I was up at CostCo yesterday in the battery/tires section. I over heard a fella asking about tires for his vehicle and he was told that “they werent in yet” and that “we’re not sure when theyll be in.” Hmmm. So I asked the guy behind the counter if they wer having availability issues with tires these days. He replied that they were. I asked him if a person thought they might need tires in the next year or so if it would be a good idea to buy them now. He said yes. Now, I understand that you don’t ask the barber if you need a haircut, but perhaps a pre-emptive purchase might not be a bad idea.
Even if availability isnt an issue, I’m pretty confident pricing will be. I’d almost guarantee the tires I’d buy next week are gonna cost more in a year. Like, 99% certain.
You know, when I was a kid and admittedly a bit wet behind the ears, I thought the most likely survivalist scenario was the gun-heavy WW3 nukefest or something equally dramatic and unlikely. Now that I’m older, though not necessarily wiser, I foresee the most likely survivalist scenario as an economic one…either on a grand scale like a national or global depression, but more likely on a personal scale like a job loss or similar.
But, there’s nothing sexy about living on a budget, paying your home early, and having money in the bank/safe/mattress. And yet…my belief is thats the direction things are going to go – less .50 BMG, more $50 bills.
I’m sure you know this, but I recommend shopping around, especially from tirerack.com….You can get a variety of styles and brands, and they can hook you up with a local installer that can put them on and likely do things like the front end alignment check that should go with every tire swap.
Sounds like a good plan, it’s not if we are going to need tires but when. Google says the shelf life of a tire is ~6 years which I’m sure can be extended by storing in cool dry location and coats of petroleum jelly gently and lovingly applied from time to time.
Food, water, ammo, and fuel are going to be hard enough to obtain but when I watch the mad max post-apocalypic genre media I always wonder ‘…where are they getting tires?…’ (and oil, air compressors, belts, hoses, brake pads/fluid, etc.)
Petroleum jelly [petroleum, oil, grease, etc.] and rubber do not mix, it just eats it away.. Now I know that modern tires may not have a lot [if any] rubber in the but why risk it.
Or perhaps Commander Zero more plastic trash bagged tires kept off the concrete for the next year plus? Some more 5 gallon pails of white rice, dry beans, seasonings and such with some bay leaves or spearmint gum (unwrapped please) to annoy any bugs with in. I’m still eating from such pails several years later with no issues.
I’m wondering what the trade value of a set of currently cheap common sized tires will be in the next two years? Or a couple pounds of white rice and a pound of dried beans?
Fiat dollars have a depreciating value as inflation is easily described as too many dollars chancing that gallon of Gasoline. The Pump prices from last year to present prove you cannot dump “Free Money” into the system with out results.
tires will close to double in the next year. another set is on the agenda for next week as is mounting the new tractor tires i already got. getting all the fluids changed out too. i’m thinking tptb will pull the rug out from under our feet after the first of the year….as to the mad max question, when i was in bosnia the leading small businesses were used tires and used car parts. many cars were stripped right where they broke down b/c they knew there were no parts to fix them nor money to pay if it could be found. wood for construction was scarce, as was firewood. watched a little ol lady hike out to the hills every day. she came back about dark hunched over with a huge pile of twigs on her back for cooking and “heat”. ten years after the war some houses still sported blue tarps on the roof covering the shell holes.
Living smart/frugal may not be sexy, but its never been more important. I liked your old stuff, but the new is just as good. You have a certain je ne sais quoi
And now winters here, the tire shops are busy. Tires are a necessity, whether you have fossil or lectric mode of transportation. Buying before it’s needed is what being prepared is all about, being prepared for any eventuality. The only thing that prevents it is the ability to pay for it, (or space to store it), for most people. That and the mistaken belief that it will always be available. Which as everyone here knows is a completely mistaken belief, especially in the present situation. There was a reason my grandparents and parents didn’t throw stuff away. The same reason I save useable nuts and bolts and seemingly useless pieces of steel & aluminum. A few years ago I re-powered a 1954 Willys truck, installing an older Mercedes diesel & Jeep running gear. It took mass quantities of structural mods and accessories. I made 90% of those mods using steel and aluminum from the scrap pile where I worked. If you don’t have a use for something, tire of the size you don’t need for example, trade it for something you do have a use for. Live your life with a little forethought, it’s going to come in handy, real soon.
just bought 4 for my truck, just in case. I also bought 3 new 86 gal pressure tanks for the well system, don’t need them until spring but warehouse only had 3 and weren’t sure when they would get more in.
