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Tires, tires, tires

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Comments

  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    Would suggest checking out tirerack.com and look at the Bridgestone LS-T. They are really high on this tire as is my local chain tire store. The local store talked me into Michelin X-One's last time-and this time they said the LS-T is a better performing tire-particularly wet/snow and it is quieter.

    Being a cheap skate I am buying them from tirerack-they have a button on this page and having them shipped to my house-then having the chain tire store mount and balance them for $52 for all 4 tires. Got quotes up to $80 from the small local guys. Also be very careful about who you have balance your tires-some people do miserable jobs - watched a guy barely let the tire spin before hitting the stop button-he had a pile of tires to do and did not care one whit about the results-had to have mine rebalanced.
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    I concur.
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
    You can get almost any tire you want from Tirerack and have it shipped to you by UPS. My Walmart will install them for about $12 each.
  • hengheng Member Posts: 411
    you want from the replacement tires? Once you identify and rank these, then you can start searching for tires that match. People will post suggestions here, as you already asked for.

    But what you have identified so far sounds like you want better road stability (tracking) and rain performance. The 'skinny' descriptor - can we assume you want more outright all around road grip? We will have to assume because it is a 2003 that the OEM tires have very little mileage on them.

    other info that would help -
    a) what about snow, what region of the country are we talking about?
    b) do you have a price cap or target?
    c) what is your driving style?
    d) how does tread wear fit in the mix?

    Good news: there are plenty of tires that will be better than GY integrity's. But give us more info on your expectations from a replacement tire.
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    I seem to be experiencing deja vu all over again.

    You post #1820 from Sept 18? The responses afterwards?

    Has something changed we don't know about?
  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    The local chain store wants 415.00 out the door for 4 BS Turanza LS-t 185/65R15 vs 266.58 (delivered via UPS by TR) plus 52 for install (same dealer) or 318.58. That is almost $100 or a case of decent wine.
  • odmanodman Member Posts: 309
    I have a '98 Honda Odyssey with Michelin MXV4s. They are terrible in snow and ice and I want to replace them with something that offers a bit more bite.

    Tirerack and 1010tire say that Aquatred IIIs are good all seasaons tires that perform well in the snow. Can anyone shed more light on this? I live in Toronto, so my driving conditions really aren't severe enough to require snow tires.

    Are Aquatred IIIs a good way to go?
  • sddlwsddlw Member Posts: 361
    Thanks for all the comments. I just got back in town from Baja, Mexico. I don't even bother to take my laptop when I head that way, so I'm just now catching up.

    I didn't realize these tires were so new. The reviews certainly sound promising. I guess the one piece of information that seems lacking is how they will perform and how noisy they will be after 20K miles. I'm tempted to find out.
  • robert_carobert_ca Member Posts: 34
    I want to replace the Integrity's on my Toyota Highlander that are less than stellar in normal conditions let alone wintry ones. My main concern is for an all-season tire that will perform well in city wintry conditions (snow, slush, ice) and will provide a quiet ride.

    I've narrowed it down to 3 choices.

    Michelin Cross Terrains
    Michelin LTX MS
    Toyo Open Country A/T

    Comments on these two brands would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

    Also, do I have to replace the Integrity spare or can it still be used in an emergency even though it would have a different tread pattern?
  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    Yeah the MXV4 is a poor rain/snow tire. Switched to X-One's and are vastly better. Am told by Tirerack sales guys and local tire store who got me to switch to X-One's that the BS Turanza's are much better rain/snow tires and are quiet.

    They are a lot cheaper than X-One's. Also the MXV4+ are supposedly better than the MXV4 but do not compare to either the X-One or Turanza.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    #2023 anyone know anything about these 2 tires? by anonymous02 Oct 23, 2002 (09:50 pm)


    http://www.unimogcanada.com/XL_tire.GIF


    and


    http://www.unimogcanada.com/XML_tire.gif


    I wish they were available in 15" sizes (31,32,33). Anyone know if they will be in the future? Bretfraz?

