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MMM2003
08-19-2003, 11:09 AM
ORDERING INFO HAS BEEN ADDED ON PAGE 4 OF THIS THREAD! DON'T BE STRANDED IN THE SNOW NEXT WINTER! I WAS JUST INFORMED OF AN ADDED BONUS. BUY THIS SET AND GET A FREE DVD PLAYER. CHECK FOR DETAILS ON PAGE 5 OR CALL MITCH @ 800-589-6789 EXT. 352

15 ORDERS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. ONLY A FEW LEFT. $500 PACKAGE PRICE IS CONFIRMED check page 7 for details!

After seeing more and more posts in regards to this, I took the liberty and contacted tires.com about a group discount for our specific requirements. After a little bit of negotiations they are offering us the following, if we can get 15 or more people together:

Michelin Artic Alpine

2 x 215/65 x 16 (front)
2 x 225/70 x 16 (rear)

mounted on "Unique" brand OE style steel rims (16x6.5 with a 42mm offset)

Above "package" has been purchased by members before and matches our front to rear ratio and wheel diameter almost perfectly and the Michelin Artic Alpine are an excellent choice for winter driving.

To sum it up: The package includes 2x 215/65r16 and 2x 225/70r16 Michelin Arctic Alpine tires, Unique OE style steel wheels, mounted and balanced, shipped for free and no sales tax.

Total package price offered to MM.net members is $500.00.

Regular price if purchased individually thru discounttire.com would be $556.00 per package. Basically they are offering us a 10% discount.

Packages won't be available until mid September. Therefore we have some time to get people signed up for this.

For those of us, who are not fortunate enough to live in a climate where this is no concern or to have a second vehicle for winter driving, this is a great solution and opportunity.

Below is a link for more info on the tires.

tire info link (http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireProductsByBrand.do)

If you are interested (no commitment at this point), please send an email to peter@dettmer.net with your real name & screen name, so that I can contact you when the packages are available.

I got the OK from Logan to post this information, since we don't have a "tire supporting vendor" on board. All transactions will be handled thru discounttire.com.

Sorry no changes on tire size or brand possible. WYSIWYG !!

edited by MMM2003 to add ordering info note

JET
08-19-2003, 11:37 AM
How about a picture?

If we upgrade our brakes will they fit? My wife has a volvo V70R with brembo brakes. the calipers are huge and we can't fit anything smaller than a 17" wheel on it.

MAD-3R
08-19-2003, 11:41 AM
Yes, I am interested, but we will see what the money situation is like at that time.

MMM2003
08-19-2003, 12:00 PM
Above proposed package is based on OEM brakes. Individual needs should be addressed with discounttire.com. They are really good people. Just click on the link below, to find the particular help area which interests you.

IMHO, different springs and adjusted ride height should not affect the tire fitment, since it is based on our stock OEM 18" wheel and tire combination.

Link to discounttire.com help section (http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/brochure/info/tmpInfoCenter.jsp)

I'm working on getting a picture of the OE style rim. Will post once available.

Picture of steel rim - click me (http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findWheelSizesByBrand.do?step= sizes&index=0)

Just trying to gauge how many would be interested in above package. WYSIWYG !

Thanks!

edited to add link to picture of steel rim

SheboyganGuy
08-19-2003, 12:08 PM
Count me in, just e-mailed you MMM...

GarageMahal
08-19-2003, 03:28 PM
Nice leg work! I am almost certain (too lazy to confirm right now) this is the same setup I have and love them. The price is nice for ready to wear wheels.

jta

duhtroll
08-19-2003, 03:41 PM
I am also interested. Was going to get some studded snows for the rear pair at least anyway. Don't know anything about the Arctic Alpine model and the pic link did not work. (doesn't mean I'm in any way against but as you said we have some time to think about it - perfect!) But it sounds like a great deal and thanks for looking it up!

One thing tho' - I just did a store locator and the nearest store is over 100 miles from me. That doesn't mean I'm out, as I do some traveling and I could do the switch while out somewhere the first time.

Thanks,
-A

DetGeno
08-19-2003, 03:50 PM
Sounds great MMM2003, but I've already got the wheels and how much will it be for "Just Tires". already got the steel rims from a Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptor. Please let me know Thx, Geno-

hrtn_monky
08-19-2003, 06:30 PM
MMM, I would be interested as well...... Keep the postings coming.

John

Fast4Door
08-19-2003, 07:25 PM
Info sent.

Thanks!

Wags
08-19-2003, 07:54 PM
There was a picture of my car with the winter package from TireRack in the photo gallery from last winter. I think that it is still there.... They fit fine, and worked very well in the snow.

Wags

MMM2003
08-19-2003, 08:34 PM
Thanks you for your responses so far. I do not want to take credit for the doing the groundwork. Tetsu originally spec'd out the tires and TMBK, was the first one to drive and use that set up. So I know it works. I'm happy to share the offer from discounttires.com, since we all can benefit from it.

My last (and first) winter in the MM was a bit scary at times. 2nd gear came in very handy several times.

If you are interested (remember, no commitment, yet), PLEASE send me an email including your screen name and real name to me (peter@dettmer.net). This is the only way I will be able to keep track of things.
Thanks!

jaywish
08-20-2003, 12:18 PM
Hi MM,

Just a thought but would they give a bigger % off for a bigger commitment?

Thanks
Jay

jaywish
08-20-2003, 01:38 PM
Hi MM,

Just a thought but would they give a bigger % off for a bigger commitment?

Thanks
Jay

MMM2003
08-20-2003, 06:34 PM
Possible. What they are offering is already a very good deal. I don't see a lot more that 25 sets sold at this point.

Now if we could get them to become a "supporting vendor" and we would start buying our OEM replacement tires thru them, that's another story.
(Are you reading this M @ discounttires.com?)
How about it?

1100+ members (carefully estimated 500+ MM owners and growing). That makes 2000 tires sold every 25-30k miles? For me that would be a set every year. Others maybe every other year?

Not counting all the CV owners and the S/C equipped owners, who will need tires every 10000 miles!!! :-)

Tempting ?!?!

jaywish
08-21-2003, 11:23 AM
Hi,

I was wondering about the wheels given the ford recall of police steel wheel?

Jay

MMM2003
08-21-2003, 12:11 PM
Jay,

Sorry, I don't follow? What recall. These are "Unique" O.E. style wheels. Not true Ford '03 PI wheels.

GordonB
08-21-2003, 12:21 PM
MMM2003,
Thank you Peter. Pls count me in. You have Email!
GordonB.

GordonB
08-21-2003, 12:57 PM
MMM2003 and Other Winter tire people,
1. Do you know what hubcap we could put on these Winter Wheels (Steel rims) to keep them from raising too many hackles by our signif. others? Wife will accept winter wheels and tires, but I think I will need to at least need some sort of cap for them to keep peace in the family!!! Any ideas?

2. Will also need regular steel lug nuts -- size, thread pitch? anyone?

Thanks,
Gordon B. :)

jaywish
08-21-2003, 03:44 PM
Hi,

I don't know how else to point to a specific post in a specifc thread but here is the reference that I believe claims tirerack is using ford rims.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=750&perpage=15&highlight=steel%20wheels%20vic toria&pagenumber=2

see the post by metroplex.

As far as the recall info that's in this site somewhere & I believe on blue oval but I'll look for that also.

Jay

jaywish
08-21-2003, 03:47 PM
ok, here is the thread on the wheels.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4167&highlight=wheel+recall

DetGeno
08-21-2003, 04:24 PM
I've got 1998-2002 Ford CVPI Rims so I won't have any problems. The 2003 Rims are absolutely ugly then you know what so they can recall all they want, but you'll never see it on my MM!

MMM2003
08-21-2003, 07:32 PM
Jaywish - thanks for the links.

I'm sure that we won't have those wheels in the package. First of all it is discounttires.com who offered us the discount, second the wheels are "Unique" brand O.E. style wheels, third even if they are the wheels used on the 2003 PI, I'm sure they have been replaced under the recall notice by now.

GordonB - thanks, got your email. Yes I agree, we need some sort of hubcap. I'll check and see if anything is included. Same with steel lug nuts.
If I remember correctly from my McGard wheel locks, our thread should be 1/2-13"
I need to check and will verify tomorrow.

Let's get on those available hubcaps. To all of the people who already have these wheel packages - What did you do? Do you have a picture?

Thanks!

03SILVERSTREAK
08-21-2003, 08:02 PM
Since you Gentlemen are on the subject of rims & tires for winter
use , I was wondering if someone that's involved in possibly
looking up this part number for verification-3W3Z1007EA .
I was discussing with a parts manager at a ford dealership in
Poughkeepsie NY as to the purchase of steel rims for winter use .
I explained of the salt and sand use in winter would damage the
clear coating on the rims . The parts manager stated that there
was nothing to worry about damage by sand or salt that the
clear coat that was applyed on our wheels is a Polyurethane
coating that resist road salts and that this is the same clear
coating that is applyed as a final coating on our paint Job .
The steel wheels with the above part Number are priced
at about 364.00 each and are described as 18" conv.spare rim.
He also stated that the only thing that can damage the clear
coat other than contact with an object is an acid based cleaner .
Doe's anyone have a picture of this steel wheel or do I go
foward with the 16 X 7 Rims ???

MMM2003
08-21-2003, 08:24 PM
Below should be a picture of the "Unique" brand O.E. style wheels, which are included in the "Package" from discountires.com

ADEL - are you planning on using 18" rims for winter tire use? I would be very surprised, if you can find snow tires to fit!

Otherwise for the price of 1 1/2 wheels, you can get a complete package, which will fit your MM just perfectly and have been proven to run great on the Marauder.

See links in this posts by jaywish.

I believe the part number you have, are the full size spare tires, which came with the 300A. They are 18" 5- spoke unpolished MM wheels.

DetGeno
08-22-2003, 12:10 AM
ADELG670 - I would have to agree that getting 18" Winter tires would be awful lot of money, that is if you can even find them. I would personally go with a good value Winter Package.

MMM2003 - Thx for posting the Pic for the Steel Rims, but it shows only 4 spokes and our MM's takes 5 spokes. I would have to say that it does look very similar to the Ford Police Steel Rims that I've already own.

GordonB - I am going to use the Police Center Caps for the Winter. It gives that special aggressive look especially on the MM. Also if you ask any Law Enforcement or Cabbies they'll tell ya that hubcaps in the Winter time on steel rims is just trouble with all the bumping and slidding. Not that I think it will happen to ya!

DetGeno
08-22-2003, 12:12 AM
Any idea if I go with 225/55/16 in Front and 235/60/16 in Rear would work for our ratio? Anyone?

Or maybe 225/55/16 in Front and 225/60/16 in Rear would work?

MMM2003
08-22-2003, 04:52 AM
DetGeno - I'm sure you are referring to mounting holes, not spokes. The pic I posted is just a generic one. Mounting hole pattern will be five to fit our MM.
I just posted the pic to give people a general idea of what it looks like.

tire calc. (http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html)

Above is a link to a tire size calculator, if you want to play with it and see how close to our original 235/50/18 and 245/55/18 diameter/ratio you can get with the sizes you are considering.

jaywish
08-22-2003, 06:24 AM
Great thread you have going here,

Almost at the 15 minimum....


Thanks for you effort. Not everyone extends themselves for anyone but themselves.

tetsu
08-22-2003, 08:45 AM
The steel wheels from Tirerack work just fine. They ARE NOT Ford steelies.

The wheels pictured above are not what Tirerack sells.

NEVER take the advice of the people from the dealerships. Find someone who actually knows. They know almost nothing almost all of the time.

Party on!

MMM2003
08-22-2003, 09:34 AM
Hey Tetsu -

So you did buy the "original" snow tire package from Tirerack?

This package is offered thru discounttires.com. Very nice and knowledgeable folks there. I can only recommend them for any tire needs you may have.

GarageMahal
08-22-2003, 10:23 AM
Hub/center caps - I need to find some too, I was unable to find any for these 16 steelies but did not try very hard either.

