Interco and Nitto update

[Brody]

So I was planning on replacing the 38x15.50x15 Nitto Mud Grapplers with the same tire as I had one good spare. Nitto isn't making this size at the moment and doesn't know if they are in future plans or not.
Strike one.
So I decided that size I liked the Toyo MTs in the 37x14.50x15, I thought I would get them. Toyo MTs in that size are currently out of production and they don't know if they are going to do any more.
Strike two.
What the hell, I have run swampers before, so let's see what the availability is, even knowing that some Interco plants have been going out of business. Given a WIDE size range -37 to 39, 12.50 to 15, with the only stipulation being that they be radials, no go. Interco has now sold all of their tire molds to a Chinese (Yes, Chinese) company and Swamper production is due to start up sometime soon. The next Swamper style tires (ie, any Interco tire) will not be available for at least one year.
Strike three.

So not wanting to spend $100 more a tire, making the tire close to the $500 range (like the Pit Bulls or Maxxis), something that is really a bit too much, I opted for a set of close to the right size KM2s in a 16 inch size. So some cheapo steel rims in a 16" and KM2s. What the hell...I have never run KM2s before, everyone seems to like them and they sure can't be too much worse or too much better than any other big ass tire I have ever run...

I had been noticing that my tire choices have been getting very limited in the 15" rim size over the last year, when I started looking at options, so I wasn't too surprised to see that many of the tire companies are following the money by stopping production of the smaller 15" size tires. The market simply isn't there anymore, especially since most of the newer rotors and calipers are based on using a 16 or 17 inch rim.. Oh well...

Best part of the whole thing is that I can fit either the bigger Tundra or 4Runner calipers and rotors on the front, doing the economical "big brake" conversion since this bolts right up...and I probably have 3-4 bent rims anyway....and will finally get rid of those total ****, waste of money and time Staun Bead Locks, which have seemed to be the bane of my existence since I bough them 5 or so years ago....Oh...the Stauns...3rd generation, 3rd warranty, four different sets of inner tubes. Currently 1 of the four is holding air. The other inners are all flopping around inside the tires, I guess.

[Haku]

Good to hear. The 50 miles I have put on my Pitbulls so far have been great, but they are a bit limited in their sizing when it comes to Radial tires. Definitely nothing wide you have now.

Kind of a bummer that Interco is going that way. I'm glad I went with Pitbull, since I'm pretty sure they are manufactured in the States. I bet those BFG's will do you great. Same tread pattern as the full on Krawlers, just tighter and smaller lugs. I bet they last you twice as long as the Nitto's did too.

If you think its hard to find tires for a 15" rim, try finding them for a 16.5" set like the HMMWV wheels I have. That said, I really like them and think they are the best solution for beadlocks. Wish the Stazworks aluminum ones that use a similar idea were more in my price range, as the H1 rims are friggin heavy as all get out. Weighed my tire and wheel combo and it was just under 140 pounds.

[1freaky1]

I hear you on that issue of finding the right sizing on tires, this is one of the things I was having trouble with in finding wheels in 16" that fits my axles but I did and am keeping my metric sized 35s and spending $500 on wheels rather than $1500 for new tires in a 15" diameter.

[Volcom]

Interco has now sold all of their tire molds to a Chinese (Yes, Chinese) company and Swamper production is due to start up sometime soon.

I don't know if they are making all their brands in China
http://www.fullsizechevy.com/showthread.php?448873-What-happened-to-super-swampers-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Still sucks that they are making the majority of their tires overseas.

My next set of wheels & tires will be 17's. I don't see "big" (38-42") 15" tires around too much longer.

[Brody]

The Km2s will work fine, I am sure. The only tire that I really didn't like, and that was due to both inexperience and lack of tire knowledge, were some Denman Ground Hawgs had on a rig back in the very early 70s. Of course, the selection of 'big' tires was a bit more limited then than it is now, too.... Great for mud, but I ended up traveling across country (Michigan to Seattle) with them and quickly learned about tires and grooves in the road, etc, etc. Later on, I had an old Yota that came with bias ply Swampers on it. After a couple of not so good experiences where I spun out on snowy roads going at very slow speeds and one experience where I simply kept going straight (the intersection of I76 and I70, going west-I took out about 10 of those barrels...), I learned that bias ply tires belong on trails....

