Are these necessary steps to take when buying tires?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by krmcg, Aug 13, 2019.

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  1. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    OK, not a Prius - but it shouldn't matter.
    I am buying new tires for my 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. Changing tires because of age, not mileage. The car has only 17,500 miles on the odometer. But I have noticed some cracking on the shoulders of the tires.
    I ordered a set of Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 tires. And given what I have read about Bridgestone having several different factories and not always having matching tread patterns. Also I needed to make sure that the tires are "fresh" because they will age-out before they wear out.
    So, after being notified that the tires had been delivered to Costco I hot-footed it down to the store ahead of my installation appointment to examine them.
    After an awkward conversation to justify my request I was allowed to examine the tires. Turns out they are all the same and were made in the 22 week of 2019. Now I can rest easy.
     
    #1 krmcg, Aug 13, 2019
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  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Tires manufactured and stored "keep" pretty good. I've had fresh and not-so-fresh, and both worked out.

    Did you notice the country of manufacture? That said, if they're all the same they're all the same.

    This really ticks me about the EP422 btw. Someone here buying 4 tires, managed to get 2 MEX and 2 US, with noticeably different tread pattern, different number of rows.

    One thing I always do with Costco, since I dislike green valve caps, is take off the caps just before handing over the car (or loose wheels).
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, Aug 13, 2019
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  3. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    I will do the same. my Avalon has metal stems and caps...
     
    #3 krmcg, Aug 13, 2019
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  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I've heard about metal caps rusting on. Maybe not so much in California? Maybe more so with long running neglect, ie: never checking pressures.
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, Aug 13, 2019
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  5. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    I spent about 5 years in the retail tire business. So I am a little obsessive about checking the air. So, not an issue for me.
     
    #5 krmcg, Aug 13, 2019
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  6. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    I intend to have the tires mounted so that the full DOT information is on the outside so that I will be able to see that information (and no date-switching takes place).
     
    #6 krmcg, Aug 13, 2019
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  7. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    I remember getting home after a set of 4 Michelins were installed on my VW Microbus in the '80s. Checking the pressures, I discovered that 3 were French and one was from elsewhere - I think Irish (or Scottish?). Still drove well once they were run-in.
     
    #7 alanclarkeau, Aug 13, 2019
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  8. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    Manufactured in Wilson, North Carolina
     
    #8 krmcg, Aug 15, 2019
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  9. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    Usually aluminium caps on brass valve stems due to galvanic corrosion and exacerbated by tightening with a spanner to prevent theft.
     
    #9 kithmo, Aug 16, 2019
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah plastic is simpler. Our OEM caps are plastic but silvered, look metal. Again, I took them off before getting new tires last fall, they live on. (y)
     
    #10 Mendel Leisk, Aug 16, 2019
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  11. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    We have black caps as standard, replaced with new black caps at tyre depots unless they fill the tyres with nitrogen, then they use the green ones.
     
    #11 kithmo, Aug 16, 2019
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