Older PI rims - From what I recall, the offset is different for rims before 2003 so I do not believe rims from a prior year will work on the Marauder.

Lug nuts - I used some simple chrome ones from my installer.

jta

GarageMahal
08-22-2003, 10:34 AM
Originally posted by MMM2003
This package is offered thru discounttires.com.

For clarification did you mean discounttireS.com or www.discounttire.com ?

I bought the rubber from a local Discount Tire store (same company as www.discounttire.com) but ordered the rims from tirerack.com since Discount Tire did not have them in stock. (long story - short version: it was snowing and I needed traction immediately).

I was very pleased with Discount Tire, they stayed open late in a blizzard just for me :)

jta

(edit: changed tires.com to tirerack.com to reflect reality hehe)

MMM2003
08-22-2003, 11:08 AM
Actually neither one. I started by going thru www.tires.com

Once there you have an option of going to: www.discounttire.com (local retailer) or www.discounttiredirect.com (web-based)

To be technically correct, I should have been referring to the web based one. The extra (s) I have been adding by mistake.

Below is a link to the web-based home page.

linky linky (http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/home.jsp)

Thanks for catching that GarageMahal!

On the hub caps - Yes I need some too. Let's start looking. I'll try to get in touch with my contact to see what they have to offer.

GarageMahal
08-22-2003, 12:24 PM
Now that that's all cleared up let me correct myself by saying that I actually bought the rims from tirerack.com. So many tire companies on the net, I can't keep them straight either.

jta

BillyGman
08-22-2003, 11:04 PM
yep, count me in brutha.....just sent ya an e-mail.......
For me it's not as much an issue of protecting the aluminum mags as it is just to be able to have snow tires on the car for the winter. From what I'm seeing, the only thing that you can get in an 18" snow tire is an SUV or truck tire which ofcourse are all higher profile tires that I'm sure will not fit under the MM's fender wells w/out rubing a lot around turns and while driving over bumps.

EbonyMarauder03
08-23-2003, 08:46 AM
I'll join in on the winter tire gig. The MM would be a little better in the snow than my 97 Bird. Let me know when it gets close to ordering time.

jgc61sr2002
08-23-2003, 09:10 AM
The best winter package is leave the MM in the garage.:D

BillyGman
08-23-2003, 10:04 AM
unfortunately for me my only driving alternative is my 73 Vette.....so that pretty much decides it for me as far as winter driving......it's gonna be done in the Marauder.......

duhtroll
08-23-2003, 04:39 PM
Marauders ain't afraid of no snow . . ..

Are some saying it's OK to Maraud around only when the weather is nice?

:lol:

-A

tetsu
08-23-2003, 07:35 PM
I got mine from tirerack after I spec'd them out.

Since I needed them mounted and they were an asymmetrical set, I had to talk to a sales person to ensure everything was groovy.

I'm trying to imagine what would go through anyone's mind to dream of hubcaps on a Marauder!!! LOL! I considered some police centercaps but too $$$$$. The black steelies look way cooler than any hubcap.

Johnny

MMM2003
08-23-2003, 07:37 PM
Hey Tetsu,

can you dig up a picture of your MM with black Winter steelies?

BillyGman
08-23-2003, 07:38 PM
I agree on that.

tetsu
08-23-2003, 08:03 PM
This may be heretical but I dont take pictures of my car! LOL!

It looks pretty coplike with the black steelies though. Much moreso than with its bling bling shoes on! :)

I think Wags got an exact same set on his at the same time I did mine. He posted some pics of his in the "old" picture gallery.

Johnny

MMM2003
08-23-2003, 08:44 PM
Here is in update to some of the questions posted on this thread:

- No lug nuts included.

- Center caps not included and probably won't fit, but most aftermarket 16" hubcaps will fit.

- I don't have offset information regarding the
'03 Interceptor wheels however the 16x6.5 Unique wheels have
42mm offset which works fine considering the offset range for
the front of the Marauder is 27-76 mm and the rear is 16-76 mm.

- According to the vendor, the product should be available mid September.

Above info came from my contact at discounttire.com.

Just FYI, and to refresh. The thread is getting pretty long some info may have gotten overlooked.

The package includes tires, wheels, mounting and balancing, free shipping and no sales tax.

You get all that for $500. That's why I think this is such a great deal, if we can get 15 people signed up! For more details, please go to the 1st page and the first post on this thread

As a reminder, if you are interested, you must send an email to peter@dettmer.net including your screen name and real name. No commitment at this point.

Email is the only way I will be able to contact everyone at the same time, when it is time to commit.

If you have voted and you are serious, please belly up and send me an email with your contact info!

Thanks!

GordonB
08-24-2003, 08:09 PM
MMM2003,
Any chance that we could get Road Hazzard warranty on those tires for an add-on fee?
GordonB.

MMM2003
08-25-2003, 04:57 AM
GordonB -
that's probably something you can add on a individual basis. Everyone will have to place their own order. When you do that you can ask about adding on the Road Hazard Warranty.

I'll check with them to make sure and report back.

MMM2003
08-25-2003, 05:29 PM
Well,

here goes another update. C'mon people, this is a steal for a set of Winter tires. $500 for tires, wheels mounting and balancing, free shipping and no sales tax.
The tires are top-rated Michelin Artic Alpine. Tire and wheel combo will maintain correct front to rear tire ration!

Email me at peter@dettmer.net with your screen name and real name, if you are interested at all!

MMM2003
08-25-2003, 05:36 PM
Alright. Here is some more info for all interested:

Below is a reply to an email I send to my contact at discounttire.com:

Do you offer a Road hazard warranty?

We do offer a Free Replacement Certificate which covers the tires
for free replacement against non-repairable road hazards. The
cost varies by tire. In the case of the 215/65r16 and 225/70r16
Michelin, it is $11.25 per tire. You can read more about the
Certificate at http://discounttiredirect.com/certsMoreInfo.html.


How about availability?

I have checked. The two sizes of tires are on our list of incoming
product. We will see approximately 120x 215/65r16 and 60x 225/70r16.
The wheels are also on our list of incoming product. If everything
goes according to plan, we should be receiving everything in
the next week or two. I have confirmed that the package price
I told you will be the correct price. A minimum of 15 packages
at $500.00 each. Once we receive the tires and wheels
that we have ordered, this will be all that we see for the season.

Let's go people. Email me to get your set reserved! peter@dettmer.net

MMM2003
08-25-2003, 07:25 PM
I got an email from a fellow member with the following questions. Just wanted to post it here, to help clarify any questions there might be:

Just to be clear on the terms used:

Wheels = Usually AL or Steel also referred to as rims.
Tires = Rubber compound on the rims. (Obviously).

Now to your questions:

What is the advantage of swapping out the wheels instead of just doing the tires? - Our wheels are 18" diameter.
You can't buy snow tires with the low profile required to fit our cars. Only other 18" snow tires available are truck tires.
You could buy 17" wheel/tire combination, but they are about $350 more for the set and are wider as well. You want to try to keep them as narrow as possible in the winter.

Would this package include rims? - Yes. 16" steel rims are included in the package price. As well as the mounting, balancing, free shipping and no sales tax. I did post a picture of rims/wheels in the thread, if you want to check them out. They are "Unique" (brandname) O.E. style black steel wheels.

Another important thing is, that the package we are pursuing, has already been proven to be a great set by several other MM owners last winter. There are links to those "old" threads in this new one.

03SILVERSTREAK
08-25-2003, 09:20 PM
:bow: :bow: :bow: MMM2003

03SILVERSTREAK
08-25-2003, 09:22 PM
You the Man :bows: :bows:


Ok I made a bow bow

BillyGman
08-26-2003, 01:41 AM
for those of us who will be driving our Marauders in the winter, unless we want to be stranded or have to stay out of work every time it snows more than a 2 or 3 inches, then we're going to need something better in the snow than those stock hi-perfomance tires. Sure they're great for the dry pavement, and even in the rain. But when it comes to rear wheel drive cars and driving in snow, you need snow tires. And I think the 16" tires will do nicely. I've looked araound and haven't seen any 18" snow tires that aren't a lot bigger than our tires are due to them being high profile truck tires. So they will not fit too good under the wheel wells. If you do manage to find someone who sells an 18" snow tire for a car, I'm sure they're going to cost as much for two of them(w/out the rims) as we can get this whole tire and wheel package for. And do you really want to pay that much for snow tires that you'll only be using about 4 months out of the year????

Meteorite
08-26-2003, 01:02 PM
Is this snow tire package still available? If so, I'm interested!

-- Paul

MMM2003
08-26-2003, 02:02 PM
Yes. It is still available. I got your email. Will respond with details tonight.

tetsu
08-26-2003, 06:15 PM
BillyGman is correct. Our cars are extremely unsafe in ANY amount of road snow in the stock BFGs. Our BFGs turn hard at around 40 F.

The Michelin Artic Alpins are extremely excellent tires along with a a couple of 50 lb bags of playground sand in the trunk.

Having said that, I'm hoping to be able to keep my MM garaged all winter this winter. :)

Johnny

03SILVERSTREAK
08-26-2003, 06:57 PM
Tetsu & BillyGman= :bows: :rock: :cool4: :banana2: :coolman:

03SILVERSTREAK
08-26-2003, 06:59 PM
MMM2003=:up: :up: :up:

MMM2003
08-26-2003, 07:04 PM
I already emailed all members who contacted me. Below is the ordering guidelines and some FAQ we came across:

At this point I have 13 people confirmed + 4 more who replied on this thread or send a PM stating they are interested.

Below are ordering guidelines to get your winter tire package reserved.

The person to contact at discount tire is Mitch S.

You can either email him direct ssears@discounttireco.com

Or call him at 1-800-589-6789 ext 412 to place your order.
If you get another sales agent, have them refer to a quote for "Mercury Marauder" in Ohio.
The sales agent can then reference the special package pricing.

Calling is probably the best method to get all the required info to him and get any questions answered.
Below are some common questions I have addressed with him ahead of time:

Q: What will happen when I call to place the order?

A: If you get Mitch, just tell him you like to reserve the Mercury Marauder winter tire package.

Q: Will my credit card be charged when I place the order, or when the package ships?

A: The sales agent will charge your credit card for $50.00 (10%) and then charge the
remaining 90% when they have the product and the order ships.
This will also allow them to keep track of how many orders are placed and secure the product for you.

Q: What happens if we don't get 15 people signed up to get the discounted price?

A: If we receive all of the product and there are not 15 orders, they will contact you to advise
of the lack of orders and see if you would still like to proceed with the order at the
normal price (which is $556), or have them refund the 10% deposit.

Q: What if I only want to order the tires or a 17" set?

A: Orders for tires alone will not qualify at a discounted price, although the price
is still great without a discount.

Q: How will the product be shipped?

A: When we ship the product, we will use UPS ground (3-4 days for delivery)

Q: What if I would like to have the wheel & tire package shipped to an alternate address?

A: We can ship to an alternate address other than the billing address, but the
alternate address MUST be listed with the credit card company
as such, for verification.

Q: What is included in the package? (Please verify this, if you are placing the order with any other sales agent but Mitch)

A: 2/ 215/65r16 Michelin Arctic Alpin, 2/ 225/70r16 Michelin Arctic
Alpin, 4/ 16x6.5 Unique OE style steel wheels. Package includes
free mounting, balancing, and shipping.

Q: What if I live in a state, where they have a walk-in store?

A: Sales tax will be added only in Oh, Tx, Nv, and Az.
(Sorry about this, if you live in OH, I doubt that we have any takers in TX, NV or AZ)

Q: What if I would like to add a Road hazard warranty?

A: Free Replacement Certificate (road hazard warranty) available for $11.25 per tire.

Q: What if I want to wait with my order?

A: Once they receive the tires and wheels that they have ordered, this will be all that they see for the season.
Everything is based on first come first serve!

