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Being a cheap skate I am buying them from tirerack-they have a button on this page and having them shipped to my house-then having the chain tire store mount and balance them for $52 for all 4 tires. Got quotes up to $80 from the small local guys. Also be very careful about who you have balance your tires-some people do miserable jobs - watched a guy barely let the tire spin before hitting the stop button-he had a pile of tires to do and did not care one whit about the results-had to have mine rebalanced.
But what you have identified so far sounds like you want better road stability (tracking) and rain performance. The 'skinny' descriptor - can we assume you want more outright all around road grip? We will have to assume because it is a 2003 that the OEM tires have very little mileage on them.
other info that would help -
a) what about snow, what region of the country are we talking about?
b) do you have a price cap or target?
c) what is your driving style?
d) how does tread wear fit in the mix?
Good news: there are plenty of tires that will be better than GY integrity's. But give us more info on your expectations from a replacement tire.
You post #1820 from Sept 18? The responses afterwards?
Has something changed we don't know about?
Tirerack and 1010tire say that Aquatred IIIs are good all seasaons tires that perform well in the snow. Can anyone shed more light on this? I live in Toronto, so my driving conditions really aren't severe enough to require snow tires.
Are Aquatred IIIs a good way to go?
I didn't realize these tires were so new. The reviews certainly sound promising. I guess the one piece of information that seems lacking is how they will perform and how noisy they will be after 20K miles. I'm tempted to find out.
I've narrowed it down to 3 choices.
Michelin Cross Terrains
Michelin LTX MS
Toyo Open Country A/T
Comments on these two brands would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Also, do I have to replace the Integrity spare or can it still be used in an emergency even though it would have a different tread pattern?
They are a lot cheaper than X-One's. Also the MXV4+ are supposedly better than the MXV4 but do not compare to either the X-One or Turanza.
http://www.unimogcanada.com/XL_tire.GIF
and
http://www.unimogcanada.com/XML_tire.gif
I wish they were available in 15" sizes (31,32,33). Anyone know if they will be in the future? Bretfraz?
Have you contacted Michelin NA and asked them?
http://community.webshots.com/user/armybuck041
http://www.michelin.com/corporate/en/infos/contact.jsp
Anyone else try Aquatred IIIs in the snow?
need some advice on replacement tires(205/60-15) for my Y2K Audi A4 1.8 Turbo Quattro. I did not like the Goodyear Eagles that came with it at all and leaning towards Michelin at this point. I was thinking about Michelin X one but the salesguy says since they are not H rated, I would lose a lot in handling, braking etc. and my only choice in Michelin is MXV4. Any suggestions?
You might want to do some research at Tire Rack or 1010tires.com to see what other A4 owners like and don't like. Also, what do they suggest over at A4world.com?
There are likely several excellent Michelins for your car. We need to know more details about your preferences and driving habits & conditions before anyone can make a recommendation.
The MXV4 is a grand touring tire. It's emphasis is a smooth ride balanced with performance.
Ken
I have a 2001 Forester S and I live in Toronto, ON, Canada.
Over the past few years, snow fall has been less than moderate.
Regardless, the city is pretty good at clearing the roads.
I should also mention that my driving style could be classified as
between average and aggressive (using classifications from
tirerack.com).
Considering the above, could you please make a reccomendation
between Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical and Dunlop SP Sport A2.
For some reason, the Sport A2's have better numerical ratings on
almost all characterisitcs (dry/wet/snow traction, steering response,
ride comfort, etc.). However, there are alot of complaints in the
written reviews (noise, lousy tread life, handling problems, etc.)
Or is there another tire I should be looking at?
Thanks for your help!
I am familiar with the Tirerack's review comments on the A2s. The 'handling problems' you refer to, I believe are not problems per se but un-met expectations. The A2s are categorized as a performance tire but I found their handling to be only marginally better than a top of the line all season tire (Michelin X-One). And you will only notice the difference in back to back drives while pushing the car's handling near the limit.
Therein, I believe, is the source of the poor handling comments in Tirerack's database. These drivers were expecting much sharper steering and lateral grip (as-in max and ultra performance tires) and the A2s don't cut it in that arena.
I have just ordered a 2003 Subaru Impreza TS , which comes 195/60-15 Bridgestone Potenza Re92's.
I am probably going to change UP to a 16" wheel.
I am confused about what the minimum offset i need to keep...and how i can tell what the offset is when i look at wheels at say tirerack or discounttires or sears.
can anyone help me ?
i know i probably want a 205/55-16 tire...but the wheels confuze me!
thanks in advance,
lonewulf70
Ken
As I've said before I think those surveys should be taken with a grain of salt. They're helpful only in the most basic sense.
