Goodyear pulled a fast one on me. Load rating rant.

[intheburbs]

I was just reading a thread about tires, and decided to go out and check the date code on my tires, to see when they were manufactured. I bought them last November from the local Goodyear store. Goodyear Duratracs, LT245-75-16. They've been great tires and they did well on our trip down to Alabama in late December.

Well, I go outside to look at the date code, and I notice next to the date code this nugget: Load Rating C :E

The Duratrac is marketed to commercial snowplow fleets. I didn't even know they made it in a "C" load rating. So I look up the specs - max load 2205 lbs @ 50 PSI. Well, the door tag on the Suburban says 50 PSI front and 71 PSI rear. On top of that, my rear axle weight on the Alabama trip was 5200 lbs. So I drove 2000 miles with overloaded, overinflated tires. I'm so mad I can barely type.

Yes, it may have been an honest mistake, but that wouldn't have mattered if we had a blowout doing 65 through the hills of TN or KY. I inadvertently put my entire family in danger.

I'll be going to the Goodyear store tomorrow to get a new set of tires for no charge.

Check your tires. Make sure they are the correct load rating.

[Jarlaxle]

wandering1 wrote:
So what tire does the sticker on the inside drivers door jamb say you are supposed to have on your vehicle? That's the tire the dealer is required by law to put on your vehicle.

Please point out EXACTLY which "law" that is. Be specific and cite said law. (Note: on my Dakota, the tires installed at the factory were NOT the size on the door sticker!)

[Jarlaxle]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Les Schwab in the North West is famous for the wrong load rating. I have seen lots of pickups that people wanted a bigger tire and they would install a load range D instead of E. I would walk up to people and ask them if they knew the tires on their truck were D's and most would say no. Had friends go thru the same thing with L S. They had a F350 4x4 short bed and he wanted larger tires so they put on wild country D's. I told him that was not right and he got mad at me and said I was biased because I did not like LS. Well he left the NW and headed to So Cal with his 40' toy hauler. When he came back he apologized and said he wished he had listened to me in the first place since it was a horribly bouncy ride and the tires were nearly worn out when he came home. He went to LS and their excuse was "the D's have more load caring capacity than the Michelin E's that came on his truck". After a heated discussion they gave him a new set of the D's to use when not towing and he went back to his E's for towing.

A lower load rating is dangerous as in my example.

Actually, they might be right. A load range D in a larger size could easily have an equal or higher capacity than a smaller load range E tire!

[Jarlaxle]

Kordog wrote:
Load range C or D tires are for 1/2 ton and smaller trucks. I only install E ties on 3/4 ton and larger, that is what they are specd for and that is what they take, period.

Pablum. MANY HD trucks spec Load Range D tires! Hack...some 250/2500's use load range C!

[Jarlaxle]

intheburbs wrote:

darsben wrote:
The lesson here is never ASSume the dealer will do right by you.
By the way what was the date code on the tires?
I bet they try to charge you for the use you got out of the tires that you ordered them to install.

Date code was 3813 (2nd week of September, if I'm counting right), and I bought the tires on 11/1/13, so they actually were brand new tires.

I will be charged for nothing. I can be very "persuasive." In fact, I'm even thinking it's likely that I'm going to come home with the C tires, and I'll put them on my half-ton Burb.

Those tires (the rears, at least) should probably be destroyed immediately.

[rdrector]

Same thing happened to me here in MD. They put load D instead of load E. When I realized it was almost a year later. All tires were replaced FREE OF CHARGE. This is the fault of the installer/shop. They are responsible to make sure the correct compatible equipment is placed on a vehicle unless it is supplied by yourself. You shouldn't had paid a dime.

Ex. If you go for an oil change, gear oil, trans fluid, etc. If the shop places oil or what ever liquid in, and it is the incorrect weight for the vehicle whom's fault would you say that is? It's still oil, and it most likely will work for some time right?

Installation of almost anything supplied by the installer/shop will most always be responsible for compatibility or substance.

