Calling Los Angeles-based car shoppers: Have you recently traded in (or plan to trade in) a car with negative equity (i.e. the amount you owe on your auto loan is greater than the car's value)? A reporter would like to speak with you; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 11/6 for details.
Lexus GS 450h Tire/Wheel Questions
Discuss tire and wheel issues for the Lexus GS 450h here.
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
I've read and read many posts about winter tires and runflats but I remain really clueless. (I know NOTHING about tires -- always just kept whatever the factor tires are).
I am picking up my new 2007 GS450h tomorrow :wiggle:
which comes with all-season runflats.
I currently have a BMW330xi with runflats which I have found to be loud and rough (I think) -- not sure how much is due to the runflats and how much is just characteristic of the BMW "road feel".
Anyway, my concerns with the GSh's run flats are:
[1] How loud/rough they will be. (Hard to really tell from just a couple of test drives). I am looking forward to a more smooth and quiet ride than I had (which I am sure Lexus will deliver with or without runflats).
[2] What my winter performance will be. I know in the ideal world I could buy a second set of wheels and tires for winter (Lexus dealership will store and mount them free of charge), but that just seems like a hassle anyway.
I'm a car nut, but I know NOTHING about tires. :dunno:
If I wanted to get a good set of (non-runflat) all-season tires, any idea if I could get the dealer to credit me something for the brand-new runflats?
I know I should probably just take the car with the runflats and see how they work for me, but I really want to maximize my "thrill" with this new car immediately. Seems like the only downside to no run-flats is getting a flat tire and having to change it...
Thanks for helping with what I know had been talked-to-death...
I don't find them to be too loud. It does however take getting used to the fact that the vehicle is so quiet that much of what you hear is tire on road noise.
With two minor snow storms hitting the NYC area over the last few weeks, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that the run flats performed relatively well (my expectations aren't very high for a rear wheel drive car with these tires). It wasn't any worse than my BMW, which I attribute partially to all of the extra weight from the batteries. The traction control system works well.
Take the car with the run flats and give them a try. Look at it this way -- they'll only last about 15k miles anyway!
I was told that there is no room for a spare tire so that is why they use the "run flats." You have no need for a spare tire.
dunno
Swap the front tires, left to right.
1) If the oull changes direction - just the direction, not the magnitude - then it's the tires. A tire property called "conicity" (root word "cone")
2) If the pull doesn't change, it's the alignment.
3) If the pull disappears, or substantially changes (other than just direction), it's both tires and alignment.
My experience says that the published alignment tolerances are too wide. Not the target value, but the allowable deviation from that value. I think it ought to be half of what is published.
Put another way, the alignment should be within the inner half of the spec.
You should be aware that even vehicles that do not have a pull can be out of alignment. There are settings where one out of spec condition is offset by another out of spec condition – typically camber vs toe.
Also, many alignment techs think that if the factory did not make provisions to make adjustments for the alignment, then they can’t make an adjustment and will declare the vehicle “OK”. This is totally wrong.
ALL alignment settings are adjustable, but it may require an eccentric bolt, some shims, or slotting a hole. A GOOD alignment tech will know what to do and the vehicle should leave a shop with ALL the alignment settings close to the nominal.