Consumer Reports this month (November) rates winter tires: Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip and Dunlop SP Winter Sport M2 are their top H-rated tires and Michelin Arctic Alpin and Dunlop Graspic DS-1 are their top non-studded Q-rated.
They also rate Touring-Performance tires rating Dunlop SP Sport A2 and Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus as their top picks. (they say MXV4s are "average" on snow, but I have them and they are ghastly on snow)
Thanks.
I like to use 3 to 5 psi above the placard. I get better fuel economy, better tire wear, better wet traction, better snow traction, better steering response, better tire durability, and only give up a bit of ride harshness.
"They" say you should check your tire pressures once a month. (In case you didn't know, tires leak very slowly.) Don't trust the guys at the shop to check your inflation. These guys are paid by the hour and this is one of the easiest things to shortcut. Besides, there are a lot of mechanics you don't know where to look for the proper inflation. No, it is not on the sidewall.
Buy yourself a tire gauge - a $5.00 pencil gauge works just fine, but I prefer the pistol grip digitals because they are remarkably accurate. The check takes all of 5 minutes and it is the cheapest safety check you can make.
So why the 2 different inflation pressures on the sidewalls? What is supposed to be on the sidewall is the MAXIMUM load and inflation pressure as required by government regulations. The tire standardizing body in the US, The Tire and Rim Association (TRA), recently changed the maximum pressure limits for P metric tires from 35 to 44. They did not change the load tables, which still end at 35. This increase is to bring the US in line with the rest of the world, which allowed up to 44 psi for special operating conditions. So Kumho, being South Korean, was using one set of standards, and BFG, being US based, was using another. And some years from now, all the tires molds will have been brought up to date and they will all say the same thing - 44 psi.
Hope this helps.
After looking around, the Costco folks seem to have a reasonable price which is not so far away from the internet prices but without the delivery hassle. The question is, what is the experience with the quality of Costco mounting and balancing work? My local Costco is a new shop with Coats 1050 balancers and mounting equipment. I have heard some people in the 300M forum swear by shops using the Hunter GSP 9700 balancer equipment, but of course that level of machinery is not available at a Costco.
Will a Coats 1050 used at Costco do a good balancing job, or is it worth the expense/effort to just buy the tires at Costco and have them mounted and balanced by a Hunter shop? (Or would that just be overkill?)
Would appreciate any feedback.
They made up for it by not charging for the balancing and mounting of all four tires which resulted in them giving me a Costco card worth $60 plus coupons for a free pizza and soda. All in all not a bad deal if you ask me considering I have no vibrations now and lifetime free tire repair and rotation.
I have gone to tire dealers who have the Hunter balancer when I had problems with vibrations. Eventually it turned out to be an over sensitive rack and pinion which was replaced under warranty. If I were you, I would pursue the Costco route and if you have vibration problems, allow them at least one more chance before seeking a Hunter dealer. As the saying goes, the balancer is only as good as the person using it.
That's just one tire, and an old one at that, but it made the point that the weakest part might not be where you think it is.
vanphan:
Call BFG and ask them the question. If they claim 44 (as capriracer suggests) as max pressure ask for it in writing.
Krzys
I think that the machine is a good news/ bad news generator. The good news is that it can precisely locate a tire on a rim such that it will be in the best roundness and balance position possible. This insures that there will be NO vibration in the steering wheel whatsoever.
The bad news is that it can make measurements that are so precise, you don't need to go that far for the average car and average driving condition. But since you've taken that route, you can get a feeling that a tire isn't "good", based on these extreme measurments, yet it will work on your car just fine.
Years ago, I balanced many a tire with only a "bubble balancer", and had no performance problems at all. I'm sure that this Hunter machine would probably have "rejected" most of them, yet they still worked well. See where I'm going with this??
Thanks again!
I want to put them on my Infiniti G35 Sedan.
I have had alot of conversations with many tire dealers and this seems to be the best solution
size 215 x 60 x 16 replacing all season tires
215 x 55 x 17. Will also need to get steel wheels.
Tire guy is reccomending Nissan Wheels. They state that after market wheels may not be a proper fit.
Would appreciate comments from those of you in the know. Thanks
The 44 psi on P metric radials is for some special conditions and these are very rare. I have only seen 2 such instances - one was on a Jeep and I believe this was to improve a handling situation - can't remember the other.
I am sure if you call BFG, they will say that what is printed on the sidewall is the maximum. But the folks you will be asking won't be the technical folks who are up to date with Tire and Rim's latest permutations. Thinking about it, I'll bet that 75% of the technical folks in the company I work for don't know that either.
In response to vanphan: BFG does not need to strengthen the tire to accommodate the increase in inflation pressure, because it really isn't an increase at all, just an acknowledgement of some special conditions.
