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According to this link anyway.
Steve
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I heard that mixing tires of diffent sizes is not good on an AWD setup. In this case, the diameter of both tires are the same. The section width and sidewall length are different.
Anybody knows why? Is it ok to mix tires of equal diameter but different section width and sidewall length in an al wheel drive vehicle?
For more information about tires, check out the Tires, tires, tires discussion topic in the Aftemarket & Accessories message board.
Drew
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You really need to know more about Pontiac's AWD system and how different tire sizes affect it. I am sure Pontiac engineers decided on a specific tire size for a reason.
Have you discussed this with other Aztek owners? Have you discovered a shop that modifies Azteks or has experience with GM's AWD systems? Have you done any research into the Aztek AWD system to understand its operation? Do you have the Aztek shop manual?
Thanks,
Ken
"Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is an independent, nonprofit testing and information organization serving only consumers."
Steve
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Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Steve
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Greg
Ken
Ken
Greg
Greg
If you want/need rain traction, look at the Goodyear Aquatread 3. It's the direct competitor to the X-One.
Also I like Yokohama. Look at the Avid line, like the H4 or V4. Less expensive but well made tires.
Also, see the recent post (Oct 9, 1:30-ish) on the Subaru Forester board.
I would say it would be difficult to repair it yourself. There are several businesses that can be found on the Internet who specialize in this type of repair (I beleive this one advertises in the Car and Driver classifieds). If you have a full-size spare, the car can be driven on that while the wheel is being fixed. If the damage is cosmetic only, there is probably no rush to get it fixed, as the wheels will not rust like steel wheels.
Steve
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I am shopping for winter tires for my 2001 Sequoia (16" wheels).
I was looking at Bridgestone Winter Dueler DM-Z2 245/75QR16. Our local dealers don't stock these and are recommending a Cooper winter tire (don't have the details -- my husband spoke to them) and studs.
We are in the mountains in Vermont. We drive about half of our miles on dirt roads that have a base of ice on them all winter long; the other half on hilly, curvy paved roads (2 lane hwy) with imperfect snow removal and often black ice. We had Cooper all-season tires on our last SUV (Expedition) and they were pretty good, but we really want to go with dedicated snows to make life easier this time.
What would you use in these conditions? How will the studs be on paved roads?
Thanks in advance!
You folks are giving such good advice, I thought I'd run my situation by you and see what you think. I own a 1998 Subaru Forester S, which came with Yokohama Geolander H/Ts 215/60H16. I had a little problem with persistent bead leaks, but that seems to have been straightened out. They're not bad tires, hold the road in wet and dry, but are rated the pits for snow and ice (Consumer Reports, Tire Rack, and word of mouth). There are quite a few all season or all terrain tires which rate very good to excellent in wet/dry braking, cornering, wear and ice/snow traction, but practically nobody makes anything in my size. (Boo, hoo!) And, I've got to change these tires -- this is Minnesota!
I've looked at Toyo, Goodyear, Michelin (they make a few, but so far I'm not impressed), BF Goodrich, Nokia, Dayton. Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Noelle
Thing is, your tire is a light truck/SUV tire. Most 225/60-16's are car tires. You can definitely switch but you'll lose some of that SUV look. It's up to you.
When I lived in Chicago I had good luck with the Goodyear Eagle GA (on a Dodge) and the Bridgestone Dueler HT (on a SUV).
Nokian makes a fab snow tire but I've heard their all-season's are kinda noisy.
You may want to go to Tire Rack's website and do a search on tires for our size 215/60R16. Keep in mind that you'll find more choices if you look under passenger car tires.
The stock Geolandars that come with the Forester S are listed as SUV tires, but they are probably closer to performance all-season tires than all-terrain tires. Unless you need really chunky tread for clambering through mud and rocks, you'll be fine with a regular passenger car tire.
Keep in mind that all-season tires are always a comprimise. Tires that have good dry/wet traction tend to do worse in snow and ice. Those that excel in snow/ice tend to have "squirmy" tread in dry and wet weather.
One other tidbit -- the Geolandar H/T reviewed in Consumer Reports are not the same tires that come with your Forester. The Geolandars tested in CR are the Y816 model. Ours comes with the G035 model which has a slightly more aggressive tread pattern and is H-speed rated.
Ken
Bretfaz: Why 225/60/16? That's not even a +0; won't that throw my speedometer off? I've looked at my wheelwells. There doesn't seem to be much room for a taller tire; it looks like I would rub against something and I'm not knowledgeable enough about what I'm seeing to tell you what it is. Anyway, I checked that size on Tire Rack and there are more choices, but not ones that fit my criteria. I'm probably looking for a good SUV tire, which just ain't available in either size.
Noelle
Only reason I suggest the 225 is for the better selection. A speed-rated LT tire in 60 series that offers good snow traction is gonna be a rare bird.
If I were in this situation I'd consider Nokian for their expertise in snow traction tires. Look at the Nokian Hakka NRW which I think meets all you needs. It comes in 225/60-16 and 215/55-16.
LT tires tend to higher profile and more agressive tread -- these characteristics make them great for getting out of snow and mud but work against you in hard cornering and high speeds.
Just as with passenger car tires, you can't get a LT tire that handles great while maintaining good snow traction. You can find ones that make good comprimises, however.
