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Recommend TIRE BRAND AND WHERE TO BUY LAKESIDE


Apachewoman

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Please share your advice and experience about top brands available and a lakeside shop that

provides reliable product/new/not made in China.  Any guidance about replacement brand, best prices, etc. is needed. Thanks

  And please share information about

'dry rot' condition that is pressing me to purchase a new set of tires.

What is the average life expectancy of auto tires in this area of Mexico.  Climate related? etc....

Many thanks.

Apachewoman

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Apachewoman, IMO you are asking some questions that have no real definitive answer... such as 'average tire life expectancy around Lakeside'. Tire life is directly related to at least these things:  quality of tire purchased, type/weight of vehicle being shod, 'care and feeding' of those tires (does one check them regularly for pressure, balance, rotation, suspension alignment), road surface driven, exposure to direct sunlight, etc etc etc

"Dry rot" is a condition set up by the environment on rubber.... sunlight on tires deteriorates them over time, and sunlight at 5,000 ft. is more 'fierce' than at sea level. In my experience 'tho, dry rot should not be a significant problem for tires Lakeside unless one puts hardly any annual miles on them because, before then, the cobblestone streets will eat them up.

Unfortunately, IMO, no tire is going to last very long on the road conditions around Lakeside.... cobblestone streets and potholes literally eat tires up. Add that to 'not taking care of tires by the owner' and you have a recipe for disaster. Generally I am an advocate of doing online research on particular tires and generally buying 'the best' tire that I can afford. But, alas, at Lakeside I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference as even a very good Michelin can't last long on cobblestone. Just my opinion.

Recently I needed to buy some tires so I asked the questions you are asking about 'where and from whom'. The answers I got were:  Tire store in Chapala located right near the entrance of Soriana. Another was the Firestone store in west Ajijic. Another two were in Jocotopec, one on the Lake side of the road right where the bypass goes up the hill and another further into Joco but still on the east side. I was looking for specific Goodrich tires to match two new ones that had recently been put on the SUV. Unfortunately the Chapala store and the Firestone store did not have it but the 'first' Joco store did. They had a reasonable price on them per information that I had already found on Mercado Libre, balanced and installed and could do the install 'while I waited'. I don't know the name but they have a very large sign overhead saying "Goodrich, Michelin, Uniroyal' and you can't miss it.  In my 'discussions' with the Chapala store owner I was impressed with his knowledge and prices but they just didn't have the tire I wanted. I was NOT impressed with the Firestone store (no mechanic nor English speaker available) but maybe that was just me.

 

 

 

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I've had best results from Michelin.  Tried Bridgestones, just not tough enough for these roads.  I get mine at Costco in Texas when I travel up there.  Change every 4 years even though car is garaged.  Tread wear does not reflect the damage from the pounding of the bad roads here.

Also use Michelin on my moto.  Similar consistent good results.  

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The best tires for Mexico, are made in Mexico, payed in pesos. I would go General tires, available at most Continental shops. I still have original Yokohama tires on my truck. Will need replacing next year - but these tires lasted 25 years. Off road, ten ply tires.

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Chillin you may be comfortable running on tires that are 25 years old but, unless I was just riding around town by myself and never getting out on the road, I would never consider that.  Your choice of course.

And like MC, I have never had a set of Michelens that I didn’t like or that wore badly. Can’t say the same unilaterally about any other brand and I’ve had a few in my time.

 

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Tire safe life has nothing to do with mileage when the latter is low, often the custom around here.  Much more important is the deterioration of the rubber due to oxidation from within by the pressurized air.  

https://www.thoughtco.com/the-science-of-tire-aging-3234377

Interestingly, this argues for inflating with nitrogen but of course unless you have and buy from a nearby tireshop that inflates with nitrogen, you will have this problem.  

I wouldn't ride a block from my house on 25 year old tires.  :D

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