MR. GADGET

Fruitman, I'm sure you have done it but maybe the rest have not, I find the best price for what I want and print it out then go to dealers that carry what I want and tell them what I'm going to get today and ask them if they want my money.....
It will work and get you a better deal on anything that does not have a fixed price and they just give you a price. At a gunshop I play in we sometimes can move 200-500 per gun when you dont waste a lot of time and know what you want. I had a guy want a Kimber 45 we sell for 800 ask me what the best I could do on it cut 100$ off and said he would think about it, before he left he said he really wanted that gun and could not go 700$ for it but would be back if I could do better, so I said 1 min. only 50% off 400$, said he needed to think about it. I would have lost my on it but it just proved he was wasting my time and had no clue what he wanted. If you know what you want and are not shopping people deal with you.
Even a lot of the big stores will price match stuff, Just got to prove the price to them. The 03 I drive now was done that way, walked in to dealers with what I wanted off the car/truck places on the net and a check for 15K thinking about 50% down and told them this is what I want today and this is what I will give you down today want to do papers or not.
Third dealer took it and said I only need 500$ down it will be ordered and in about 60-90 days. 31K for a 42+K truck,
Tires are the same thing, print tire rack or whatever then tell them thats what you want, may need to go to a few different places but when you find one put the word out and return to him when you need stuff.
After 10 years at the same tire store when I show up now he will ask what I want and what I will spend for it. He is happy and so am I.
If you get them online read the small print for off road tires there are a lot of blems being sold and if you get something you dont like they are happy to give you, your money back less your shipping both ways and that can add up. Tires is one of those things I like to get local to get the lifetime stuff that goes along with them and if they have a problem with balance they will get a new tire and try it. Got some AR rims for the last truck and they were not true or would balance but other then time there was no cost to make it good. If I ordered them it would been 2 mountings and Balance + shipping.

Just a FYI

Jon

T398

Listening to all spare tire stuff I guess I better go trade in my stock 265 for a 285. I never have had a flat yet but Im sure I will get one now.
T398

MR. GADGET

In most cases it will be ok for short time and low speed but the rear will heat up and cook the oil. If you run a clutch like the old dana 70 I know of a few that did not work the same all most open after running 40-60 miles 55mph with 31" ish stock and 33" mud tires after a flat. the posi we have now is a gear and will not be as bad but will heat up and cook the oil.
If you are asking what I would do? I would put the small tire on the front and run the same size on the rear and just deal with the steering tell you get it fixed. Same as they say for Front wheel drive cars and a lot of others.
Think I remember in the owners book saying to do that.
Lockers I have seen on the trail the teeth round off and the name goes from lock rite to pop rite, Most of that is from getting a cut or leak on the trail then hitting the road to air up only to find you havd the normal 15-20psi in one and 5-10psi in the other or forgeting to air up one tire and thinking down the road why is it pulling and whats the noise. Most people are beat at the end of the day and overlook it so it does happen.

MR. GADGET

Its just a spare so do this, find how tall yours is, not what is printed on it, go to a used tire place and find on that holds air and is a close to what you come up with. Remember if you have a mud tire it will have about a inch of tread so split that if you want. Also if you run 3 big and one small tire you antilock may need to be reset it will show one tire going faster then the other and turn the light on if it is a big diff, brakes will act funny to sometimes.
I love to see the guys that have a 37-38" tire flat and are looking at the 27" donut spare to see *** do I do now.

Jon

Fruitman

Well I'm certainly no fool, or made of money, and I love a bargin as much as the next guy but.....

And I've saved some money too on e-Bay items, I'm not knocking it. But tires are different to me. I will pay a little extra to have the ability to make a friend and have a place to go face to face if I have a problem. I've been burned before with mail order without any hope of satisfaction. I'm glad that you made out though. But do you think maybe you got lucky? I see tires on there all the time, and one guy wanted a dollar a mile to ship. Is that good or bad? I honestly don't know.

The Fruitman

trik396

I bought 5 tires... I know all about ruining a posi/limited slip rear... Although I did once drive over 5000 miles without a spare or windshield wipers... or air or heat... and straight-piped dual 3.5" exhaust on a 509" big block Chevelle... And it rained... and it was cold... and I coulda used the a/c a few times.... From Northern NY to Florida and back to Chicago... Didn't need the spare tire but coulda used a spare tranny as I fried mine real good too far from home...

