conversation. BUT: I bought tires already. I went with the Falkens, and got Tire Kingdom to price match the best online deal I could find, including shipping, and they reduced their mount and balance price as well. I was forced to do a $70 alignment though, it was pretty obviously out of tolerance, and the ride is now drastically improved. Again, thanks everyone, I really benfited from this discussion.

[etlsport]

do you have photos? i'm pretty curious as i have never seen the ZE912 in a size so large.. my inner tire nerd is curious, i think this is the largest they make that tire

[Riff Raff]

do you have photos? i'm pretty curious as i have never seen the ZE912 in a size so large.. my inner tire nerd is curious, i think this is the largest they make that tire

My curiousty peeked as well. After some research on www.1010Tires.com which shows all available sizes by brand and model, I discovered the following statistics:

Falken - Ziex S/TZ01, Largest 18" Size = 265/60R18 (OEM 245/60R18 is not available).

Falken - Ziex S/TZ04, Largest 18" Size = 285/60R18 (OEM 245/60R18 is not available).

Falken - Ziex Z/E-912, Largest 18" Size = 265/60R18 (OEM 245/60R18 is also available).

On-line prices for the above Falken tires hover in the $135 -- $145 price range per each tire. Nowhere near the ideal $100 price mark per tire as with the wider 285 series Fuzion or Cooper brands.

Anyway, I hope the new Falken tires help with the sale and gives good vibes to perspective buyers.