On Sun, 9 Jul 2017 17:34:53 +0000 (UTC), Chaya Eve
wrote:

On Sun, 9 Jul 2017 11:37:46 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
How are your tires working?

Based on the logical and sound advice given here?
Nobody who was logical suggested the problem was the tires themselves.

I have suggested SEVERAL times it mat be wrong tires for the
application and have asked for the make, model and size of the tire,
as well as the year of youe 2 wheel drive 4 Runner.
Sure, they suggested higher air pressure, but that's not the tires.
They suggested a smaller width, but I'm already at OEM width (225mm) where
they were assuming 245 and larger widths.

OEM on a 4 runner can be 225, 245, or 265 - they can be 16, 17, 18,
or even 20 inch. They can be 60, 65, 70, or 75 profile tires, and they
can be any of several trad patterns.
Some suggested thicker sidewalls which I already have with a greater load
range (I actually think the OEM load range is 99, but I'd have to check but
I already have a higher load range).
As stated, the load range does not NECESSARILY mean a heavier sidewall
They suggested slower downhill cornering, but that's not the tires' fault.
They suggested less +camber & less +toe, but that's not the tire's either.
They suggested more frequent rotation, but that's not a tire's fault.
And they suggested better treadwear, but 380 isn't a terrible rating.
It's JUST a marketing number - and you are the "marketing expert" -
the nuber REALLY doesn't mean it's a better tire. Tell us what kind of
crap you are running on, and we will tell you if it is likely to be a
large or small part of the problem.

So to your point, nobody logical suggested the fault was the tires.
I , for one, most definitely have, from YEARS of working with Toyotas
in particular, and vehicles and tires in general.

Can you get better for less money?

I bought the best value at the time for my tires.
No you didn't if rhey are not doing the job. Going by the "marketing
BS" you bought the cheapest tire that met what you, a marketing major,
thought were your requirements. You have NO IDEA what the requirements
are, and if the tires you bought ACTUALLY meet your requirements.

Could I get better value now?
Maybe.

Everything depends on the value of the current options, where tire prices
change by large percentages between models (but not overall).

Tire prices change more between one supplier and another than they do
between brands and models in many cases.

What I mean by that is that any individual model may change in price (up or
down) in any given month of the year, but some other tire model will also
change in price (up or down) in that same given month so I have to look at
value at any given time, where the only time that matters is when I need
tires (since you can't stock them easily like you can commodities like
propane which don't degrade over time and which fit innocuously in a 1000
gallon tank).

If I get a better value with economies of scale by stocking tires with low
inventory costs, I would consider that but it's just frankly not possible
to stock tires for a typical homeowner with low inventory costs, given the
length of time and space required.

You would very possibly end up with a stack of tires that do not meet
your requirements - and there is NO VALUE in having something that
does not do the job - regardless of price.

So I make the value decision and do all the research when I need tires.

Uninformed research, from the appearances so far.

Yes, but twisted logic. I think you are using your knowledge of
marketing to justify you are a cheapskate.

I understand that you said that you always buy the "loaded" car, which in
marketing terms of "good/better/best" L/XL/GXL means you buy the most
expensive object.

And I buy it when he's finished with it. If he's taken care of it I
get FANTASTIC value. I'm buying the same car, but I'm not buying the
most expensive.

I also know that we are taught to take the same object and to then
differentiate it so that we can coax the most amount of money from people
like you, and, better yet, we get compensated greatly for accomplishing
that simple goal.

You are lokking at the world through the very jaded eyes of a
marketing expert.

We don't put any effort into the "L" "good" model.
We put a lot of effort to extract more money for the "XL" better model.
But we put the most effort into gaining customers like you seem to be.

Why?
Because "GXL" is where the company makes the most money per item.

When I worked at the dealership we found we made a LOT more monet
sellig 30 corollas than one supra - and it was a lot easier to sell
the "hamburgers" than the "T-Bomes" The dealership could not exist on
selling only the limitted number of highend cars - we THRIVED on
moving quantity at low margin

Right, minimum spec is all that matters.

I think you want to hear what you want to hear.
I never said even once that I buy products on the minimum spec unless they
are commodities.

A commodity, by definition, is only ruled by price.

And you claim tires are commodities - one h rated 150 load rated tire
is the same as the next - the spec, or catalog number, says it all.
So you are buying by price. Sure - you set your "search parameters" by
what you have already stated is "marketinf BS", then you buy the
cheapest that meets those totally arbitrary specifications.

Neither of us considers a tire a commodity, so now we must buy on value.
If we buy on value, we have to compare performance with cost.

You have not given us ANY reason to believe you are getting "quality"

To compare performance of a tire is a difficult thing because you might
have an "in" at Bridgestone where you can get the manufacturer's tests for
their tires but you won't at the same time have an "in" at Cooper to get
the same comparison information.

Don't need an IN.
So what do you have to compare tires?
Lots.

* You have the specs that the manufacturer specified
Which are "marketing BS" lik all the rest of it.
* You have the specs on the current tires to improve upon if you want
If you KNOW what needs improvement, and what improvements constitute
"value" - It appears you may not.
* You have reviews of tires on the net (of varying degrees of usefulness)
* You have forums such as this ng to ask questions
And you don't listen to the answers given by expers because "you
know"

For you to say I buy only the minimum spec is for you to deprecate what I
have been saying about making a logical decision based on value.

You buy the cheaoest that meats your arbitrary at best, requirements.
You refuse to give the information required for an EXPERT to give you
a qualified, intelligent answer as to what your problem really is.
Just because your marketing degree trumps an auto mechanic, no matter
how qualified and experienced?????