Fruitman

Man, you guys make life hard. So trik396, what did you do with your spare? Just threw it in the bed didn't ya? Say it. hehehehe, just messin'n with ya.

But seriously, were you able to jam that PJ up in-between the frame? I'm guessing not. Hey, I know, while your takin pics of the PJ's on your ride for me, you can shoot some of where your spare is. Cool, thanks a lot. hahahaha

Hey Mr Gadget,
It funny you said because the service manage at my dealership told me that the reason the 15k mile service is so important (where they change the differential fluid, synthetic in my case) is because of the limited slip differential and how it is built more like a clutch with plates, and how simple turns can lead to sever damage???????????

Is this guy blowing unburned smoke or what? (hate to get off topic like this but it relates and could save me and some of us a lot of money here, sorry).

I mean, let's see, differential rebuild vs. the cost of a extra 250.00 tire. Once again I'm guessin', but I'd say the tire is less?

The Fruitman

Fruitman

Hey T398,
You sound like me!! You could have probably went the life of the tires without as much as a curb rub, but now, your paranoia will destroy ya .HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I think Dr. Sigmund would say (in his best german accent)
"My Dear Young Man, Subconsiously, You Wanted To Get A Flat".
hahahahahahaha
Welcome to my world!

The Fruitman

Fruitman

Hey Mr. Gadget,
I'll definately do the pricing thing you describe. I did it in the past with NTB, as they were eager to honer the Tire Racks price. Right now I'm just fishing locally to see what's what. It's a little harder now though because I have to go to a specialty store for some of the tires I like. The Mud Country is so new some places don't even sell it yet. At National Tire & Wheel (online) I can get 4 Mud Country's mounted/balanced on AR Victors (w/ teflon), for 1800. and some change. No tax, and shipping for the entire set is only 40 bucks (special right now).

1800 is crazy I know, but I was offered 600. for my stock set-up. So 1200 isn't that hard to swallow. But that's 4, not 5, but I like your idea of finding a spare at a junk yard or discounted tire shop that is equal in height to a 315, and having it mounted on the 17" spare wheel. Great Ideal!!!

The Fruitman

trik396

The 35" PJ spare fits (just barely) in the stock location.... And I mean JUST fits...

MR. GADGET

Yep Blowing more smoke then a smoke house at a W Nelson Pot party, it is not a clutch.
I will tell you this, The 96 CTD was a clutch and I did rebuild it so I know for that truck stock was a clutch type.
The new one on the 03 is a gear type I was in that one playing and also to change gear oil so that one stock is a gear type and you can see the gears.
Also gear type is a lot more metal on metal so Gear oil changes are good and needed like he was talking of.

Hopes this helps.
Jon

ptgarcia

The limited slip in the newer Rams is the same as a Truetrac, just with a different torque bias. So it is definately has gears, not clutches.

MR. GADGET

Yep
http://www.detroitlocker.com/DT.htm this is what they look like but a little different, They have been used for years and in stuff like the hummers if I remember but they are called Torsens http://www.torsen.com/products/T-1.htm
http://www.torsen.com/products/T-2.htm

Another good page http://www.fourwheeler.com/techartic...aids_products/

Fruitman

Well, gents, I did it, I bit the bullet, finally!

I ordered the Pro Comp Extreme All Terrains, 35" x 12.5" R17.
$1,063. Out the door, locally.

Should have them installed this Friday, if I can take off.
Should have pics for ya'll on Monday.

I want to thank all of you that helped me make the decision.
I'm not cheap, but I hate spending money for something unless
it's really really worth it. I think I'm getting a great tire at a
great price. I hope it can live up to my demands and expectations.

Hey trik396, sorry to see those PJ's didn't work out for ya.

Dont worry, I'll keep all you guys posted about these XAT's.

Well, gents, I did it, I bit the bullet, finally!

I ordered the Pro Comp Extreme All Terrains, 35" x 12.5" R17.
$1,063. Out the door, locally.

Should have them installed this Friday, if I can take off.
Should have pics for ya'll on Monday.

I want to thank all of you that helped me make the decision.
I'm not cheap, but I hate spending money for something unless
it's really really worth it. I think I'm getting a great tire at a
great price. I hope it can live up to my demands and expectations.

The Fruitman

Luvnacumns

I just sold my 05 with 37" toyo's and had one get a hole in it and had to buy a new one and it was $435 . I will never do that again.. I like the toyo's but I am thinking of going to a Open country a/t???

Shane