Bottom line, if he had, had a blow out and damage of property or life, the responsibility would point and fall on the application not meeting specs. It is an installers responsibility to adhere to specifications when doing work. If you had an electrician wire your house, and it burned down because the wire was not of proper gauge; would you say that's ok it's my fault; I didn't check his wiring properly? Responsibility of applicaton is not the consumer when hiring a licensed professional or business to do the work. That is why they are licensed and have bonehead insurance for these things.

Replacing all tires for FREE would be the cheapest way out for Goodyear had there been an injury or worse.

[MM49]

Sorry to say, but this is a blame the worker situation. When the old tire is removed it must be identified and replaced with equal or higher rating rating. There are lots of loop holes in this understanding, offroad use, farm use.
MM49

[time2roll]

Does not seem that Goodyear pulled any "Fast One"
Just an honest oversight or mistake. Sounds like the dealer made good on the change once it was discovered.
Glad you have the correct tires now.

[davisenvy]

jspence1 wrote:

Me Again wrote:

jspence1 wrote:

Me Again wrote:
As I pointed out, not trying to be critical of the OP, they invoiced for what was installed! Chris

I'm glad you know the stock numbers of the tires you buy, I would never know it. When I go in they have this little computer thingy they enter my make and model into it and it spits out the tires that fit my vehicle. I've always been inclined to follow their recommendations they are supposed to be experts. I don't see how telling us all twice that he got what he paid for isn't being critical of him.

So if I looked the numbers up on the invoice and found that they billed him for the LRE tires what would you think? Get a life! Chris

Actually I think it's completely irreverent what stock number is on his receipt, someone at the tire dealer made a mistake and they should fix it. That's exactly what happened so even the dealer acknowledged it, the only person who feels that the consumer should know the stock number of the tires is you. So unless you don't understand the meaning of the word critical that is exactly what you are being no matter how many times to say you are not.

Inconceivable! That's funny as hell!

Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians on this forum.

[wandering1]

So what tire does the sticker on the inside drivers door jamb say you are supposed to have on your vehicle? That's the tire the dealer is required by law to put on your vehicle.

[joshuajim]

The only person to blame here is the dealer. What if the OP was a serviceman in the sand box and his wife was told they needed new tires. Would you blame her?

[Cummins12V98]

carringb wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Les Schwab in the North West is famous for the wrong load rating. I have seen lots of pickups that people wanted a bigger tire and they would install a load range D instead of E. ....
A lower load rating is dangerous as in my example.

Why would a tire that is rated higher, even though it has a lesser load range, more dangerous?

Because the side wall is not as strong. They had the tires inflated to their max at 65psi but it was a very bouncy scary ride.

The D tire was larger and contained more air so it had a higher carrying capacity NOT a higher load range rating.

[carringb]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Les Schwab in the North West is famous for the wrong load rating. I have seen lots of pickups that people wanted a bigger tire and they would install a load range D instead of E. ....
A lower load rating is dangerous as in my example.

Why would a tire that is rated higher, even though it has a lesser load range, more dangerous?

[Cummins12V98]

Les Schwab in the North West is famous for the wrong load rating. I have seen lots of pickups that people wanted a bigger tire and they would install a load range D instead of E. I would walk up to people and ask them if they knew the tires on their truck were D's and most would say no. Had friends go thru the same thing with L S. They had a F350 4x4 short bed and he wanted larger tires so they put on wild country D's. I told him that was not right and he got mad at me and said I was biased because I did not like LS. Well he left the NW and headed to So Cal with his 40' toy hauler. When he came back he apologized and said he wished he had listened to me in the first place since it was a horribly bouncy ride and the tires were nearly worn out when he came home. He went to LS and their excuse was "the D's have more load caring capacity than the Michelin E's that came on his truck". After a heated discussion they gave him a new set of the D's to use when not towing and he went back to his E's for towing.

A lower load rating is dangerous as in my example.

[christopherglen]

I always spec 245/75R16E on my duratrac's for both trucks. At least the g614's on the trailer can't be screwed up..