  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    It's Nov 5 - 8.

    Have you contacted Michelin NA and asked them?
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
  • kansankansan Member Posts: 115
    I've read several comments on Tirerack and elsewhere that Aquatread IIIs do not work well on minivans. I'd recommend Yoko Avid Tourings, they work great in rain and snow on my Lumina APV minivan, and they're cheap.
  • odmanodman Member Posts: 309
    I read similar things there, but it seemed like it was mainly Toyota Sienna owners who didn't have good experieces with Aquatred IIIs. I also read they are hard to keep balanced.
  • hengheng Member Posts: 411
    shifting belts! Beware!
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    I JSUT threw a set of Dunlop A2s on my 2000. A bit wider and lower and so far really nice. Used a local guy as my difference between tirerack where he is the dropoff point and just the regular dealer ain't much and he throws in lifetime balance and rotation. My guess is most people don't use that little service. I will!
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • hengheng Member Posts: 411
    Yes, I found the same for Dunlop A2s and Michelin LTX that tire rack didn't offer that much of a price benefit, if any. Went with local retailers.
  • odmanodman Member Posts: 309
    Thanks for the point on the shifting belts. I guess that is probably a design flaw since I've seen it come up a few times.

    Anyone else try Aquatred IIIs in the snow?
  • black_tulipblack_tulip Member Posts: 435
    I posted this over in the A4 discussion also, but I thought I would ask here as well. Basically, I
    need some advice on replacement tires(205/60-15) for my Y2K Audi A4 1.8 Turbo Quattro. I did not like the Goodyear Eagles that came with it at all and leaning towards Michelin at this point. I was thinking about Michelin X one but the salesguy says since they are not H rated, I would lose a lot in handling, braking etc. and my only choice in Michelin is MXV4. Any suggestions?
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Lots of choices for that car. The X-One is the wrong tire for it; not sporty or responsive enough.

    You might want to do some research at Tire Rack or 1010tires.com to see what other A4 owners like and don't like. Also, what do they suggest over at A4world.com?

    There are likely several excellent Michelins for your car. We need to know more details about your preferences and driving habits & conditions before anyone can make a recommendation.
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Michellins are good, but pricey tires. Go check out the high-performance all-season category at Tire Rack. There should be a lot to choose from.

    The MXV4 is a grand touring tire. It's emphasis is a smooth ride balanced with performance.

    Ken
  • suebahrue1suebahrue1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all,

    I have a 2001 Forester S and I live in Toronto, ON, Canada.
    Over the past few years, snow fall has been less than moderate.
    Regardless, the city is pretty good at clearing the roads.

    I should also mention that my driving style could be classified as
    between average and aggressive (using classifications from
    tirerack.com).

    Considering the above, could you please make a reccomendation
    between Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical and Dunlop SP Sport A2.

    For some reason, the Sport A2's have better numerical ratings on
    almost all characterisitcs (dry/wet/snow traction, steering response,
    ride comfort, etc.). However, there are alot of complaints in the
    written reviews (noise, lousy tread life, handling problems, etc.)

    Or is there another tire I should be looking at?

    Thanks for your help!
  • hengheng Member Posts: 411
    Noise and tread wear concerns come later in a tires life. I've bought a set earlier this year so I can only comment on the handling part of your question.

    I am familiar with the Tirerack's review comments on the A2s. The 'handling problems' you refer to, I believe are not problems per se but un-met expectations. The A2s are categorized as a performance tire but I found their handling to be only marginally better than a top of the line all season tire (Michelin X-One). And you will only notice the difference in back to back drives while pushing the car's handling near the limit.