In response to krzyss - I am not sure what you are trying to say, but if you are asking if the 35 psi on the sidewall is a recommendation by the tire manufacturer, then the answer is no, it is not a recommendation. It is a government requirement to label the tire with the maximum load (If you look carefully, it actually says "maximum".)
Hope this helps.
1. Is there such a thing as shelf life for a new tire, meaning how many years can it sit after a tire is manufactured before deemed unuseable?
2. What if the tire is stored outdoors, exposed to heat and cold (Northeast area) as it waits to be sold? Or if it is waterlogged (flooding) for a week or two?
Myself I would think tires would have some sort of "expiration" date given the rubber compound should dry and stiffen up with time. And outdoor exposure would quicken this process. Could be one reason for tire sales(?).
As previously stated, not all cars need this. Bubble and regular spin balancers have served fine for decades. But some cars are more sensitive than others, and the newer low-profile, high-perf tires seem more difficult to balance.
A regular spin balancer will perfectly balance a square-shaped tire, yet the tire won't ride very smoothly.
Several times over the years I had vibration problems a spin balancer wouldn't fix, and the tech would shrug and say "must be your brake rotors, drive shaft, etc." In many of those cases it was probably excessive radial force variation (RFV) caused by an out-of-round tire or uneven rubber compound stiffness. Only the Hunter GSP9700 can find these.
It tells you if the problem is radial or lateral runout in the wheel or tire, how much radial force variation before and after balancing, and exactly how to mount the tire for least vibration. It even will evaluate groups of four wheels and tires, and tell you how to cross-match the tire/wheel combinations giving lowest vibration.
You can find a shop having this machine, plus technical info, at www.gsp9700.com.
I saw this machine on PBS Motorweek (Pat Goss's segment) and it has solved several vibration problems nobody else could fix.
-- Joe
One thing to consider, however, is the cost of having your tires balanced on this machine. Most shops charge a flat fee for a mount and balance. If, however, you want to go with the complete mix and match of wheels and tires that this machine is capable of doing, it can get expensive.
The local shop I dealt with is "flat fee", but if the Hunter's internal computer says that tire #1 would be best suited to wheel #3, and tire #3 should go to wheel #2, etc, you then go on the "hourly rate", until the job is complete. At that point, the cost can jump significantly.
As I said before, I was very satisfied with the outcome of the mount and balance I had done, but it wasn't cheap, as some "mixing and matching" was necessary.
1. Is there such a thing as shelf life for a new tire:
Yes. There can be a problem with the Antioxidant (AO) system if the tire is allowed to sit for a long period of time, especially if exposed to those conditions which enhance oxidation - sunlight, high temperatures, sources of ozone, etc.
2. What if the tire is stored outdoors, exposed to heat and cold (Northeast area) as it waits to be sold? Or if it is waterlogged (flooding) for a week or two?
Heat is a problem, sunlight is a problem, cold is not, water is not. (except for the mud)
3) ... tires would have some sort of "expiration" date given the rubber compound should dry and stiffen up with time.
The situation has so many variables it is almost impossible to pick a reasonable time frame. But the good news is this is rarely a real problem.
4) Could be one reason for tire sales(?).
Yes, plus the stagnant inventory tieing up valuable space and capital.
Hope this helps.
This machine is great for trying to sort the wheat from the chaff and for match mounting for force variation. It does however have some major drawbacks:
The road is a flat surface and the machine uses a wheel. This tends to amplify localized disturbances and minimize more spreadout disturbances. This has been partially addressed by the 9712, which uses a larger diameter load wheel.
I don't think I have seen anyone use this machine correctly when measuring wheels. Lots of folks use the flanges. Steel wheels give really bogus readings in this area. Alloy wheels are better, but still suspect.
The machines don't correlate among themselves nor with master uniformity machines. So you can't take a reading on one machine and duplicate it on another. This makes setting "limits" a pretty bogus activity.
As I recall someone was saying the GSP9700 can measure all sources of tire and wheel vibration. Well, for a start, it is a low speed machine and there are some changes when you switch to higher speeds (say 50 mph). Or how about tangential forces?
Great machine, but don't oversell it!!
Hope this helps.
In this Hunter white paper they tested five GSP9700s against several Akron Standard tire uniformity machines. The correlation graphs show it was pretty good.
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/technical/4869T.pdf
Thanks for the tips about the machine not being perfect, and the GSP9712.
Despite not being perfect, the GSP9700/12 seems to be the best widely available balancing machine, and will find vibration problems other machines simply cannot. My own limited experience, plus other friends who have used it corroborates this. We had vibration problems various shops couldn't fix, then went to shops with a GSP9700. Every time it either fixed the problem or pin-pointed the cause.
I don't like vibrations, and over the years it has been incredibly frustrating to encounter allegedly non-fixable problems. This machine has changed everything for me, so that's why I tell people about it.
-- Joe