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Honda Pilot Tires and Wheels

13

Comments

  • ondamanondaman Member Posts: 21
    Hello experts, dealer telling me to replace original tires for my 2007 Honda Pilot AWD, only 2.5 years old, 24k miles. Any advise before I pay $800 for new tires? I asked for warranty but technician said I'm not covered. I thought I'm covered for 50k mi on these original Bridgestone tires. Car not even 3 yrs old. Help! Thanks.
  • hcassidyhcassidy Member Posts: 3
    Tried Generals and Firestones and ultimately settled on the Michelin Cross-Terrains. Best ride for my Pilot!
  • ondamanondaman Member Posts: 21
    Thank you hcassidy. Yes I heard many good comments on Michelin Cross Terrains. This is definitely #1 on my list.
  • cavmavcavmav Member Posts: 1
    Can a 235/75R16 tire fit on the 2005 model? Also, what's the best tires for the 2005 model?

    Thanks in advance!
  • ondamanondaman Member Posts: 21
    Hi,
    I have 2007 Pilot 4WD, 26k miles only, less than 3 yrs old. Two tires are worn out on outside. Dealer telling me I have bad alignment, and I need to replace all 4 tires for $800+ total. Does this sound reasonable?
    I have my tires rotated every other oil change (every 10k mi). But I do not recall going for alignment. How often should I go for tire rotation? wheel alignment?
    Thanks in advance!
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    Think of a tire tread as having two sides (left and right), and a middle. Think of a tire on the left side of the car. Is the wear on the side of the tread that is more under the car, or the side of the tread that is to the left (outside) of the car, or both?

    If it only on the outside of two tires, sounds like there is indeed an alignment problem. If it is the outside and the inside of the tread and the middle of the tire is still pretty good, it may be a tire air pressure problem. (PSI)

    Unless they are the "Run Flat" type of tire, I'm thinking $800 to be way too much for the tire replacement. Check with National Tire and Battery (NTB), Kauffman Tire, Sears, etc for tires prices. My Honda dealer said they would match any price. NTB had a price nearly $200 better, and the dealer did reluctantly match it!

    If they are the "run flat" tires, they will be more expensive. Not sure how many tire manufacturers make the "Run Flats", but my understanding is that real special attention is necessary to mount them properly. Especially on a Pilot.

    I rotate the tires every !0K or so. Many people rotate more often than that. Some don't rotate at all.

    Seems to me that wheel alignment is done during one of Honda's suggested maintenance services. 15K comes to mind. As your Pilot is a 4wd, they will likely align all 4 wheels. Especially if tires are showing an unusual wear pattern.

    FWIW tire air pressure can cause unusual wear. Generally speaking, low pressure will generally show up on both the outside edge and the inside edge of the tread of a tire being worn, while the middle of the tread is still good.

    Excessive tire pressure will cause the middle of the tread to wear faster than the edges.

    On the drivers front door post (Jam) there is a sticker with recommended tire pressure. That pressure will give the best ride, handling and tire wear for the weight of the vehicle and occupants. The tire itself may also have 2 numbers. Example: One of them may say "inflate to 32 PSI cold." The other may say "Maximum pressure 44 PSI. The 32 will likely be more in line with what is printed on the door sticker. The 44 is there to let you know that anything over 44 PSI can blow the tire.

    Example 2: If you had a vehicle that the door post recommended a tire pressure of 50 PSI you would not want to use a tire that says 44 PSI maximum pressure.

    On the other hand you don't want to put 44 PSI in a tire, when the door post calls for 32 PSI. Reason is that the tire would be so over inflated, for the vehicle weight, that the center of the tire tread would be doing all the work and wear faster than the two edges. With less tread touching the road, you would also loose some handling, lose some traction, and have a much rougher and nosier ride.

    Tire pressure should be checked on a regular basis. A tire that is set at 32 PSI when the air temperature is 80 degrees may show as little as 27 PSI when the weather is 30 degrees. And visa versa. So it's real important to adjust the pressure when seasons change.

