Thanks altazera, I was just returning to this forum to say that I had found the key attached to the lug wrench. I should have checked there before posting. Thanks again.
I suspect just the GLS will have them. The Michelins sticker about $195 ea. I think the Optimas are in the $70 range.
I have used the Hankook 404 winter tires (studed) for a few years now, on two different vehicles. They have served me very well, so I have NO problem with having a Hankook tire.
I purchased 4 OEM rims without centre caps for $300 US plus shipping. Ready for next winter.
My new Michelin Energy tires finally arrived and have been installed (all under warranty). They are a little quieter than the original ones. Hopefully there are no more flat spots and no more shimmy, but I won't know for sure until the temperature drops to -5 to -10 C. Hopefully, I won't see that temperature again until November :shades:
most people around here still have studded snow tires on. Most are expecting another storm, and won't remove them until temp gets over 10 c for a few days in a row :surprise: People are still snowmobiling in the hills here!
I thought the owner's manual is the thing that should be followed concerning tire rotation patterns. Mine shows front to rear, and rear to other side front. X pattern ok for radial tires in my book.
RE: 86 Both methods of tire rotation are indicated in my 06 Azera owners manual. In my opinion, if you want to maximize the milage on a set of tires you will do the 5 tire rotation. As a spare tire is hardly, if ever, used it is senseless to have that tire being the best tire on or in your car. If using all 5 tires, when replacement is necessary, you will always have a matched set of tires.
The X pattern of tire rotation is shown in my book as the prescribed rotation for 4 tires, not including the spare. Front to rear, and rear to other side front.
RE:90 Than I presume that your 4 wheel tire rotation quote was a guess and not the official Hyundai Azera specification. The Azera printed manual provides to methods of rotation. The five tire rotation provides better tire life as the spare is hardly or ever used in real driving. Why keep your best tire in the trunk, and not on the ground?
Not a guess. Just not a quote strictly for Azera. The point was that X pattern is recommended for radial tires even if just a 4 tire rotation. My spare is not my best tire, nor does it the same brand as the 4 on the road.
RE; 71 Having a different tire as the spare is a good reason not to perform a 5 tire rotation. The dealer or tire shop would always prefer to perform a 4 tire rotation. It is easier for them. It is not necessarily the preferred procedure.
Why isn't your spare your best tire if it came with the Azera? In which case, the spare tire is identical to the other 4 (if you have an '06) so you can do the 5 tire rotation. If you have an '07 or later, you can only do the 4 tire rotation, which I've always done just swapping front to back and back to front, keeping them on the same side of the car.
If the tires are non-directional, it really doesn't matter. In my case, with aftermarket wheels and tires, I can only swap the front and back wheels and keep them on the same side because the tires are directional.
I know that Hyundai has used Hankook on a couple of their models. I believe I saw them on some Tiburons and some Tucsons as well. It's not odd for a manufacturer to have a deal with more than one tire company.
Cobrazera, I've got 20" rims on my Azera and they are not significantly heavier than than the stock set. I mean...it would depend on the type of wheel you choose and what it's made out of and the design. Mine are chrome, but the patter is a pretty open patter, which means less metal than a closed or less open design.
The ride quality only suffers over rough roads. On the highway and smooth roads...there's no difference. Also, the Michelins are pretty noisy radials. The aftermarket Lexani tires I have (made by Nexen Tires) are actually quieter than the Michelins.
The advantage I now have by having two sets of wheels and tires is that in the winter months, I can take off the aftermarket wheels and put the stock wheels on. Much longer life on all the tires period! Even though I do that, I still got an all-season performance tire.
EBay currently has two sellers of set-of-four OEM 17" wheels with tires for $700 and $750, respectively. I've noted that there's frequently at least one seller who did a complete tire/wheel swap of his OEM stuff and markets what he removed from his new Azera on eBay...