I am really glad I am old enough so that I am going to be able to miss learning how to speak Chinese. Looks that is coming down the pike at some point. Bad enough needing to speak Farsi or Paku or something else when you have problems with Qwest and need to get something resolved.

Too bad that the powers that be don't seem to be able to get a handle on the fact that if you send all of the work out of the country, then the economy is going to take a dive and that you will have more unemployed people than people working....

[Fordguy77]

This is the reason i am slowly switching all my rigs over to 16" rims. It seems like the day of the 15" has all but come to its end now.

[Steven_Mc]

The thing I don't understand is if the standard rim size is now a 17" or possibly 16" rim why have prices not started to come down? A 37" tire for a 15" rim uses more material than the same 37" tire for a 17" rim, yet the prices are $75 to $100 more a tire for that 37" tire on a 17" rim. The justification used to be that they were not a standard size and were not as mass produced (Volume discount) as the tire sizes for 15" rims, but that is not the case anymore.

Can someone explain this, or is it just a collective effort by the tire companies to improve GP$?

[Chris]

I just read that Interco/Denman workers went on strike and the company decided to move their factory. I don't know the details or have enough interest to look it up but thought I'd share...

[Aaron]

I love the look of my 15"s...

[Aaron]

And you'll love the KM2s Pete!

[Fordguy77]

I just read that Interco/Denman workers went on strike and the company decided to move their factory. I don't know the details or have enough interest to look it up but thought I'd share...

I believe they have been on strike for a while to be honest. I am not sure of the details of it all though. It really sucks about them moving the factories though.

[Chris]

Not if they're shutting down in China and moving the the US!

Like I said, I don't know anything more than I posted.

[Brody]

The thing I don't understand is if the standard rim size is now a 17" or possibly 16" rim why have prices not started to come down? A 37" tire for a 15" rim uses more material than the same 37" tire for a 17" rim, yet the prices are $75 to $100 more a tire for that 37" tire on a 17" rim. The justification used to be that they were not a standard size and were not as mass produced (Volume discount) as the tire sizes for 15" rims, but that is not the case anymore.

Can someone explain this, or is it just a collective effort by the tire companies to improve GP$?

This is the same mindset behind charging more money for women's pants that hit mid calf. These usually cost more than full length pants and use less material.

And don't forget Carhart shorts. These cost as much as a regular pair of pants and really use less material....The list goes on...

[DETN8R]

so far I'm liking the Mud Grapplers pete. I got them Tuesday morning and headed right down to Divide in them.

You'll love the KM2s.
I just couldnt find them in the size I wanted.

[Pathrat]

There was a short blurb in the recent issue of Petersens about the lack of tires for 15" rims. Looks like they will be getting harder to find.

[Red Rhino]

17"s are the new 15"s. It looks like I will be going with 40x17"s.
Does any one know who still produces America made 40x17" rock/mud tires?

Bryan

[Rob]

the lack of tires for 15" rims

Damn. :frown:

[Brody]

There was a short blurb in the recent issue of Petersens about the lack of tires for 15" rims. Looks like they will be getting harder to find.

Primarily this deals with 15" tires in anything over the 33-35" size. There are a huge number of tires available from a lot of manufacturers in all configurations in 33-35, but once you step up in tire size, you are going to find that you will probably need to step up in rim size, too. This is what I ended up having to do as I wanted something close to the same size tire on my heap, and got some KM2s that are 37.73" inches tall or some such ****...anyway close enough.

Rob, I can't picture you sticking something over a 33 or 35" tire on the FJ40, so unless you have some secret plans for it, I wouldn't worry about tires for a long time. And with the rim size/tire size you are running now, you can easily get a set of newer Yota take off rims in either 16 or 17". I see them all the time on craigslist and the other day saw some for $50.

Bryan-I have no idea of who makes an American made 40x17. Seems all the crap around, no matter what, is made outside the USA. It has been that way so long, I no longer care about "buying American" like I used to do, because right now that is like sticking your finger into a hole in a dike...Now I simply go for best bang for the buck, especially if the product works...Soooo, I used to have hope for America, now I don't....Whoopie....3rd World here we come...(and I don't happen to like it...)

You might try Pit Bull Tires. They have a very good rep, 'maybe' are made in America, and come in both bias ply and radial....and mostly in the bigger sizes