    Kip
  • ondamanondaman Member Posts: 21
    Great infos Kipk, thanks much!
  • pp06pp06 Member Posts: 3
    I drive a Pilot 06. I need new tires. I've narrowed it down to 3. Any thoughts? Quiet is important, but I also live in Utah were we do get some good snow storms.

    Michelin ltx m/s 2
    Michelin x radial lt2
    Michelin lattitude tour
  • rt4rt4 Member Posts: 13
    I purchased the Mich. Lat. Tour for my 4 WD '07 Pilot. So far, they seem to be doing fine. Very quiet tire on my vehicle. I also am in snow belt (west of Denver) and found out that the all seasons just do not cut it up here. Went to snows last winter---what a difference.
    Do think you'll like the Lat. Tours for general purpose driving, although they are pricey as you prob. already noticed.
  • davidc134davidc134 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2010 LX and the spare is compact. However, Honda does sell a full size rim to replace it. I am planning to spend the money to get a full size spare under there and I am glad that they left room for it.
  • shodanusmcshodanusmc Member Posts: 14
    Muchelin is the best. Quiet, good life, and good in rain and snow.
  • dbrosdbros Member Posts: 81
    I replaced mine with General Grabber HTS... I was considering Michelin Latitude Tour with $70 rebate but it just cost almost $700 including installation... :P

    Anyway, I love my General Grabber HTS quiet and my steering wheel got looser compared to my Integrity's. I thought i have a problem with my steering fluid at first but now I know why... :D
  • jh5710jh5710 Member Posts: 2
    I live in upstate NY and it's that Time again.
    My last set of tires, Nokian WR's have lasted me almost 42k.

    Before I put those on, I was always a Michelin man.

    Do I put another set of the WR's or get the Michelin LT M/S?

    As always price is about the same.

    Any help would be great.
  • tlcintxtlcintx Member Posts: 6
    Does a tire exist that will give me exceptional handling on wet roads yet still give me good control on rocky/dirt roads - and, possibly, extra protection from rock punctures?

    I have a 2007 Pilot AWD and love how the Sumitomos perform in wet conditions. But, it's time for replacements and I'd like to get some tires that also give me a little better performance in off-road conditions. I don't go "off-roading" per se....but, my hobby has me traveling off the beaten path in areas where there are a lot of rocks, ruts, uneven inclines, etc. Sometimes I feel like the tire isn't "grabbing" as well as a tire could. But, safety when driving in the rain is the higher priority.

    Any advice would be WONDERFUL! :) Thank you, Tanya
  • rog9rog9 Member Posts: 2
    Tanya

    I have been shopping for tires myself for my 07 pilot. I always do a lot of research for something I am going to be stuck with for a few years. I search on Tirerack for consumer feed back and ratings and I am split between Firestone destination ATs and Bridgestone Duelers REVO 2.

    The destinations rate better but I have heard a lot of good things about the REVO 2, the destinations are rated better and are about $40 less per tire so I might go with them. I will leave feedback after I try them out in snow.

    My factory tires were duelers and are noisy as hell, both of these are supposed to be quieter and get better traction in snow and rain
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    Take a strong look at the Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor tires. I have taken "The Beast" (my '06 Pilot) off on alot of trails and crawler roads and it handles like a dream on sand / snow / ice / mud. The dry traction is outstanding. I also use my Pilot for Geocaching, so I do alot of driving with it.