I've been reading several threads about steering wheel shimmy and other issues associated with Azera's I have had my Azera for about 30 days - it has been into the dealership 3 times for steering wheel shimmy at highway speeds... this past time, they claimed that the chrome Aftermafket wheels (they had sold me through the dealership when I purchased the car)needed special balancer spindles as the spindle on their balancer wasn't fitting the wheels correctly. The steering wheel shimmy has almost disappeared - but now I get the same shimmy in my seats and the floors - it almost feels as if they rotated the tires/wheels to the rear trying to get the shimmy to go away -
Honestly...I would just take the car to an aftermarket wheel shop and have them do the balancing for you. Then...I would take the receipt to the manager at the dealership and have them reimburse you for something they should have taken care of. Another advantage of going to an aftermarket wheel shop is they will be sure to torque the lug nuts down correctly too. Most mechanics that work in auto repair shops will not do this and that simple misstep could lead to warped rotors.
Agree! Lug nuts should always be torqued. Avoid shops that will not use torque wrench for final tightening. If alloy wheels, balance weights look better when applied only to back side the wheel.
I forgot to mention that my experience with Falken Ziex tires was very good. I liked the agressive look of the tread pattern and they seemed to displace water much better than the Michelins. They are a Consumer Reports rated best buy. They were very quiet and my XG handled very well with them.
When I purchased my Azera in December my dealer replaced my air with nitrogen. It was a promotion with all new vehicles purchased at that time. It didn't cost me anything so it was worth it. It is supposed to increase gas mileage a little bit plus less air leakage. I guess the tires are supposed to wear better also. My gas mileage now with 8500 miles on the car is 24.5mpg. Mostly city but also a fair amount of highway. It is difficult to say if it is worth it if I had to pay to have it done. It certainly can't hurt and the ride is great, very smooth.
In January I paid $35 (just under $4 per tire) to have Nitrofill brand put in my tires. So far, it seems to be maintaining tire pressure as claimed.
It is supposed to be good for 18 months. Proper tire pressure will mean longer tire wear and better gas mileage. With the price of gas over $3/gallon I only have to save 12 gallons in 18 months to break even. If I get a few thousand extra miles out of the tires, I win.
I figured it was worth a one time $35 gamble. Could save a fair amount of money or I could lose a total of $35.
So far I think the gamble is paying off. If, after more months I think otherwise, I just won't do it again. The most I could lose, at the present price of gas in my area is about the price of 11 gallons spread over 18 months.
I've had it done by Costco to three vehicles; In fact to four different sets of tires.
My original Firestone GTA 02 gumballs were the worst tires I have ever heard of in 60 years of being a 'certified' car nut. They'd loose 10 pounds of air (PSI) simply setting in the garage with the Focus never being outside of the garage. We only drove the Focus about 5K miles in its' first five years.
When I had Costco change the air out in those Firestones, the tires simply stopped oozing because there was almost no oxygen within the tires any longer. So in regards to the claim that using nitrogen will almost completely stop pressure loss, I can say that the claim is correct! One other advantage to using nitrogen is that there is supposedly less or practically no friction within the tire because most of those oxygen molecules aren't there any longer.
You will not see any or very little change in PSI between a "cold" tire and one that has been out on the road for a few miles, and therefore should have "warmed" up a little causing the PSI to be a little higher. I have not tried to verify that claim, but I do believe it to be true!
BTW, Costco has not ever charged me anything for this service. I have had to talk to the manager a couple of times, and I suppose they did it to simply get rid of this talkative 'senior citizen.' "Go ahead and do it for him so he will leave!" He he.
Remember, if you don't ask, the answer is always "no." Catch them when they aren't too busy, talk to them nicely, and I will bet they will be happy to do it for you gratis. What do you have to loose? :confuse:
allmet33- Your wheels look great. I also like the wheels on the White Azera with the body kit.
As a daily driver on Long Island (read less than the smoothest of roads) I'll problably go with 18's or 17's. I like the stock 17's, but the silver paint Hyundai chose is a bit too "dull" for my taste.
Has anybody else seen a good set of wheels for the Azera?
I like the ones on the white one with the kit too. I REALLY like the body kit which I'm saving my lunch money up for now!
If you want to upgrade, but don't want to lose the ride comfort that comes factory, 18's would probably be your best bet. I would say 19's would work as well, but...the money you'll spend trying to find a package is crazy because it's a size found on some exotic sports cars.
