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Comments
Bruce is right, you would want to go with a 205/50R15. I'd hate to be the one who has to mount those tires. There are a lot of off-brand tires in this size due to it's compatability with older VWs and Honda Civics (cars kids love to soup up). I'd lean toward a BFGoodrich tire if I were shopping in that price range. Just make sure you maintain your speed rating. A lot of the cheaper tires in this size are made for "cosmetic performance," which means they look like high performance tires but might only wear a speed rating of S or T.
----Chris
Are they reasonably good tires for the money ?
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
I purchased it with 9K miles on it. Now, 18 months and 14K miles later (total of 23K miles) supposedly I "need new tires" according to the dealer (got 2 different opinions). They have worn more on the edges than in the middle, but the edges are still about 4/32 of a inch thick. I thought the "minimum" was 2/32. The middle has more tread.
I don't know who or how it was driven for the first 9K miles, but I can count the number of times my tires have spun on one hand (all due to snow and ice) for the last 14K. I don't drive them hard either, corners are taken with care at reasonable speeds, no excessive braking or skidding either.
Should I
a) overinflate my tires a little (from 33-35psi) so the middle wears slightly more than the edges and see how long I can drive with them? My commute is 3 miles so if anything goes wrong, it won't be a horrible day.
b) Get 4 new tires
c) Get 2 new tires (and put them on the front)
d) Get a "cheaper" tire. Currently the tires are Goodyear Eagle AS-A. Pretty expensive. Dealer wants $140 per tire.
e) other?
E-mail me at sr1154@yahoo.com if you have advice and are willing to take the time to respond, or post it here.
Ironically, the car still has 3 months left on its 3yr/36K mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
tireguy might have better advice for ya.
peace.
At 4/32 you have plenty of thread left. I wouldn't rush into new tires but start shopping around and learn all you can. This way you can pick a tire that meets your needs and budget. I would also put a little money aside for a good alignment. No sense putting new tires on if they are going to wear out also.
I had the experience last summer, going at 38 mph on worn-out tires. Was thrown through the yellow lines. Fortunately, exactly this moment there was a small break in the traffic in the opposite direction. But this was scary.
P.S. How to paste photograph along with message?
Chris
Of course depending on the tire the advantages and disadvantages can change. I have seen some performance tires that were better in the rain than so called rain tires and some performance tires that were not so hot for anything except looks.
Personally, the difference in size you mention wouldn't convince me to change sizes. Going from an all season to a performance tire would make a bigger difference in how the tires feel. But going with that thought, why not go with the bigger size and a higher performance type tire?
Oh, and do it soon. If you start a wear pattern on the tires it will continue. In other words, they will wear just as if you didn't get it aligned.
In my opinion, it is worthwhile whenever buying new tires to spend a few extra bucks and have an alignment done.
From what I've been able to tell, the main benefits of the Cross Terrain is on road street performance. It looks to me like an SUV version of the Energy MXV4 Plus touring tire. It comes in big sizes but not LT or off-road.
The LTX M/S looks like an excellent all-around truck tire, good for most any driving condition both on and off road. If you look at the LTX line (A/S, M/S, A/T) the M/S fits in perfectly. The M/S can also be had in the "heavy duty version" for larger trucks and delivery vans.
Buick and Pontiac should be compatible right?
I too looked at these tires and decided I wanted the more aggressive tread. I've found the Uniroyal Laredos that came OEM on my SUV didn't quite have enough bite in the deep stuff. The cross terrains look less aggressive, more like an all season tread. Therefore the conclusion that I would go with the more aggressive tread.
Wisconsin and northern Michigan? Guys that went to Michigan Tech say that that's hell frozen over. I'd go with the LTX.
link
Sorry, Firestone, we're out of sympathy.
link
Firestone tries to reassure public with ad campaign.
link
Steve
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Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I would suggest sticking with the 225/60 or if you want a 50 series go to a 265 or 275 tire. Of course, these may be way too wide for your car.
Check out www.gp-owners.com as there are a lot of Regal GS people there and lots of people have changed to different aspect ratios.
On a side note: both cars would look ridiculous.
If misalignment is the case, you need to purchase new tires (preferably the same kind), then get a front-end alignment--in that order.
If your shoulders are wore more than the center, and you still have 4/32, you do not need new tires. You seriously need a rotation, and you shouldn't need to overinflate the tires (while rotating) since the rear of the vehicle is lighter than the front. Tires are not unsafe until they reach 2/32 of tread depth. Tires which taper from, say 6/32 in the center to 4/32 on the shoulders would certainly not be unsafe. They would be fine on the rear, though I would not advise keeping them on the front because they are Goodyears, and therefore suck. Goodyears do not have full-depth sipes, and so lose most of their wet traction after the first 1/3 of tread is depleted. Depending on the design of the tread (I can't remember it offhand), inadequate void between the shoulder blocks might hinder water flow away from the tread (a common problem among tires with worn-out shoulders), inviting hydroplaning.
In short: rotate them and keep an eye on the tread. If what you say is accurate, they are not unsafe. Plan on buying a new set of tires before the snow hits the ground. If you live in mild climate, don't worry about it until all of them average 3/32". And do not take your tire business to an auto dealer. That's like paying an electrician to replace a light bulb.
