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Hyundai Elantra Tires and Wheels

backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
Let's discuss the tires and wheels for the Elantra--OEM tires/wheels and aftermarket.

Comments

  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    it is getting to be that time when we will be getting replacement tires. the original tires are now at almost 44,000 miles which we were told were great for that tire. we need opinions on other tires or suggestions what to get. we do mostly highway driving Nc to NJ-PA.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Kumhos are a lot cheaper than the OEM Michelins and I found they ride more smoothly and quietly on the highway also. I got Ecsta HP4 716s for my '01 GLS, but I don't think those are offered anymore.
  • 1racefan1racefan Member Posts: 932
    2 tires that I have had good luck with are:

    Cooper Lifeliner SLE Touring - currently have those on our '02 Elantra, and they are quiet, and seem to ride well.

    BF Goodrich Traction T/A - I have these on one of our other vehicles (but I think they also are available for the Elantra), and I LOVE these tires. They are fairly quiet (not as quiet as the Coopers), but I have driven through downpours on the highway at speed, and the vehicle has felt very stable (while others around me were running 10 mph under the speed limit). From various reviews I have read, others have also agreed that these tires seem th provide a lot of grip.

    Like Backy mentioned, I have also heard good things about Kumhos, but have not personally owned a set. The 2 tires I mentioned above, are probably at the lower-middle price range.

    P.S. - for what it is worth, I rotate my tires every 5,000 miles (I use synthetic oil, and do oil changes and rotations at the same time), and the Coopers seem to be wearing very well on teh Elantra (@15,000 miles on them currently).
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Have you ever had your oil tested? 7,500 mile change intervals is conservative and 10,000 mile intervals are even conservative with many vehicles as demonstrated by oil test results.
  • 1racefan1racefan Member Posts: 932
    no, i have never had my oil analyzed. i agree with you that i could probably bo much longer between oil changes, but as it stands, we currently have 3 cars:

    car #1 (the Elantra) is driven 15,000 miles a year, so i change the oil in it 3 times per year - use synthetic.

    car #2 (Honda) is 10 months old, and only has 6,000 miles on it - looks like we will average 7,000-8,000 miles per year on it. i have the Honda dealer change the oil every 3,000 miles on it (regular oil), because they do it for $9.99, and for that price, it is cheap peace of mind.

    car #3 (Mitsubishi) is being driven about 6,000 miles per year. I run synthetic in it, and do an annual oil change on it with synthetic.