You can always find a place that can dip the factory wheels in chrome for you, then you keep the look you like with a better finish. One place you can take a look is on www.tirerack.com. You put in the year, make and model of the car and select wheels and it lets you see how various wheels look on your car (you can even select the car color you have). This is where I start to get a general idea as to what style wheels look good.
The bolt pattern is the same as the Honda Accord, so it's very popular, so there will be a lot of choices out there. You'll have to decide if you want chrome, painted polished or machined finish. Personally, up in NY, I would either go with chrome or painted as polised and machined will take a lot of abuse during the winter months from road chemicals (I found out the hard way with my last car).
With the 18" wheel, your tire will be something like 235/50-18. You get the best of ride comfort and handling with that type of tire. The soft suspension on the Azera makes the ride smoother than it would be compared to say an Avalon or a Maxima.
If you want, I can help you find some nice looking wheels. I've done this for several folks I know and always make good choices. Send me an email (washingtonm@sec.gov)
I paid $1900 out the door for my 20" wheel and tire package. Depending on the wheel and tire you choose, if you go with 18" wheels...you can find a deal for between $800-1200 if you want to go on the conservative side. If you want to jump out there with a brand like Asanti wheels, then you can easily spend around $5K for a set of wheels.
The selections from wheelmax are also attractive to my taste. Not to wooried about winter durability...that's what my stock wheels will be saved for. With the ebony black car, chrome or hypersilver looks good. Unfortunately, it is my understanding that the chemicals / paints / process used for the true hyper silver finish, are not permitted to be use in this country.
Comments
Has anyone heard if Hankook will be replacing Michelin in the future or is this just on 16" tires?
Has anyone heard if Hankook will be replacing Michelin in the future or is this just on 16" tires?
I have used the Hankook 404 winter tires (studed) for a few years now, on two different vehicles. They have served me very well, so I have NO problem with having a Hankook tire.
My new Michelin Energy tires finally arrived and have been installed (all under warranty). They are a little quieter than the original ones. Hopefully there are no more flat spots and no more shimmy, but I won't know for sure until the temperature drops to -5 to -10 C. Hopefully, I won't see that temperature again until November :shades:
most people around here still have studded snow tires on. Most are expecting another storm, and won't remove them until temp gets over 10 c for a few days in a row :surprise: People are still snowmobiling in the hills here!
Bart :shades:
Both methods of tire rotation are indicated in my 06 Azera owners manual. In my opinion, if you want to maximize the milage on a set of tires you will do the 5 tire rotation.
As a spare tire is hardly, if ever, used it is senseless to have that tire being the best tire on or in your car.
If using all 5 tires, when replacement is necessary, you will always have a matched set of tires.
I guess that we have different owners manuals.
Do you have an 06?
Than I presume that your 4 wheel tire rotation quote was a guess and not the official Hyundai Azera specification.
The Azera printed manual provides to methods of rotation.
The five tire rotation provides better tire life as the spare is hardly or ever used in real driving.
Why keep your best tire in the trunk, and not on the ground?
My spare is not my best tire, nor does it the same brand as the 4 on the road.
Having a different tire as the spare is a good reason not to perform a 5 tire rotation.
The dealer or tire shop would always prefer to perform a 4 tire rotation. It is easier for them.
It is not necessarily the preferred procedure.
If the tires are non-directional, it really doesn't matter. In my case, with aftermarket wheels and tires, I can only swap the front and back wheels and keep them on the same side because the tires are directional.
The ride quality only suffers over rough roads. On the highway and smooth roads...there's no difference. Also, the Michelins are pretty noisy radials. The aftermarket Lexani tires I have (made by Nexen Tires) are actually quieter than the Michelins.
The advantage I now have by having two sets of wheels and tires is that in the winter months, I can take off the aftermarket wheels and put the stock wheels on. Much longer life on all the tires period! Even though I do that, I still got an all-season performance tire.
Only the Limiteds are factory equipped with the 17 inch Michelins.
The other models have 16 inch wheels without the expensive to replace Michelins.
Any thoughts?
Good luck!
Lug nuts should always be torqued. Avoid shops that will not use torque wrench for final tightening.
