RAT RUCKS!!!

[Valkorado]

Just got a reply via email from Universal Tire.  Was needing a new Austone, but the link wasn't going anywhere on their site.  I emailed to inquire.  Today, this response arrived

Seth,
I am sorry, but these tires are all gone.

Regards,
(name withheld)

Oh, CRAP!   :'(  I love this tire' s handling and longevity.  Guess it's time for a nut cage mod and some experimentation.

And their reply to my restock question
Seth,

I am sorry, but we will not carry this tire any longer. We are trying to find a replacement for it, but have not had any luck yet.

 

Regards,

 

[Jess from VA]

Production has ceased, but there may still me some out there if you call around (soon).

[gordonv]

Dam, and here I am putting an Austone onto my 1st (2nd GL1500) Valkyrie. But I did buy it 2nd hand with 95%, and I've seen another sell one later.

Looks like when I need another tire, I'll try a local snow tire from our Canadian Tire store, at less than 1/2 the price. I like the looks of it.

[Six-Cylinder Hooligan]

You won't have to do the nut cage mod if you go with a 195 width tire. Here is what I'm currently running on my Interstate- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081ESSDI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[MarkT]

Found this tire as a replacement for the Austone.  Tall profile at 27.5" diameter a bit more than the ATT, 5.6" tread width slightly wider, and with rounded corners.  Also cheaper than the ATT, and Firestone brand.  $123.91 with free shipping, in stock now.  Size is 195/75R 16C

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Firestone&tireModel=Transforce%20CV&partnum=975R6TCV&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&fbclid=IwAR2eOBvHQ8iKtWzeBLbQV5Qp42nJaQgi8-Bq1OzLL3E2gk70Y-sb4Di7ihU

[98valk]

205/65-16 tires;
Hankook Optimo H724    26.5 OD  tread width 5.7  

Dunlop Signature II   26.5 OD   tread width 5.5  

I'm running
Laufenn G FIT   26.5 OD tread width 6"
205/65-16 H rated.  made by Hankook
http://www.laufenn.com/us/front/us_front/gfit.do#
Really like the tread pattern, equal roundness both sides. measured about 4" between both sides of tread where it starts to round off. 6" wide at the round drop off.

compared to
Austone  26.9 OD  tread width 5.5

[Valkorado]

Found this tire as a replacement for the Austone.  Tall profile at 27.5" diameter a bit more than the ATT, 5.6" tread width slightly wider, and with rounded corners.  Also cheaper than the ATT, and Firestone brand.  $123.91 with free shipping, in stock now.  Size is 195/75R 16

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Firestone&tireModel=Transforce%20CV&partnum=975R6TCV&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&fbclid=IwAR2eOBvHQ8iKtWzeBLbQV5Qp42nJaQgi8-Bq1OzLL3E2gk70Y-sb4Di7ihU

Looks promising Mark, very similar to the Austone in profile and tread pattern.  Did you see any info on sidewall ply?  I really liked that stiff sidewall on the Taxi Tire.

[MarkT]

Pressure rated at 69#, load capacity 2150#; comparable to load range C; 3-ply though it doesn't say that in the specs given.  Makes it a light truck tire and should be pretty thick sidewalls.  Made in Costa Rica - NOT CHINA.  If I didn't already have another new Austone on hand I'd order this one now.

From the description:

The Transforce CV is Firestone's Commercial Highway All-Season light truck tire developed for the drivers of vans, delivery trucks and multi-purpose vehicles that transport heavy loads. Available in heavy-duty, Euro-metric Commercial Vehicle (designated by the suffix C, not to be confused with LT-metric Load Range C) sizes, the Transforce CV is designed to deliver long life and comfort, even while hauling heavy loads, in addition to providing predictable handling on dry and wet roads, as well as in light snow.

Utilizing an all-season compound, the Transforce CV is molded into a symmetric pattern with an optimized tread profile to help resist uneven wear. The updated tread pattern is also designed for chip- and tear-resistance on coarse surfaces. Wide, circumferential grooves and full-depth lateral slots help evacuate water to reduce hydroplaning, and Saw Tooth Edge Siping delivers the biting edges needed for traction in slippery conditions while also maintaining stability of the tread blocks.

[RWhitehouse]

That Firestone looks to be the most promising alternative I've seen so far. I'd be curious to hear about the the difference from someone who previously ran the ATT.

The 175/80 "Taxi Tire" is very much still in production (they're all over UK/Euro based retailer websites, and are quite cheap- equivalent of $40-45 each), but for whatever reason they are not being imported to NA any more. There's easily a dozen brands that make the Taxi Tire size as well, it's not an Austone specialty or anything. It's the size the famous London "black cabs" take so I'm sure the size is not going away anytime soon. Of course, shipping tires overseas would be prohibitively expensive, and none of the sites I checked offered shipping outside of Europe anyway.

I've found a couple sites that still have limited inventory of the Dunlop taxi tire in stock but all noted it was discontinued and they wouldn't be getting more.

I just checked my Austone with appx 10k miles on it and still got 8/32 tread depth (supposedly 10/32 is new). So I've used roughly 1/4 of the "safe" tread, assuming you toss it when it gets down to 2/32. At my current rate that's at least another 2 seasons. Seems on par for the ~40k treadlife that seems to be the general consensus.