FYI - They will see approximately 120 each of the 215/65r16 and 60 each 225/70r16. If you do the math, you will notice, that they can do a maximum of 30 packages for us, due to only 60 rear tires (225/70r16) coming in.
This is assuming, that no one else will be ordering that tire size.


***Remember that they will not be seeing an endless supply of the tires and wheels, so to secure your order, contact Mitch soon!***

I will be placing my order tomorrow! I can't go another winter without snow tires, since the MM is my daily drive!

tetsu
08-26-2003, 07:11 PM
MMM2003 did you really drive a whole winter in Madison's awful icepack streets on the BFGs? LOL!

At least in Milwaukee, I could opt to not go out until the salt had worked it's magic! :)

Johnny

MMM2003
08-26-2003, 07:15 PM
Yes every freakin' day last winter. I drive 25 miles one way to work. I had several days, when it took me 1 1/2 hrs. to get to work or home. I did manage to get thru the winter without damage, but I had several close calls!! Not going to do that again!

Wags
08-27-2003, 04:59 AM
Hey guys, if you're thinking of getting snow tires for your car, you can't beat this price. I bought mine last fall, and paid $589 (from TireRack). The Alpins are really good in the snow, and give your car that "cop car" look. I think that getting these is a must, if you are going to drive everyday in the winter around here. We're due for a rough winter, so be ready!

Wags

MMM2003
08-27-2003, 08:23 AM
Well if this doesn't do it, than I don't know what will?!

Buy a great snow tire package, at a great price and get a free DVD player !!

I just called in my order with Mitch and he told me about a promotion Michelin is running until 9/27/03.

Buy (4) Michelin tires and get a free DVD player. We are eligible for this promotion, in addition to the group discount of 10% (if we get 15 people). If we don't get 15 people, we can still get the free DVD player.

Once our orders have been invoiced, we can download a rebate form from michelin.com or tires.com and mail it in.

For more info or to place your order, call Mitch at 1-800-589-6789 ext. 412.

Go get them boys (and girls)!

Meteorite
08-27-2003, 09:17 AM
Just ordered my set. Mitch said I was his 4th order today, so I think we'll get to 15 pretty quickly.

Thanks, Peter, for organizing this!

-- Paul

SheboyganGuy
08-27-2003, 09:20 AM
Got my order in this morning, too!! I think I was 3rd...

MMM2003
08-27-2003, 09:47 AM
Yeah, I got mine in this morning. Can you believe it. I was second. Someone beat me to the punch !!!

TripleG
08-27-2003, 10:05 AM
Just priced this set here in Connecticut $690 mounted.

Ggalske
:alone:

MMM2003
08-27-2003, 10:10 AM
ggalske - + sales tax I bet!

What are you waiting for? Get the MM package thru discounttire.com. $500 (incl. discount) shipped to your door, mounted and balanced ready to bolt and no sales tax!

Call Mitch @ 1-800-589-6789 ext. 412 to place your order and help all of us to get the 10% discount @ 15 or more orders!

duhtroll
08-27-2003, 11:54 AM
I priced a set of wheels and these Michelin tires locally and was quoted $900 plus tax.

I then called and ordered my set from this offer, and Mitch says I was #6 or #7 today already.

THANKS again for all the help Peter and others! The DVD player is an extra bonus! I can use it in my classroom and was just thinking we should get one. :)

-A

DetGeno
08-27-2003, 01:50 PM
Just talked with Mitch for those of us that wants "Tires only" and not the rims he will let them go for $350 OTD that includes s/h. And better yet you get a FREE JVC DVD PLAYER for buying 4 Michelin Tires between Aug. 24th - Sep. 27th worth $100. Just can't beat this deal!!!!!! Yahoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

BillyGman
08-27-2003, 06:58 PM
Originally posted by MMM2003
Yeah, I got mine in this morning. Can you believe it. I was second. Someone beat me to the punch !!!

Hahaha...that was me:D :D :D I called Mitch and placed my order w/the plastic money at 9:00am sharp(EST). If ya snooze ya lose.......I guess it's easy for us eastcoasters to get the jump on some of you other guys) ....thanks for getting us this great deal Pete......

Fast4Door
08-27-2003, 08:14 PM
Ordered mine today. Don't know what number I am.

Thanks again Pete!!!!

MMM2003
08-27-2003, 08:18 PM
Great! I asked Mitch to drop me an occasional email, with the number of people signed up. I'll post updates as I get them. You can actually say "Hi" to Mitch. He does check in here occasionally as a "guest".

:banana2: Hi Mitch!

MMM2003
08-28-2003, 08:53 AM
Just got an email from another member looking to join in.
Hope you got your email, since I'm at work and had some issues emailing. Here again is real brief what is involved.

"Get the MM package thru discounttire.com. $500 (incl. discount) shipped to your door, mounted and balanced ready to bolt and no sales tax!"

Call Mitch @ 1-800-589-6789 ext. 412 to place your order and help all of us to get the 10% discount @ 15 or more orders!

Read thru this thread, if you need more info. Most everything has been addressed in this thread. Or drop me an email with any specific questions.

Welcome on board!

MMM2003
08-28-2003, 10:19 AM
As of 11:45 am CST, the count of reservations/orders received is up to eight (8).

If you haven't placed your order yet. Please do so by calling Mitch @ Discount Tire Company at 1-800-589-6789 ext. 412 to place your order and help all of us to get the 10% discount @ 15 or more orders.

Thank you!

Todd@DTDirect
08-29-2003, 10:08 AM
Mitch will be back in the office after Labor day. If you need assistance friday or Saturday you may dial ext 414 to speak with me or 436 for Jason. When you call please say where you are calling from and reference a quote under Mercury in Ohio. We are at 10 orders as of today. Thanks guys!!!

BigMerc
08-31-2003, 08:37 PM
Hmmm do I need a set? it got to like 55 degrees one time, and I had to roll down my sleeves. these Florida roads are tricky when they get below 58 degrees. I'll have to ponder it for awhile

BillyGman
08-31-2003, 10:20 PM
it must be nice.:rolleyes:

MMM2003
09-01-2003, 06:57 AM
They might come in handy on the next beach cruise. Gives you that extra traction in the sand.
I would most certainly get a set if I were you, you just can't pass up a deal this good.
You can always sell it to someone else, if for some odd reason you won't use them done there.

jgc61sr2002
09-01-2003, 08:16 AM
Sounds like a good deal for those who have to use their MM in winter conditions. I myself keep the MM in the garage in inclement weather.:D

MMM2003
09-01-2003, 08:38 AM
I wish I had that luxury, but my MM is my daily driver. All year round. Come wind, snow or high waters.
Gotta get thru it !
Yes, it is a good deal. Go get one!

BillyGman
09-01-2003, 10:02 AM
in a state that hasn't had snow in atleast the last 3 or 4 years, then I wouldn't even consider buying a set of snows. I'd rather use the $500 towards a new Torque converter, or some other summer performance modification. But if you'll have to drive your MM in the snow like I'll have to, then I don't think it would be wise to do so w/out a good set of snow tires, and this deal is the best you're gonna get. As it was previously mentioned, don't think you're gonna be able to cut corners by simply buying two tires for the back wheels, because you will NOT find any 18" snow tires for cars. The only 18" ones are for trucks and will NOT fit under the MM's wheel wells. Think about this: how many cars come equiped from the factory w/18" wheels that will be driven in the snow? There aren't any that I know of. All the other vehicles that I know of that come from the factory w/18" wheels or bigger, are either trucks, SUV's, or they are expensive sports cars that nobody drives in the snow(ie. Corvettes, Vipers, Porsches, etc., etc.....). Therefore there isn't any market for snow tires that are bigger than 16" that aren't high profile truck tires. that's why they don't make them, and that's why you need a set of four 16" snows for your MM if you'll be driving it in the snow like I will be. And please don't think that having traction control will replace the need for snow tires if you have a 300B MM. I have driven a Mercury Marquis(which ofcourse is the same car as far as weight distribution, chassis, and frame) w/traction control in the snow and w/out snow tires, and let me tell you, it was a nightmare, and I almost got into a seriousn accident more than once. I'll never do that again w/any rear wheel drive car, traction control or not. I lost count of how many hills that I had to drive back down in reverse sliding around the whole time simply because my Grand Marquis wouldn't make it up despite having traction control. It was because I didn't have snow tires. I simply had those "All Season" tires, and they won't cut it in the snow unless you have front wheel drive, or four wheel drive.

03SILVERSTREAK
09-01-2003, 07:22 PM
Originally posted by MMM2003
I wish I had that luxury, but my MM is my daily driver. All year round. Come wind, snow or high waters.
Gotta get thru it !
Yes, it is a good deal. Go get one!


MMM2003- I'm calling for my Winter package tomorrow morning .
Thank's to all that were involved.

:banana: :coolman: :bounce: :rock: :cool4:

03SILVERSTREAK
09-02-2003, 06:27 AM
Spoke to Mitch and on board with my order . told me I'm #11 so far .
:bounce:

Mikeenh
09-02-2003, 07:32 AM
Ordered my snows from Mitch 800-589-6789 Ext. 412.
I'm #12.
I've been looking around for a more agressive set of snow tires.I gave up. With the size we need, you can't beat this $500 price of tires, wheels and shipping to your door. NH has no income or sales tax, but for those that do this is an even better deal. :
3 more to go and we're in. :up:

03SILVERSTREAK
09-02-2003, 10:50 AM
We need three(3)more Owners willing not to get stuck in the snow this year and next year .
:burnout: :burnout: :burnout: :burnout: :shake:

MMM2003
09-02-2003, 05:10 PM
If you live in NY, MA, NH, PA, MI, WI, MN, KS, SD, ND, CO, WA, MT, OR, ID, WY, NM, NB, KS, IA, MS, IL, IN, OH, MD, VT, CT, WV, KY, TN or VA you should look at this seriously. If you had to deal with any significant amount of snow in the last few winters and your MM is your daily drive. This is the best deal you will find. Think about it. You will get a great set of Winter tires, ready to bolt on, shipped to your door for free at $500 and a free JVC DVD Player (worth $100). It's not going to get any better than this!!!

BTW, feel free to add or correct me on above state abbreviations. I should be close, if memory serves me right.

BillyGman
09-02-2003, 10:56 PM
come on BROS!!! Ya know what? Even if we stop here at #12, then I'm still going through w/the deal, because I still am going to need some good snow tires this winter, and in that case we would still get everything as listed(including the DVD player) for $556, and that still is a much better deal on these tires and wheels then I've found anywhere else by far. But it would be even better if we get three more people to call their order in:rolleyes:

Perhaps it's a money issue w/some people (as far as the timing) since I dunno what else it would be since 18 people voted "Yes, where do I sign up?" in that poll above, however only 12 people so far(including myself) have actually "signed up" by calling in their order(???). But if that's the case, then I want everyone to know that MMM2003 will lend you the $500 for a few months:P

MMM2003
09-03-2003, 05:02 AM
Yeah right. The interest rate will be really good. Believe me, really, really good. I'll have to be able to pay for my next Marauder somehow!

Seriously now. Just got a PM for another order placed (should be#13). I know that there are two more out there, who just recently stated that they want a set as well. Come on, help all of us out! Get your order in, you don't want to miss out on this!

MMM2003
09-03-2003, 09:15 AM
Another "official" update:

The count is up to 13 with Mitch @ Discounttire.com as of 7:20am on 09/04/2003.
Come on people, two more!! That's all we need to get the $500 package price.
If you are new, a guest or haven't seen this thread before, please go to page 1 first post for all the info you need. Send an email to peter@dettmer.net, if you need more info!

You don't have to be an "official" member to be able to participate!

MMM2003
09-03-2003, 12:14 PM
Here is the latest official update.

I have good news and bad news.

