Goodyear Fortera w/Silent Armor anyone???

[Persian Prince]

What's up folks?

I have a 03 stepside with 29,000 miles on it now. I am still running on the factory Dunlops but they are almost as bald as Kojak.

One of my best friends has a tire shop and he always hooks me up with everything at dead cost. I asked him what tires to get to replace my factory 265/65/17 Dunlops and without hesitating he said "I'm gonna get you the new Goodyear Fortera's with Silent Armor".

He said that since I am no longer going to put bigger wheels and tires on my car the Goodyears are the unanimous choice.

Now here's a little background on me. My truck is 4x2, I live in California (Bay Area) so I NEVER go offroading or to Tahoe up in the snow and I don't have a boat or anything else that requires towing. I have a computer and home entertainment business and I use my truck to move equipment around and the normal errands. I want a quiet tire that rides really nice and has great treadlife. The Goodyears are supposed to be really quiet and are rated at 70,000 miles in treadlife. The only downfall is the price. These tires run about $200 retail but even at my buddies cost they are around $130-$145 each. I don't really mind paying extra for a great tire I just want to make sure I get the best.

I know these tires are new but has anybody else had experience with these new Goodyear tires yet or the previous Fortera's? Is there any other tire that anybody can recommend for what I want out of my tires? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks folks

[TPA]

I purchased the Goodyear Fortera silent armor tires 265/70/16 a few days ago and had them installed on my 2003 4x4 Sequoia, stock rims. The tires are quiet, handle well, and look good.The tires were mounted and speed balanced, then I had the truck aligned. First time out on the thruway the steering wheel would shake back and forth at any speed between 50 mph and 70 mph. Went back this afternoon and had the wheels speed balanced again.Situation is much better now, however at 63 mph if you take your hands off the wheel there is still a slight shake, wouldn't know it if you kept your hands on the wheel but it's still not right. I chose these tires because the Goodyear Fortera HL was listed number one by consumer reports Nov 04. I have since read another customer review, I think on tirerack.com, that the poster also had a problem getting the tires balanced. To make a long story short I'm already sorry that I went with these tires. If you end up trying them out please post your experience either good or bad.
Regards, TPA

[Persian Prince]

I am sorry that you have had such a bad experience with them so far.

My buddy called me today and said that the tires are on backorder and it will be 2-3 weeks before they come in. I really appreciate your opinion bro.

I might go with the Michellin's instead plus I don't think that I will have to wait as long. My buddy highly recommened the Michellin's as well but thought that the Goodyear's were a good fit for my driving style and daily use.

I also read the tirerack comments and one guy said that it took as much as 6oz on each wheel to balance them correctly.

Maybe it's a good thing that the tires are on backorder, I can change my mind without having commited to anything. I think that I might be ordering a set of Michellin's now.

Thanks a lot and I hope your tires get balanced properly. I will post an update soon.

[Persian Prince]

I bought the Cross Terrain SUV tires from tirerack.com

They set me back about $720 shipped and my buddy put them on for me for free thankfully! I guess it pays to have good friends.

First off they look at lot better than the sorry Dunlops that came with the truck but more importantly they ride 10 times better.

The ride is certainly smoother and quieter. It's only been a couple hundred miles since I put them on but so far I am very very impressed and happy with my decision. I would highly recommend these tires to anybody looking to replace their stocks.

The biggest issue with these tires is the cost but they way I look at it I am going to keep my truck for at least 6-7 more years. It's in great condition and you always need a truck so I figured why not spend the extra $140 and get Michelin's instead of Bridestone or Yokahama. I will probably only change the tires once more during the life of the truck. I always believe you get what you pay for and I feel like I got a great tire for a great truck, not to mention the peace of mind that I got one of the best tires if not THE best on the market.