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Tires, tires, tires

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Comments

  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    OK, so that means you have the Bridgstone Potenza RE92 in 225/50-17. Not too many tires in that size and none are inexpensive.

    Going 235/45-17 makes the most sense as you've mentioned. You didn't say where you lived or what kind of performance you want or need so it's hard to comment.

    That Kumho is a max performance summer tire and is plenty cheap if that's what you want. Compare to Sumitomo, Falken, Nitto, etc. If you're looking for an inexpensive tire those are your brands.

    If you need a little all season ability look at Dunlop SP Sport 5000, Pirelli P7000 Supersport, or BFG g-Force T/A KDWS. Yokohama AVS dB will give you excellent performance and a quieter ride. Finally, if cost is not a big issue I've heard from folks that the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S is fantastic, wet or dry.

    Hope this helps.
  • sddlwsddlw Member Posts: 361
    You're right on. I meant to say I had the car in the shop already and the boys look at the car and advise me as to tires. I agree, it's usually a good idea to head the expert's advice.

    Just as an aside, the Tire Rack web page is a great place to get information. They offer, as replacement wheels for this car, 16-18" wheels, in 6-8" widths, with up to 225mm wide tires as stock replacements.
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
    I've had cheap tires--from General, Firestone and Goodyear--but I would buy another Kumho in a minute. They have their quality act together and prices are lower due to lower costs and the fact that most consumers probably never heard of them. Between the Firestone and the Kumho winter tire, I have more confidence in Kumho's quality and the Kumho tire performs great in snow and wet weather--it was top rated by CR. On dry pavement there is no discernable difference between their winter tire and an all-season tire.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    is a Korean tire manufacturing company.
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
  • fleetwoodsimcafleetwoodsimca Member Posts: 1,518
    Is Arnold Palmer right? Has any reader had recent experience with Cooper tires? I am interested in comments on the Adventurer series for SUVs-- especially in comparisons to competing choices.
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    endorses Pennzoil, got into a liitle hassle with Callaway, and did well with Rolex.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    ...if the Kumho's are cheaper because there are no pollution controls on their factories.

    It sure is cheaper for companies to set up operations in third world countries without any labor or environmental controls to hurt their profits.

    Just a thought.
  • wishnhigh1wishnhigh1 Member Posts: 363
    Korea is not third world.
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    is an original Korean company. We're not dealing with a situation where a US company hires 8 year olds to slave away in an inferior, unsafe environment.

    Kumho is a company that doesn't have a HUGE advertising budget like BFG, Goodyear or Firestone, or even Hoosier - its a good tire, built without a bunch of overhead, red tape and advertising hype, so it's cheaper.
  • alfoxalfox Member Posts: 708
    that the B.F.Goodrich company doesn't build tires any more?
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
  • alfoxalfox Member Posts: 708
    builds BF Goodrich tires. The BF Goodrich company makes aircraft brakes, aerospace parts, etc. They invented things like the magnetic seal strip on refrigerators, and made more money on that stuff than on tires for many years. Finally they sold rights to the tires to Michelin.
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    we only sold BFG and Michelin - must have been a sign of things to come.
  • alfoxalfox Member Posts: 708
    long before that. When I worked for BFG in the 70's we considered Michelin as our best competition in terms of quality, even though Goodyear sold 4 times as many tires. I think they sold out in the late 80's - maybe Bret knows for sure.

    There is an old expression in the tire business: Goodrich invents it, Firestone takes credit for it and Goodyear sells it. Not too far from the truth!
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    In 1988.
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    Have a look at this website:

    http://www.t3tires.com/index.html

    In essence T3 is a marketing program designed for independent tire dealers to help them compete with the large national chains. It provides everything from marketing & advertising support to equipment purchasing and employee mgmt.

    Other similar operations are:
    http://www.accconline.com/
    http://www.tirestarz.com/
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
    Kumho also makes racing tires including Formula 3.
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    in autocross - I love it, as do many other folks.
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    ... and those others of you looking for an All Season tire at a good price, good warranty (30K) and excelelnt performance, also consider the Falken ZIEX ZE512

    I just completed 4K miles on them, have driven them in dry, wet, very wet, snow, ice and have to say I'm VERY impressed. No noticeable treadwear yet, they're quiet and comfortobale and grip really well on those tight corners and quick lane changes.