    Odie
  • tlcintxtlcintx Member Posts: 6
    Thanks Odie - that's what I ended up getting! I do like them. They feel very secure on wet roads. And, they handle much better on dirt roads than the Sumitomos. As a bonus, they are much quiter as well. :)
  • tlcintxtlcintx Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the input - I am just seeing the replies to my post. After much research and contemplation, I ended up getting Wranger Silent Armors. They've been perfect so far and they are surprisingly quiet - at least compared to the Sumitomos, which were extremely noisy. I had people ask me about why they were so loud - I said I didn't care because I felt safer with them. But now, with the Wrangler Silent Armors, I feel safe driving in the rain and it's quiet and I can go off-road with better traction than before. Hopefully I won't ever have to try these out in the snow - I love snow but I don't like driving in it (I live in Houston, Texas - so, that's not usually an issue for us!)
  • hoshos Member Posts: 31
    I bought the General Grabber HTS but love the way it handles and grabs the road. I have slammed on the break on wet road on a couple of accasions and found that it grabs the road so well that the anti lock does not activate becuase the tires do not slide. The biggest difference between this and the OEM tires was that it does not handle nearly as well in the snow and ice as the original OEM tires did initially. So, I had to buy snowtires this year. If you want a good deal, get it at tire track.com. I got blizzak bridgestone mounted and balanced on wheels cheaper than any local store would sell only the tire itself.
  • dougbthomdougbthom Member Posts: 3
    I would strongly advise against replacing only 2 tires at any time and especially never a different brand of tire if only replacing 2 tires. My recommendation would be the Michelin M/S tire if you want great wear and handling. Hope this helps.
  • zebraheadzebrahead Member Posts: 7
    edited April 2011
    I use my 2010 Pilot for work and rack up lots of long distance highway miles. The Goodyears lasted to 50,000 miles and now need replacement.

    Looking for recommendations on what will give me the best handling and smooth/quiet highway ride. Any suggestions?

    Also, I stay mostly in the Southeast US so snow is not much of a concern.
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    edited April 2011
    Michilin Harmony tires work well and not real expensive.

    National Tire and Battery (NTB) is a good source.

    Actually I had been by NTB and gotten a written quote. Then I went to Nalley Honda for routine service and asked them to align the front end.
    The service writer informed me that it would be best to wait on the alignment because the tires we ready to be replaced, and do it at that time.

    I told him I was going to replace them in the next few days. He said they would "Match" any other source. Their initial price was nearly $100 more than NTB. But because I had the NTB paper work in hand, they did match the price. FWIW: There is a sign on the wall stating they will match any tire price on "Like" tires.

    Actually I would rather buy them from a dealer. They do the type of balancing and alignment the particular car requires and there won't be any finger pointing if there is a problem.

    The Harmony tires actually went on our 03 CR-V. They rode softer, and with less road noise than the Bridgestones they replaced.

    Kip
  • tornadogtornadog Member Posts: 102
    I took my Pilot in for service last week at 17500 miles, and the the front tires are at 7 and rear at 4. They said the rears will have to be replaced in the next service. That is simply shocking. I thought these goodyears lasted 50k easily. My driving is strictly city roads and occasional highway. I am beginning to think, Honda didnt align my wheels right or something in the previous service. What can I do now?
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Did you measure or look at the tires yourself? What does 7 and 4 mean - 7/32 and 4/32??

    You might be able to file a claim with Goodyear under their mileage warranty. No car manufacturer covers tires under their warranty.
  • tornadogtornadog Member Posts: 102
    yes 4/32 and 7/32. the good year tread replacement warranty says it has to be 2/32 before the warranted mileage which is 60k for these tires.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Have you measured them yourself? I'd do that first. Plus I'd be suprised the tread difference would be that much unless they've never been rotated?

    Otherwise hold tight until you reach 2/32 and then contact Goodyear. They'll pro-rate them if they accept them as defective - you'll probably get 25-30% off a new set of tires.
  • zebraheadzebrahead Member Posts: 7
    Kip, Thanks for the advice but the Harmony tire is not made in the size I need for the Pilot. It's only made in smaller passenger car sizes.

    Anyone have any other suggestions for the current generation Pilot?
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    So how are the Silent Armors doing for you since you more than likely got some miles on them now.

    On a side note, here is a video I shot of some "light" off-roading I did in "The Beast". We went from 450ft elevation up to 1400ft elevation, then down to around 300ft elevation and back. Had a National Guard Humvee that was having trouble with the hill along with us and he couldn't believe how welll the Pilot handled it. Tires make all the difference (and yes I still have the Silent Armors of with 48k on them now.)

    Light Off-roading on 2nd Mountain Video

    Odie
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    That's fun -- I love roads like that.
  • tccattccat Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 Pilot with 67,000 miles. I still have orginal Goodyear Integrity tires, prob good for another 5,000miles. I have heard a lot of bad things about these tires, but mine have been great. Something must be screwy with
    yours. I would investigate thoroughly.
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    edited July 2011
    We purchased a new Pilot in '03 and traded it for a Ridgeline in '09.
    The Pilot had around 40K miles and the Goodyear Integrity tires still had near 1/2 the tread left.