    So, to answer your question - no, i have never had the oil tested, and realize that i could probably go longer. but, i really don't spend that much on oil changes using my current schedule, and at least i KNOW i am not pushing my oil any further than i should.
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    thanks for the quick reply. which kumho tire?
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    thanks for your reply. we have the tires rotated and balanced every 6,000 miles. we also check the tire pressure often.
  • acura03gacura03g Member Posts: 76
    are Hankook Optimo H426. Don't know whether they're good or not. I only have 450 miles on them so far.
  • acura03gacura03g Member Posts: 76
    How much do you pay for rotation and balancing? Do you need balancing every 6000 miles?
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    we found that if we did not get the tires balanced on the elantra when they were rotated the car would develop a shimmy at 60-65MPH. this only would occur with the elantra.the last time we had them rotated and balanced it cost $25.00. It used to cost $l7.00.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I told you which Kumho tires I bought, but it doesn't do you much good unless you can find some remnants because I don't think they are made anymore. Your Kumho tire dealer e.g. Sears or Discount Tire can tell you which tire replaced the Ecsta HP4 716.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    At a place like Discount Tire you can get lifetime free balancing and rotation added for a nominal charge. They have (at least the one near me has) the Hunter balancing machine that Hyundai recommends in their TSB on the Elantra re wheel shimmy. There has been no shimmy on my Elantras when they use this machine correctly.
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    sorry about that-must have been a senior moment for me. When we have the tires balanced at our hyundai dealer they must use the hunter machine correctly. no problems. when we used to take it to our local sears. we usually had to bring it back at least once to get them rebalanced.
  • dekoraidekorai Member Posts: 56
    I just bought a used 04 Elantra GT yesterday. I went to Sears today to get new Kumho tires installed; Sears includes free tire rotation every 5000 miles or 2 times a year with the tire installation and computer alignment.
  • hyundai_slsmnhyundai_slsmn Member Posts: 57
    if you drive in snow or very cold weather i would suggest running seperate summer and winter tires. Hankook and Kuhmo are the best tires on the market and the best value too. If you dont have the money to run seperate tires I would suggest either the Kumho Ecsta HP or the Hankook Optimo H426. The Hankook lineup has better choices and quality for pure summer tires and snow tires. The all season tires are about equal.
  • 5port5port Member Posts: 395
    At Sears Kuhmo Ecsta HP4 716 has been replaced by Kuhmo Solus HP4 716. The Solus is selling for $59.98 at this time. I recently rotated my Kuhmo Ecsta 716 tires and am happy to say there is no vibration at all. Tires were not balanced on a special balance machine,just regular hi-speed balance. The Kuhmos are wearing better than the Michelins. Based on my experience I would buy Kuhmo again in a heartbeat. I will never go back to Sears for tires though. Their service is quite lacking (here in NY anyway).
  • jim162jim162 Member Posts: 1
    I am in Chicago area and just bought a SE in May. Wondering how many PSI do you guys' Elantra have for summer time. Any recommendations??? Thanks.
  • caazcaaz Member Posts: 209
    Def go the max pressure. You'll get better MPG.
  • doohickiedoohickie Member Posts: 949
    Heh. You *are* an MPG nut, aren't you? On my 05, I generally run between the (recommended) 32, to up to about 35-36. I just got new tires and while the ride is phenomally better, the mileage has dropped off by about 5% or more. (The tires, by the way, were Kumho Ecsta AST 225/50R15s. The extra width makes both handling and ride feel a lot better, but it also apparently increases the rolling resistance.)
  • dekoraidekorai Member Posts: 56
    Took my 04 Elantra GT (82,000 miles) to the dealer here in NJ since there was a lot of vibration between 35-45 MPH and above 75 MPH. The current set of tires have 22,000 miles on them and rotated every 7,500 miles between oil changes.

    They did a decent job at it - atleast the vibration at high speeds is negligible now. Which is what I needed since I do a 90 mile commute every day at high speeds. Also did an oil change and the engine and tranny are MUCH smoother and responsive - wonder why? I am guessing the oil filters at Pepboys don't suit the Elantra well. And I'm never going to Sears for tires or anything again - they obviously did a lousy job at balancing the tires.
  • doohickiedoohickie Member Posts: 949
    +1 on the bad Sears experience. I bought Falken Ziex ZE512s for my wife's Taurus and they never did get them balanced right. We got them replaced under warranty at only 15,000 because they were very visibly out of round, and the "warranty" was only about $150 toward a new set of tires. And the new tires suck too (Goodyear Weatherhandlers, which I later learned were Consumer Reports worst-rated touring tire).
  • peivpeiv Member Posts: 1
    hi all,
    i have 2007 hyundai elantra se with hankook optimo h426 tires.I like the car ,everything is very nice exept ,I THINK,the tires.I'm driving a lot in the streets and when i hit a bump or pothole ,the car making a lot of noises(ratling noise) coming from the suspension(all 4 weels).The dealer check suspension and said that evrerything is good.I also think that suspension working properly,because a can not belive that all four shocks not gonna work properly at the same time.Can be this from the low quality of the tires and if i change the tires ,this gonna solve the problem?
    If somebody have the same tires on the car ,tell me what you think for them
    thank you
  • theplain53theplain53 Member Posts: 4
    i have a 2002 elantra gt with koeing 17 in wheels and kuhmo s, after i had a front tie rod end replaced, i keep having a shimmy at 60 mph, the bad tie rod end caused tires to ware a little bad, i cured this by getting a ROAD FORCE balance. after Discount tire Balanced the tires 3 times, they zeroed out but i still had a shimmy, the ROAD FORCE balance, fixed the problem.

