Cincinnati Area Thread (Tri-State, Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana)

Do you like it? There sauce is sold up here, and it is pretty tasty.

 

Thanks for all the recommendations, guys! I'll keep an eye out for your Tacomas.

 

Well, this will likely be my last update on the KO2s... the truck still shakes at any speed over about 45 mph, even after a fourth attempt at balancing. I spend far too much time driving on the highway and can’t handle the shake/vibration any longer. So rather than make an irrational decision and give up on the truck, I’m just gonna bite the bullet and buy a set of P285/70/17 SL Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Hopefully going back to a standard load tire will appease the over sensitive Tacoma. That and I’ll drop about 35 pounds of rotational weight in the process. Might even see an increase in MPGs (ok, maybe not, but these tires will weigh less than my old C rated 265s and I’m looking hard for a silver lining here).

Once I get the new tires mounted, I’ll likely list the current tires for sale on Craigslist first and then on the forums if I don’t get any interest over there. I’d rather not deal with selling them one at a time but I’d consider it if I can’t sell the whole set to someone with more patience than myself...

 

Have you considered that your tires may be "Out of round".

Cupped, or simply not round to run smoothly.


This happens a LOT with big rigs or semi trucks. The steer tires will get out of round and basically get worse and worse and worse until either the truck falls apart or the tire falls apart. Its pretty common actually.

The fix is to actually shave the tires down and make them round. Yes, it removes miles, but it fixes the problem. With you changing your air pressures, its possible you ran them long enough to get out of round and now its just amplifying the longer you do it.

Find a big truck shop and ask around about shaving your tires.

 

I think golf courses do this too. Shave tires

 

Jesus shaves.

 

They’ve done this since day one... and they were balanced twice that same day. I think it’s just the common “KO2 feel” on the Tacoma and I don’t like it. My old 265/70/17 KO2s didn’t feel this way at all but they were smaller and lighter so the truck must not have minded. But now, with the larger, heavier set it’s not happy.

I honestly don’t have the patience to deal with it any longer so I’m swapping the tires for something lighter and not LT rated. I don’t off-road the truck much at all and hopefully making the change saves my sanity with as often as I’m driving at highway speeds.

 

Next camping purchase for sure

 

Then what happens when the throwing of dead presidents at the truck doesn't change it?

 

It didn’t feel that way on the old tires so based on everything I’ve tried/replaced thus far, the logical explanation is that the current tires are the culprit. If, by chance, the vibration/shaking remains on a different set of tires then I know I have a bigger issue...

And haven’t we all been in a similar situation at some point with our truck? I’m very close to having it paid off so I’m unlikely to give up and sell it, but worst case scenario I’ll buy a daily driver and keep the truck off the highway for the most part.

 

I just got 2 of them today from Menards.

 

Got a pair today from Menard's. Difference is the gray "6,000 pound" is the new version with more adjustment holes in the jack stand saddle. The Black "3 ton" is the older version and does not have as many adjustment holes on the jack stand saddle. I'm sure there are more differences but that one I spotted right off. These will work fine to rotate the tires but if you have a flat tire you will never get the jack under the axle or frame, (Unless you have a lift) No need in carrying this jack in the truck if you cannot use it to change a flat.

 

I find that hard to believe with a flat tire you couldnt get that under the frame of a stock truck. They are pretty darned short.

Then again, if you have a stock truck, might as well just have the bottle jack for emergency tire change.

 

That bottle jack can kiss my shiny, metal a**! I don't usually have flat tires on a consistent basis, but I now carry a chunk of a 4x4 post to put under the OEM jack.

 

@Armyhater458 Try asking in here.

 

I'm just saying, a lot of tires arent round from the factory and need "trued" up. Even new ones. Especially if you're thinking of getting a DD when the truck is paid off and keeping it off the highway, you might as well keep the LT tires and just get them trued. Save ya some moolah and keep you in a sturdier tire.

 

The concept of radial tires should make unround tires from the factory an incredible rarity and from a respectable brand, warranty-able defect.
However, if they had been sitting long, particularly in a rolling orientation, with weight on them... there may be permanent damage to the tire.

 

The Precinct is top notch for steaks. But it’s also top dollar. My wife and I go for our anniversary every year and the bill with tip is usually 200-250.
The Eagle in OTR is amazing for fried chicken and large sides. I’ve never had anything there that wasn’t amazing. However, OTR can be a rough area so make sure you have your side arm on the wait their is usually an hour at least on the weekends.
There is some good food down on The Banks and also a Ferris wheel. I absolutely can’t stand crossing the river into Cincinnati but they do have some good restaurants over there so it happens every now and then. You could also do a BB Riverboat cruise. They feed you dinner and you cruise down the river and back up a little ways. The food is decent and the river looks like chocolate milk typically lol

 

The Gruff in Covington under the south end of the Roebling Bridge has an amazing fried chicken and fried porkchop sandwich and perfectly cold beer.

 

It’s quite possible one (or more) of the tires is out of round. Wouldn’t surprise me at all. And I totally understand that keeping them and having them checked and shaved if needed would be cheaper than swapping tires again. But I’m already kicking myself for buying a second set of KO2s after my experience on the first set for ~30k miles and reading about so many people having balancing issues on the larger sizes. I only did it because I got a stupid good price on them and after this vibration experience I think I’m just done with the KO2 on a Tacoma.

Realistically the truck won’t be paid off until early next year and I’ll be patient buying another car. A few months without a payment will be nice and finding the exact car I want will take time (I’ve been wanting to do this for a while). Keeping the truck has always been the plan but it’ll still need to be equipped for daily/highway driving as it’ll be my kid hauling vehicle when I have them. Off-road use may increase but I still don’t have plans to do anything serious or crazy. A set of Nitto Ridge Grapplers in SL will more than suffice for anything I do with the truck. That and if, by chance, the KO2s don’t sell I could always keep them and find another set of wheels to have them mounted on. I’d prefer not to do that for storage reasons but it’d be better than selling them for pennies on the dollar or letting them sit and rot.