    Ran 32-34 lbs of air and only rotated them a couple of times.
    I'm a careful driver and don't wait until the last minute to slam on brakes for stops, don't accelerate hard, and I go around corners on all 4 wheels.

    FWIW: Hard driving cost in more ways than just burning excessive fuel. :cry:

    Kip
  • 06_pilot_guy06_pilot_guy Member Posts: 4
    Hi, I am looking to change out the 16" rims on my 2006 Pilot. I am considering some 17 inch rims but am not sure how to choose the right tire specs. How is this done? Thanks.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,175
    If you go to Tirerack.com, they will give you alternate sizes for different wheel diameters for your Pilot..

    Alternatively, you can Google for Miata.net tire size calculator. That will let you play around for equivalent sizes.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • 06_pilot_guy06_pilot_guy Member Posts: 4
    thanks kyfdx!
  • 06_pilot_guy06_pilot_guy Member Posts: 4
    One more thing... is there any negative consequence from changing from the factory 16" x 6" rims to the 17"x8"? Pros and cons?
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,175
    Are the factory rims only 6" wide? I would have guessed at least 7"..

    If you pick rims that have the proper offset (Tirerack has a bunch of choices), then going from 16" X 7" to 17" X 8" should be no problem...

    If the stock rims are 16" X 6", then 8" rims might be too wide...

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  • 06_pilot_guy06_pilot_guy Member Posts: 4
    i guess they are 6.5 wide actually...
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    "...One more thing... is there any negative consequence from changing from the factory 16" x 6" rims to the 17"x8"? Pros and cons? ..."

    This is a difficult question to answer because a simple change like this can easily be overwhelmed by difference in the 2 tires in question.

    But directionally, going larger in rim diameter generally results in a loss in ride quality, a loss in fuel economy, a loss in wet and snow traction, but a gain in dry traction.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,175
    Tirerack shows 235/65-17 as the alternate size...

    They offer at least a dozen aftermarket wheels in 17" diameter.. widths vary from 7.5" to 8"..

    The same year Acura MDX came on 17" wheels... I'd guess those factory alloys are 7.5" in width.

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  • 72blackbird72blackbird Member Posts: 4
    We just bought a Certified 08 Pilot EX that will spend 95% of it's life with us on pavement- this pilot is definitely crying out for better rubber than the stock 235/70R-16's. I saw a new 2011 MDX with 255/55R18's on the factory alloys, and as nice as this combo looked the sidewall still seemed a bit too tall for me. I'm thinking a 255/50R19 will look even more aggressive but still have enough sidewall to protect the wheels and be practical for an SUV.

    Most truck and SUV owners here in Socal go with 20's or larger, but this seems too big a rim for any Pilot and has too low of a tire sidewall.
  • tlcintxtlcintx Member Posts: 6
    edited September 2011
    I'm still "LOVING" these Silent Armors! I've put close to 20K miles on them and they are still in great shape.

    My son recently got his license and I let him take me to this place to show me where his friends go for dirt donuts....he tried it out in my Pilot and said it wasn't as fun because my tires hugged the ground too much, which kept him from sliding around.

    The only time my tires lose any traction at all is if I've been driving on rocks & pebbles for a long time at a slow speed. It gives plenty of time for enough of the "just the right sized" rocks to fill in the channels on the tires - but, as sooon as I can get onto a surface that allows me to go a little faster, they clear out. So, I don't have any trouble as long as I keep my speed appropriate to the conditions....which is always a challenge when the Pilot seems to be able to handle so much more than I should even be trying.
  • tornadogtornadog Member Posts: 102
    Looks like my rear tires have worn out, and its only 22K miles. It failed the penny test, and then some. So far the front tires look good, so I am thinking of just replacing the rear ones. Should I go with the OEM tires or try another brand. I am also trying to decide where to get the tires from. The dealership is definitely going to be expensive, the cheapest price I found was at tirerack but then I have to find an installer, and I am not sure how good of a service I could get if I didnt buy my tires from them.
  • rog9rog9 Member Posts: 2
    Why pay extra money to the dealer unless they are willing to pro rate the originals? Even in that case tires will be cheaper at tire rack. I buy them online and have been getting mine installed at Firestone and I pay for the life time balance which is well worth it. Also have the lifetime alignment.

