Walmart collaborates with various well-known companies, such as Goodyear Tires, and other tire brands, such as Douglas Tires. Who makes Douglas Tires?
Douglas Tires is a brand that is under the Goodyear Tire Company. So Douglas Tires are made by Goodyear. It is not a separate manufacturer. They are some of the most affordable tires on the market. Walmart owns the exclusive rights to sell them.
Read on to learn more about Douglas Tires and if they are good enough for you to use on your car.
Who Makes Douglas Tires?
The story of how Douglas Tires came to be is a bit complicated. Back in 1935, Goodyear acquired the Kelly Springfield Tire Company. In 1992, an exclusivity deal between Walmart and Goodyear came to be. The Federal Registration of Douglas Tires follows this deal.
Some people think Douglas Tires are just a cheap version of Goodyear Tires, but this isn’t the truth. In the 25 years since it first came into the market, Douglas Tires made a name for itself.
Even though Douglas Tires is still miles away from the top three tire manufacturers, Walmart has always been great at building brand loyalty, which is why it is still enduring to this day.
So who makes Douglas Tires? Douglas Tires are made by the Goodyear Tire company. They are sold exclusively by Walmart.
Oftentimes, though, a good set of tires also comes at a premium price, which leads to them looking for a good set of affordable ones. When it comes to affordable yet high-quality tires, Douglas Tires often comes to mind.
Are Douglas tires any good? Can you entrust your and your passengers’ safety to them? Douglas tires are good, with many positive reviews. They are reliable and will last for many years.
Below is a brief Douglas All-Season Tires review that might help you understand why they have a strong following even though many see them as budget options:
1. Lots of Safety Features and Excellent Handling
There are reasons why many drivers try to steer clear of low-budget tire brands, and one of them is that they are usually horrible when it comes to safety. However, Douglas Tires seems to be different as they truly care about the safety of their customers.
One of the factors that make a tire safe for the road is the number of tests the manufacturers put the product through before making them available on the market. In that case, Douglas Tires puts their tires through a battery of extensive safety tests so that they can spot any problem and fix them as soon as possible.
Over the decades since they have been providing affordable tires to the driving public, its overall design has improved significantly. Although their performance pales compared to that of the top brands, the brand’s handling is nothing to scoff at. The products they offer perform rather well on all kinds of road surfaces and conditions.
2. Readily Available
If there is a Walmart near you, you can get yourself a Douglas tire set whenever you need it. This unrivaled accessibility is one reason why so many people use Douglas Tires. More than 4,000 Walmart supermarkets are located worldwide, and you can easily drive down to any one of these and get yourself a set of affordable tires.
3. Budget-friendly
Undoubtedly, Goodyear, Douglas Tires’ parent company, is the king for performance and quality. Still, not everyone can afford even a standard set of Goodyears, especially these days, when everyone’s financial situations are not in a good state.
Nowadays, people are more concerned about practicality, which is precisely why Douglas Tires came into being. Regardless of your budget, you can be sure that you will find a set of Douglas Tires that you can afford.
4. Excellent Warranty
In case you run into problems with your Douglas Tires, you are in luck because Walmart provides an excellent 45k mile treadwear warranty. If your complaint is eligible for a warranty claim, you will immediately get a brand-new set for free.
You only need to pay for installation, service charges, and state-mandated taxes. The even greater news is that Walmart provides the same warranty regardless of the price of tires you get.
However, you have to get the tires mounted at Walmart stores to be eligible for the warranty. If you had the tires mounted elsewhere, you wouldn’t get a replacement for them.
When and How Often Do You Need to Change Douglas Tires?
One of the most important things that you need to learn as a car owner is when you need to replace the tires. If you haven’t learned it yet, here are the ways you can measure the treads of your tires so you can tell when it is time to get new ones.
Measuring Tire Tread Depth
Old-timers used to measure tire tread using a penny and a quarter. Insert the quarter first in the tread. If the top of Washington’s head is at least even with the tread, then the tires are still safe to use for the time being, but you need to start shopping as soon as you can.
If you insert a penny into the tread and the top is even with Lincoln’s head, you have to replace the tires immediately. It is best to start shopping around for new tires well before your old ones need replacing. It will give you more time to compare prices and find the best deals.
Aside from tread wear, you should also inspect your Douglas tires (or any tires) for other forms of damage that might indicate that you need to change them immediately:
Sidewall Damage – Check the sidewalls of your tires for any cuts or deep cracks. If there are any deep gouges on the sides of your tires, it could indicate that they will fail soon.