    Therein, I believe, is the source of the poor handling comments in Tirerack's database. These drivers were expecting much sharper steering and lateral grip (as-in max and ultra performance tires) and the A2s don't cut it in that arena.
  • lonewulf70lonewulf70 Member Posts: 7
    Hi,
    I have just ordered a 2003 Subaru Impreza TS , which comes 195/60-15 Bridgestone Potenza Re92's.

    I am probably going to change UP to a 16" wheel.

    I am confused about what the minimum offset i need to keep...and how i can tell what the offset is when i look at wheels at say tirerack or discounttires or sears.
    can anyone help me ?
    i know i probably want a 205/55-16 tire...but the wheels confuze me!

    thanks in advance,
    lonewulf70
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    One thing to keep in mind when you're looking at Tire Rack's survey results is that they are a relative measure of a tire's performance to those in it's category. You simply can not take the ratings from one tire in a certain category and compare it to another. The Sport A2 is a high performance all-season, while the SP5000 is listed under ultra-high performance all seasons. If you read the Tire Rack description between the two, ultra-high performance tires are willing to trade off some all-season performance for added wet/dry grip.

    Ken
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    About Tire Rack surveys. The customers are always comparing their new tire to whatever tire thy had before, which was worn out, heat cycled, and in God-knows-what kind of condition. So of course their new tires are gonna be worlds better than their old ones.

    As I've said before I think those surveys should be taken with a grain of salt. They're helpful only in the most basic sense.
  • odmanodman Member Posts: 309
    Both Tire Rack and Consumer Reports provide ratings on tires. Tire Rack's are based on owner-reported experiences and Consumer Reports' are based on their testing.

    Consumer Reports this month (November) rates winter tires: Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip and Dunlop SP Winter Sport M2 are their top H-rated tires and Michelin Arctic Alpin and Dunlop Graspic DS-1 are their top non-studded Q-rated.

    They also rate Touring-Performance tires rating Dunlop SP Sport A2 and Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus as their top picks. (they say MXV4s are "average" on snow, but I have them and they are ghastly on snow)
  • fxsfxs Member Posts: 50
    pickup some WRX takeoff wheels from the tirerack for less than $75 each. They will fit your TS just fine.
  • vanphanvanphan Member Posts: 41
    I recently replaced my OEM Kumho 798 H-rated tires on my Kia Sedona with a set of BF Goodrich Advantage Plus S-rateds. The load rating is the same but the maximun pressure rating for the Kumhos is 44 psi where as the BFG's is 35. The recommended psi on the van's placard is 35. Should I run these tires at 35 or somewhere lower?
    Thanks.
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 906
    The proper inflation pressure for your tires is on your vehicle placard. The placard, among many things, tells the original tire size, the original wheel size, and the proper inflation pressure for that tire size. The placard is usually located on a doorpost or in the glove box.

    I like to use 3 to 5 psi above the placard. I get better fuel economy, better tire wear, better wet traction, better snow traction, better steering response, better tire durability, and only give up a bit of ride harshness.

    "They" say you should check your tire pressures once a month. (In case you didn't know, tires leak very slowly.) Don't trust the guys at the shop to check your inflation. These guys are paid by the hour and this is one of the easiest things to shortcut. Besides, there are a lot of mechanics you don't know where to look for the proper inflation. No, it is not on the sidewall.

    Buy yourself a tire gauge - a $5.00 pencil gauge works just fine, but I prefer the pistol grip digitals because they are remarkably accurate. The check takes all of 5 minutes and it is the cheapest safety check you can make.

    So why the 2 different inflation pressures on the sidewalls? What is supposed to be on the sidewall is the MAXIMUM load and inflation pressure as required by government regulations. The tire standardizing body in the US, The Tire and Rim Association (TRA), recently changed the maximum pressure limits for P metric tires from 35 to 44. They did not change the load tables, which still end at 35. This increase is to bring the US in line with the rest of the world, which allowed up to 44 psi for special operating conditions. So Kumho, being South Korean, was using one set of standards, and BFG, being US based, was using another. And some years from now, all the tires molds will have been brought up to date and they will all say the same thing - 44 psi.