Good news for all the members/owners who have called in their order with Mitch @ Discounttire.com. We are officially at 15 Winter Tire sets. Which means availability and the package price of $500 is guaranteed for everyone who already placed their order/made a deposit of $50. :banana2:

The bad news, for everyone holding off for whatever reason. Discounttire.com’s available product has changed. The maximum available amount of snow tire packages is down to a total of 20 sets. Take off the 15 sets already spoken for. That leaves 5 sets as of 14:00 CST (09/04/03). Those are in no way guaranteed for us. If those get sold/reserved by other customers, they are gone!

They may get more in late October, but the pricing and availability is not guaranteed. The free DVD Player promotion expires 09/27/03 as well.

If you have been waiting or holding off, you better get on it!

Thanks to everyone participating. We all appreciate it!! :)
Great group effort, to save all of us some money and get some much needed Snow Tires!

BillyGman
09-03-2003, 11:04 PM
for that great news Peter, and again, thankyou for getting this deal together for us. I'm glad that I got my order in.

duhtroll
09-04-2003, 06:39 AM
Thanks also from me, Peter. What a great deal. Can't wait to see them!

Thanks,
-A

DetGeno
09-04-2003, 08:37 AM
Took me a while, but thx Peter I am #17. Had to get rid of my 2002 CVPI Rims before I can justify new ones! :banana2:

JGaignat
09-04-2003, 12:51 PM
Peter,
Thanks for the info. I am buyer #18. Mitch (great guy) gave me a lot of information. I should have them by the end of the month. Hopefully Kansas will have a late or mild winter.

John

DetGeno
09-04-2003, 12:58 PM
Peter if we hit over 20 packages we should ask for Road Hazard Cert. to be included! What do we have to loose. That means more business for them down the road and future tires for all the 2004 owners as well. Let us know!

Todd@DTDirect
09-04-2003, 01:38 PM
You guys rock. We appreciate the business...but the certs cant be thrown in. Sorry.

DetGeno
09-04-2003, 02:29 PM
Todd what about a group discount on the cert?

Todd@DTDirect
09-04-2003, 02:35 PM
The certs are full price. Even if our wholesalers buy them they pay retail.

BillyGman
09-04-2003, 11:46 PM
it's all cool, cuz this is already by far the greatest price you're going to see on a package like this anywhere..........so I'll definately be satisfied when mine are delivered.:up: :banana: :banana: :banana:

DetGeno
09-05-2003, 01:29 AM
I blame me for trying!

BillyGman
09-05-2003, 04:37 AM
didn't want Todd's, or Mitch's intelligence to be insulted. I mean after all, the deal has already been negotiated, it IS an excellent one as it is, and ALL of us have already placed our orders.
But I meant no offence to you either DetGeno.......

Todd@DTDirect
09-05-2003, 08:12 AM
I like you guys! This has been one of the smoothest GPs we've ran in sometime.

Todd@DTDirect
09-05-2003, 08:13 AM
So...which of you has the fastest Marauder?!

Heres my ride.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/pe11ba498b30c8908ddedd799fbbab 68c/fb56c202.jpg
Her name is SSKILLZ and shes got WAY more mods than I ever planned.

MAD-3R
09-05-2003, 08:39 AM
That would ither be SergntMac, or Zack. Though MI2QUK4U (or someother Alphbet soup) would also be up there.

They are running low 13's to high 12's.

gohogs
09-08-2003, 09:48 AM
Ordered mine today. Mitch said he had two sets available, and I got one. He indicated there may be more available in the future. The fronts are ready now, but the rears are still in assembly and may take a couple weeks.

03SILVERSTREAK
09-08-2003, 10:43 AM
Welcome to the site . and thanks for the update . :burnout:

MMM2003
09-08-2003, 12:24 PM
Follow up to "gohogs" post.
Official count per Mitch is up to 19 as of 09/08/03 @ 1:00pm.
One more set is available. ETA of rear tires is still unknown, but expected to be less than two weeks.

I will post update as soon as I get news.

murray
09-09-2003, 09:33 AM
Originally posted by Todd@DTDirect
You guys rock. We appreciate the business...but the certs cant be thrown in. Sorry. :help: Todd; is there any kind of a deal you can put together for us poor frozen schmucks in the true north. Do you ship into Canada?

Todd@DTDirect
09-09-2003, 09:34 AM
Murray, you are entitled to the same pricing...unfortunately we "will" have to charge shipping to Canada unlike here in the states. Also...there are duties/fees of some sort to cross the border.

BillyGman
09-09-2003, 09:37 AM
me that you've missed the boat on this. Perhaps you've just read this thread just now for the first time. If Todd doesn't come back on here soon, then maybe you should just call him or send him an e-mail. But forgive me if I'm missing something here.

BillyGman
09-09-2003, 09:39 AM
I guess Todd typed faster than I did there......

Todd@DTDirect
09-09-2003, 09:49 AM
There is one Canadian order order thus far and it was $180 to ship. Unfortunately the DVD promotion is not valid up north.

19 orders...one left. tick tick tick

03SILVERSTREAK
09-09-2003, 10:14 AM
19 and 01 to go

Todd@DTDirect
09-09-2003, 10:18 AM
Done! The last one is sold. Thank you guys.

Discount Tire Direct, Mitch, and myself appreciate the business, and hopefully you will enjoy your winter driving!

If more tires become available to us in the near future we will try to entend this to anyone else interested as soon as we can.

03SILVERSTREAK
09-09-2003, 10:22 AM
Thanks Todd . Hope we will get an update when the assembly of the package will be done or at least where you guys are at this time ...

Todd@DTDirect
09-09-2003, 10:23 AM
Micth has everyones #. Once stock hits the warehouse either he will call, or I will update the board.

03SILVERSTREAK
09-09-2003, 10:25 AM
Thanks Big Guy. :up:

murray
09-10-2003, 05:15 AM
Originally posted by Todd@DTDirect
Done! The last one is sold. Thank you guys.

Discount Tire Direct, Mitch, and myself appreciate the business, and hopefully you will enjoy your winter driving!

If more tires become available to us in the near future we will try to entend this to anyone else interested as soon as we can. :bigcry: Todd;I guess I was dragging my fat a** too long on this one but thanks for the quick response and all the help you've been to the group. I hope we'll all keep you in mind for future tire needs.

Todd@DTDirect
09-10-2003, 08:35 AM
So how bout a round of internet applause for good ole' MMM2003. Thanks for getting this off the ground!
:beer:

JGaignat
09-10-2003, 08:58 AM
clap clap clap clap clap clap

Thanks!!!

BillyGman
09-10-2003, 11:07 AM
say to MMM2003 is: U DA MAN!!!!!

GarageMahal
09-10-2003, 12:50 PM
Glad this worked out for you all :) I would have jumped on it in a second if I didn't already put a set together (in the middle of a blizzard I might add).

jta

03SILVERSTREAK
09-10-2003, 02:46 PM
To MMM2003 - :beer: :bows: :bounce: :banana2: :rock: :up: and that's what he's all about . Again thank you . :cool:

BillyGman
09-17-2003, 06:06 AM
all is we need here on the eastcoast are tires to drive in a hurricane!!!!

MMM2003
09-17-2003, 06:29 AM
A prop might come in more handy!
I could also recommend a nice Mercury Marine outboard.
Bolted to the back of the MM, that'll get you thru everything.

BillyGman
09-17-2003, 07:16 AM
or maybe we can have some of those gadgets old SpeedRacer used to have on his car......

Go Mifuni
09-22-2003, 12:45 PM
Just wanted to know if or when there is a deadline to get in on this tire deal.

MMM2003
09-22-2003, 01:17 PM
Well, yes and no. There never was a deadline, just a maximum number of tire packages available. All available 20 packages have been reserved. But you can call Mitch with Discounttiredirect.com @ 800-589-6789 ext. 412 and see if he can get you the same price for future availability.

In case they won't have anymore tires available this season (which I believe is the case), you can try some other online places to see if they will match the pricing or take the tire and wheel spec's to a local reseller and see if they can get them for you. Good luck!

jgc61sr2002
09-22-2003, 05:17 PM
GoMifuni - Welcome to the MM site. You came to the right place when it comes to the Marauder. More info here than available at most dealers.:D

Go Mifuni
09-23-2003, 07:29 AM
Thanks! Just picked mine up last week(2003 w/ 4500mi). Lovin' it!! My gas mileage has sucked this first week but I think it's probably because I can't keep my foot out of it. Not looking forward to winter though. I found this site about a week before I found this car and was hoping to get in on the tire deal. Too late I guess. My first mods will be to help the intake and exhaust. K&N typhoon up front and I'm thinking Borla's in the back. ?

msedlemeyer
09-29-2003, 02:23 PM
Only found, and joined, this club about 2 weeks ago. As a result, the twenty packages where already gone. I still called Mitch and ordered the two front tires and four wheels thinking that I could special order the rears at Sears. Mitch was very helpful! Went to Sears and after they called Michelin directly, learned that they had none in their warehouses. Their next production run is only scheduled 8-10 weeks from now. Everyone I could find on the net did not have them in stock either. Luckly, I found that 1010tires.com has several sets in stock. Their phone number is 1-888-825-6247, get them while you can.

SergntMac
09-29-2003, 02:43 PM
Man, good 411. Thanks!

MMM2003
09-29-2003, 04:07 PM
Well,

I just talked to Mitch, by the way he moved desks, you can now reach him at 800-589-6789 ext. 352.

He confirmed what was posted by another member. Michelin has moved the availability date for the rear tires back to the end of October. Mitch will update everyone via email by the middle of the week.
If you have any concerns, please call Mitch and he will work something out for you.

Personally, I'm not to concerned, we usually don't get snow around here until mid November anyway.

All the wheels and front tires are available and ready to go, just waiting for the rear tires.

BillyGman
09-30-2003, 09:18 AM
thanks for that info Dude.........the earliest signifigant snowfall in my state that I can remeber didn't happen until Thanksgiving day, so I agree that as long as we get this package delivered to us some time in November at the latest, then I'll be satisfied(although the end of October would be better).......

Go Mifuni
10-07-2003, 06:45 AM
Just talked to Mitch. No more wheels either. Only front tires left.
He said maybe mid Nov.

tomd
10-13-2003, 08:48 AM
This I think I got from the tire rack

We do have 16 inch steel wheels which will clear your brake calipers.
With those 16 inch wheels we recommend the 215/65-16 WS-50. the wheels are $49 each and the tires are $91 each , bringing the total to $560 before shipping. As you probably know, we mount and balance tires before we ship

If you have any other questions or need to place an order, please feel free to contact me. If you are placing an order online, please be sure to reference my name, so that I can watch over the order as it processes.

Best regards,

Bernie
888-541-1777 ext. 202
574-287-2345

SheboyganGuy
10-20-2003, 05:25 PM
Received the information from Mitch regarding the free DVD player in today's mail.

Just a reminder for everyone, the paperwork for the DVD player has to be postmarked by OCTOBER 27 (next Monday). So don't dawdle, send it in!!!!!!!

BillyGman
10-20-2003, 10:48 PM
I got that in the mail too, and I didn't even realize that I had to send in anything! I thought it was merely a receipt for the purchase until I just read your post! Thanks a lot for the heads up!!!!!

03SILVERSTREAK
10-20-2003, 11:06 PM
Got mines today . Its going out tomorrow .

MMM2003
10-21-2003, 05:06 AM
Hey Sheboyganguy,

thanks for the heads up!

DetGeno
10-29-2003, 06:22 AM
Any updates? Would like to get them before Nov. 15th, for hunting season! :uzi:

MMM2003
10-29-2003, 06:31 AM
At this point, I don't have any more info than any of you. For the latest updates, please contact Mitch @ 800-589-6789 ext. 352.

From the last time I heard from him, they were still expecting the rear tires to arrive end of October, early November.