Bulges – If you notice bulging or bumps on the surface of your tires, then it indicates that the steel ply inside them failed. If you find it on any of your tires, remove it immediately and put it on your spare. Do not attempt to drive on that tire as it is already ready to burst.
Vibrations When Driving – If you start to feel unusual vibrations when driving, it could signify that your tires have worn down unevenly. If the vibrations are already a bit too strong for your liking, replace the whole set of tires.
Determining the Age of Your Douglas Tires
Aside from tire wear, you should also consider the age of your tires. Even if your tires still have plenty of treads, automotive experts recommend that you change your tires when they are already six years old or older.
To determine your tires’ age, check the four-digit DOT (Department of Transportation) code embossed on the tire walls. The first two numbers refer to the week the company created it, and the last two digits are the manufacturing year. For instance, if your DOT number is 2311, its manufacturing date is the 23rd week of 2011.
The letters DOT usually goes before the manufacturing date. However, some tires do not have letters. If that is the case for you, look for a set of four numbers where the last two numbers resemble a recent year.
How Do I Pick the Right Tire Size?
Before buying Douglas tires, know what size your car needs. The simplest and easiest way to find out the right tire size for your vehicle is to check the owner’s manual. If you have misplaced the owner’s manual, look up your car’s make and model on the manufacturer’s website. It will give you all the details about your car, including the standard tire size.
Now, if you bought your vehicle secondhand and it came with aftermarket rims, the other way you can find the tire size is to check the existing tires’ sidewall. Look for the sequence of numbers that look like “P205/55R16”. If your tires do not have the “P” in front, you don’t have to worry. The reason is that the succeeding numbers are the important ones.
Take note of the following aspects as well:
1. Tire Width
The number “220” in the example is the width of the tires, measured in millimeters. You can measure it from one edge of the tread to the other. Measure it yourself by laying a ruler across the tread of your tire. The measurement you get should be the same as the one printed on the sidewall.
2. Aspect Ratio
Aspect ratio refers to the height of your tire or how thick the sidewall of your tire is measured in millimeters. To put it into perspective, performance tires (the ones used on sportscars) tend to have a smaller aspect ratio as it helps with the vehicle’s handling. On the other hand, an all-seasons tire used on a regular sedan tends to have a higher aspect ratio, typically between 65 and 80 millimeters.
2. Radial
The letter “R” denotes that the tire is a Radial. You will almost always see this letter on modern tires, except classic cars or specialized equipment, like farm or construction equipment. Sometimes, you will see another letter preceding the letter R, like “ZR” or “VR.” The extra letter denotes the tire’s speed rating, which we will discuss later.
3. Diameter
Next to the letter R is the number that denotes the wheel’s diameter where the tire wraps around. It is in inches. In the example above, you will discover that you can only use the tire on 16-inch rims.
4. Speed Rating
The letter preceding the letter R (but can sometimes be placed at the end of the code) is the tire’s speed rating. It is essentially the top speed that the Douglas tires can travel without it starting to be at risk of catastrophic failure.
How to Keep Douglas Tires in Top Condition
Even though you can get affordable tires from Douglas Tires, you can save a lot more if you know how to take better care of them. This will prevent you from having to get costly replacements often.
Here are a couple of tips on how to make your tires last for as long as possible:
1. Keep Your Tires Correctly Inflated
You need to keep your tires inflated to the recommended air pressure by the manufacturer. It is usually around 30 pounds per square inch (psi). Get yourself a tire gauge and keep it in your glove box so that you can check your tires at least once a month or before you go on a long road trip.
Underinflated tires will not roll over the pavement easily. It can also increase the resistance between the tire and the road, resulting in poor fuel economy.
2. Rotate Your Tires
Ensure that you have your Douglas tires rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles, too. The reason is that your tires wear differently depending on which side of the car they are. Rotating them regularly will ensure that the wear on all of your tires is even.
3. Have Your Wheels Aligned
Ensuring the alignment of your wheels can also help minimize the amount of uneven wear on your tires. Misaligned wheels will show more wear on the inside or outside edge, depending on the kind of misalignment.
To find out if you need to have your tires aligned, observe if your steering wheel is pulling to the left or the right. If it does, then you need to have your wheels professionally aligned.
Conclusion – Who Makes Douglas Tires Sold at Walmart?
Douglas Tires is a subsidiary brand of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and exclusively distributed by Walmart. This means that Douglas Tires is not technically off-brand Goodyears.
Do not let the affordable price fool you. Even though they do not compare to actual Goodyear tires, Douglas tires still provide an impressive amount of safety and performance. For your reference, here are other reasons why you should get Douglas tires:
