Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

Michaell

Let's not talk about tires. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm on my 3rd set of tires on my leased 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT in 34,000 miles.

The OEM tires got me all the way to 18,000 miles, at which point I had to replace them. The replacements lasted about 15,000 miles or so before they gave up the ghost.

So, I put on new tires just a few months ago. The nice thing is that the credit I got on the second set meant I paid a small amount for the recent set.

PF_Flyer

Sounds like there HAS to be some kind of alignment issue right? You have to be doing donuts to kill a set in 15,000 miles wouldn't you?

stickguy

If I had to put tires on a lease I would be royally PO'd. That's why I lease in the first place, to avoid putting money into the car!

At 8,000 miles in 13 months, not thinking it will be an issue on my sonata.

driver100

PF_Flyer said:

Sounds like there HAS to be some kind of alignment issue right? You have to be doing donuts to kill a set in 15,000 miles wouldn't you?

Like how did the tires get worn out.........side tread, flat spots? It sounds like all 4 went at the same time. Is it the design of the car, the tires used, alignment? Any explanation or theory?

Michaell

PF_Flyer said:

Sounds like there HAS to be some kind of alignment issue right? You have to be doing donuts to kill a set in 15,000 miles wouldn't you?

I keep checking the alignment and nothing seems amiss.

Michaell

driver100 said:

PF_Flyer said:

Sounds like there HAS to be some kind of alignment issue right? You have to be doing donuts to kill a set in 15,000 miles wouldn't you?

Like how did the tires get worn out.........side tread, flat spots? It sounds like all 4 went at the same time. Is it the design of the car, the tires used, alignment? Any explanation or theory?

No abnormal wear .. all tires are wearing evenly.

Mr_Shiftright

And these tires were....what brand?

Michaell said:

Let's not talk about tires. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm on my 3rd set of tires on my leased 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT in 34,000 miles.

The OEM tires got me all the way to 18,000 miles, at which point I had to replace them. The replacements lasted about 15,000 miles or so before they gave up the ghost.

So, I put on new tires just a few months ago. The nice thing is that the credit I got on the second set meant I paid a small amount for the recent set.

verdugo

snakeweasel said:

While Jeeps may not be the best for paved roads but they are one of the best for when you run out of road.

That only applies to the Wrangler. The other Jeeps are totally fine on the road. My Jeep Grand Cherokee is buttery smooth on the road, but it's trail rated also.

imidazol97

"Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is among the signers of a letter to California clean-air regulators asking that they give Volkswagen a break when it comes to having to fix its polluting diesel cars -- in return for a huge commitment to a zero-emission future."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/12/17/vw-elon-musk/77512928/

Special treatment? I don't recall Musk sending any letters about GM and their self-caused
ignition switch problems. LOL

VW hires attorney in charge of the transparent claims handling by GM. Now that
could be a good move for honesty and rebuilding for VW after being caught
in flagrante delicto.

"With Volkswagen facing over 500 lawsuits in the wake of developing and fitting an emissions-cheating defeat device to millions of its diesel vehicles, the company has hired Ken Feinberg to oversee its Dieselgate woes—the attorney who oversaw the compensation program for the General Motors ignition-switch defect."
http://jalopnik.com/gm-ignition-switch-attorney-to-develop-a-menu-of-remedi-1748616291

stever

imidazol97 said:

Special treatment? I don't recall Musk sending any letters about GM and their self-caused ignition switch problems. LOL

To paraphrase a post by @texases elsewhere, maybe Musk wasn't planning on selling batteries to GM when the ignition switch debacle started.

iluvmysephia1

MG Midget

This is a nice automotive thought for me this morning, incentive ta keep the iluvmysephia1 toy car savings account perculating. Chance of airbags? Pretty much zero.

iluvmysephia1

Another one I kind of fancy is the Triumph GT-6. Red is a fine color choice and those alloys are no slouch. Shiny, summer-time fun. Year 'round fun? Humm.

I spose. A competent cab heater would be totally necessary.

berri

I always liked TR-3 and TR-4's. Might be because they seemed more common than MG's in the immediate area where I grew up. But I just liked their looks. That GT-6 was an interesting looking car too.

iluvmysephia1

My best friend growing up in Edmonds, WA, had a red Triumph TR-4 in the family. It was his Dad's, and, sadly, his Dad had ta sell it because he was having financial problems. He pointed out little details of the car he loved, right down to the little bump on the hood. So I gazed on the car with admiration, I respected my friend's opinion of the little droptop.

Neither of us could drive when we first admired the TR-4. When he got his license he drove his Mom's late 60's Volvo sedan. IIRC correctly it was a dark green color and a stick shift.

Mr_Shiftright

One of the British car mags called the GT6 "the best worst car in the world".

iluvmysephia1 said:

Another one I kind of fancy is the Triumph GT-6. Red is a fine color choice and those alloys are no slouch. Shiny, summer-time fun. Year 'round fun? Humm.

