Okay, so my ongoing saga with my first Blazer continues. It is a 1991 Blazer with less than 60k miles.

Despite my hesitance, I went with a set of BF Goodrich Radial TA tires installed last week and the ride quality seems to have diminished dramatically. Although the sway and body roll has all but ended, I feel every bump in the road! Its not a pleasant ride unless I am on a completely smooth road.

I should waited for the Kuhmo A/S795 Radials that I ordered but they weren't in by the time I had to leave on my trip last week. ARGH!!![:@] Most of my driving will be done on streets and highways. I doubt if I will ever use this vehicle in the snow. So much for the Goodrich tires.

Any ideas?

By the way--any recommendations for shocks?

 

Did you get LT or P tires? It makes a huge difference. The LT-light truck tires are a much stiffer sidewall and that is why you are feeling the bumps. The P-passenger tires will bring back the sway and excessive body roll that is outside the control of the sway bar.

As for shocks, if you can already feel all of the cracks/bumps, then I wouldn't recommend the Monroe Reflex shock. They are a stiffer than stock shock. I have them on the front of my truck and I really like them, but they are stiff. Even with my P tires, I feel the bumps, but I do have them pumped up to near 40psi to try to combat the sway/body roll issue.

I would recommend the Monroe Sensa-trak shock as it is a stock replacement.

If the shocks are worn, you could be feeling more of the bumps than you should.

 

Kyle,
Thanks. That helps me make the decision to return to America's Tires and return their Goodrich for the Kuhmos that I ordered.

I believe I will change the shocks too. I think Sears sells and installs Monroes.

What an odyssey![&o]

 

I would see about changing out the shocks before returning the tires. Also, make sure the Kumho tires are a passenger tire or they may just ride exactly like the BFG's. But to be aware that more of the body roll and sway will come back with the passenger tires.

 

just a thought, but are you sure the tires aren't overinflated?

 

Magtec,
I was doing some Internet research posted by other owners of the Goodrich TA's. One in particular cited an issue similar to mine that was corrected by lowering the tire pressure. I think I will try it to see what happens.

I am hesitant to do anything that will void the warranty because low tire pressure can create heat leading to and can cause excessive wear. In the meantime, I am on the search for some Monroe Sensatrac shocks.

Thanks.

 

Another BFG fan, lol. I wont use BFG's for that reason you have, the tires are junk.

 

i went with goodyear wrangler AT/S, they have a quiet ride and hold the road like none others.
unfortunatly they dont make them in p235/75 r15 any more so i went with silent armors in the front , still quiet but not as much grip as the at/s. i also went with sensa trax for the front and lost those pesky body loosening bumps.

 

As long as you stay close to the recomended pressures on the door sticker then you will not void the tire warranty, if you read the tire manufacturers warranty it is directly related to the door sticker pressures... I used to mount tires as a teenager and was always told that if you increased the tire pressures by 2psi above manufacutrers recomendations that you would get better performance out of your tires... the door sticker pressures are for a comfortable/lazy/smooth ride, so adding 2psi would give your truck the best of tire performance with out a severly harsh ride.

Oh and the pressures on the side of the tire are for when you are carrying a heavy load so that you do not exceed the tires weight carrying ability by overinflating the tire and having it blow out because of excessive pressures inside the tire.

 

For the record... if BFG's were "junk" they wouldn't sell so many tires. . I've had two sets, and they have done me better than any other tire I have ever ran (this includes cooper, el dorado, goodyear, mastercraft, bridgestone, toyo, remington) on a large variety of vehicles. . . . I am on the third set of BFG's I have driven on and they are the AT KO's. . . excellent tire. Goodyears wear like crap. . . especially the MTR. . . 30,000 tops (got a buddy who has 40,000 miles on a sierra and has gone through 3 sets). BFG's are no more junk than goodyears or coopers. . .

This is almost as dumb as the classic "my chevy is better than your ford" argument. . . . There is a rule that applies for ANYTHING!!!! INCLUDING TIRES! that rule is... take good care of it and it will last forever. . . just like people claim toyotas are the only thing that lasts over 100,000 miles.... I've had a mazda (made by ford), toyota, and a Jeep Pickup that have all gone past 200,000. . . . I'm expecting the same out of my blazer.

The problem is that the suspension in a chevy Blazer is stiff. . . They aren't made to have a luxurious ride. . . No matter what tire/shock combo you get, it will always ride a bit rough. . . it's basically a hatchback compact pickup.... you want silky smooth ride, change cars.... not tires. . . .

BTW... it's not cool to sit around and call stuff (especially stuff you know other people buy) junk. The last thing people wanna do after they drop $600-$700 is hear someone call it junk. . .If you don't like it, fine. . . Just don't knock what other people have... almost everyone here does this and it kills me....

Think about it this way. . . Once upon a time we (my dad and I) had a Generation 1 (1989) S-10 Blazer.... the bottom end of the motor basically fell out of it... How would you feel if I said all Generation 1 S10 Blazers were junk!?!??? They aren't.... you know better.... There are bad "ones" of every product on the market.... and i'm convinced up to this point that I always buy the "one". This time you bought the "one".... that doesn't make everyone elses junk.....