Todd@DTDirect
10-29-2003, 09:55 AM
We sincerely apologize for the delay, but Michelin has been a bit behind in the production of these sizes They are releasing the tires for delivery..November 7th. Give them time a bit to get to us, and then a few more days to you. Please feel free to email or call us if you have questions/concerns

MMM2003
10-29-2003, 12:53 PM
In addition to the above post from Todd, I received this email from Mitch. I figured I post it here, in case anyone with an open order is not on the email distribution list. Here it goes:

"I apologize that I did not respond to your E-mail before now.
I have been waiting for a report from Michelin regarding the rear tires. I did not want to guess about if and when the tires would materialize. Michelin did give me a positive report that the tires are now in production and that they would be in their warehouse the first week in November. I should have them shortly afterwards. I have E-mailed all the members with pending orders regarding this news."

Hope this puts everyone at ease, you should receive your snow tire packages within two weeks!

Enjoy the white stuff!

Todd@DTDirect
10-29-2003, 01:28 PM
Not only do we appeciate your business...we appreciate your patience in this rather elongated deal. We rely on people like yourselves to keep our business thriving and hope that we treat you as you wish to be treated. Thanks again!

DetGeno
10-29-2003, 09:44 PM
Todd if you can get them to me before the 14th that would be just wonderful, I am heading up to the Upper Pennisula of Michigan on the 14th for the opening day of deer season and by then they'll have at least 12" of the fresh white stuff on the ground up there. With the tires, the trip would be a lot easier. Without it would be a nightmare! Thx again for the update!

GordonB
10-30-2003, 11:26 AM
To all,
Has anyone received their free DVD player from Michelin yet as part of the winter tire purchase? Does anyone have any idea how long it should take to get the DVD player fater sending in the paperwork? ... while we are waiting for our winter tire pkg to arrive?
Thanks,
GordonB

MMM2003
10-30-2003, 11:40 AM
Well, the deadline to mail in the paperwork to receive the free DVD Player was 10/27 (I think). Just going by typical time frames for such things, it'll probably be 4-6 weeks after you mailed in your stuff.

You can follow the link below, click on check status (works for any promotional offer), enter your info and it will tell you what's up. Good luck!

http://www.michelinman.com/promo/2003winterpromo.html?source=mi d

jgc61sr2002
10-31-2003, 06:41 PM
Originally posted by GordonB
To all,
Has anyone received their free DVD player from Michelin yet as part of the winter tire purchase? Does anyone have any idea how long it should take to get the DVD player fater sending in the paperwork? ... while we are waiting for our winter tire pkg to arrive?
Thanks,
GordonB Yes I have received my free DVD player. Two to three weeks.:D

GordonB
10-31-2003, 09:14 PM
jgc61sr2002,
Thank you for the info. I sent mine in on 10/20/03 so I should be getting the DVD player around next weekend.
GordonB.

CRUZTAKER
10-31-2003, 11:30 PM
Buy mine! I'll beat their price by MORE than $100.

BillyGman
11-01-2003, 12:36 PM
what are you talking about????

tetsu
11-01-2003, 01:38 PM
Now, guys. Just don't forget that you gotta
go real easy on the pedal with those Artic Alpins
on the back. :) Spin those babies on dry pavement
and all the ice compound will go bye bye in that single
instant. :)

I'm not planning on putting my snows on until after
Turkeyday.

Johnny

BillyGman
11-01-2003, 04:33 PM
Originally posted by tetsu
Now, guys. Just don't forget that you gotta
go real easy on the pedal with those Artic Alpins
on the back. :) Spin those babies on dry pavement
and all the ice compound will go bye bye in that single
instant. :)



Hmmmm, I'm not sure what you mean by "ice compound" because even if these tires are made w/a different rubber compound, then I would think that it's all the way through the tire rather than just on the outside of the treads. But I have been thinking about how I really rather not wear a lot of the rubber off of those tires when I do get them by spinning them. However it's gonna be real tempting for me not to. So I also thought that it would be good for me to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to put them on the car like you've said.

JIMMYDEARMOND
11-04-2003, 07:17 PM
HELP=LOCATED MICHELIN ARCTIC ALPINE TIRES AND RIMS
FRONT 215/65/16
REAR 225/70/16
RIMS STEEL 16X6.5 WITH 42MM OFFSET

QUESTION: HAS ANYONE INSTALLED THESE AND CAN YOU RUN AT HWY SPEED SAY FOR 8 HOURS? DO THEY FIT WITH OUT ANY PROBLEMS. THANKS JIMMY

MMM2003
11-05-2003, 07:37 AM
That's exactly what's being sold with this set.

I'll double check with the rim offset, but it does sound right.

Just checked. It's the same offset on the wheels

The wheels with this package are Unique (brand) OE style, steel, painted black. Make sure its the same bolt pattern!

Where did you find them? Other members who missed out on this package deal might be interested.

Email me with questions.

duhtroll
11-05-2003, 08:00 AM
Howdy -

I can call Mitch if necessary, but wanted to know if you knew what size and how many lugs to buy for the unique OE rims?

Want to get those here so I can have them ready for install.

Thanks,
-A

MMM2003
11-05-2003, 08:09 AM
The lugs to use on the Marauder are 1/2X20 standard conical (acorn style) seat lugs. Same as we have right now.
I'm getting some "generic" black one's for the black wheels.

JIMMYDEARMOND
11-05-2003, 06:49 PM
THE MICHELIN TIRES AND RIMS I FOUND AT "RILEY PARK TIRE"
LOCATED IN GREENFIELD, IN. PH # 1-800-382-9958 SALESMAN
CHAD. E-MAIL ADDRESS RILEYPARKTIRE.COM.

JIMMY

DetGeno
11-05-2003, 10:36 PM
Bottom line JIMMYDEARMOND how much did it cost ya?

bigbaga
11-06-2003, 03:24 PM
I just purchased the Michelin Artic Alpins, 2 - 215/65/16 fronts and 2 - 225/70/16 rears from The Tire Rack. (1-888-541-1777 - Cy, extension 622) I have purchased from The Tire Rack before and I highly recommend them. The tires are mounted and balanced and are mounted on a special steel wheel (black) they claim they have had made to fit the Marauder. It is a 16" x 7" with a 52mm offset. The salesman told me they have had enough Marauder requests to develop a package. How many of us MM.net members have called?

I told them they needed to get it posted on The Tire Rack Website. The salesman (Cy) assured me they will fit just fine as they installed this exact set on a Marauder for the sales team to see. They will be here (southeast Michigan) next Tuesday. Total cost delivered $610.00. In about two weeks, I will receive paperwork for a $40.00 rebate from Michelin. That makes it $570.00, tires, wheels, mounted, balanced & shipping. Not as good as the first deal at $500.00, but, snooze you lose! I had to get this done before I found myself in a ditch at midnight during one of my one hour trips home from Detroit Metro Airport.

The possible bad news is they have not found a hubcap to fit this wheel. They hate selling a winter tire and wheel set with steel wheels and not selling the hubcaps as well. They are still looking for a source. I will look as well.

Greg

:D

DetGeno
11-06-2003, 03:57 PM
Thx Greg! Atleast you'll get your tires before wedo. I wish ours from Discount Tires didn't take so long to get them! The price you got is still a decent deal!

GordonB
11-06-2003, 07:30 PM
Question to all:
Is there a Hubcap set that will fit on our Winter Tire package that we are buying from Discount Tire? It doesn't matter who we buy the caps from as long as I don't have to hear the `whine' from my wife like, "Dear isn't there something you can do with those plain-looking Winter Steel wheels?" Hehehe!
GordonB

JCMM
11-06-2003, 09:24 PM
Ordered mine from TireRack also. Also from "cy" I guess he's the Marauder Man at TR. Anyway, the wheels are supposed to be ford replacements. I'll probably go with a set of police center caps, who knows I might just fool the revenuers long enough to slow down.

Last I heard from cy is that Michelin is due to ship mid Nov on the rears. After that, no more this winter! Get'em while they're hot.

AndyB
11-12-2003, 04:24 PM
Has anyone had any problems with the Left Front rim rubbing on the bracket holding the caliper? I went to my local Discount Tire, bought the exact same tire/rim combo that you have here, and the left front rim rubs. The dealer tried teh other rims on that side, and they all rub. Her tried the rim that was rubbing on the right front, and no problem.

Any ideas?

Andy

GarageMahal
11-12-2003, 04:51 PM
Welcome AndyB,

I have had no problems with my rims and don't have any suggestions but I'll bet there will be some more responses. You may want to start a new thread however as this one has gotten rather large.

jta

jgc61sr2002
11-12-2003, 04:54 PM
Andy - I don't have a clue. But welcome to the site. I am sure the answer is forthcoming.

Todd@DTDirect
11-12-2003, 04:55 PM
there may be extra casting on that bracket. Inconsistancies in manufacturing. Its a tight fit thats for sure, but I doubt it will affect everyone. Should be a matter of a slight grind down for you.

MMM2003
11-13-2003, 10:57 AM
Hello all,

Just got word from Mitch, that all Winter Tire Packages have been sent out. I already received mine and wanted to share a few things I learned.

You will need to buy (20) 1/2-20" threaded thru cone seat lug nuts (preferably 13/16" Hex), but 3/4" hex will do. I purchased some for $1 a piece at the local car parts store.
The OEM lug nuts won't work, since the threaded post are too long and will bottom out in the OEM lug nuts. You won't be able to use them.
That's mainly why I don't have them on yet, just found out about it this morning.

I would also recommend taking your MM to a tire place and have them installed there. I could not get the ALUM wheels off, since the f$&^%(*g dealer wrench monkey used a impact wrench to install them, when I had them rotated. The wheels were stuck on the center axle cover. I tried a hammer from the back and WD-40 and could not get them off! !!!! So much for my morning!

In addition, the front wheels will be a tight fit over our front brakes. Since I didn't have the correct lug nuts, I wasn't able to install them to see if I experience the same symptom as reported by AndyB.

I didn't expect this and there shouldn't be any interference, since the same tire and wheel combo's have been used by other members last winter. Not sure what happened on AndyB's car.

I'll report again, if I get them installed tonight!

GarageMahal
11-13-2003, 11:23 AM
Originally posted by MMM2003
I could not get the ALUM wheels off, since the f$&^%(*g dealer wrench monkey used a impact wrench to install them, when I had them rotated. The wheels were stuck on the center axle cover. I tried a hammer from the back and WD-40 and could not get them off! !!!! So much for my morning!


When I put the winter wheels back on recently, I also had trouble getting the rear wheels off. My solution was to leave the lug nuts loose (not too loose though) and drive up and down the driveway a few times. I was able to remove them with only a little more banging with my palms after that.

I also installed the regular wheels myself last spring and torqued them properly so I can't blame the wrench monkey. I think there is some minor 'bonding' happening due to the aluminum on steel thing.

Happy motoring,
jta

JGaignat
11-13-2003, 12:02 PM
Mine should be here soon. What are any of you using for a wheel cover, or are you just running them with the plain wheel? I hate the thought of my black beauty looking like a cop car for a few months........but I have to drive it every day, so I don't have a lot of options.
Thanks.
John

JGaignat
11-13-2003, 12:03 PM
^^^^^
not that there is anything wrong with cop cars...........

AndyB
11-13-2003, 12:11 PM
I took it onto the Ford Dealer. They agree that the casting(forging) is a bit big. They won't grind it for me, and cannot tell me to grind it officially, but agree that a bit of grinding will fix the problem and not hurt the brakes/car. Just will need a bit of Black touch-up paint because it will be visible with OE rims on.

MMM2003
11-13-2003, 12:43 PM
AndyB - Glad to hear it's some insistency with the casting and a little grinding won't hurt. Here is what I'll do with my brake calipers:
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4331&highlight=black+epoxy

GarageMahal - Thanks for the advice on loosing up the lug nuts. I'll do that tonight.

GarageMahal
11-13-2003, 01:35 PM
Originally posted by MMM2003
GarageMahal - Thanks for the advice on loosing up the lug nuts. I'll do that tonight.

Now I don't want to hear any stories about wheels flying off on the highway ;) Basically I just cracked the bolts loose a half turn or so.


Originally posted by JGaignat
What are any of you using for a wheel cover, or are you just running them with the plain wheel?

