Anyone have experiences with Power King tires?

I have to reshoe my F-2 before taking my trip to Truckstock 2012 in September and I'm looking for a new set of tires. I bought the Goodyear's that are on it now in around 1983, they are starting to show their age. I think 30 years of occasional driving is pretty good for the $250 I paid for them.

I am checking around and did a search of this board and found some good things said about Specialty Tires of America and found that Coker sells the ones I need for around $170 each, plus tubes, plus about $300 shipping. I found a dealer about 90 miles away with about the same price and for $40 in gas I can go get them.

I called one tire place about 25 miles away that I have dealt with before and have had really good luck with for my daily drivers. They have a set of Power King tires for $150, $20 tubes each plus installation. The tires I've bought from this place before were from the big name brand tire companies. The girl I talked to said these were good tires and they usually sell this brand to OTR trucker for their trailers. I don't know anything about Road Kings. I haven't had a chance to do an in depth search of the net to find reviews.

Price is a big factor for me, like most everyone else, but I also want a good tire, maybe something for the next 30 years. Just kidding, I know, the latest information is tires are only suppose to last something like 5 years. I just want a decent tire.

Thanks

 

Power King is a 'private Brand' owned by TBC in Memphis, TN. There are thousands of private brand tires on the market, but most are manufactured by one or more of the major brand companies. I know that when I hauled tires for my brother's tire company, Stratton Tires, I used to get Power king tires from the McCreary Tire plant in Indiana, Pa. McCreary was sold out and is now Specialty Tires of America and makes the American Racer tires. The last I heard, Power Kings are now manufactured by Kelly-Springfield (Goodyear), Hankook and Denman. There is nothing wrong with those tires.

 

Thanks Joe, I just know anything about tires and have to depend on the tire sellers. The place offering the Power Kings is a good, well known place and I feel compfortable with their recommendation but they are also in the business of selling tires. They aren't my best buddy, just a place I occationally over the years have bought tires from. I'm leaning strongly toward them but just need to know a little more about their products.

BTW, I went to my local farm supply store over the weekend and checked out what they had to offer. Everyone I know who has bought from them also has had good experiences. The problem is the ony tires they had to offer were radials with a modern look. They would look great on a 2000+ car or light truck but would look horrid on my big old truck. I might as well tint the windows, put on spinner hubcaps and drop it 6" and start buying caffe lattes at Starbucks. I can only imagine pulling in to Docs farm with those poof-poof tires on my truck. I need an old truck tire look.

 

Bob - do you care where they are made? Many inexpensive lines will be imported. The STAs we know are US made, and it's easy enough to check the ones available locally for point of origin. Stu

 

Bob, I wouldn't worry yourself soo much over a modern look. As long as they are tall tires, not station wagon tires, they'll look good enough and the ride will please you every time you drive it. I assume you are running 16"? The best looking and best size tires I found in 16" when I was looking was a Hankook tire made in USA, sold at Discount Tires. I think they are mostly a western distributor, but someone else must sell them. 225/75-16 gives you a lot of choices. I ended up staying with 235/75-15 in Goodyear RT/S and couldn't be happier. Steering effort is not bad at all.

 

Stu,

Glad you piped in. I just got off the phone with Power King, the phone rep said they were made in Thailand. I would like to keep them domestic but cost and time are also a big factor. If I go with the Power King brand I would save over $80, plus the gas and time to travel to get them. The PK dealer is about 25 miles from me, while the STA dealer is about 90 miles. I could have my wife run my good set of rims up there, she would never drive to the other place by herself.

Dang, I'd really like to stay with domestic made with anything whenever I can but I really don't have the time to drive any farther than I have to. I'm willing to spend a few bucks more for a better tire but right now I'll barely be able to get away from the shop as it is. What a quandary.

What it really comes down to is whether I find out anything negative about the PK brand. If I don't I'll have to with them. I was really hoping there would be a local STA dealer closer by.

 

Bob, go look at a Cooper Destination LT truck tire. That's what I have on my black F-1, and they blend pretty well. And much cheaper than a specialty "old-school plain" tire from someplace like Coker, etc. I'm sure your rims are bigger, but I'm running a set of 215/85/16's on my truck with the 4 1/2" bead width.

One other option that you definitely need to consider--> call Diamondback tire in South Carolina. They do all of their white walls there. They sold me a set of completely plain blackwall tires for my dad's 50 Custom. Basically, it was a set of tires that were destined to become white walls. They were about $130 each. Here's a pic. Again, these are tubeless radials.

 

Ross,

I'm running a little higher than stock size on the F-2, 750X16. I like the higher tires for a little higher speed, I need all the help I can get.

The farm supply store sells Cooper and they just would not look right on my F-2, IMO.

The STA



The RK



Look a lot closer to the tires that are on it now.

Doc,

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll them out. Like I said, I don't want to show up by you with some foo-foo girly tires on my truck. You guys will have a field day making fun of me.


The wheels on the F-2 are 16" but wider than the F-1s. There are noticebly bigger when compared to the panels truck's wheels.

 

That's actually better, as the choices for tall/skinny 16's are pretty limited. Don't be afraid of wider tires as far as steering effort, at least with mine they are fine even when parking.

 

I agree. Even though I'm running tires on narrow original rims around here locally, I'd be pretty nervous about trying to run them from Wisconsin to Kentucky. Wider is better in your case. And definitely probably a smoother ride.

BTW Bob, if you have trouble with them, I've got a few friends who can sell/mount tires here if needed.

 

Thanks Doc but I might be able to nurse these old tires down there but that's just one more thing I'd have to worry about breaking down on the way. I think I'd really be pushing my luck with 30 year old tires. I'll have the two best of four in the back of the truck as spares though.

 

Its always something, aint it?
If you like the looks of the Power Kings then go for it. I know they aren't domestic but they'll get you up and rolling and with the amount of driving you do and the fact that you are able to store your truck indoors you should be able to get another 30 years out of them.

This whole expiration date on tires really irks me. I think its just a way for the tire companies to force you into buying new tires. Tire shops now-a-days will not touch anything over the expiration date. Heck, they won't hardly make repairs anymore. I had a small puncture/tear in the middle of the tread, probably about 3/8" overall. Sure enough the tire store wouldnt touch it. I had them break the bead for me and I took it home and patched it myself. It just irks me.

I know I'll probably catch some flack for this but, I have no problems plugging tires either (of course you guys with the dinosaur shoes probably don't know what plugs are...lol). I'll even plug a sidewall.

Bobby

 

Ross,

I just checked the Hankook web site, I have at least 20 dealers within 20 miles of me.

I just got off the phone with the dealer in my area he couldn't find the Hankook tire I found on their web site. He said just because it's on their web site doesn't mean they have it in stock and probably would be a special order.

 

I would like to stay domestic if at all possible. The Handkook dealer told Handkook was a Japanese company, tires made in the US, go figure. The 30 year old GYs I have on the truck look pretty good but the inner tread on the driver's front wheel is pretty worn and the wear bars on the other tires are getting close too.

No one works on anything old any more. It seems like there's little money in it and it's not worth their time. Also, liability issues keep coming up that makes it scary to work outside the box.

I've plugged tires but never a sidewall. I guess I'm not as sure of myself. I've been really lucky, knock on wood, I haven't had too many occations that I needed to plug a tire, mine just blew apart. No plug or patch was going to fix them.

 

If it's the tire you want, you have plenty of time to get it in hand.

My understanding is that Hankook bought some old US mfr's factory and is using their molds etc. Hankook is Korean, BTW