Since you live in snow country, I'd highly recommend getting a second set of dedicated winter tires. It will cost you more initially, but the added control and stability in the snow and ice will probably pay off in not having to have your vehicle in a body shop.
Ken
Talked to Tires Plus yesterday. The rep recommended Bridgestone B420 or Firestone Supreme SI. I am unable to locate a rating or review on either or these tires. The speed ratings on both tires (S) is much lower than the H rating of my OEM tires. Wonder if the guy was just trying to sell me something?
Dunlop SP Sport A2 looks very good in the Tire Rack ratings and comments, but doesn't look like it has been around long enough to have a high number of reported miles. Do you have an opinion on Dunlop tires?
Do you still have the OEM tires on your Forester or did you switch to something else?
Just found out a new crony of mine has a red Forester (didn't ask if it was an S). Will pop around tommorrow and see what experience he's had with tires.
Noelle
Which one offers the best performance for Canadian winters? The tires will not be studded as studs are illegal here.
I'm looking for good snow/slush performance without sacrificing dry handling & noise too much.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Yes, storage space is another consideration for getting dedicated winter tires. That's a hard one to get by unless you rent extra storage space.
I understand not wanting to go to a lower speed rating. However, you'll find that most truck tires with beefy tread will have less than a H rating. It's another one of those darn trade offs. ;-)
I personally think Dunlop tires provide a good balance of performance and value, much like Yokohamas. A lot of people with Imprezas and WRXs go with the SP5000s -- a very good all-season ultra-high performance tire. My buddy who also drives a Forester S recently tossed his worn Geolandards and bought a set of those new Sport A2s. Based on the tread pattern, I expect it to have great dry and wet handling, but slightly worse snow traction than the Geolandards because there are fewer tread blocks in the design. Again, a great choice for milder climates with light snow.
As for myself, I went with another set of Geolandars after going through a lot of research. I live in CA so my snow driving is limited to the few times I go snowboarding in the Sierras. I liked the way the Geolandars performed and they're relatively inexpensive so I figured I could take the strategy of just replacing them a little more often. Just a small tidbit of info, but the Geolandars were originally developed specifically for the Forester by Yokohama.
One other option would be the Nokian HRWs. I don't know a whole lot about them, but they're supposed to be all-season tires (H-rated, too) but with a design to make them more effective in snow. Nokians are hard to find and pricey.
Ken
http://www.nokiantires.com/html/map.htm
The tire to look at is the NRW in 215/55-16 or 225/60-16.
I'm sure there are a few sets of D60's still in inventory nationwide.
Why would an AWD mfr put these on a vehicle used in most of snow country North America? !!! No respose from Subaru. To Bridgestone's credit, they did offer 50% off on any of their tires. I found no all season that offer reasonable performance in snow.
Finally chose Michelin Symmetry. Any strong opinions on this tire for snow/ice,slush?
Yes, we have used Nokian Hakka winters on the FWD car. Great but they do wear fast.
Here's a link to the manufacturer's plants, but i'm not sure how definitive or current it is.
One issue with private label tires is that the same model name may be in use for years, but the manufacturer can change, depending on which factory has the capacity, best bid or whatever. I suppose even the "name" tires change all the time as the engineers tweak the formula compounds (or maybe the beancounters specify different chemicals!).
You may want to check tirerack.com for other recommendations too. Anyone with better info, please jump in. Good luck eharri3!
Steve
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Their prices seem very good but I don't know anything about them. Does anyone
know about this company and who makes their private brands? Anyone have any
experience with them? Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks
pjd58: If the damage to the rims is truly cosmetic, meaning there is no leakage, the jagged edge does not dig into the bead, and the rim is still true, the only corrective action required is a rebalance (if she really scraped away that much aluminum or popped off the weight). Even if you haven't noticed a drop in tire pressure, take a spray bottle full of soapy water (using dishwashing detergent) and spray the area. If you see tiny bubbles (like Guiness froth) seeping between the rim and bead over the next three minutes, the rim should be replaced. It could be repaired by whacking it back into shape with a hammer, or sealing it with bead sealer, but neither is a good solution. As for the trueness, jack it up and spin the wheel. If you notice any runout in the RIM, it is bent (a little runout in the TIRES is normal, unless you drive on Michelins).
If you don't have time to check the trueness of the rim, make sure you at least check the leakage, even if this is a concave injury. You might not notice a leak of this nature over a few days, but a bead leak can bleed a tire down to 5-10psi if unchecked over several weeks (I've seen it many times). And that's always a bad thing.
--Chris
...though requesting MXV4+ tires will identify you as being smarter than the average bear. Good choice.
--c.
It's strange, since, if anything, I'd say the MXV4s are prone to understeer, since their rounded shoulders are intended to "give" as the car approaches its lateral-G limit, resulting in a gradual release of traction rather than an abrupt, unexpected fishtail. That's why they've been reported to "sing" on exit ramps--when taken at twice the marked speed, like me. But I suppose that tendancy could just as likely kick the rear end out. Have you checked the DOT #s? If the front tires are significantly newer than the rear tires (more than two years), they would have slightly more grip--even if installed at the same time. Just a thought, though unlikely your culprit.
Or maybe you're just a little too picky, Mitch.
---chris