    Hope this helps.
  • kupper25kupper25 Member Posts: 30
    I am about to buy two replacement tires for my 300M. Since I only need two I will stick with the Mich. Energy MXV4+ 225/55-17s that are already on the car. After looking through the availability of tires, there are not that many other--reasonably priced, but still H rated--tire options anyway in that size. Unfortunately the Turanza's are not available in that size although if I needed 4 I would be considering them after what I have read here.

    After looking around, the Costco folks seem to have a reasonable price which is not so far away from the internet prices but without the delivery hassle. The question is, what is the experience with the quality of Costco mounting and balancing work? My local Costco is a new shop with Coats 1050 balancers and mounting equipment. I have heard some people in the 300M forum swear by shops using the Hunter GSP 9700 balancer equipment, but of course that level of machinery is not available at a Costco.

    Will a Coats 1050 used at Costco do a good balancing job, or is it worth the expense/effort to just buy the tires at Costco and have them mounted and balanced by a Hunter shop? (Or would that just be overkill?)

    Would appreciate any feedback.
  • vanphanvanphan Member Posts: 41
    So are you saying 44 psi is the max pressure for my BFG's, even though the sidewall says 35? It just hasn't been updated? Or will this BFG tire later be strengthened or whatever to except an additional 9 psi?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    I recently had Costco special order my Michelin LTX M/S 275/70R16. After mounting and balancing, I noticed a slight vibration on the way home. I returned the next day and spoke to the manager on duty who said he would take a look at it. Ten minutes later he said that I would have to leave the truck for half an hour as it appears they sent the truck out without balancing the tires. I guess its hard to find tire mounters these days.

    They made up for it by not charging for the balancing and mounting of all four tires which resulted in them giving me a Costco card worth $60 plus coupons for a free pizza and soda. All in all not a bad deal if you ask me considering I have no vibrations now and lifetime free tire repair and rotation.

    I have gone to tire dealers who have the Hunter balancer when I had problems with vibrations. Eventually it turned out to be an over sensitive rack and pinion which was replaced under warranty. If I were you, I would pursue the Costco route and if you have vibration problems, allow them at least one more chance before seeking a Hunter dealer. As the saying goes, the balancer is only as good as the person using it.
  • alfoxalfox Member Posts: 708
    We once overinflated a tire until it failed. It was a very worn Goodyear glas-belted tire (yes, it was along time ago) with a 2-ply sidewall - much the same construction as modern radials. The tire failed at the bead. Actually, the sire bead broke, deforming the steel rim at that point. The sidewall and tread areas held together well.

    That's just one tire, and an old one at that, but it made the point that the weakest part might not be where you think it is.
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    Are you sure that 35 on the sidewall does not mean 35. What if it does ?
    vanphan:
    Call BFG and ask them the question. If they claim 44 (as capriracer suggests) as max pressure ask for it in writing.

    Krzys
  • leadfoot4leadfoot4 Member Posts: 593
    I recently purchased a new set of tires for my wife's car. (see the thread, "Continental Tires for your Car") The shop that mounted them for me had the newest Hunter machine.
    I think that the machine is a good news/ bad news generator. The good news is that it can precisely locate a tire on a rim such that it will be in the best roundness and balance position possible. This insures that there will be NO vibration in the steering wheel whatsoever.
    The bad news is that it can make measurements that are so precise, you don't need to go that far for the average car and average driving condition. But since you've taken that route, you can get a feeling that a tire isn't "good", based on these extreme measurments, yet it will work on your car just fine.
    Years ago, I balanced many a tire with only a "bubble balancer", and had no performance problems at all. I'm sure that this Hunter machine would probably have "rejected" most of them, yet they still worked well. See where I'm going with this??
  • alfoxalfox Member Posts: 708
    I've seen that. Years ago we had an early Hunter spin-balancer (off the car) and we got so-so results despite all the training and practice. We also has a Hunter on-the-car unit that produced mediocre results at best. I never had problems with a bubble balancer as long as I worked methodically, and split the weight between front and back of the tire. We had more returns with the spin-balancers than with the bubble. But that was in the early days of balancers, and I think we were spinning them way too fast to be effective. I would hope that today's machines were vastly improved.
  • kupper25kupper25 Member Posts: 30
    Many thanks to obyone, leadfoot4 and alfox for the quick and detailed feedback. I think I will go ahead with obyone's suggestion and give Costco a try. The 2001 300M has a tire/wheel combination which has been less problematic than the original 99-00 Razorstar wheels were. It seems likely to me that this new Costco shop can do the job. (They even have a window into the shop so I can make sure that the guys actually do the balancing.) Ultimately, if a problem develops I can always try a Hunter shop later.

