I'm needing tires for my 89 dump truck. Don't want to go too pricey with this expenditure. Last time I purchased tires, I bought six from Costco. They ran under a hundred per tire. I thought it was a great deal. Now, same tire, its $135 or so. Anyone have recommendations on a not too pricey tire.

 

It worked once, why not twice?

 

Cheap is good but poor quality isn't. Tires made in China are known for tread separation. Stick with reputable brands, preferably made in the US. Better quality tires balance out better and thus last longer anyways. You get what you pay for. And there are few things on a vehicle that contribute as much to safety.

 

What do you do with the truck? Is it a highway queen or does it go in the mud and brush?

The longest lasting tires seem to be michelin LTX but they do cost more up front and are not good in the mud or snow.

 

Its a dump truck. Lots of around town trips. Will not see more than 500 miles a month. It will be in gravel an hard pane surfaces mostly. Other than the trip to the quarry....gravel or top soil.

 

Nitto dura grappler if traction is not a concern. For my truck I'm seriously considering Goodyear Workhorse Extra Grips. They seem to have a fairly aggressive tread design while retaining good wear characteristics. They're also designed with work trucks in mind. (Cut resistant compound and high load capacities.)
Toyo open country at are terrible for wear on heavy trucks. The compound is too soft. Look into Hankook Dynapro ATM RF10 (or another of the dynapro line). The RF10's seem to have a good balance of all terrain design. I hope this helps.

 

Mastercraft Courser AT2 all terrains. They're made by Cooper. I've got about 5k miles so far. Pretty good tire for the money.

 

I have the Cooper Chapperals and I now have about 10,000 on them without much wear. They are quiet, smooth and have a good cleanout design. Give them a look see. I paid $150 each.

 

Unless you need the added traction of a true A/T tire, I would get either the Michelin LTX or the Firestone Steeltex. Both wear quite well and handle a load very well. The initial investment is higher but they last an awful lot longer.

 

What dartmouth said.

Most of us that run an A/T tire don't need them since we're mostly on pavement.

To me, winter traction is the main reason to consider an A/T tire over a hwy tire.

In the long run, a hwy tire is a better value because of the long treadlife and better mpg.

At least, that's USUALLY true

 

My truck has Michelin LTX's, as of Spring 2007. These are load range E - which should mean "Expensive." There's just not a lot of way around this fact - load range E tires simply cost more to construct, and those costs just keep rising. Is this a business truck? Maybe you can itemize the expense of upkeep on your taxes. I tried to find something under $120/each, I finally gave up and bought the good ones at Sam's, since safety is a huge priority, and it's hard to justify questionable tires.