Also, uneven wear from misalignment will continue its course, even if you get an alignment but fail to replace the tires. Uneven (but symmetrical) wear from inadequate pressure can correct itself, with proper attention.
---Chris
Would appreciate any tips or advice you can provide,
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
It looks like the two tires that your are considering are summer tires (I am not sure which Dunlops you are considering). Summer tires usually have better dry traction, decent wet traction, and horrible snow traction. If you want one set of tires for all conditions, I would suggest buying all-season tires that are rated for the snow.
If I were in your position, I would consider buying larger rims for wider summer tires, and then I would put some snow tires on your stock rims. That way you can easily switch between tires that are good in the dry and tires that are good in the snow, instead of having to accept the compromises required to make a tire good in both the dry and the snow.
Since it sounds like you have easy access to tire changing equipment, you could probably buy a set of snow and summer tires, and swap them on the stock rims.
As a disclaimer, I am not any sort of expert on tires, so take my comments with a grain of salt.
Tom
http://www.tsw.com/trophycelica1.htm
Go to Tire Rack and look at snowies for the Celica in maybe 195/65-15 or something with a higher aspect ratio than 60 series.
The idea of two sets of wheels/tires is a good one. This whole discussion of "RE92's in the snow versus Kumho's in the snow compared to Dunlops that don't squeal and yadda yadda" is something no one will ever know because it all depends.
One set of wheels and tires for dry weather handling and performance - one set for winter driving.
Personally, I wouldn't advise using the X-pattern on your minivan. I think this is a lot more effective on rear/four-wheel-drives, than on all-wheel-drives (baised front). You're better off doing a straight up, front-to-back rotation. Also, this would be a lot easier, since you only have to lift a side at a time. You can use the rear axle for a stand point, just keep the stands as far outboard as practical (obviously). Then you can use the scissors jack on the jackpoints in the front. In my experience, the front-to-back method is the best way to prolong tire life for this type of vehicle.
But if you really want to do the X pattern, then I'd suggest raising the rear of the vehicle, placing jack stands at both ends of the rear axle; lifting one front side with the scissors jack at the jackpoint; and the other by using a floor jack, lifting from under the coil spring on the control arm.
Use the utmost care when working with a vehicle supported by the scissors jack. They are not at all stable, having an inherent tendancy to topple over. Jackstands, when placed properly (with a frame allowing such), are nearly as stable as the wheels themselves. And having two floor jacks in the front would make the undertaking much less risky. The factory jack is really best saved for emergencies.
Not that you would do this, drew, but to everyone else out there, unless you're using an impact tool, don't forget to turn each lug nut 1/4 turn while the vehicle is still resting on all four tires. There are few things more frustrating than getting a vehicle up in the air only to realize you forgot to break the torque. Usually the parking break won't provide adequate friction to complete this task in the air. And it's certainly not the kind of force you want to exert on a vehicle teetering on jackstands and a scissors jack.
Also: do not place jackstands anywhere on the pinch weld (along the rockers) or you will crumple it with the introduction of the weight of the van. And when lifting a corner at a time, don't raise the vehicle any higher than necessary to remove the tire. Excessive unevenness is dangerous. For example: if you already had the rear wheels up, and then overjacked the left front before lifting the right front, weight would shift from the left rear to the right rear. You always want weight to be as evenly distributed among the four tires as possible.
But really, there is another way to rotate tires which doesn't even require a lift and is extrememly safe. First, take the seats out. Then, fill the entire van with helium balloons and cap off the intake and exhaust. Roll it into a lake. Once it's floating, rotate the tires underwater. Just make sure you break the lug nut torque before launching. This is really tough to do while afloat. When you're done, simply tow it ashore.
No, actually the safest and easiest way is to go to Sam's, find the guy in the blue shirt, toss him the keys and say "JUST DO IT."
--------Chris
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
For example, if your 15" tires are 215/70-15" then you could use a 215/65-16"
Not sure what tire size you have now but any reputable shop should be able to help you select a proper size.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
They have the 5-hole design and I've seen them chromed and painted.
If you can find a set of "take-off's" at a tire shop or on e-Bay or something, you'll have a trick factory-looking upgrade for minimum $$.
The Michelin's are a great choice, just expensive. The Energy MXV4 Plus is very comparable to the Eagle LS. Or you can upgrade to the XGTH4 or V4 for more performance. But you'll be looking at the big end of $100/tire.
What kind of credit will Goodyear offer?
I replaced them with Michelin X-ones. Much better steering reponse and wear. I had the MXV4s on a different car but gladly go with the X-ones because of superior wear. The trade off is the MXV4s ride more smoothly. The other differences aren't really noticeable.
BTW just replaced worn out 25k Pirelli 6000 (OEM on Volvo) with Michelin MXV4 Plus XSE and can't say enough about the Michelin ride and handling. Also got 50k mileage warranty on the Michelin's from NTB. Didn't think anyone warrantied the Michelins anymore, but I'm not complaining or arguing.
i'm now using Potenza S-02 on my '96 BMW 328. but it's time to replace the tires. anyone has recommendation or comments on these 3 tires?! i personally like Yokohama AVS Sport, they are quiet and more comfortable. but it's expensive, around $260 each. for Pirelli P7000, i heard that they perform nearly the same, but they are noisy and not as comfortable as the other two. but they costs only $160 each. any comments would help. thanks a lot.
Jeff
Jeff
Thanks,
Tom