    Thanks again!
  • gabmangabman Member Posts: 284
    Does anyone have any info on above winter tires,
    I want to put them on my Infiniti G35 Sedan.

    I have had alot of conversations with many tire dealers and this seems to be the best solution
    size 215 x 60 x 16 replacing all season tires
    215 x 55 x 17. Will also need to get steel wheels.
    Tire guy is reccomending Nissan Wheels. They state that after market wheels may not be a proper fit.

    Would appreciate comments from those of you in the know. Thanks
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 906
    I was pretty sure this would generate some level of skepticism.

    The 44 psi on P metric radials is for some special conditions and these are very rare. I have only seen 2 such instances - one was on a Jeep and I believe this was to improve a handling situation - can't remember the other.

    I am sure if you call BFG, they will say that what is printed on the sidewall is the maximum. But the folks you will be asking won't be the technical folks who are up to date with Tire and Rim's latest permutations. Thinking about it, I'll bet that 75% of the technical folks in the company I work for don't know that either.

    In response to vanphan: BFG does not need to strengthen the tire to accommodate the increase in inflation pressure, because it really isn't an increase at all, just an acknowledgement of some special conditions.

    In response to krzyss - I am not sure what you are trying to say, but if you are asking if the 35 psi on the sidewall is a recommendation by the tire manufacturer, then the answer is no, it is not a recommendation. It is a government requirement to label the tire with the maximum load (If you look carefully, it actually says "maximum".)

    Hope this helps.
  • nextmoonnextmoon Member Posts: 386
    My neighbor's kid asked a few interesting technical questions the other day:

    1. Is there such a thing as shelf life for a new tire, meaning how many years can it sit after a tire is manufactured before deemed unuseable?

    2. What if the tire is stored outdoors, exposed to heat and cold (Northeast area) as it waits to be sold? Or if it is waterlogged (flooding) for a week or two?

    Myself I would think tires would have some sort of "expiration" date given the rubber compound should dry and stiffen up with time. And outdoor exposure would quicken this process. Could be one reason for tire sales(?).
  • joes230joes230 Member Posts: 94
    Regarding this topic, if you have difficult vibration problems, I *strongly* recommend using a shop with a Hunter GSP9700 road force balancer. It's the only machine that can detect all sources of wheel- and tire-related vibration, including rubber compound problems.

    As previously stated, not all cars need this. Bubble and regular spin balancers have served fine for decades. But some cars are more sensitive than others, and the newer low-profile, high-perf tires seem more difficult to balance.

    A regular spin balancer will perfectly balance a square-shaped tire, yet the tire won't ride very smoothly.

    Several times over the years I had vibration problems a spin balancer wouldn't fix, and the tech would shrug and say "must be your brake rotors, drive shaft, etc." In many of those cases it was probably excessive radial force variation (RFV) caused by an out-of-round tire or uneven rubber compound stiffness. Only the Hunter GSP9700 can find these.