Smart.
I manage a mid size wholesale tire distribution center which supplies tires to retail stores. When the pandemic started we had an inventory about 60k units in tires. for the past year it has been about 25k. We can still almost always get someone the size tire they need but not always the brand.
I bought winter tires for my Dodge in July and the price [if you can find them] has nearly doubled and most dealers won’t give you a firm price if you order them until they arrive. If you see something that you might need this winter buy it now. —ken
I bought an extra set 2 weeks ago because Walmart had them on clearance – they had a set of tires for what other shops wanted for a single tire!
(And only 3 shops in 100 miles had ANY in this size!).
Bought tires, oil, wipers, filters, etc…for every vehicle, quad, tractor, mower, both diesel and gas. Already saving money due to inflation on those items, just like all the food ive stockpiled. Dont forget parts, oil and such for your chainsaws and other tools also. Selling all superfluous items, classic car, queen safes, niche calibers, extra trailers. I dropped out of the economy after 31 years of service, well the rest never mind. Got a farmette and going solo, and remote, but it is what it is.
Tire company, a local family business filled up all their wharehouses with extra tires, they are saying the same thing, so yeah buy em. Look at used tires on ebay. Bought a set for my Ram, they had 95% tread and cost half of what new did with free shipping. On a budget? Win, win.
Cost may be irrelevant if none available, supply chains are going to break. Truck parts keep getting harder to find and more expensive. Last week I disassembled a Very Expensive fuel injection housing for the waterpump that wasn’t available(one online was asking $4000), national backorder expected in 3-5 months.
Picked up a 6-pack a month ago, they’re in the garage under a canvas tarp (why 6? one at each corner, plus the spare, and i have 1 extra matching wheel.). They’ll get mounted next fall when what’s on the truck (probably) hits the wear bars.
FYI, if you live in Discount Tire territory, their web site has on the product display pages a hyperlink for “found a lower price?” and it works. I saved $45/tire.
In addition to Food and Fuel, Vehicle Parts and Spares should be a part of any Survivalist’s Stockpile. Tires are only one of the things needed to keep a Vehicle running when ‘supply chain issues’ eventually happen. Oil, Grease, Transmission and Axle Oil, Coolant, Hoses, and Wear Parts like Brakes, Alternators, Starters, Bearings, Steering and Suspension Parts, Light Bulbs, Wiper Blades, Driveline Universal Joints, Wheel Bearings and Seals- in short, Any Part that CAN wear out, eventually Will.
My view of this is IF we don’t see the “Zombie Apocalypse” conditions, vehicle parts and supplies may be Very Hard to find. and of course, in a full-on “Mad Max” situation, the Last Truck Running is the Winner.
Don’t store those tires near any electric motors or any other ozone producing items. May shorten the life expectancy of them.
Ditto on the storage recommendations. No ozone, no sunlight, no excessive heat/cold, no “treatments” for the rubber.
Remember that the clock starts when they’re built. 6 years is the standard industry recommendation, but 10 years is certainly feasible with proper storage and care. So don’t put 8 year old tires on your ride and expect another 10 years of usable life out of them.
Also, speaking as somebody who tests the things for a living, NO used tires, ever, and don’t buy at Wal-Mart, even the name brands. The lower price is a false economy. Period. Ask anybody who has ever worked for a Wal Mart supplier. Oddly enough, Sam’s Club is fine, they purchase through a different supply line. Go to your local independent dealer or one of the national tire chains.
And buy American, Euro or Japanese. The Chinese tires are beyond junk, and there won’t be a company to stand behind them when you need it worst.