The dealer priced the cop car center caps at about $55 apiece. It was not worth $200+ for me to get them. I will be checking with a local place for used ones. There price is around $50 a set subject to availablity.

jta

GordonB
11-13-2003, 08:25 PM
To all who ordered winter tires,
I have the UPS Confirmation that my 4 winter tires mounted on rims will be arriving on Friday 11/14/03. Now all I need to buy are Lug Nuts and Hubcaps.
When I change the tires, I'll install the rear mud flaps and the 3M 8Mil clear protector stuff on the portion of the rear facia that is NOT covered by the mud flaps.
Thank you MMM2003 -- you did good for all of us that must drive in the winter!
GordonB

MMM2003
11-14-2003, 06:10 AM
Here is some more info for all you Do-it yourselfer's!

Got my Winter Tire Package mounted last night. I did experience some rubbing/grinding on the front left (Driver) side. Turned out that there was some weld spatter on the ID of the rim, right where the brake caliper has it's highest point. I ended up using a Dremel Tool with a small drum sanding attachment to remove those. Some of the Weld spatter was sticking up about 1/8 - 3/16"! After grinding I sprayed some black (fast dry) enamel paint on the spots I ground (don't do this near your car!).
Installed the tire again and still was getting just an ever so slight rubbing noise. Looked at the brake caliper and saw where fresh paint had rubbed off. It was at the highest point of the caliper, so I ground that down about .030". Reinstalled the tire and no more rubbing!!

Did the Passenger side. No problem, no rubbing!

Did the rear (had to use two pry bars to remove the wheels) they were welded/stuck on the steel axle covers. I carefully got the pry bar between the steel rotor and the back of the wheel and inched them out evenly. Install was no problem after that.

Before I finished up, I sprayed some black paint in a plastic cup and brushed it onto those ugly, rusty axles covers sticking out.
Turned out OK.

That'll do it.

If you take your car somewhere to have the snow tires installed and they find the front rim rubbing, they may or may not do the grinding for you. I guess it's up to you to decide to tell them about it in advance or seek other alternatives.

For me it was a pretty easy fix and I didn't mind doing it. I guess we may have gotten a lower quality rim as other members last year and therefore may experience, due to fabrication tolerances on both the rim and our calipers, some slight rubbing.

IMHO, overall the wheels look cool. Total undercover cop look, just faster!! :D

One more important note: SLOW DOWN. Remember the on or off ramp you took at 80mph with our OEM wheels!?! Cut that speed in half, otherwise you may end up in the ditch!

The snow tires are definitely softer, cushier and they seem quieter.

Now bring on the white stuff! I'm ready!!

CRUZTAKER
11-14-2003, 06:17 AM
Well, I offered...and no one was interested enough to inquire.
Sold my set for $400 delivered and installed. And they were far better than Artic Alpines.

BillyGman
11-14-2003, 08:54 AM
of a salesman. I asked you what it was that you were talking about the last time you posted about those in this thread, however you never bothered to reply.:rolleyes:

MMM2003
11-14-2003, 09:34 AM
Hey Cruz,

I would have been interested, if I wouldn't have had a set coming. Just out of curiosity, which tire do you have, that is "far better than Artic Alpines"? Only ones I would have taken over the high rated Michelin, would have been Blizzaks.

Mikeenh
11-14-2003, 10:09 AM
I just got a call from Mitch from Tire Rack. He wanted to be sure I knew about the rubbing on the left front rim. If I wasn't happy they would take care of it. My tires should be here today.
You have to give them credit, they have kept us informed all through this process. :up: http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/_950/friendship.gif

Todd@DTDirect
11-14-2003, 10:12 AM
mitch from WHERE?

gohogs
11-14-2003, 12:06 PM
Since I rotate the tires myself, I put an anti-seize compound on the steel surfaces on the axle that touch the alloy wheels. Can't remember the name right now, but it's a thick graphite based grease that should be available at parts/hardware stores. Haven't had any problem getting alloy wheels off since.

Jack McKenzie
11-14-2003, 12:07 PM
Can you tell where locally I can get the winter setup?

MMM2003
11-14-2003, 01:55 PM
Couple more things on the snow tires.

Check the air pressure on your Michelin snow tires. Mine was between 26-28 psi. Added some to get them all to 34 psi.
Helped the overall handling as well. Still nothing like our BFG's. Will take some time to get used too.

I torqued mine to 80 ft/lbs. Anyone have a set "recommend" value for steel wheels?
Don't forget to retorque them after about 50 miles of driving.

If you are looking for Wheel covers. I found the 16" CV wheel covers do fit our steel aftermarket rims. I believe they were for the 2001 CV. I got this part# from my local Ford place. I'd appreciate if someone could verify that. #1W7Z 1130 AA
The ones from Ford were $58 a piece, but I'm sure you can find some aftermarket ones for less. Anything that would fit a '01 CV, should fit our steelies. Use this info at your own risk, until some verified the above Part#.

Thanks and enjoy!

Meteorite
11-14-2003, 02:04 PM
Got my winter tire package yesterday, and put 'em on today. It is a very good thing I checked this post first!

BIG THANKS to MMM2003 and GarageMahal for their suggestions. My LF and RF both rubbed ... I Dremelled off the weld spatter as MMM2003 suggested, and also used Garagemahal's trick of rolling up and down the driveway to loosen the rears.

Test drive went great. It does ride softer. My wife will like this.

Also, big thanks to Mitch from Discount Tire Direct, who kept in very good communication, and even left me a voice-mail message today, in case I was having any problem with the wheels.

Todd@DTDirect
11-14-2003, 02:12 PM
Please dont hesitate to call if you have any issues. Seems as if its an easy fix for a very slight clearance problem.

I wanna see how it looks, someone show off?!

MMM2003
11-14-2003, 02:17 PM
Jack,

get out your yellow pages and start calling your local tire store and tell them you are looking for the following combo:

Michelin Arctic Alpine

2 x 215/65 x 16 (front)
2 x 225/70 x 16 (rear)

and you want them mounted on:

4/ 16x6.5 Unique (brand name) OE style steel wheels with 42mm offset (or exact equivalent)

Good luck!

MMM2003
11-14-2003, 02:44 PM
Check the photo gallery:

http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/showgallery.php?ppuser=473

Todd@DTDirect
11-14-2003, 02:46 PM
yup...id slow down if I saw you comin. ;)

GarageMahal
11-14-2003, 03:19 PM
Originally posted by MMM2003
I torqued mine to 80 ft/lbs. Anyone have a set "recommend" value for steel wheels?
Don't forget to retorque them after about 50 miles of driving.


I torqued to 100 ft/lbs. Not sure where I got that number from but I am sure it must have been a reliable source. I am thinking that was the spec for the aluminium wheels too.

jta

Todd@DTDirect
11-14-2003, 03:33 PM
100lbs is what the local po-pos do on their steelies

MMM2003
11-14-2003, 04:20 PM
Thanks guys!

Todd, just out of curiosity. What's a po-pos?

I can tell you, that in German it means "butts". Just thought you needed to know.

Todd@DTDirect
11-14-2003, 04:31 PM
po po = police

03SILVERSTREAK
11-14-2003, 09:24 PM
Got my winter tire package today and looking forward to mounting them to check on the brake/rubbing issue .

BIG THANKS to MMM2003 for his contribution and suggestions about the need for winter tires in the snowier states . :rock:

Also, big thanks to Mitch from Discount Tire Direct, who kept in very good communication for his personal call , and even left me a voice-mail message today, in case I was having any problem with the wheels.

BillyGman
11-15-2003, 12:45 AM
Originally posted by GarageMahal
I torqued to 100 ft/lbs. Not sure where I got that number from but I am sure it must have been a reliable source. I am thinking that was the spec for the aluminium wheels too.

jta

the torque spec has to do w/the diameter & thread of the Lugs themselves rather than the wheels. A 1/2"-20 thread stud, has a torque spec of 83 ft/lbs but that's if you lube the threads w/anti-seize compound or any kind of oil. If you put the lug nuts on the lugs dry, than you can go up to 95 Ft/Lbs, but I wouldn't take them to a higher torque than that. You wouldn't want to risk stripping the threads on the lugs.

Meteorite
11-15-2003, 10:47 AM
Does anyone know if the Crown Vic police/taxi/fleet "dog dish" style hub caps will fit our steel wheels? On my set, I do not see any of the normal protrusions that grip the inside of such a hubcap. I'm curious as to how the police/taxi wheelcovers are held on ...

GarageMahal
11-15-2003, 01:00 PM
Originally posted by Meteorite
Does anyone know if the Crown Vic police/taxi/fleet "dog dish" style hub caps will fit our steel wheels? On my set, I do not see any of the normal protrusions that grip the inside of such a hubcap. I'm curious as to how the police/taxi wheelcovers are held on ...

From my research, any wheel covers that work on 2003 or later Crown Vics will work. Prior years will not fit.

jta

Meteorite
11-18-2003, 04:14 PM
2nd Correction: It appeared from posts by others that the 2003 Crown Vic Police/Taxi/Fleet wheel covers need special lug nuts, to which the center cap covers attach.

That is true. However, even with those special "shouldered" lug nuts, the 2003 police/taxi/fleet covers will not fit.

I will post a message in the new thread (see message below) with a picture of why it did not work.

MMM2003
11-18-2003, 04:26 PM
I just ordered some tall center caps and "special" lug nuts for my Snow set up. I should have them Thursday and will report than on the install.

I did have some wheel covers mounted on my 16" snow tire set. The Ford# was posted here several times. So far I have been unable to determine for what model year they are, I did have some that snapped right into the 16" steelies.

I started a separate thread for this topic. Please check and post any info you might have there.

Here is the link:

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6176

jcjf23
11-24-2003, 11:51 AM
Has anyone looked at Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 Winter tires in the 235/55-18 size at $129 each (tirerack) for the rear?

I know it is not an exact match, but its specs are nearly identical to our stock BFG:

Overall diameter is 28.3" H, 9.5" W on 8" rims, and 736 revs/mile @ 45MPH

versus BFG at 28.5"H, 9.9" W on 8" rims, and 724 revs/mile @45 MPH).

And it appears to be as close a match as the Artic Aplin solution which has specs of 28.7" H, 9.2" W on 6.5" rims, and 718 revs/mile @45 MPH.

Tirerack seems to rate the Blizzak slightly better than Michilen and an advantage is keeping the clean look of the car.

Unfornutately, there is no similar front solution, but I'm being told that might not matter as much. Also, they're (a local tire store) is saying not only to keep the overall dimensions the same, but the weight too because of the ABS.

Any thoughts?

AndyB
11-24-2003, 12:46 PM
I put the winter tires on my vehicle Saturday, noon. The local Discount Tire Warehouse that I purchased the 16" Artic Alpine/Unique wheel package through did a bit of grinding, and I was on my way. It snowed Saturday PM here in Minnesota. I was impressed. Traction was 1000% better than with the BF Goodrich it came with. I just need to figure how much weight I need to keep in the trunk this winter. The 2-tires/rims in the trunk and 2-tires/rims in the back seat on my way home from the tire shop seems a bit excessive. Now I need to decide if I want to keep the unmarked squad car look, or get some wheelcovers.

Thanks for getting the information on these tires/wheels out to all of us.

duhtroll
11-24-2003, 05:22 PM
OK, I just had my winter package installed.

After significant grinding, the left front now doesn't seem to be rubbing, but that really didn't bother me much. It still cost less than I thought.

The OEM lug nuts did work (i.e. they did not bottom out) so I did not need to purchase others.

However, I have another problem. The traction control/braking kicks in at 25 MPH now all the time. I have to turn the TC off to go over 25 MPH.

It goes in to the dealer tomorrow, but I am wondering if they are going to tell me that the tires are the wrong size and replacing them is the only way to fix it. I remember that if the size was off enough that there would be problems with the ABS system. Is that what is happening and do I need to start over again?