I spose. A competent cab heater would be totally necessary.

isellhondas

Speaking of tires, I was sitting at a light yesterday and a mid-sixties Ford truck pulled up next to me. I noticed it had split rims! I don't know of any tire shops that do these anymore. I asked a guy at a local Les Schwab if they did split rims and he didn't know what I was even talking about.

When I managed a shop for Sears back in the 70's we did them and we hated them!

If anyone has ever seen (or heard) one blow apart you'll know why!

Mr_Shiftright

Dangerous---one should always use a "cage" when working with them.

iluvmysephia1

One of the British car mags called the GT6 "the best worst car in the world".



They would, but, as I gaze admiringly at that rear wheel well area design and the stealthy Triumph Spitfire look overall of the Triumph GT-6, I wouldn't insert a modern Honda, Nissan or Toyota in its place anytime soon.

isellhondas

Firestone used to make a one piece (no split) rim called the "Suicide Rims" that were just wicked. They would sometimes inflate only to blow off when the guy was using his impact gun to tighten the lugs.

I guess some places must still be able to deal with them?

stickguy

You have mentioned them before, but I have no clue what a split rim is.

berri

I remember as a kid riding in a neighbors TR-3. I think you could have put your hand out and touched the pavement because they were so low. When he got it up to around 40, you thought you were going closer to a hundred - but that was probably the suspension and the noise In high school, there were actually a couple of kids that drove old TR-3's. I don't know, but I'm assuming that meant they weren't too hard to work on. Of course, back then all the high schools had nice auto shops in their Industrial Arts area, at least in the Chicago suburbs where I lived.

berri

I seem to recall that green and beige were the most frequent colors I saw Volvo's in back in those days. Triumphs seemed mostly green, red or white with black or saddle colored interiors.

stickguy

My sister had a fiat 850 spider when I was in middle school. I could reach out and touch the ground while sitting. That thing was tiny.

iluvmysephia1

I seem to recall that green and beige were the most frequent colors I saw Volvo's in back in those days.

Yep - his Mom's late 60's Volvo was dark green and a beige-ish brown color inside IIRC. The car seemed solid as a rock, not loud or obnoxious, either.

isellhondas

stickguy said:

You have mentioned them before, but I have no clue what a split rim is.

Split rims were used on 3/4 ton and larger trucks until the late sixties I believe. You had to wrestle the tire onto the rim and then place the ring between the tire bead and the rim. You then took a special hammer and you beat the ring into the groove. You had to make very sure you had it seated properly.

Then you (hopefully) placed the whole thing in a hoop cage where you slowly added air hoping the ring didn't pop off. A lot of injuries and even deaths resulted from exploding split rims.

I suppose you can "google" split rim explosions for a better explanation I would think.

I know the store where I worked did a whole lot of them. I woudn't let an experienced person near them.

stickguy

I did Google. About what I expected. Look like nasty little buggers.

I had a summer warehouse job in college. On of the full time guys did some car work at a gas station on the side, and got killed using a tire machine.

iluvmysephia1

There's the bump on the Triumph TR-4 hood I was talking about. Sweet looking little rig. It doesn't look bad sans front bumper.

.

isellhondas

OSHA just loved split rims!

Here's one of their safety clips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2exMOT0-9M

imidazol97

elsewhere, maybe Musk wasn't planning on selling batteries to GM when the ignition switch debacle started.

You don't think Musk might be thinking of $$$ to himself. No. Couldn't be.

roadburner

verdugo said:

That only applies to the Wrangler. The other Jeeps are totally fine on the road. My Jeep Grand Cherokee is buttery smooth on the road, but it's trail rated also.

My 1999 Wrangler is honestly not that bad on the road, but note that I installed Bilstein HDs as well as BFG All Terrain KOs. It's no Lexus-thankfully-but the ride and handling is actually pretty decent.

isellhondas

Our son has a 2012 Wrangler that he loves. I find it to be uncomfortable and LOUD on the road.

As I write this I am waiting for a mobile mechanic to come and change out his alternator and rear brake pads.

In the meantime, I let him borrow our 2003 Honda CRV. His comment...Wow, this thing is FAST!

Can that Jeep be that gutless? I guess it is?

It's a good thing I still don't have one of the GTO's or the 409 Chevy I once owned!

berri

Man, years back a friend of mine had a Jeep Wrangler and another some kind of Porsche. One or the other always seemed to be at the shop.

[Deleted User]

isellhondas said:

Our son has a 2012 Wrangler that he loves. I find it to be uncomfortable and LOUD on the road.

