Post by: Glennman

Now that I've replaced my front brakes, drums, and shocks, I plan to get new 315 80R 22.5 steer tires as well.  Does anyone have recommendations?

Post by: luvrbus

I’ve never run Ironman tires, but I see a lot of the brand on tour buses and RVs now with the 315's.  Van used the Ironman 315's on his Prevost.  Gary Hatt just installed a set of Ironman tires on his H3-45 Prevost.  I’ve never had much luck with Michelins, but you see a lot of them on the front axles of buses.  I’ve always run Toyo for the past 30+ years with no trouble.  I think you are okay with any brand that meets DOT specs for steer tires.

Post by: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM

The price for six 315 80R22.5 Ironman tires was $3,400 out the door. The quote for Toyo's was over $6,000. I already had the front tires replaced with Michelin tires, which cost me $1,200 each at Prevost in Florida. FWIW, I walked around the Prevost parking lot, and every bus there had Michelin tires, except for one, which had Toyo tires. Most were passenger buses, but there were a few motorhomes in the lot.  I suspect some people always have their Prevost buses serviced at a Prevost service center, as some (unlike me) can afford to have everything done first class. Prevost in Florida only carries Michelin tires.

Post by: Utahclaimjumper

My brother just bought two Michelin steer tires at $1,400 each in southern Oregon.

Post by: Glennman

I think I like the Ironman prices. I could buy them twice and still spend less than some of the more popular name brands. I'll be looking into those. Thanks for the advice!

Post by: luvrbus

The Ironman brand is owned by Hercules Tires.  They have been around for many years.  I noticed Friday, while looking at some Ironman’s on a bus, that the tires have a balancing dot for mounting.  That takes the cost of balancing out of the final price.

Post by: DoubleEagle

I have Hercules radials on some of my trailers, and they have performed well. They were made in Thailand. Hercules has been associated with Cooper Tires for decades, and Cooper is now owned by Goodyear. I wonder where the Ironman tires were made and whether they are a Hercules Tire model or a separate brand? If the price is good, they might be Chinese.

Post by: silversport

I purchased two Ironman steer tires three years ago. They have been satisfactory. I just purchased two more from Walmart and received the best price when they were delivered to my door. I replace the steer tires every three years.  The old ones go on the rear duels on the driver's side, then on the passenger side.

Post by: windtrader

I've been using Sumitomo tires since I purchased the bus eight years ago.  The tread still looks great on them.  They are very affordable and one of the few actually made in Japan.  I highly recommend them. I just looked on Amazon, and they are priced at $664 each.

Post by: luvrbus

Don, Sumitomo is a Japanese tire manufacturer, but they are made all over the world, with some even manufactured here in the US.  I think they have 12 or 13 plants.  There are two letters and six numbers that will tell where they were manufactured, including Turkey, China, and other countries. There is a bus here now with 12Rx22.5 tires, eight of which are “made in China” Sumitomo. The same goes for Michelins; most of the 315/80/22.5 are made in Brazil or another country.  Seldom does one see tires made in the USA.  So don't bank on the Sumitomo being made in Japan.

Post by: Iceni John

When I was at ABC Bus a few years ago, I was amused to see that the Van Hools there operated by the Chinese bus lines in SoCal had generic Chinese tires like Hu Flung Dung or Long Dong or whatever on the rear, but every bus had Michelins on the front.   I guess even Chinese bus owners don't trust Chinese tires on the front!

I bought Yokohama’s (actually made in Japan) for my bus, and I think they ride and handle better than the previous Michelins -  they seem to tramline less and track better.                                   

Post by: luvrbus

Bus owners on this board don't have the front-axle weight to worry about, as a loaded tour bus operator would.  I have to use an air-pressure multiplier, amplifier, or booster on my compressor to inflate the Michelin 315/80/22.5 to 130 PSI, or wait until the compressor kicks off.  That gets old waiting for it to click off.  My compressor is set at 130 psi max. I see the boosters on new RVs built on the Spartan chassis now come with a 2:1 ratio for airing up tires using the engine compressor.                                     

Post by: windtrader

My tires are the real deal - made in Japan.  Most tires are made in plants all around the world. One guess is that they will keep a production line going where it makes the most financial sense based on production and other operational factors. No matter, these are made in Japan, and have been for the past eight years. The oldest tire on the bus still looks new. I'm following the ten-year replacement rule.

Post by: luvrbus

Our Lexus came with Bridgestone tires made in Japan.  The next set I bought were made in the USA.   You never know with tires.  I don't worry much about where tires are made now, as long as they have the same load range, plies, and DOT number. You never know where the compound used to make the tire came from.

Post by: Glennman

I've changed my mind and moved my choice from Blackhawk tires to Sumitomo tires. They're nearly the same price on Amazon with free delivery.  The Blackhawk tires are way cheaper, but then have a hefty delivery charge, bringing the price up to almost the same. The Sumitomo tires probably just inflate the price and then say they have free shipping. As for where they're made, I'm sure US tires have hefty environmental and bureaucratic costs attached to each tire, so they end up costing more, even though they don't have to ship them over the ocean. So, you're probably paying for that instead of the actual rubber. There are probably inflated costs attached to everything from handling the rubber compounds to the final product that don't exist in other countries. I don't know this to be a fact, but I can only imagine it being a thing.

Post by: luvrbus

The 315/80/22 tire has a hefty excise tax of $53.00 per tire sold in the US.  I have friends who buy the 315's in Mexico to skirt that tax.  Tires are manufactured using the same process; Only the compound is different.  I don't know what compound Toyo used in their bus tires, but you could smell the difference. If you want sticker shock, price the 365/22.5 tires Prevost and Newell used on the tag and steer axles.  Michelin is the only manufacturer that makes that tire. 

A close friend paid Prevost over $12,000 for 4-365's and 4-315 Michelins.  It's crazy, you can spend over 100 bucks now just having each tire mounted and installed.  This is his second set of tires. Sumitomo is a large tire manufacturer, 4th or 5th in the world.  They were never popular here in the US, even when sold under the US Dunlap brand they own.  I notice all the new Freightliner trucks now come with Hankook tires, and Peterbilt installs Bridgestone tires.

Post by: Glennman

Just to close out this discussion, my new Sumitomo front tires just arrived today. They are made in Japan. I paid around $675 each, including shipping. I plan to take my other tires and wheels to the tire store this weekend to have them mounted. They look really nice. I hope they perform as well as they look. Thanks, everyone, for all the great advice.