Any ideas on this? I really would like to go on the highway to work Wednesday. Good thing the dealer is 5 blocks from my house on a 25 MPH speed limit street.

Thanks for any help offered,
-A

MMM2003
11-24-2003, 07:42 PM
Wow. First I heard off this. Make sure you have the tires installed properly (215/65r16 in front and 225/70r16 in rear).
It's odd that were able to use the stock lug nuts. Mine were clearly 3/8" to short.
Here are the tire diameters in comparison:

OEM BFG 235/50/18 Dia: 27.3"
Michelin 215/65/16 Dia: 27.0"
Difference of 0.9% or 0.5 mph

OEM BFG 245/55/18 Dia: 28.6"
Michelin 215/65/16 Dia: 28.4"
Difference of 0.7% or 0.4 mph

I can't believe that your Traction control would be that sensitive. The difference in the diameters is less than normal tire wear you would experience. The ratio (front to back) is almost identical. It's only 0.2% off.

Not sure what's going on. The only way to verify might be to put the OEM tires back on and see if the T/C warning goes away.

Above numbers were calculated with a tire size calculator from this website: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

I guess that the guys who run this setup last year did not have T/C available and therefore would have never noticed or known of any problems.

I wonder if any of the other guys who purchased the DTD set had any problems. You may want to start a new thread to get their attention.

Good luck and let us know how things work out.

GordonB
11-24-2003, 08:11 PM
OK People,
Now I am puzzled. Would all 2003 300B people pls check in here if you bought the Winter Tire Pkg and have installed same? What are the results? Are 300B owners going to get ABS/TC error codes?
I have mine in the basement waiting for some definitive hubcap word prior to buying the wrong lug nuts.
Thanks for all replies.
GordonB

duhtroll
11-24-2003, 08:14 PM
You know, that's the first thing I thought of so I did check the tires to see that the 65s were in front. Sure enough, I walked out to the driver's side and saw that the 70 was on the rear and the 65 was on the front.

But I didn't check both sides. It was dark out and only one side faces the garage light.

One flashlight trip later . . ..

Now I am both pissed and relieved. Pissed more so at myself for assuming that if they had one side right the other would be right.

Nope! Apparently it was random chance that they got one tire in the right spot.

Sorry for the panic. I had assumed that when I told them "put the big ones on the rear," they were going to listen.

-A

03SILVERSTREAK
11-24-2003, 08:45 PM
Whew ! For a minute I thought I had to disable my TC.

GordonB
11-24-2003, 08:52 PM
duhtroll,
Glad we don't have to POLL 2003 300B people!
Thank you for your honest mistake and courage to admit it before all of your MM brethern. We all goof almost every day. Some goofs are more eveident than other ones!
GordonB.

DetGeno
11-24-2003, 09:09 PM
Can I get a AMEN!!!! Wow almost had a heart attack!!!

Marc
12-01-2003, 06:41 AM
I got the snow boots put on over the weekend and I experienced rubbing on both the front left and right wheels. It was more than just weld spatter and I had to shave down not only the wheel but also a little on the brake caliper.

Its running fine now and I can't wait until winter is over, but at least I'm prepared now.

With the OEM tires off, I took a good look at the tread wear, and with less than 11,000 miles on them, I'll be ready for new ones by summer. Any suggestions out there for what a suitable replacement would be?

tvdone
12-01-2003, 03:10 PM
Before I try and mount the wheels I'd like to smooth down the weld spatter. Is it on the inside of the new rim, all the way around? How much did you take off? Also, what type of lug nuts did you end up using and where did you purchase them? Thanks for answering these questions.

John T.

Marc
12-02-2003, 06:42 AM
Mine was all the way around, but others have reported not having any, so it appears that each case is unique. The new lugs are just standard 1/2"-20 13/16" hex and I picked them up at Advance Auto Parts.

SheboyganGuy
12-02-2003, 05:13 PM
I had my tires put on today, my dealer said they had to do a little bit of grinding on both sides to make them work.

The service manager also told me that all 4 of my tires were NOT balanced properly. The dealership installed a new high speed balancer today, and tested it with my tires before they put them on. Each tire was off by quite a bit.

My first question was did they have their machine set up properly?? Well, the technician from the wheel balancer mfr was there to set up the machine, and he had just finished calibrating it. After they tested my first tire, the tech re-checked the calibration of the machine, and it was right on.

So they ended up having to rebalance all four tires....

For those of you who have not yet installed your winter tires, I would recommend having the balance checked before you put them on.....

Also received my wheel covers today, and will put them on later this evening...

DetGeno
12-02-2003, 09:07 PM
I guess we get for what we paid for. I do still appreciate MMM2003 for helping us out to get the tire setup, but so far nothing but concerns and questions from those who installed them already. I havn't yet install mine and to be honest a little worried. Just seems like no one is that sure about these rims.

schuvwj
12-02-2003, 09:13 PM
Originally posted by MMM2003
ORDERING INFO HAS BEEN ADDED ON PAGE 4 OF THIS THREAD! DON'T BE STRANDED IN THE SNOW NEXT WINTER! I WAS JUST INFORMED OF AN ADDED BONUS. BUY THIS SET AND GET A FREE DVD PLAYER. CHECK FOR DETAILS ON PAGE 5 OR CALL MITCH @ 800-589-6789 EXT. 352

15 ORDERS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. ONLY A FEW LEFT. $500 PACKAGE PRICE IS CONFIRMED check page 7 for details!

After seeing more and more posts in regards to this, I took the liberty and contacted tires.com about a group discount for our specific requirements. After a little bit of negotiations they are offering us the following, if we can get 15 or more people together:

Michelin Artic Alpine

2 x 215/65 x 16 (front)
2 x 225/70 x 16 (rear)

mounted on "Unique" brand OE style steel rims (16x6.5 with a 42mm offset)

Above "package" has been purchased by members before and matches our front to rear ratio and wheel diameter almost perfectly and the Michelin Artic Alpine are an excellent choice for winter driving.

To sum it up: The package includes 2x 215/65r16 and 2x 225/70r16 Michelin Arctic Alpine tires, Unique OE style steel wheels, mounted and balanced, shipped for free and no sales tax.

Total package price offered to MM.net members is $500.00.

Regular price if purchased individually thru discounttire.com would be $556.00 per package. Basically they are offering us a 10% discount.

Packages won't be available until mid September. Therefore we have some time to get people signed up for this.

For those of us, who are not fortunate enough to live in a climate where this is no concern or to have a second vehicle for winter driving, this is a great solution and opportunity.

Below is a link for more info on the tires.

tire info link (http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireProductsByBrand.do)

If you are interested (no commitment at this point), please send an email to peter@dettmer.net with your real name & screen name, so that I can contact you when the packages are available.

I got the OK from Logan to post this information, since we don't have a "tire supporting vendor" on board. All transactions will be handled thru discounttire.com.

Sorry no changes on tire size or brand possible. WYSIWYG !!

edited by MMM2003 to add ordering info note


Is the winter package still available?

MMM2003
12-02-2003, 09:39 PM
No. The group buy mentioned in this thread already went thru.

Check this link, if you need a set. Otherwise look up the info for the tire and wheel spec's for this package and contact your local or online tire retailer.

Good luck!

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6459

MMM2003
12-02-2003, 10:32 PM
Hey DetGeno,

just saw your post.
Anyone who is concerned, that the balance of their wheels might be off, should contact Mitch and ask him, if DTD will cover the cost for balancing, if it is required. (I'm pretty sure they will, if you find that the balance is off, but get Mitch's OK prior to proceeding)

If you have it checked and everything is fine, you will have to pay the dealer for his work.

BillyGman
12-02-2003, 11:56 PM
thing that crosses my mind is if you are grinding of weld spatter from the wheels, then that in itself might throw the previously balanced wheels off atleast a little bit. However that ofcourse wouldn't explain all four of the wheels being out of balance. Perhaps we've all learned our lesson dealing w/direct tire. I mean between the extra month that we had to wait for these tires, the brake caliper rubbing, out of balance wheels, and not yet even receiving that free DVD player that was promised to us, it just seems that the story has changed so many times AFTER the money was passed. Perhaps you can say "well then why didn't you just return the wheels for a refund w/out even mounting them Billy?" But the answer is that I planned ahead to be all ready for the snow, and now that the temperature is 17 degrees and they're predicting a possible snow fall in my homestate for this weekend, I'm not prepared to go shopping for snow tires to fit a Marauder. I had thought that I had all of this squared away 2 months ago.:rolleyes: Chalk up another piece of evidence of the ethical decline amongst American businesses......."The customer is always WRONG"

TripleG
12-03-2003, 12:31 AM
Thanks to this tread I took the information regarding the price, size and wheel information to my local dealer. He couldn't match the price but with free tire rotation (twice a year) the discount will soon be gone. Paid $650 plus tax. I had no problem with weld spatter, or balanceing but it did take 4 weeks to get them!

SheboyganGuy
12-03-2003, 06:16 AM
Other than this wheel balancing thing, I think most of the "stuff" that happened with our group purchase was out of DTD's hands. Michelin was slow on the draw with manufacturing, the DVD promo was very popular and we all sent in our info at the end so I'm not surprised they ran out... The brake caliper thing concerned me, but it was easily resolved (again, I think this was a manufacturing problem, and not DTD's fault).

All in all, I am very satisfied with the tire package. I think DTD was very proactive in making sure we all knew what was going on, they even called me to make sure I knew about the brake issue. Imagine how we would have been thirsting for someone's blood if they hadn't kept us so well-informed through the whole process!!!

Marc
12-03-2003, 06:42 AM
Agree. DTD was very proactive and Mitch is a sales associate that I wish was working for me. If you had to grind the wheels, then re-balancing would be needed. That's life.

It never even occured to me when I bought my Marauder that snow tires were not made in that particular size. And now I just discovered yesterday that I can not find any company but Goodrich that makes an 18 inch 245-55 tire at all. I took a good luck at my OEM tires now that they're off, and there is some uneven tread wear in spite of always being perfectly inflated and a lot of tread wear. My tires have less than 11,000 miles on them, and I'll be happy to get 15,000 out of them.

duhtroll
12-03-2003, 07:08 AM
I drove in the snow on the way to work this AM, and I have to say the tires are doing their job. The worst type of road is not the one with snow, but the one with half melted snow which glazed over into ice, which is what I drove on today.

The tires seem to be working fine. Now if I could just get the other idiots out of my way . . .. The first day of snow always seems to catch people by surprise in that they find out too late they need to change their driving habits.

I slid once starting from a stop going around a corner/uphill -- for less than 2 seconds.

As long as the wheel that I ground does not split at high speeds as a result of the grinding, I will be happy with this purchase. I agree that much of the problems are not things that DTD would have been able to control. It is a bit frustrating, but try not to misplace blame.

I got a card in the mail saying my DVD player would be another few weeks.

Thanks,
-A

tvdone
12-03-2003, 05:59 PM
I sanded off the weld spatter as suggested and after putting the tires on there is a rubbing coming from the front. There is no more spatter, only actual weld that I believe is holding the two rim pieces together? Is the rubbing dangerous, perhaps causing the caliper to not function properly? The rubbing should eventually go away after the spatter wears off. Please advise me as to the safety and as to the necessity of getting rid of all rubbing. Any help would be appreciated.

John T.

BillyGman
12-03-2003, 11:07 PM
dealt w/this problem, and even though it probably isn't all that difficult to resolve, I really don't look forward to it since it's just something else I have to do that shouldn't have been required IF the wheel dealer did his homework.
But to answer your question, what I'm hearing from other members of this board is that in addition to grinding down the "weld splatter" on the wheels, you also will need to grind down the front brake calipers a little, but only in the spot that they're rubbing. And you should be able to tell that by the mark that the wheels left on each of the two front calipers. And after grinding that area just a little bit(don't over-do it) then you can use some flat black spray paint, spray some into a plasic cup, and use a paint bruch to paint the area of the calipers that you ground if you want. I hope this helps you.

tvdone
12-04-2003, 06:28 AM
Thanks for the advice. Any more thoughts out there?