    I would go with Yokohama
  • burghcarguyburghcarguy Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2011
    I use TireRack all the time - not a problem. When my dealer sold me tires, he went right to TireRack and showed me their price so I could see I was getting a fair price from them.

    The top-rated tire right now (both at TireRack and at Consumer Reports) is the General Grabber HTS. I have had them on since Spring and they're great. Do NOT buy the OEM tires. Those are just not good - especially in snow.

    I had a terrible experience with Yokohama. They were great - until they were at the end of life. Then, I almost wrecked the car on a wet road as the car behaved like it was on ice.
  • tlcintxtlcintx Member Posts: 6
    edited November 2011
    I also uploaded a video of when my son & I were riding on a rough dirt/rocky road in the Pilot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rexBKW0YlDU

    That was in the Texas Hill Country. I'm about to make my 2nd trip to the Big Bend area in Texas with these Silent Armor tires. They have been amazing both on dirt roads & on wet pavement!

    Cheers :)
    Tanya
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    Nice place for Off-roading. You can get a nice universal tripod with adjustable legs to set up inside the cabin to mount the camera on. it stays put nicely while you going and you don't need to worry about having your hands off the wheel or eyes off where you need to go. Plus your navigator / spotter doesn't need to hold the camera and can more focus on obsticles for you.

    Odie
  • jamie1983jamie1983 Member Posts: 20
    I just had oil change/tire rotation and was told I am due for rear tires. I have 2010 Pilot EX-L, the tires only have 30k miles on them, the fronts are fine. I thought I read that the factory goodyears had 60k mile warranty, does anyone know how this works or has anyone had any success getting any money?
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    First, OE tires do not have a mileage warranty. Vehicle manufacturers not only specify the characteristics the tire has to have - and typically wear is not given a very high priority - but also the vehicle manufacturer purchases that tire at a low cost - one with only a bare bones "materials and workmanship" warranty.

    But if that same tire is sold in the replacement maket, a mileage warranty is built into the price you pay. So even though you may see a mileage warranty published, it applies only to the tire if it is purchased separately. You shouldn't expect to get warranty coverage for wear on the tires that come on new vehicles. If you hear about that happening, it's only done as a courtesy.
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    Cap... not so. On the OEM Goodyear Integrety tires I had on "The Beast" ('06 Pilot) I stopped at a local Goodyear on the way home (5 miles from dealership I purchased him from) and had them add the full Road Hazard Lifetime Warranty to the tires. This saved me a bunch since every 6k they inspect, rebalance, and rotate the tires free of charge, and every 18k they do a 4 wheel alignment at no charge. They tires did wear out at 30k (yes, they have a 60k treadlife) so the warranty covered them and knocked a good bit off the Wrangler Silent Armor tires I replace them with. I now have just shy of 55k miles on the Silent Armors and they have a treadlife of 50k. I probably have about another 12k of life left in them.

    So yes, if you get a Pilot with Goodyears brand new, stop at real Goodyear Service Center (multi tire place like NTB) and add the warranty. It will only cost you $12-$15 per tire, but well worth it.

    Plus wouldn't you rather have a service dept who specializes in tires do all your tire work instead of a car dealer service who sees so many different things. And know, this will not void your vehicle warranty either.

    Odie
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    edited April 2012
    Odie,

    You had a good - and unusual - experience. I will state it again - and you can verify this by looking in the glovebox for the tire warranty that came with your new car - OE tires do not carry a mileage warranty. People sometimes get consideration on their OE tires, but many times they don't.

    What probably prompted the store to give you consideration was your loyalty. You PURCHASED their warranty and went there regularly. If I was the stiore manager, I would try to keep you as a customer, too.
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