If alloy wheels, balance weights look better when applied only to back side the wheel.
I purchased my own torque wrench for when I need to remove the wheels myself.
They tracked well, wore well, and carried a good warranty.
It is supposed to be good for 18 months. Proper tire pressure will mean longer tire wear and better gas mileage. With the price of gas over $3/gallon I only have to save 12 gallons in 18 months to break even. If I get a few thousand extra miles out of the tires, I win.
I figured it was worth a one time $35 gamble. Could save a fair amount of money or I could lose a total of $35.
So far I think the gamble is paying off. If, after more months I think otherwise, I just won't do it again. The most I could lose, at the present price of gas in my area is about the price of 11 gallons spread over 18 months.
I've had it done by Costco to three vehicles; In fact to four different sets of tires.
My original Firestone GTA 02 gumballs were the worst tires I have ever heard of in 60 years of being a 'certified' car nut.
They'd loose 10 pounds of air (PSI) simply setting in the garage with the Focus never being outside of the garage.
We only drove the Focus about 5K miles in its' first five years.
When I had Costco change the air out in those Firestones, the tires simply stopped
oozing because there was almost no oxygen within the tires any longer.
So in regards to the claim that using nitrogen will almost completely stop pressure loss, I can say that the claim is correct!
One other advantage to using nitrogen is that there is supposedly less or practically no
friction within the tire because most of those oxygen molecules aren't there any longer.
You will not see any or very little change in PSI between a "cold" tire and one that has been out on the road for a few miles, and therefore should have "warmed" up a little causing the PSI to be a little higher.
I have not tried to verify that claim, but I do believe it to be true!
BTW, Costco has not ever charged me anything for this service.
I have had to talk to the manager a couple of times, and I suppose they did it to simply get rid of this talkative 'senior citizen.'
"Go ahead and do it for him so he will leave!" He he.
Remember, if you don't ask, the answer is always "no."
Catch them when they aren't too busy, talk to them nicely, and I will bet they will be happy to do it for you gratis.
What do you have to loose? :confuse:
HTHs
What do you think looks good on the Azera?
See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com
I'm sure there are more out there, but these are ones I could find quickly.
I've seen a 5-star wheel that looks good...
Multi-spoke style...
As a daily driver on Long Island (read less than the smoothest of roads) I'll problably go with 18's or 17's. I like the stock 17's, but the silver paint Hyundai chose is a bit too "dull" for my taste.
Has anybody else seen a good set of wheels for the Azera?
If you want to upgrade, but don't want to lose the ride comfort that comes factory, 18's would probably be your best bet. I would say 19's would work as well, but...the money you'll spend trying to find a package is crazy because it's a size found on some exotic sports cars.
You can always find a place that can dip the factory wheels in chrome for you, then you keep the look you like with a better finish. One place you can take a look is on www.tirerack.com. You put in the year, make and model of the car and select wheels and it lets you see how various wheels look on your car (you can even select the car color you have). This is where I start to get a general idea as to what style wheels look good.
The bolt pattern is the same as the Honda Accord, so it's very popular, so there will be a lot of choices out there. You'll have to decide if you want chrome, painted polished or machined finish. Personally, up in NY, I would either go with chrome or painted as polised and machined will take a lot of abuse during the winter months from road chemicals (I found out the hard way with my last car).
With the 18" wheel, your tire will be something like 235/50-18. You get the best of ride comfort and handling with that type of tire. The soft suspension on the Azera makes the ride smoother than it would be compared to say an Avalon or a Maxima.
If you want, I can help you find some nice looking wheels. I've done this for several folks I know and always make good choices. Send me an email (washingtonm@sec.gov)
Some vendors to check...
www.victoriatire.com
www.wheelfire.com
www.wheelsplanet.com
www.wheelmax.com
Ion Alloy 197 Chrome 18x8.5
The selections from wheelmax are also attractive to my taste. Not to wooried about winter durability...that's what my stock wheels will be saved for. With the ebony black car, chrome or hypersilver looks good. Unfortunately, it is my understanding that the chemicals / paints / process used for the true hyper silver finish, are not permitted to be use in this country.