Replacing Tires on my GMC

BigToe wrote:
My neighbor had a terrific blowout with Michelin LTX tires purchased at Costco.

Took out the entire side of the pickup bed of his GMC. Tires had just been rotated, so it is assumed that the blown tire was previously on the steer axle.

$3,500 body shop bill.

With GM vehicles, I replace with the original equipment production tire, if still available, that matches GM's OEM Tire Performance Criteria ratings.

Some people assume that OEM manufacturers award tire contracts to the lowest bidder, without regard for the tire performance criteria, and without vetting.

I don't think this makes much sense. With the light truck market as competitive as it is in the USA, consumer purchase decisions between brands are finalized on the test drive. Where the rubber meets the road. And that rubber is one of the most influential factors in ride and handling... and ride and handling is the most influential factor in affecting how prospective purchasers feel and experience that test drive. So for a vehicle manufacturer to simply put the cheapest possible tire on their trucks in order to save money, but lose the sale, doesn't make much sense.

The OEM tire has already been thoroughly tested and vetted by GM, in the Arizona desert, on the Colorado mountains, in the North Dakota winter, and on the Michigan test track. Why not take advantage of all the testing and vetting that you already paid for with the price of the truck?

Because the OP only got 20000 miles out of a set of tires. Seems to me that the only criteria GM used was to put four round black things under the truck and send it down the road.

I like Coopers myself! Got a set with better than 50k on them and still going strong.