I love Wranglers.....in Moab. Anywhere else and I'm not such a fan. That's why we rent them locally, and every time I jump on the highway between trails I'm grateful I never dropped any serious coin on one. I grew up with Wranglers in the family and learned to off road on the Rubicon trail in them. While I thought they were cool and exciting back in high school, as an adult I just wouldn't want one as a daily driver.

stickguy

If he thinks an old crv is fast, he must be used to a moped.

isellhondas

No, he's comparing iot to his Wrangler so I can't imagine how underpowered it really is. He did admit that it's a real handful at 70 MPH.

I never thought I would hear anyone call a 2003 CRV fast!

stickguy

Maybe he meant top speed fast. A 6 cyl wrangler should dust the CRV in a drag race!

I think 70 is way at top end of how fast I would take one of those.

berri

Might also be that the Wrangler drivetrain is more torque than horsepower oriented since that makes sense for either towing or offroad I think?

stickguy

Just checked. 12 was first year of new engine, and seeing 6.8-7.5 reported. Unlimited might be slower. 2002 CRV quicker than I thought at 8.1-8.7.

Mr_Shiftright

With Wranglers, people either seem to love them or hate them. You can't knock their great resale value, though.

berri said:

Might also be that the Wrangler drivetrain is more torque than horsepower oriented since that makes sense for either towing or offroad I think?

stever

Mine was fun in my 20s but when my nephews got theirs when I was in my 50s, I wouldn't ride out of town with them. No way to converse with them in their Wranglers on the highway anyway. Talk about roaring tires.

henryn

stickguy said:

I did Google. About what I expected. Look like nasty little buggers.

I had a summer warehouse job in college. On of the full time guys did some car work at a gas station on the side, and got killed using a tire machine.

I worked service stations for 2 summers, when I was 14 and 15. The first summer, I worked for a friend of my father, treated me very well. The second summer, I worked for some guy who was new in our small town. He wanted me to work on a split rim tire without a safety cage. I refused, he fired me. Later that day I told my father, and he went to town and had a conversation with the station owner.

Did I mention my father was a WW2 veteran, with airborne training? 'Nuff said.

oldfarmer50

venture said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Yesterday I was driving the Lincoln and a driver at the red light told me my back tire was going flat. Got it to the garage and they found a slice on the inboard side. It was the kind of damage a sharp curb hit would cause but how I would hit a curb on the inside of the tire was a mystery. Result: $200 worth of new snow tires. It damn well better snow now.

Wholly tuna fish! $200 for snow tires? Are they new?

Yeah they were new. Hundred bucks apiece because my guy didn't have the size in stock. I shouldn't feel too bad the ones I replaced only cost $65 for two on CL. Would have done it the used tires again but did't have time.

oldfarmer50

isellhondas said:

Speaking of tires, I was sitting at a light yesterday and a mid-sixties Ford truck pulled up next to me. I noticed it had split rims! I don't know of any tire shops that do these anymore. I asked a guy at a local Les Schwab if they did split rims and he didn't know what I was even talking about.

When I managed a shop for Sears back in the 70's we did them and we hated them!

If anyone has ever seen (or heard) one blow apart you'll know why!

Aren't they limited pretty much to big tractor-trailer rigs? Never heard of them on a pick up.

When I was in the head injury rehabilitation business I once reviewed a patient who had one of those things explode in his face. Fractured skull, brain trauma, horrible facial injuries.

No wonder they put them in a cage.

driver100

Speaking of Mustangs....what group was this? (I know easy, but fun!)

nyccarguy

My best friend leased a Wrangler in May of 2014.  He took the hard top off about 3 days after he got it & drove it with the top down almost every day that Spring & summer (unless it was raining or unworldly sticky & hot).  He put the hard top back on around the 1st or 2nd week in October.  He traded it in a month later.  after 6 months he got full value (remaining lease payments plus buyout) for it on a trade in.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Speaking of Mustangs....what group was this? (I know easy, but fun!)

"Paul Revere and the Raiders?"

berri

...and he's "Steppin' Out"

stever

Boise kid who made good. I think he lived in Branson mostly when I was in Idaho, and then he went back home when he got cancer. He just died a little over a year ago.

graphicguy

stickguy said:

My sister had a fiat 850 spider when I was in middle school. I could reach out and touch the ground while sitting. That thing was tiny.

Funny...my sister had a Fiat 850, too. I think I was in 5th or 6th grade? Teeny-tiny....I remember it caught on fire at one point. Cool looking, not a very good car, though!

driver100

stever said:

Boise kid who made good. I think he lived in Branson mostly when I was in Idaho, and then he went back home when he got cancer. He just died a little over a year ago.

Mike wins.....he gets a free coupon 10% off at Mr Lube (which he will never use).

I was watching a 60s concert on PBS that I recorded - only way to watch it so I can speed through the pledge drives - and I saw them perform.

Stever, I didn't know the rest of the story......sorry to hear that he succumbed to cancer. That's like losing a friend.......who helped get me through my teen years.