JT

bigbaga
12-04-2003, 08:01 PM
Finally had the time to put my winter tires and wheels on tonight. Man is this ugly! The good news is that there were no problems with rubbing nor did I need to grind anything. I got my tires and wheels from The Tire Rack (Cy) This is the same Michelin Artic Alpin set that DTD was selling in their $500 package (I missed that deal). Cy at Tire Rack said they had investigated the wheel fitting over the front calipers and could not find a standard stock wheel to fit properly. Cy told me they had a special wheel made with, I think he told me a 52mm offset. Whatever size it was they work! I paid $600.00 delivered and there is a $40.00 Michelin rebate I am mailing in. Come on spring!

Greg

Marc
12-05-2003, 06:28 AM
Forecast for Western PA is calling for at least 6 inches of snow. I'm looking forward to trying these babies out. The wife said this morning, "Lets wait to get the Christmas tree until the weather passes." I replied, "Between our two cars, we have spent $1600 getting ready for winter. We're going out in this stuff tonight."

______________________________ _
There is no substitute for cubic inches.

BillyGman
12-06-2003, 08:38 PM
That's the way I look at it too....I just spent $500+ just to get around okay in the snow, and so when it does snow, I'm not gonna stay home. Those tires are getting used every time it snows!!!
And today I installed the 4 tires & wheels in my condo parking lot while it was snowing, and w/a couple already on the ground, but boy am I glad I did. These Arctic Alpines work better than any snow tire I've ever bought before. I purposely went up every big hill I could find, and those babies came through!! I put a little weight in the back by filling up the gas tank, and leaving the two back tires w/the stock mags in the trunk which is in addition to the full sized spare tire my MM has back there. Yesterday I had to drive around in the snow w/the stock tires, and I couldn't get anywhere. And forget about hills w/the stock tires. But what a giant difference those Arctic Alpines make. Those tires are excellent!!!!! And what made it even better is that I didn't have to grind down the wheels nor the brake calipers at all. They didn't rub.

03SILVERSTREAK
12-06-2003, 08:45 PM
I just posted pics with the steel wheels mounted and with the aftermarket C.V.P.I. full wheel covers while the snow storm was starting to pick up. I must admit the covers look good. will give it a test drive now that they are saying there will be about 12-22 inches in the early morning. also to report that none of the steel wheels rub on the calipers.http://smilies.sofrayt.com/1/x0/mxmas.gif

MMM2003
12-06-2003, 09:45 PM
BillyG - Glad to see you are a happy camper again, with you snow tire setup.
Have you done anything yet for hubcaps or centercaps?

BillyGman
12-06-2003, 10:19 PM
with Fordparts.com but there was some mix-up, because they used the wrong expiration date for my credit card. Therefore even though I had enough funds in my account, my bank declined the charge because of the wrong exp date being submitted. So I'll have to call them on this to clear it up.
I was really kinda upset about the idea of having to grind down the brake calipers, because I live in a condo, and I cannot use my garage anymore due to the fact that I've turned it into a home gym. So I was simply dragging my feet about installing the tires because I didn't want to ask my brother to use his lift again after just tying it up for three days w/my exhaust work.
So I was really glad about not having to grind anything.

tvdone
12-07-2003, 08:07 AM
ADELG670,
I wish i was as lucky with no grinding. This has been a real headache. I still can't use the car because of the rubbing. Can you tell me where you ordered the wheel covers? I guess eventually I well clear up the rubbing and will need them. Thanks,

nice photos

John t.

MMM2003
12-07-2003, 08:44 AM
TVdone - check this thread and scroll down to my post. It has all the info about the full wheel covers used. We got them all from the same place.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6176&perpage=15&highlight=wheels%20covers&pagenumber=4

tvdone
12-07-2003, 08:52 AM
MM2003,

Thanks!

tvdone
12-09-2003, 03:14 PM
For anyone interested,
I called Mitch and asked him to contact a service shop in my area to clear up the rubbing. He did as I asked and I brought it in today. 45 minutes of grinding and sanding and now the two front wheels do not rub. This was not an easy fix. The wheels do not fit the car. They had to machine off quite a bit of the caliper in order to make the wheels fit. I wish I had not purchased this package. It also cost me $30 to have the shop repair the rims. What a joke. It was nice that Mitch offered a full refund after this was uncovered but at that point it was really too late. They needed to do a better job matching wheels to this car. thumbs down for this experience.

John T.

jcjf23
12-11-2003, 09:39 AM
I bought the Michelin tire setup from tirerack.com, but they're shipping new Ford 16x7 steel wheels (in the 2003/2004 design [i.e. 7 slots]) that fit perfectly. The total cost was $600 (including shipping) and before the $40 dollar Michelin rebate.

Here is a site for center caps, lugs nuts, and trim ring kit for the Ford wheels that will 'complete' the look. The caps are used and are $58 for the set, about $45 for the nuts, and about $45 for the trim rings. I'm not sure if I'll install the trim ring, but ordered it just to see the look, its only $45.

http://hubcaphaven.com/police_2003.htm

Jack McKenzie
12-12-2003, 09:08 AM
I'm interested. Did you buy Ford lug nuts to use with the winter tire setup?

jcjf23
12-12-2003, 12:40 PM
The original lug nuts are on for now, until I get the lugs that go with the center caps.

I tried to buy lug nuts from tirerack.com (the set was $20, so my real total from was $620), but the ones I received were too small. They're investigating what they shipped and I'm getting a refund.

bigbaga
12-15-2003, 04:53 AM
I also bought the same deal from The Tire Rack, however unless they have just changed wheels, in the last couple of weeks, they are NOT Ford wheels. Yes they have 7 slots and are black steel, but that's about it. Cy at the Tire Rack told me they did not have any type of hubcap that would fit the wheels for the Marauder. I went to a Hub Cap Shack here locally and the owner told me he had never seen a wheel like these! The "dog dish" will not fit! The only thing that will fit the wheels I was sent are a type that hook onto the outside of the rim. I'm glad I checked because I was going to use your link and order the "dog dish" and lug nuts. I'll be interested to hear if you got them to fit.

Greg

jcjf23
12-15-2003, 09:51 AM
Weird.

My invoice from tire rack lists "16x7 5-114 For ST~NEW Black". The sales guy was "Dallas", who says they were OEM Ford wheels (just talked to him today again about the lug nuts, so I specifically asked).

If you go to hubcaphaven, or call, you'll see they discuss the wheel change.

"The picture to the right is of a '03-'04 Crown Victoria wheel.
Many departments have been surprised by the new
Crown Victoria wheel design. "

Ford changed the design, and the center caps do not match between wheels. Our wheels are 'flat' or 'flush', that is, there is little inset from the outer edge of the rim versus the older design. They don't know why Ford changed, but it suprised alot of departments. They (Hubcaphaven) were suprised that the wheels fit on my Marauder, they were told they would only fit the 2003/04 Crown Vic partrol cars. They sent me to the car with my cell phone to describe it (flush, no inset, 7 slots).

The caps arrived today, and rough placement indicates that they (as well as the trim rings) fit. The real test will be with the new lug nuts, but I won't get around to that until Saturday.

Marc
12-15-2003, 01:37 PM
The Michelin snow tires had its toughest test here Sunday morning. With 5 inches on the ground and more coming down, I had a long ride home in front of me. Being Sunday morning, many of the roads were not touch by a snow plow. The tires are amazing. No slipping, no fish tailing, nothing.

While it wasn't like being in my Jeep, I was fairing better than all but the Jeeps and F-150's out there. And I could have driven as fast as they were driving, but those amateurs will learn the hard way that 4 wheel drive doesn't mean that you can drive faster and stop any quicker than anyone else.

Yes, it was a hassle getting this whole set up, but I still got it done for less than $600 in total and I've now had it through 3 snow storms with yesterday being the worst and 3 1/2 months ahead of me. No, I don't have my DVD player yet, but its not like I have time to watch TV a whole lot lately anyway.

03SILVERSTREAK
12-15-2003, 08:54 PM
Marc-You are right. the michelin snow tires handled my 1-1/2 hour trip through snow, sleet, and freezing rain going home. Im sure all those front wheel drive and 4X4 trucks were surprised when they saw a rear drive car not only keep up with them but pass them as well. Thank you Michelin... :up:

BillyGman
12-17-2003, 07:25 AM
these Arctic Alpines are great. It's pretty shady of Michelin to advertise free DVD players, and then keep their customers waiting forever to deliver on their promise, but as for the tires, they get my RWD MM almost anywhere through the snow, and I definately don't have to worry about weather I'll get to my destination or not regardless of weather the roads are plowed or not!!!

Marc
12-17-2003, 07:44 AM
You're right about that DVD program. They really tried to screw me on it. When I called to follow up on it, they first told me that they never received my information and I should resend it. After I resent it, they told me that they had received it too late and I didn't qualify. When I told them that I purchased the tires before the deadline in accordance with their offer, they then claimed that the information that I sent to them did not prove I actually purchased the tires. I finally had to get Mitch to contact them and he said that he starightened it out with them, but the DVD player wouldn't be delivered until after 1/1.

I don't even care about the DVD. Its become a personal crusade and matter of not getting screwed on what is starting to look like a shady deal.

bigbaga
12-18-2003, 05:15 PM
I didn't get in on the DVD program, however Michelin was offering a $40.00 rebate for a set of 4 Artic Alpins. Cy at Tire Rack sent me the paperwork, I sent it in and just a few short weeks later I received a check from Michelin for only $20.00!!!

I told myself that maybe because there was two different sizes purchased a seperate check will come? Or,maybe they are just being jerks. I now must take the time to start with the telephone calls to try and recover the other $20.00. The good news out of this, as we all agree, these tires are great!

jcjf23
12-21-2003, 02:38 PM
The center cap and trim rings from http://hubcaphaven.com/police_2003.htm
fit just fine on the 2003/4 steel wheels (flush/7 slot) from TireRack.com with the Alpins.

I posted a small gallery of before and after. Here are two of those pictures pictures:


Jim


Before:

http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/showphoto.php?photo=1553


After:

http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/showphoto.php?photo=1555

bigbaga
12-22-2003, 05:35 PM
Called Michelin today to try and see why they only sent half of the rebate I was promised. While being directed to three different toll free numbers and departments, I finally was on hold at their "fufillment department" and got to listen to a recording apologizing to all of the folks waiting for their DVD players. They claim the promotion was such a success they had to order more DVD's and they are coming. (per the recording, we know Christmas will come sooner!)

They need to look into why I only got half my rebate. I was promised a return call right after Christmas. I think my 20 bucks has gone the way of the DVD palyers!

MMM2003
12-22-2003, 05:49 PM
I received a letter from Michelin on 12/15/03 that my DVD player would be late, due to the supplier not being able to keep up with the demand. They apologized several times. Overall, they kept me well informed throughout the whole process.

Good luck dealing with the voice mail war !

I did receive my DVD player on 12/17/03 via UPS. I haven't opened it yet, since I'll probably just going to wrap it and give it away as a present.

BillyGman
12-22-2003, 11:24 PM
never heard soooo many excuses come from any company in my entire life. they told me the same story about running out of DVD players, and then they told me that I'm not going to get my DVD player until the end of January because of the fires in California delaying the shipments.:rolleyes: Gimmie a break. Talk about a lack of integrity.............

I'm very happy w/these Arctic Alpine tires, cuz they work great in the snow, but as far as Michelin's advertising and promotional departments, they're poorly managed by dirtballs. Plain english.

I was hoping to get this DVD player by Thanksgiving since I don't even have one. So I've purchased a couple DVD movies to watch in anticipation of receiving this "free" DVD player, and now that I'm not even going to have it for Christmas either, I'll have to go out and buy one anyway. Thanks for the great deal Michelin.:rolleyes: ....so much for sales promotions and promises.