[nicheel]

Need some advice for the wife's 2007 Outback Limited

I just got a nail in one tire, went in the top and blew out the side.

The previous owner installed Big O Euro Tours at 43K miles and we currently have 75K miles. They are actually good tires and still have about 7MM of tread left.

Question 1 - I have been told the tread is below the threshold to buy a replacement and every place I called will only install 4 on Subarus.

Question 2 - Anyone have experience with the following tires at Sams Club?

Dunlop Signature II 225/55R17 97V - $123
Goodyear Asymmetric All-Season 225/55ZR17 97W - $161
$15 per tire for install and $60 off Goodyear if I buy all 4

Keep in mind I live in Phoenix, AZ. No snow and little rain.

 

[Radar]

For the all wheel drive system, the circumference of the tires needs to match pretty closely. A small difference in tread depth is a big difference in circumference, which is why the shops will not sell you one tire. Not heading the advise could lead to drive train damage.

Personally, I have had several bad experiences with Goodyear tires. I'm sure some of them are good, but I would avoid them. I have had nothing but good service from Michelins. I'm currently on a set of Primacy MXM4.

 

[jogosub]

Dunlops are fine for your climate zone. I had a few of those before, when I lived in L.A. They don't last that long though...

 

[nicheel]

Thanks everyone.

 

[SE95]

The Dunlop Signature II is a brand new tire, it came out in March as the official replacement for the Kelly Navigator Gold and the Kelly Navigator Touring Gold (Goodyear, Kelly and Dunlop are all the same company). That being said the Signature II is an excellent tire. Very good all-season design, and should be nice and quiet too. They have a 60,000 mile tread life IIRC.

 

[arthuruscg]

SE95 are you also on Taurus Club?

 

[Hammondc]

Continental Extreme Contact DWS or the new PureContact.

 

[SE95]

SE95 are you also on Taurus Club?

No, the only other car site I am on is W-body.com. I'm WhatTheFehl there.

 

[idosubaru]

Tirerack, discount tires, etc have good reviews on their sites, go compare those tires you're looking at there.

By 7mm, do you mean 7millimeteres or 7/32 tread?

In any event, if you have decent tread you can easily get away with installing two used ones in the rear and two new ones up front. The fronts wear quicker and will soon enough match the rears.

If you're super anal you can keep the rears inflated higher above the recommended marks than the fronts to compensate a little...but it won't matter.

Although 30,000 miles sounds like a lot to me so I'm surprised you have that much tread left, I eat up tires here int he mountains.

If you buy all new tires, will you ship me your old ones? Drop them off at a store and I'll pay for shipping? All you do is wrap a label around them, don't have to box them or just let UPS store do it? I can pay you something for the tires too....if you send pictures of the tread.

 

[4wheeldog]

If you have the luxury of waiting a few days, there is a thriving Ebay business in used tires, advertised by brand/model and tread depth. If you don't want to buy one that way, you could probably sell the 3 you take off.

 

[idosubaru]

If you have the luxury of waiting a few days, there is a thriving Ebay business in used tires, advertised by brand/model and tread depth. If you don't want to buy one that way, you could probably sell the 3 you take off.

that is a great option, some of them even tell you exactly how much tread is left so you can match your identically to tread depth.

i've bought used tires off ebay and the internet - ebay has been the worst. i got one tire that had lots of tread but was notably dry rotted and cracked. another friend got one that had a patch and was specifically told it didn't have a patch. not a big deal and there's plenty of good buys but it can be an annoying route, make sure you buy ones with good pictures and maybe know the age.

 

[nicheel]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I ended up buying a new set of Dunlop Signature II Series tires. With installation and warranty, etc. I paid $600 at Sams Club. I am kept the 3 good tires in case I need them in the future.

Should I get an alignment?

 

[SE95]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I ended up buying a new set of Dunlop Signature II Series tires. With installation and warranty, etc. I paid $600 at Sams Club. I am kept the 3 good tires in case I need them in the future.

Should I get an alignment?

Good choice! I've sold several sets to Subaru owners. Especially the Foresters that take that size seem to be very popular around here. No complaints.

It is always a good idea to get your alignment checked any time you have tires put on. Especially with All Wheel Drive it would behoove you to have it done so the tires wear as evenly as possible. I've never been to Phoenix but my assumption is that the roads are pretty smooth there. Is that assumption correct? Around here we have lots and lots of potholes, cracks, and just generally really terrible roads. Around here we recommend getting the alignment checked twice a year. Here, the chances are that your alignment starts to get knocked out of spec pretty much immediately after you leave the shop. So it is always something to keep an eye on. If the car pulls to one way or the other, if the steering wheel is off center, or if your old tires wear unevenly at all these are all signs that you probably need an alignment. However, just because all of the untrained observations are good, doesn't mean your car is not out of alignment. The only way to know for sure is to put the vehicle on an alignment machine and see what the printout says.

 

[nicheel]

Good choice! I've sold several sets to Subaru owners. Especially the Foresters that take that size seem to be very popular around here. No complaints.

It is always a good idea to get your alignment checked any time you have tires put on. Especially with All Wheel Drive it would behoove you to have it done so the tires wear as evenly as possible. I've never been to Phoenix but my assumption is that the roads are pretty smooth there. Is that assumption correct? Around here we have lots and lots of potholes, cracks, and just generally really terrible roads. Around here we recommend getting the alignment checked twice a year. Here, the chances are that your alignment starts to get knocked out of spec pretty much immediately after you leave the shop. So it is always something to keep an eye on. If the car pulls to one way or the other, if the steering wheel is off center, or if your old tires wear unevenly at all these are all signs that you probably need an alignment. However, just because all of the untrained observations are good, doesn't mean your car is not out of alignment. The only way to know for sure is to put the vehicle on an alignment machine and see what the printout says.

So far so good. The ride is smooth and they are less noisy then the previous set. Most important...the wife is happy again.

The roads in Phoenix are very smooth. Especially highways that are finished with rubberized asphalt.

I will take it this weekend and get the alignment checked.