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Subaru Legacy/Outback Tire Issues
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Comments
That's what I did with my Forester - went from 215/60R16 to 225/60R16.
-juice
-juice
Can you state what were real world differences in mpg, handle and power with the Forester?
Concerning fitting 235s on the stock wheels, according to Discount Tire Direct, the stock wheels can only accomodate 225 as its widest, so unless a purchase of new rims is in order, my original advice of going to 235 is not feasible.
Too bad, cause I was headed that way as well.
I would suggest that you visit your local tire stores with a flexible tape measure in hand. Look for an open tread design with lots of bars across the tread rather than the more typical bands. Also check the circumference. Tire sizing is somewhat variable. Winter and Off-Road tires typically have 10-12 / 32 tread depth rather than Summer and All-Seasons, with 8/32 or so and thus stand taller.
Shoulder broadness also impacts actual tread width on the road. 235mm is the section width measured at the widest part, the tire body center. Actual "tread width" can vary all over the place - maybe up to an inch depending on the tire model.
Steve
But when those tires were worn, I went from 225/60R16 to 215/60R16, which is the stock size. I downsized because I no longer drive on the beach. We stopped going to the Outer Banks and I own a place in Ocean City within walking distance to the ocean, so I no longer needed the wider tires.
To be honest, the differences were small. The new tires are Falkens and I like them better, but I attribute that to the tires themselves being better than the Nitto NT460s I had on there before.
-juice
What is your goal of changing to a smaller diameter tire? All that would do is increase the sidewall height which will decrease the handling on road and make it harder for the tire to support weight.
A reduced rim size, while keeping stock diameter or increasing diameter will give you more sidewall, better off-road ability due to the give in the sidewall, and a better overall ride due to a softer area.
-Mike
I didn't realize you were going to change the tire's external diameter. That will effectively change your final drive ratio, making the car "geared lower" which will adversely affect the speedometer reading and fuel economy.
It will have very little affect on handling except for possible reduction in unsprung weight from getting lighter tires and wheels. If one is looking for handling, it would've been better to select the Legacy wagon vs the Outback to being with, but a +0 or +1 tire fitment would have a better effect on handling, while keeping other drive characteristics (gearing, speedometer) the same.
A reduced rim size, while keeping stock diameter or increasing diameter will give you more sidewall, better off-road ability due to the give in the sidewall, and a better overall ride due to a softer area.
I concur, but this will come at the expense of on-road handling and possibly load carrying capacity (it is easier to make a lower-profile tire stiffer to support weight in a passenger car tire).
-mike
Thanks
Nigel
I had Assurance TripleTred on my '96 Outback as year-rounds. I put about 25,000 miles on them before the car's demise. Great tires for ice, as far as all-seasons go. Not even comparable to the OEM Bridgestone RE92's. Wear was at 9/32's at the end - ironically I had the car at a shop only a week before its death, to get a leak (puncture) fixed. It did seem that they dropped my mileage considerably. Maybe as much as 10%. On summer trips the year prior, I would get 26 mpg on the all-highway stretch between Fairbanks and Anchorage. Last summer I topped out at 24.5 mpg, all other things being equal.
So far, for my '07 Outback, I am leaning toward the ComfortTred for "summer" months (probably April through Sept/Oct, depending on when the snow flies) and the Eagle Ultra Grip Ice for winter. If I go that route, it will be my first set of winter tires... ever. I almost look forward to it, but still have not fully convinced myself it is "necessary" to the point of actually spending the money on it. :sick:
I'm hoping the Assurance Treds will be all-season for us on the Outback for a couple years, at least.
-mike
Bob
-mike
Bob
And no offense to the original poster but it's rare to find ANY car that doesn't come with a donut tire, I think VW is the only one with a full size spare std across the board.
-mike
That excuse won't work for the Legacy, Impreza or Forester. In fact. up until a year or so ago, all our Foresters had full-size spares. We have one in our '01 Forester, but the new ones don't.
Bob
However the cost factor should be enough of an excuse, no? Same reason why I don't mind RE92s instead of expensive "performance" tires that I don't want anyway.
-mike
Bob
I'll be putting a full-size spare in my car when I get it, probably a 205 or 215, even though I'll run 225 or 235 widths.
-mike
I drove the car and it seems fine. No funny noises. Xwesx- your suggestion about changing the diff oil is one I had thought of. I don't know much about the viscous coupling unit on the trans though. Is it a separate unit or does it share the same oil as the tranny? I may call the dealer on that one. The service guy seemed sympathetic to my situation, and suggested I write a letter to Subaru about the spare tire thing for all the good that will do me. I guess at least it would serve to document the incident in case something in the drivetrain lets go in the next 10,000 miles or so.
Hell I even bout an expensive Gold Plus warranty when I bought the car. This is my first new car. And I still drive my '87 GL Wagon with 318,000 miles on it with the twin stick tranny that is way more capable off road than the Outback will ever be.
-mike
The rear differential is likely the one that would have taken the brunt of the load since one tire on the rear was off-sized. The rear differential takes about a quart of oil; the front/center differential's gear oil is shared with the MT (3.7 quarts) and separate from the AT. If you have two differently sized tires on one end, the center differential is the one that will be taking up the slack. At least, that is my understanding of it.
I don't abuse my cars, but like you, I use them for the intended purpose. The Outback is perfectly fine for most off highway situations like in Death Valley or Saline Valley where high clearance 4X4 is required. You have to know the limits though. We had been in the boonies for 3 days and came out on the Saline Valley Road which for the last few miles consists of old potholed asphalt. That's what did the tire in- bad asphalt and too much speed. I knew better too!
I pushed a fully loaded Chevy 3/4 ton out of the sand in Baja one time with the '87. Just kept ramming until he was out. No harm done to the car. I'd hate to see what the fancy bumper on the Outback would look like after the same treatment.
$70 well spent if you ask me.
I had to ride home from the beach on a spare, about 120 miles. Luckily my Forester has a full-size spare, something they dropped for MY06.
Tribeca comes with a donut so I'll be trying to figure out a way to swap that out, too.
I guess you limit the speeds to 50-55 so it doesn't put the same stress on the drivetrain that it would at 75mph. Still, I'd much rather have a real tire on there.
In fact, with a donut, I'd stop and try to plug the flat if possible. :sick:
Had to replace those, too. At least it happened when it was parked at home, and I have 2 cars.
Probably a chipmunk. Its relatives visited justice upon you, my friend. :P
-mike
The Subaru dealership measured from top wheel arch to center cap and noted there was a difference of 1/4 inch. The dealership and SOA Field Representative said that nothing could be done about it because the measurement falls within the acceptable tolerance specifications for this model.
From my point of view, that small difference equates to a difference of one inch between the lower body panel and ground. By the naked eye, it's easy to see that the vehicle has a slight list on the left side.
I plan to go to a spring shop to review the situation with them and ask for alternatives like adding a shim.
Looking for some advice. Thanks.
Do you get a different amount of travel and rebound from one side to the other?
-mike
There is no amount of travel/rebound that I can feel. I'm just having a great time driving the car. And that's the whole point. I love the look and performance of this car and feel that it deserves to sit tall and proud.
I'll keep you posted and thanks for your time ateixeira.
I received an email from the SOA and it stated in essence, that they are washing their hands of this issue. So long as my vehicle shows that it's within Subaru specifications, there will be no further action taken. Funny thing, they never addressed perches, struts and strut tops. You had to really be there to see what I was up against.