Van Revival - New Tires

Buying a set of new tires was inevitable, now that the wheels are properly aligned thanks to the rehabilitation of the undercarriage, getting new rubber made sense. Now that the suspension parts are aligned, the wheels come on aligned as well. This ensures that the tire contacts the pavement properly for optimal grip and safety. If you have your kids on board everyday like I do, the last thing you would want is lack of confidence in your tires, especially now that the rains have come. 

When the budget for new tires came in, I didn't waste time and headed for the tire garage at the next opportune moment. There were several brands to choose from but I knew then as I knew now that it would be better to make sure that I get the right tires first before anything else. The van had two tires on made by TOYO which was way beyond the expiration date given for a tire. We bought that back in 2001. The other two are from NANKANG which I bought to replace the most worn of the TOYO set back in 2009. Both brands were sized 195R14c and had 8 ply ratings. 

The displayed tires that fit the van all looked the same to me. So I was going back and forth thinking the thread looks nicer on one than the other. I thought who would better be to pick than the guy who deals with tires everyday... not the salesman, but the actual tire mechanics outside waiting for the order. I asked one of them which tire brands have lesser fail records and/or have the best performance in real world settings and not just good on paper. The Goform G325 keeps coming up with the Venn diagram I had in my head. But it finally got my nod when I learned that Toyota issues these for their new Hilux and Hiace vehicles coming out of the lot.

I bought a set of four new G325 and I'm happy with the way they look on the van. They look good, and they make me feel good as well even though they're not in the pricey bracket of brands, their real world track record weighed heavier in my decision making process. I hope this decision wont bite me in the future. I saved one of the thicker NANKANGs and had the tire mechanic mount it on the spare wheel. All wheels were balanced with lead weights and attached with new lug nuts. Newly painted wheels with new tires and new lug nuts just makes sense.