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Comments
The covers came with squares of double-sided foam tape that are suposed to secure them to the wheel without having to rely on the lug nuts. I didn't feel like using the tape in case I decide to take the covers off or if I have a problem with them. Sometimes pulling double-sided tape off a painted surface can be near impossible. Hopefully they will be OK the way I have them installed now. Time will tell.
alignment is perfect. struts although very very old look fine. front end linkages are fine. puzzled what is causing this strange wear pattern.
wal-mart technician identified it when i went there for the usual rotate-balance job.
any ideas?
My experience says that the published alignment tolerances are too wide. Not the target value, but the allowable deviation from that value. I think it ought to be half of what is published.
Put another way, the alignment should be within the inner half of the spec.
You should be aware that even vehicles that do not have a pull can be out of alignment. There are settings where one out of spec condition is offset by another out of spec condition – typically camber vs toe.
Also, many alignment techs think that if the factory did not make provisions to make adjustments for the alignment, then they can’t make an adjustment and will declare the vehicle “OK”. This is totally wrong.
ALL alignment settings are adjustable, but it may require an eccentric bolt, some shims, or slotting a hole. A GOOD alignment tech will know what to do and the vehicle should leave a shop with ALL the alignment settings close to the nominal.
In your case, the "misalignment" is probably in the rear, and may have been aggravated by insufficient rotation. "They" say you should rotate every 5K to 8K miles.
When the tires were rotated, they probably had that wear pattern, and now are on the front. So look to the rear for the "misalignment" and consider how long the tires were there.
But, to have 57K on the original michelins and still liking them is mind-blowing ot me. I bought a used '08 with 25K and couldn't wait to get those harsh-riding, noise-making tires off my car.
I put a set of Continental DWS and love the difference. It's amazing how most Azera owners hated the michelins and a few love them. Maybe it's QC at michelin, I dunno.
You may not have much luck finding these in the stock size. I found just one dealer who happened to have 4 in stock when I bought mine, all other dealers had them on backorder.
I went to Conti's website and they don't even show the stock size for the Azera listed. Perhaps you can visit their webiste and contact them regarding these tires in the stock size.
Wish I could be more helpful.
After reading here and other tire reviews at other sites, I decided to try the Altimax HPs as replacements. I ordered from Treadepot.com and had shipped to a local shop for mounting and balancing with total for all at about $550. In remembering back to when I bought the car with decent tread left, what a difference these tires make. Quieter. Better handling in dry and wet. I really have to try to get the front tires to break loose in any situation.
I only have a couple of hundred miles on new tires, and though still not a great handling car, I am much more confident with these tires than OEMs. We'll see how they do with some snow next winter. Thanks for all the advise on replacement tires and other subjects.
Tell me more about the TSB and when it came out.
Thanks!
I have never seen a tire wear out so fast. maybe I can get 25k out of these if I am lucky.Do you think it is the car?
I had Goodyear Assurance TripleTred tires on a 2002 Mercury Marquis and they went 70,000 miles before I had to replace them due to wear. I traded this car in on a new 2007 Hyundai Azera.
At 28,000 miles on the Azera, my wife picked up a nail and ran on the tire after it went flat long enough to break down the sidewall. I was going to have to buy a new tire, so used this as an excuse to go ahead and buy a set of Goodyear Assurance TripleTreds. As of today, I have 12,500 miles on the Goodyears, and can discern no noticeable tread wear.
Thanks
I used the Extreme in the past..it's a good "showroom" product, but after a dirve of 5 miles down the road, it no longer has the deep black color and gloss....the best I've found is Wet Jet...an aerosal silicone spray...it's expensive though,about $6 for a can.....I guess the high gloss products have a lot of glycerine and the longer lasting products have a higher concentration of silicone......justlike a lot of things today...they only last as long as the 1st good rain....
No tire product will look as good 5 miles down the road as it did when you applied it in the driveway, nature, gravity and physics see to that every single time. One thing that I've learned about dressing tires...it's always best to start with a tire that's as clean as possible, so make sure you scrub the tires really good.
thanks
If you are using the size listed on the placard, then that is the pressure you should use.
According to Tire Guides - a booklet that summarizes vehicle tire placards, the placard ought to say 30 psi.
If any of you have downgraded to H rated in other tires, please respond, too.
Thanks for any help.
I have made the switch and I know of one other person who has switched to the Altimax. There are a couple of folks that have switched to the Goodyear Assurance and even a couple that have gone with Kuhmo tires...all have reported better performance vs. OEM Michelins.
Good luck!
Now that I have the new tires, I can actually hear myself think when I drive. Handling and braking seem at least as good as before, and the ride is confortable. Got the tires from DiscountTiresDirect.com for $480 drop shipped to the garage. Treadepot.com was about $490, and TireRack.com was around $520.
We just had a snow storm in Kansas, only about 6", but lots of wind and drifting. Azera did great and never felt in danger of getting stuck, although many others were not as lucky. Would recommend these to anyone looking for good tires at reasonable price.
I've had to purchase 2 new tires in the last 6-8 months because of running over screws and apparent cupping that put damage near my side wall. I never really trust the tire stores when they say the tire is shot and needs replaced, but tend to play it safe and get a new tire.
It looks like I'll need to replace the original 2 HP tires in a year or so, which would put the tire life at about 45,000 - 50,000 for me. I drive a mix of highway/city that is probably 70% highway and 30% city.
Overall, I am happy with the purchase, but I still feel like there has to be better out there as far as road noise and durability. I'll probably have to spend a little more money to get it though.
I was considering the Kumhos but all I have read says they are made out of very soft rubber and don't wear well.
I was told there are other tires that may wear longer than the Altimax but may not perform as well in the snow. Occasionally I ski at Tahoe. I just bought a season pass and may be retiring soon so I may go there more than normal. Maybe the Altimax is the best solution for a quiet ride, traction and maybe 40k wear? anyone driven more than 30k on these?
Altimax HP's @ Treadepot.com
I had just over 35k on mine before I had to change them due to bad alignment, inside edges were wearing badly, but from the middle to the outer edge...still good tread left. I can tell you this, that last big snow storm that caught DC by surprise...I was able to navigate 6-8" of snow with no problems. Didn't get stuck once, slip or slide anywhere in trying to get home that night. I will DEFINITELY get another set of the Altimax HP's. :shades:
California so noisy bad roads are the norm, and I have become more tolerant of a noisy ride so I am just going to keep the cupped tire a little longer to save money. Uneven wear in the front has never been an issue.
each. They are much better than the OEM Michelins.