    It tells you if the problem is radial or lateral runout in the wheel or tire, how much radial force variation before and after balancing, and exactly how to mount the tire for least vibration. It even will evaluate groups of four wheels and tires, and tell you how to cross-match the tire/wheel combinations giving lowest vibration.

    You can find a shop having this machine, plus technical info, at www.gsp9700.com.

    I saw this machine on PBS Motorweek (Pat Goss's segment) and it has solved several vibration problems nobody else could fix.

    -- Joe
  • leadfoot4leadfoot4 Member Posts: 593
    Without a doubt, it's an example of technology at it's finest, and it indeed does an excellent job.
    One thing to consider, however, is the cost of having your tires balanced on this machine. Most shops charge a flat fee for a mount and balance. If, however, you want to go with the complete mix and match of wheels and tires that this machine is capable of doing, it can get expensive.
    The local shop I dealt with is "flat fee", but if the Hunter's internal computer says that tire #1 would be best suited to wheel #3, and tire #3 should go to wheel #2, etc, you then go on the "hourly rate", until the job is complete. At that point, the cost can jump significantly.
    As I said before, I was very satisfied with the outcome of the mount and balance I had done, but it wasn't cheap, as some "mixing and matching" was necessary.
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 906


    1. Is there such a thing as shelf life for a new tire:

    Yes. There can be a problem with the Antioxidant (AO) system if the tire is allowed to sit for a long period of time, especially if exposed to those conditions which enhance oxidation - sunlight, high temperatures, sources of ozone, etc.

    2. What if the tire is stored outdoors, exposed to heat and cold (Northeast area) as it waits to be sold? Or if it is waterlogged (flooding) for a week or two?

    Heat is a problem, sunlight is a problem, cold is not, water is not. (except for the mud)

    3) ... tires would have some sort of "expiration" date given the rubber compound should dry and stiffen up with time.

    The situation has so many variables it is almost impossible to pick a reasonable time frame. But the good news is this is rarely a real problem.

    4) Could be one reason for tire sales(?).

    Yes, plus the stagnant inventory tieing up valuable space and capital.

    Hope this helps.
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 906
    Just some comments:

    This machine is great for trying to sort the wheat from the chaff and for match mounting for force variation. It does however have some major drawbacks:

    The road is a flat surface and the machine uses a wheel. This tends to amplify localized disturbances and minimize more spreadout disturbances. This has been partially addressed by the 9712, which uses a larger diameter load wheel.

    I don't think I have seen anyone use this machine correctly when measuring wheels. Lots of folks use the flanges. Steel wheels give really bogus readings in this area. Alloy wheels are better, but still suspect.

    The machines don't correlate among themselves nor with master uniformity machines. So you can't take a reading on one machine and duplicate it on another. This makes setting "limits" a pretty bogus activity.

    As I recall someone was saying the GSP9700 can measure all sources of tire and wheel vibration. Well, for a start, it is a low speed machine and there are some changes when you switch to higher speeds (say 50 mph). Or how about tangential forces?

    Great machine, but don't oversell it!!

    Hope this helps.
  • joes230joes230 Member Posts: 94
    capriracer said: "The machines don't correlate among themselves nor with master uniformity machines"


    In this Hunter white paper they tested five GSP9700s against several Akron Standard tire uniformity machines. The correlation graphs show it was pretty good.


    http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/technical/4869T.pdf


    Thanks for the tips about the machine not being perfect, and the GSP9712.


    Despite not being perfect, the GSP9700/12 seems to be the best widely available balancing machine, and will find vibration problems other machines simply cannot. My own limited experience, plus other friends who have used it corroborates this. We had vibration problems various shops couldn't fix, then went to shops with a GSP9700. Every time it either fixed the problem or pin-pointed the cause.


    I don't like vibrations, and over the years it has been incredibly frustrating to encounter allegedly non-fixable problems. This machine has changed everything for me, so that's why I tell people about it.


    -- Joe

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