I don't think people like to bag on Coker... ...likely, it's more a matter of them not liking their tires to come apart at freeway speeds on a vehicle that means a lot to them! Having worked in the tire business for several years, I got to see many tire failures up close and personal...and though many were a direct result of improper inflation, poor alignment, overloaded vehicle weight or wrong tire for the application...there were many legitimate claims where the tire itself was indeed the problem. That being said, KNOW what you are buying and what it can (and more importantly...CAN'T!) do, and use the product accordingly! From what I've seen, Coker makes a decent product that fills an important niche in the nostalgia vehicle realm. Examining their tires up close, I'd gladly put them on an appropriate vintage-styled vehicle in a car show or LOCAL cruise night, but I'd put different tires on the car for freeway or long distance driving! Like I said...know what you're buying and use it accordingly! (Okay, maybe I'm a bit of a "tire snob", but I take them VERY seriously and because of that, I haven't had a tire failure since the Firestone 7-2-1 tires came apart on my old Nova back in the 80s! I knew better when I bought the car with them, but I pushed my luck and got just what I deserved! The Michelins that I bought to replace them, though made up for it...they were everything that the Firestones weren't!!!!) I'm sure that Coker will step up and replace the faulty tire in this case...they have a reputation for 'making things right' with their customers, and that's a BIG feather in their cap. Just remember, folks...check your tire inflation often, keep an eye on your suspension components and don't try to drive cross-country trips on 'novelty' tires better suited for static display and local cruising! Do those things, and you should be happy with the product. Tires are too important (to your safety) to take chances with!
I have run cokers bias on3 cars hardley ever balance them,and ive had coker radials on 2 cars,drove it everyday then on long distance high speed trips at speeds 80 mph and sometimes even faster depending on witch club members wanted to go fast all of us run cokers on our cars.we as a whole have had no problems and two of uor cars run the bfg.with alot of miles ,sorry about your car but sometimes ,you know **** happens do you have their road warrenty?
Sorry for not getting all the info to you guys. I bought 4 tires about nine years ago. I know that some time has p***ed but I have always taken care of my car and never done burn outs or anything that would damage the tires. The first tire blow out was 3 years ago when I was coming home from proposing to my wife. Coker did look at the tire and just gave me a credit not a new tire or even a sorry. The second tire got a bubble in it about 5 months ago. Then like clock work 3rd tire went out,. I almost lost control and went into a guard rale. I then sent those tires in you could tell that it was a factory defect but all Coker tire did was give me a credit. The credit was only enough to buy one tire and still not even a sorry or that they would look into it. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o> </o> I know that the tires where about 3 quarters used up but they should not be blowing up on me. We are cl***ic car guys we don’t drive are cars every day and tires will stay on our cars longer than the average car. So out of 4 tires 3 went bad what would you do in my place?
Well, I've kept my mouth shut on all the recent threads, but enough is enough. Coker is providing a great service, but I don't think they really expect their tires to be used in everyday conditions. I bought one of the first sets of their whitewall radials, and had the belts separate in two, and the tread coming off on another (with less than 4k on the set). This was in the middle of TN, on my way to Indiana. Had to buy a set of generitires just to get back on the road. Personally returned the tires to Coker, and was not too happy with the treatment i got. When pressured, the guy I was dealing with admitted they had had a nearly 70% return rate. They didn't even offer another set, just gave me a partial refund. Swore I'd never buy from them again, but building a trad rod and wanting bias plys what else can you do? Ordered two 5.00/16 Exclesiors for the front, which was another mistake. Could not hold the car in the road, the shake was so bad. Later got some 6.00 Firestones, which are drivable, but a ***** to balance... For the price, you should be able to mount them and use them, not have to repeatedly balance, have the tread shaved, etc. before they can be used..
I wouldnt run tires that were 9 years old even if they had never been run. In my opinion thats too long to be running a tire and not expect some sort of failure.
I don't think the OP did anything wrong at all by simply ASKING if anyone else had a problem. If he'd came in guns blazing it would be a completely different story. I for one would like to hear from a number of people who may have had blowouts running a single particular tire rather than banking on a company to be completely honest about a potential litigation issue with a rash of bad tires (read: firestone). Nobody, no matter how good they are come on a forum and destroys their company with an admission of faulty product that affects enough people to tarnish or bankrupt the company. The only way we get this information is when people open their mouths. I have a niece that loves to ride in my 50. If I found out nobody spoke up because certain people verbally beat them for doing so and I ended up having a blowout that hurt my family I'd be damn sure to be in every one of your ***es over it, right before I was heading in the companies direction to finish. If you have an issue TALK about it. Save someone else's family and lay down the fanboy at***ude. All that said, a lot of tires have been sold that are already 10 years old - still new off the shelf and the rubber is still in as bad of shape as any ten year old rubber, no matter the tread depth or how nice and new it looks. It's in the chemical compound and makeup of the tire that matters and time wins every time. Look for a manufacturing date which is on most all tires in the code on the sidewall.
So, you got a solid six years of service before you had a problem? And Coker actually gave you credit after six years? That's terrible.
VonDad my neighbor was a tire inspector also and he looked at the tires and said there is a number stamped on the back that indicates a quality or weight standard. The number he looked at made him think that the tire was to light weight for the car. The car is a 1960 Oldsmobile the tire I am running is p225/70r14.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
...and if this happened to your car with your family inside?... I think you should lose the at***ude!