    this type of balance is a must for older and some times new tires on alloy rims, the computer on the balancing machine, tells you where to turn the tire on the rim before balancing it. IT TOTALY FIXED THE SHIMMY . SOMETIMES CONVENTIONAL BALANCING DOESNT DO THE JOB, Discount tire has a road force machine but some tire stores dont

    now its 70 mph and NO shimmy
  • theplain53theplain53 Member Posts: 4
    discount tire, did a Road Force balance on my elantra with 17 in koenig wheels and kuhmo and nooooooooooo more shimmy , my nephew who is a head service mgr for a major dealer chain says even some new cars have to be rebalanced from the factory, his dealers have this type of balancng machine to cure shimmy on brand new cars with alloy wheels
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Yep, Discount Tire was able to eliminate some shimmy from two Elantras, in both cases when they had put new tires on the cars. It took two tries on one car, but they did get rid of the shimmy. One car had steel wheels ('01 GLS), another has factory alloys ('04 GT).
  • dvdphiledvdphile Member Posts: 11
    I also have an 2007 Elantra SE. Since new there was a "rattle' coming from the left front end. Only noticeable over very sharp bump,cracksm in pavement, button lane dividers etc. Only noticeable going very slow, under 5 mph. Diagnosis by dealer was exhaust components bumping i think the steering assembly. Anyway, 90% fixed by adjusting the exhaust. But, occassional minor "clunking" from steering column going over same sharp pavement etc. But the ratttle is gone. Anybody else?? (reply was to: "PEIV"
  • bjc2bjc2 Member Posts: 28
    i;ve have a 2001 elantra and i have a humming noise which seems to be coming
    from the front wheels.kind of like the old snow tires used to make.the tires are
    two years old and still in good shape.bf goodrich.could this be tire or road noise
    or shoud i have the front end checked.thanks for any help.
  • ez888ez888 Member Posts: 39
    wouldn't hurt taking off the wheel and looking at it. could it possibly be debris caught in the tread? i once had a small stick caught in there and it made a horrible noise. worth a shot. also, you could always ask someone to look at it during the next oil change or service; unless you think it is a safety issue or something that can get worse.
  • dkaps25dkaps25 Member Posts: 1
    Hello, can some one help me out with this question? If I unscrew the lugnuts will the wheel itself come off or just the hubcap? Thanks.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Both.
  • doohickiedoohickie Member Posts: 949
    Correct. So if you want to change out just the hubcaps, you have to jack up each wheel to take the weight off while you're doing it. It seems like a pain, but when they're held on by the lug nuts, your hubcaps will NEVER fall off!
  • jessie14jessie14 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2005 Elantra. The paint is coming off my hubcaps and looks horrible. I can’t find a reasonable place to get new ones or a reasonable website. And you have to get the ones without fake lug nuts. Although it’s nice to never loose your hubcaps, it’s also hard to find cheap replacements. Any ideas where to get cheap replacements?
  • econobikereconobiker Member Posts: 6
    My wife's '01 has the flaking hubcap paint also. I figured the next time I rotated the wheels I would scuff up the hubcap and paint it with a high quality silver paint made for adhering to plastics...
  • chooseychoosey Member Posts: 6
    I know there is a school of thought to pump tires to its recommended top PSI. That's a maximum, not a recommendation. My 08 Elantra SE's recommended pressure for the Hankook tires are 32psi.

    Oddly, I've occasionally come away from inspection or oil/filter services with the tires pumped way high. I even came away from my Hyundai dealer on the purchase date with the tires in the 40s. But I can tell this right away because it feels like the tires are too hard. It may increase MGP but at a sacrifice in ride comfort.

