Swapped Duratrac's for Goodrich KM2's
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 45
From: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Swapped Duratrac's for Goodrich KM2's
I installed 315 Duratrac's about three weeks ago. Everyone on the forum loves them and seem to have little problem.
However, I had them taken off today and Goodrich KM2's installed.
They could not get the Duratrac's balanced. Went back twice. The third time I went to a different shop and had the tech check the rear ones on the RoadForce Balancer. He said they were out of round and he balanced them but told me up front they would not be right. He was correct. At 55 to 70 they still vibrated. I went back to Discount Tire and that's when they informed me they had a RoadForce and he could get them right. They balanced them and the tech told me they were not right but it was the best he could do. I left and they still vibrated. I called back and they were going to order one tire. I told him I would try them if he ordered two and if that did not correct it I wanted a different tire. They installed two and I felt I was in trouble because he took forever on one of the tires adding a lot of weight. It did not help so yesterday ordered the Goodrich KM2 and problem solved.
It is a shame because I like the Duratrac but for the price I was not going to live with the vibration.
Evidently I must have gotten some from a bad run of tires. End result I now have a new set of KM2's. I have noticed they do not wander like the Duratrac's did. In heavy wind I like the KM2's a whole lot better. Maybe mental but they feel like they don't float at all like the others.
This is not intended to talk anyone out of the Duratracs because others are having good luck with them.
However, I had them taken off today and Goodrich KM2's installed.
They could not get the Duratrac's balanced. Went back twice. The third time I went to a different shop and had the tech check the rear ones on the RoadForce Balancer. He said they were out of round and he balanced them but told me up front they would not be right. He was correct. At 55 to 70 they still vibrated. I went back to Discount Tire and that's when they informed me they had a RoadForce and he could get them right. They balanced them and the tech told me they were not right but it was the best he could do. I left and they still vibrated. I called back and they were going to order one tire. I told him I would try them if he ordered two and if that did not correct it I wanted a different tire. They installed two and I felt I was in trouble because he took forever on one of the tires adding a lot of weight. It did not help so yesterday ordered the Goodrich KM2 and problem solved.
It is a shame because I like the Duratrac but for the price I was not going to live with the vibration.
Evidently I must have gotten some from a bad run of tires. End result I now have a new set of KM2's. I have noticed they do not wander like the Duratrac's did. In heavy wind I like the KM2's a whole lot better. Maybe mental but they feel like they don't float at all like the others.
This is not intended to talk anyone out of the Duratracs because others are having good luck with them.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 749
I'm a Duratrac fanboy, in 285 they are the perfect tire for year round NorthEast driving conditions.
If I move to Florida, I would then switch to something like the KM2's.
If I move to Florida, I would then switch to something like the KM2's.
Last edited by NJTEX; Jul 17, 2013 at 05:27 PM.
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 45
From: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
bflank, that was my thought. I have had a lot of Goodyears over the years with no problems. I work 70 miles round trip from the store so it was just becoming a pain going back and forth.
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 45
From: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
skeptic, they did swap two for the rear but one of them was out of round. Discount worked with me great but they could not overcome the out of round tires and after they swapped the two rear ones and one of them was out of round I got tired of going back and forth.
Tainter, I really did not like the feel of the tires at speeds of 60 or above. In the long run I am glad I had the problem because I did not realize how much they floated until I put the KM2's on.
Tainter, I really did not like the feel of the tires at speeds of 60 or above. In the long run I am glad I had the problem because I did not realize how much they floated until I put the KM2's on.