I also wouldn't run tires that are 9 years old plus if they are close to 3/4 worn out REPLACE them I have been in the tire business since 1972 I have sold many sets of Cooker tires mostly bias Firestones. Most of the time we can't get at least 1 out of 4 to balance. Some are out of round. They stand behind them ok but I still have to eat the shipping.
I dont want people to get mad at me I am new to the site and want to make friends, I just telling you the truth. And some people are thinking I was under inflated I wasnt the tire blew up because a bubble formed witch got hot and then blew up.
4 years max on a tire that sees little use.it is not good for a tire to sit and then drive it.it will break down and seperate. if you have tires older than 4 years,throw them away before trusting them. coker should have hung up on you....9 years...jeeshh you and your brother are wasting thread space. jmho
Dude don't sweat it. People will have different points of view around here but nobody worth a damn takes it serious. We all about the love and ****. 9 years is a tad old though. At least no one was hurt.
Jeff, I doubt you meant to come at me directly... but in all due respect, I take offense to this. I have ALWAYS allowed folks to speak their mind about any company - including Coker. Do a search for proof.
The tires were 9 years old and 3/4 worn and you want them to do something about it? The car probably should have had new tires put on it 4 or 5 years ago. No way would I be driving with my family on the freeway with worn out 9 year old tires.
I've seen tread separation on Coker radial tires on fairly new tires it does happen. If you had seen the bubble under the tread you shouldn't have driven the car. Are the tires having the problems all mounted in the same location or different ends or sides of the car?
Im in CA and our freeways **** if you have a bubble in the rear you dont know till its to late. And it happend if the front and the back. The front I could tell so I took the tire off befor it could blow.
i see your point about the tires and family safety but they were 9 years old. I worked in the tire biz for a long time and 4 to 5 years was the longest we recommended you keep your tires. just be glad no one got hurt. I also don't think it's fair to post a thread ***led "Coker tires gone bad" with your picture but no background info. just my two cents
As I said I have been in the tire biz since 1972 and I own 3 tire stores now. Way to many people think because the tire has some tread on it it is still ok. ******** anything less than 3/32 and 5 years should be replaced.Buuuuuuuut most people run way past that. I deal with this everyday hard to understand why. The thing is they always blame the tire and not themselves.
Bosco has 8 Chevy's 3 Olds 2 Fords 6 Harleys with no tires over 5 years old congrats. Do as I say not as I do(right).
You've got to be kidding me. 9 years old and near bald and you blame Coker?!? And you drove it on the freeway with family in it?!? AND you're complaining they just gave you credit and no apology?!? I must be misunderstanding something. If the above is correct that would be completely ridiculous.
I love how every person who has problems with a vendor is automatically retarded until proven a PhD. I don't have much else to say on the current debacle, but I can say for sure that it chaps my *** to see so many folks just pile on a guy for saying something "unpopular". You all are worse than a bunch of 13 yr old girls sometimes.
9 years is a long time, even if it isnt a daily driver.. you run up and down the p***, right? 9 year old tires is risky,nice ride though.I run the same tires and got them from Coker... no problems yet.. ps dont let all the negativity get under your skin!
Like I said people want to blame others for their mistakes. You may have had a bad tire But what the hell to you expect out of a tire. THE industry standard is to replace after 5 years Guess they don't know what they are talking about. Yes I have tires on my cars that are well over 5 years old Buuuuut I wouldn't ***** if one went bad
You know i signed up on this board in 2006 and kinda watched what went on in these forums and it seems like alot of people like to bag on others or act like the exact thing 90 percent of you people put down Gold Chainers! I love this board and i'm not here to piss anyone off either but why is it there are so many people on here that want to act like they know it all and talk a bunch of **** about a person or a persons vehicle.I have talked to alot of great people on here and 90 percent of the people on here are some great people but the other ten percent make us young guys not want to post on here for fear someones either gonna call us liars or they are gonna tell us we are wrong in everything we do.I see it like this Opinions are like ***hole everyones got one.I have learned in the short time of being here to take you 10 percent with a grain of salt! I love this place i just wish that there weren't so many of you that feel like you have to run someone down!Ya 9 years may be a long time to run tires but not everyone has the money to replace tires all the time and we try to stretch the envelope but i know i would put money on it that 99 percent of people on here including you who say you would never run a 9 year old tire have done it at some point in your lives so why give this kid such a hard time we all should be happy he had the nuts to even post because of those that act like you do!
www.lucascl***ictires.com www.widewhitewalltires.com www.kelseytire.com/home.html www.universaltire.com www.whitewallcandystore.com and for the uk www.longstonetires.com also to the other posters, he said the first tire popped at 6 years old...........just to stir the pot more.
So the tire went 9 years and how many miles? You think the tire really had a defect for those nine years and just now shows itself? I've done tires for the last 10 years and there's always a reason a tire blows out, and it's almost never a defect. As far as how much weight they'll hold, they hold 1675lbs at 35 psi, so unless your car weighs more than 6700lbs your fine. Most people want to blame the tire when in reallity it may have had a seperation for a while that wasn't noticed untill it was too late. a seperation that could have been caused by a pot hole or something else you don't remember hitting a year ago.
My thoughts exactly... your local tire store would have probably threw you out if you went in there after 6 years and asked for a replacement tire... Seems to me Coker took care of you... Coker has gotten slammed too much on here, do a search, I believe just about every thread on here about Coker has more good to say than bad...
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