Re: Tires (Mail Order) (fwd)

[leveckis@icd.teradyne.com (Tom Leveckis)]

> Okay, here's another line on Comp TA's...a very negative one.  When I
> taught at UA in Tuscaloosa, where they were making them, I along with some
> other "young" professors decided that, with the idea of supporting the
> local industry and being able to get pretty good deals...just about
> equivalent to Tire Rack, that we'd all get Comps.  Alfas, RX-7s, Volvo
> turbos, etc..  Unanimous opinion,....JUNK!!!  Everyone had tires going out
> of round, early internal separation, etc.  Impossible to balance with the
> guts going bad.  As one of my neighbors who worked at the plant said, they
> were using junk that wasn't being cured right, they had lousy feedstock,
> etc..  This was in the early 80's, however, just about the time Michelin
> stepped into the picture.  There was great fear that they would close the
> plant if quality didn't improve.  They didn't close the plant, but the
> irregular Comps continued.  The new ones are supposed to be much better,
> courtesy of the tremendous $$$$invested in the  new equipment.  I hope so,
> but I find it hard to believe that many people have fond memories of any
> Comps from more than five or six years ago...unless you raced them, trashed
> them and threw them away before the fell apart.  
> 
> Bottom line, with so many other good tires out there, I'm not going to take
> a chance with BFG's.  I still hear too many stories about them being
> untrue, irregular, etc..  I'll take the Dunlops, Pirellis, Bridgestones,
> Yoko's, Conti's, Toyo's, etc. before I go that way again.  IMFO.
> 
> And I split between sources: usually Tire Rack, sometimes Teletire and just
> as often my local Plus One shop.  


My 1st set on BFG Comps were approx. 4 yrs ago....45K on them when I traded the car.
No complaints......2nd set, were my problem set.....I'm on my 3rd set now and
they're fine (15K so far ).

I've had Michelin's, Bridgestones, yoko's, and Dunlops....By far the best tire
I've ever had were the Dunlops (GT Qualifier HR4's)....they lasted 60K+, never
had any problems, and they handled quite well. Only problem is that they don't
make those any more, so I got the BFG's. 

You'll find people who have negative things to say for just about anything in 
the world.

TVL