Pulaski

They're now the OEM installation on Mustangs. Everything I have seen is that the Goodyears equivalent to the ones that were on the car when it left the factory are not of good quality and are prone to "going out of round". The only tyres that are widely available in the size I need are mid-priced or cheaper and, quite frankly, of doubtful quality. I understand the potential issue with switching brand*, but in searching for good tyres I think that Pirelli are the best choice..... if I can find anyone to sell me them without ripping me off!

* I have always fitted the closest matching Michelins to my Accord as the ones it came with, and my F250 also needs new tyres this month and will almost certainly be getting equivalent Firestones to the ones it came with.

I meant one brand/ model, ya numpty!

Nutek

I have to get some summer tyres onto the Mini when I get back from the UK. I think I will probably go with some Hankooks, assuming I can find some with a suitable rating and decent reviews.

scot47

Free range children.

Bahtatboy

I agree wholeheartedly with not buying cheapies, but even good ones can completely alter precision and feel. And you can't take them back if you don't like them...Maybe one of the Mustang forums has recommendations.

Edit: Read that as "not the OEM installation on Mustangs" rather than "now the...". Good luck with finding them :-)

Pulaski

Several do .... Pirellis! .... Also some Goodyears in the $350-$450/ tyre range!

Bahtatboy

Youch.

Jonion

I don't agree with getting the OEM tyres for any car, unless they're good enough at the right price. I'm not sure I've ever fitted OEM tyres unless on the S2000 which had 'special' fitment for the first few years.

The problem is in being able to test the tyres on the car without the hassle of buying and being stuck with them.
I drive lots of cars on various tyres so don't have that problem but you can do all the usual car forum searches for what the 'enthusiasts' recommend.

I have found that finding the right tires in the US is trickier than finding the right tyres in the UK. But I suspect that's mostly because I've become very accustomed to the UK market over the last 20 years in the trade.

What tire sizes do you need Pulaski?
Have you looked at online suppliers? They are usually the best option.
Tirerack are a good place to look at your options.

Pulaski

I need 245/45 ZR 17's W or Y rated.

I've trawled various retailers, including tirerack.com, and read a fair few bulletin boards for tyres in general and Mustangs specifically. Opinions seem divided between those who think that various cheaper tyres are "just great", and those that report the cheaper tyres are noisy, don't handle well, and wear out quickly. Interestingly I saw similar opinions for the OEM Goodyears too, especially with them causing vibrations and/ or going out of round.

My choices are down to, more or less, Michelins, Bridgestones, and Pirellis. All come in around $170-$210, the Pirellis are now Mustang OEM, which I had thought would make them easier to find, but not in my neck of the woods, it hasn't, with even the Ford dealer wanting to stick me with a freight surcharge. ..... Maybe it just comes with living too far out in the sticks. If the dealer I contacted doesn't come up with a good deal, I feel a trip to the big city coming on to buy tyres.

SultanOfSwing

See, now your best bet is just to buy a shit car, like mine, then it doesn't matter what bloody tires you put on

Pulaski

Nor if your wife scrapes the side along the garage door frame.

Yorkieabroad

Have to say, I wonder about the OEM selections sometimes. My F150 came with Pirelli Scorpion whatever's on it, and they were fine...rode well, reasonable handling, nice and quiet. Lasted less than 25k miles! Switched to michelins and they are also quiet, nice ride. Came with a 60k warranty on them (not quite sure whether thats worth the paper it's written on) but 2 friends have identical trucks and have got over 50k out of the michelins.

Dodge we had before this had Goodyears * on it....they were a pile of crap...I went thru 3 sets in about 15000 miles. The shoulders were developing serrated edges The first replacement was free, but by the time I was looking at the 3rd they were telling me it was my driving style, had a big barney, and I ended up buying pirellis* and never had a problem after that...met multiple other Durango owners who had the same problems with the Goodyears.

* I think I went Goodyear to Pirelli....may have been the other way -it was a few years back, and I'm getting to the point that the "senior care memory clinic" is looking quite nice

Pulaski

The original Firestones on my F250 won't get it through the inspection due this month, they have almost 69,000 miles on them.

The original Goodyears on my Mustang won't get it through the inspection due this month, they have almost 41,000 miles on the them, which I believe is at the upper end of what is possible for "performance" tyres, and might indicate that I haven't been having enough fun!

Thankfully the Accord didn't need tyres this year, but is on its 4th set of Michelins at 268,000 miles. The previous ones lasted 80,000+ (original set), 60,000+/-, and 100,000 +/- (most recent set). The fourth set went on at just over 240,000 miles, and should be good for another 2-3 years.

If you notice a pattern, it helps explain my leaning towards OEM tyres.

SultanOfSwing

My wife has her own car, she can scrape it along whatever she wants

Bob

Tire Rack online? Then what ever the local place charges to swap them out...

Pulaski

Right, and that's something I have no interest in getting involved with. .... tirerack.com is still a good research resource though.