    So I'm experimenting with my new Elantra. I've come down in steps gradually from 44psi to find my best compromise. I'm around 34psi now. I find the ride a little firm on this car so I may end up right at 32psi. To each his own.
  • elgordo59elgordo59 Member Posts: 1
    I hope someon could help me, I have an 02 Elantra and would like to know if i could put 195/65/15 snows on my car. can any one help me?
  • bill273bill273 Member Posts: 2
    WE JUST LEASED A 2010 ELANTRA AND HAVE LESS THAN 600 MI ON IT. WE LOVE THE RIDE AND REALLY EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CAR. WE SWICTHED FROM COROLLAS WHICH I HAD DRIVEN OVER A SERIES OF 3 THREE YEAR LEASES. HOWEVER, AS I DROVE THE ELANTRA ON OUR FIRST WET WEATHER DAY ON THE INTERSTATE, I NOTICED THAT DESPITE THE FACT THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF WATER ON THE ROAD THE TIRES SEEMED TO NOT GRIP THE PAVEMENT AS WELL AND THE SPLASH OF WATER UP AGAINST THE UNDERCARRIAGE CREATED MUCH MORE NOISE THAN I AM USED TO HEARING WITH THE COROLLA. THE TIRES ARE THE STANDARD ISSUE DUNLOP P195/65R15'S
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Have you checked the tire pressure? Sometimes they are overfilled and dealers fail to adjust them before delivery.
  • bill273bill273 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks!
    Already scheduled to have it into dealer tomorrow for check of alignment and tires.
    Looking for feedback from others in case there have been other experiences.
  • trainerusatrainerusa Member Posts: 3
    Hello guys,
    I'm wondering if 205/55R16 winter tires with the relevant wheels will fits into Elantra'03.
    Please advise
  • blebnevusblebnevus Member Posts: 13
    I just bought a 2010 Elantra and noticed it was riding rather roughly. Eventually I checked the tires and discovered that all four had been inflated to 37 psi. I see that one or two other posters have noticed this as well. Is there any good reason for this, or is it like TVs that are set too bright at the factory? Presumably I should bring them down to 32, yes?
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    Bring them to whatever's on your car's sticker. The sticker is on the driver's door frame so open the door & look for the sticker; it won't show when the door is closed. Trust the sticker more than the car's manual.

    That said, there's nothing inherently wrong with overinflating a few PSI. It will return marginally higher MPG at the expense of a firmer (some might say harsher) ride.

    As I advised someone in a thread about another make, go down to 32 PSI (or the recommended..) and run with that for a tank or two of gas. If you find the ride too soft for your taste, bump the PSI up by 2 and try again. When you hit the point where you prefer the ride, stop; i.e. when the ride gets too firm, back off. Also stop if you get close to the max PSI of the tires themselves (listed on the tire sidewall).

    If you do settle on something other than the recommended, remember to tell your shop about it when bringing the car in for an oil change or other service since most places check the air as part of their "free inspection".

    BTW on my prior car I ran my 32-PSI-recommended tires at 37 for several years with no consequences. I liked the ride better. I haven't even looked at what my current car's tires are set to. :blush:
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Tires are overinflated for shipping on the trucks. Dealers are supposed to set them to spec before delivery. You might mention that to the service manager next time you go in--let them know someone didn't do his/her job.

    As noted, running them at 37 psi won't hurt them, but you will probably find the ride is much smoother at 32.
  • blebnevusblebnevus Member Posts: 13
    Thanks, fushigi and backy. Very helpful.
  • cpo1990cpo1990 Member Posts: 2
    I own a 2008 Hyundia Elantra GLS. Twice I've had wheel studs break away when attempting to repair flats. The last one I couldn't budge 2 of the lug nuts so I took the car in to a qualified mechanic. The minute the first one broke off he stopped all work. I'm afraid the other stud will snap off when they try and replace the already broken one. Has anyone had this problem? To me it sounds like either the wheel stud is expanding or the lug nut is expanding due to heat and not going back to its' orginal size. Larry :(
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    CPO1990,

    Someone likely over-torque the lug nuts and stretched the studs to a point near breakage. Removing the lug nuts was merely the straw that broke the camels back.
  • cpo1990cpo1990 Member Posts: 2
    capriracer: Thanks for the input. Your the second person that has said this. I took the first broken wheel stud to a machine shop and they said the same thing. If anyone reading this has had this problem, please post it. Again, thanks. Larry
  • tardolejohntardolejohn Member Posts: 2
    My wife owns a 2001 Elantra. We kept hearing a clicking noise in rear wheel while braking. Discovered that some of the wheel nuts were bottoming out on the stud (it is a "closed nut") before 80 lb torque was reached. This condition left the hub a little bit loose. I consider this to be a dangerous condition. It could also be what has led to some bolts wringing off since now every blow of the air wrench is transferred perfectly to the bolt with zero slippage of the nut on the bolt.

    I intend to pursue this with Hyundai. At this point I am tempted to grind off a few thousandths from each bolt, but first want to see if Hyundai has a fix.
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