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So, I managed to score 4 gently (hardly) used Hercules Terra Trac A/W 245/75R16s for my Escape. They're pretty sweet all-around tires, really. What convinced me to give them a try is that one of the guys at work with a King Ranch F-250 Powerstroke-powered pick-up has those exact tires in a different size and loves them.

So, off I went to Stockfish Ford at lunch Friday to get them installed on the factory rims (to save the extra hassle of new rims and sensors). Went well enough. Picked it up at 4:30PM and drove to the mall for last minute birthday shopping for the G/F and then home. So far, so good.

Got home, parked, did some kicking around for a bit and went to go out at 6PM. Looked out and saw that my right rear tire was well on its way to FLATSVILLE.

Me = not pleased. :angry:

Went out, pumped it up with the portable 12V pump, went off to Crappy Tire as they were the only ones open at that hour for tire repair on a Friday. Pulled in, talked to the SA at the desk, gave them the keys. Tire repair, non-CDN TIRE tire = $18. Reasonable.

Tried not to watch them like hawks. Failed. Checked out some solar panels and deep cycle batteries. Checked out some sport truck tires (I'm such a waffler). Went back to the desk as the tire tech that was working on my tire came in. Figured it was bad news as he had a long face on and my truck was still in the air, sans rear right tire.

They busted the band that holds the TPMS sensor to the rim. f***. I kinda bit both their heads off (tech and SA), told them I'd be in Monday to discuss them ordering me a new sensor assembly. They assured me it would be, took more info and one of my business cards for the service manager. I waited a few to cool down and then apologized, seeing as they hadn't ruined a tire or a rim.

They found the leak (right where I said it was), fixed it, mounted it, checked the others quickly... all 4 are now sound. To top it off, they ran it through as a Canadian Tire uhm... tire - free repair. Sure, it's only $18 plus tax, but it was a nice thing for them to do. :)

So now all that's left is to talk to the manager tomorrow to see about the new sensor/band/both and find out when they're going to install it.

Oh yeah, a pic would be appropriate. Pic fixed now that I found my micro M2 adapter :P

Good score Adam, the Hercules tire is owned by Bridgestone tires ( I think one of the best tire companies) I had there sport tires on my Monte Carlo and they were great....man I miss that car sometimes, but not the gas bill.

Looks beefy! lol! Looking forward to hear more on those tires. I figure when the stockers go on our 08', I'll look into these.

Sounds good...

I just got my newest mod completed on the 'Scape before work today...

235/70 R16 Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo's. I noticed a difference in the truck instantly. It felt a little bit more taught manovuering around the parking lot at the OK tire in Gloucester, and then descending a curb. After getting onto the 174 to make my way back to the 417 to get back downtown fast, I noticed that there is a little bit more noise in these tires at highway speed than the stock Conti's, but that might be attributed to being stone cold, and not being on the truck more than 10 minutes (I know the treadblocks will have to wear slightly and that the tires need to "settle" under load too). But, with that being said...the grip...OMG! The truck feels really firmly planted, and the lateral grip is definately improved. I am anxious to see how they are after I get an alignment done to the truck and get them upto temperature too.

I'll post up some pics of the new tires soon...

Good luck with your tires too!

Yeah man, let me tell you... I had some nasty chirp / squawk around corners at speed with the stock Contis. With the (used) Hercs and the extra 10mm of tread width... it makes a difference. It does feel stickier around corners.

There is more noise, but it's not ridiculous. I want to take them up to 35-36 PSI after I get the sensor replaced. I do notice a bit more isolation from the road, but that's expected with taller sidewalls.

Tire update - these things are seriously wicked! I crawled a large-ish ledge yesterday in them and they stuck to it like flypaper. The extra ride height is nice, too. It feels like the Escape is roughly where it should have been from the factory.

The extra ground clearance looks good on it, too. It feels more like a 4X4 than a "car-ish" truck. That's good, cause if I wanted a CUV I would have bought an Edge or a Taurus X.

I've been able to use my truck a little bit more lately, including out on the highway a bit in the rain, and around the ramps on the Ottawa River Parkway, and these tires are great for grip. They ARE louder than the Conti's, and the ride feels a little bit harsher, but nothing out of the ordinary. They are a semi-performance rated tire, and I've compromised ride for handling and grip.

I will get some pics of the new tires, and the truck detailed again this weekend..

L8tz

Here's the new Shoes on the L'il Lincoln...







And here are some newer shots of my Truck from Tunney's Pasture...







Now, just have to figure out a clever way of letting my parents know that they are going to Grandparents for the first time (got confirmation at the Hospital yesterday). I was thinking of buying an infant car seat, and putting it in the back seat of the truck, and taking some pics with it in there, and see if they notice "what's different" and put them in an envelope with a card Malia bought that let's them know we are expecting...lol Have to give it some more thought...

L8tz