    FYI I have 195/50-15 tires, if you go with 55 or higher profiles, the warranty is upped to 50 or 60K! And these are a world apart in performance from my 70K warrantied Michelin MX-H4 which apparently sacrificed their soul (all handling abilities and comfort) for that super long tread wear! And they'd begun to hydroplane with only 25K or so miles on them, when I finally replaced them out of sheer frustration (dissatisfaction-induced, although they'd probably last a while longer and not wear out!)
  • bretfrazbretfraz Member Posts: 2,021
    There is a great article about tire wear in this issue. It discusses the performance degradation when a tire is worn approx 50%. They conducted several tests on some of their top rated tires and noticed some major traction losses especially in the wet and snow.

    Anyone thinking about tires should read this article. Even those who think their tires are fine should read it and take it to heart.

    I highly recommend a tire tread gauge and a digital pressure gauge to anyone with a car. Tread gauges are about $5 at a parts store and a good digital gauge is $15 or so. Inspecting your tires closely with these tools can help you greatly in determining if your tires are really up to the task of winter driving.

    Be safe out there.

    Your friendly tire nut,

    - - Bretfraz - -
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    ...but my tire gauge cost $0.01.

    To be more specific, it IS a penny!

    ;-)
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    Is a penny and I need some tires on the wife's Altima soon. Bret, can i switch from 205/60/15's to 205/65/15's with no problem? Please advise me on this issue or please e-mail me back at Jgrossman@msn.com.
    Thanks and Happy Holidays to all.

    The Sandman :-)
  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    Just whip by one of the bazillion franchise tire stores and a dude will be happy to come out and stick his digital gague in the tread. Now when should you replace-at 4 or 6/32. Thanks for the note on the CR article-will read.
  • sensei1sensei1 Member Posts: 196
    Been considering RE730's for my WRX. I've seen a lot of comments about the popular ones. Any comments or experiences with this one? Thanks....
  • jc86jc86 Member Posts: 18
    I have a 03 Maxima with 225/50VR17 OEM tires. In southern New England, we don't get lots of snow as whatever falls gets plowed fairly quickly, but we do get lots of potholes in the late winter to early spring.

    I'm looking at the winter tire/wheel package at tirerack.com, using the 215/55HR16's for the main reason of saving the eom alloy wheels from the potholes as well as to get better traction in the snow.

    My question is, should I be considering a more winter friendly all-season tire instead of winter tire because I just don't need to drive in the snow that often?
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    winter specialty tires like the Blizzak and Aspin have much lower treadwear ratings and if they aren't driven exclusively in snow and ice, they wear out rather quickly.

    If you're not in snow much, a really good all-season radial with high marks in rain traction could work well for you.
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
    I went with the Kumho winter tire which is not expensive and has great handling and traction wet, dry and moderate snow. I don't think much of the wheel packages, though, since those tires are heavy and I don't have a handy place to store them, and the potholes often continue into spring after I want the winter tires off.
  • cusafrcusafr Member Posts: 184
    Does anyone know how to determine correct tire pressure when you do a plus size. I am going from a 215/55-16, to a 235/45-17. I know the tire pressure is on the door post for the original size, but how do you know what the pressure should be for the plus size?

    Thanks,

    CUSAFR
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    and shouldn't be changed much on such a small tire size change. If anything, drop 1-2 psi, but I would stay the same.
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    Pressure is relative but there are some pitfalls.

    A P215/55R16 has a load index of 91.

    A P235/45R17 MIGHT have a load index of 93, but it could also have a load index of 87 (which would require more inflation to carrying the same load.

    So Cusafr, what does your 235/45R17 say on the sidewall. BTW, the load index is also accompanied by a speed rating, so it will look like this --> 87H
  • cusafrcusafr Member Posts: 184
    I did do research before I bought, so hopfully all is well. I bought the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires in 234/45-17. They have the same load index as the 16" (1433) and a speed rating of 93Y, which is greater than the 16". The wheels I bought have a 7.5 width, which according to tire rack will handle this tire. I just could not find anything that states how to determine the proper pressure when you plus size. Also, these are not on the car yet. The tires are in and two wheels have arrived. The other two are due tomorrow, so will be installed tomorrow or friday.

    So, once again, anyone know the answer? How does anyone determine the proper tire pressure for their new tires when they do a plus size? This is done all the time, so I thought there would be a quick, logical answer.

    CUSAFR
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    is that the max tire pressure settings are for MAX load - are you really going to run 1,600 lbs at each corner in a 3,500 lb car??

    I spent several years in the tire business, so I'm not just shooting in the dark here - you guys are putting WAY too much thought into this.
  • cusafrcusafr Member Posts: 184
    I think your first answer about the same pressure may be correct. However, I just thought a simple table or something would confirm and answer all questions. I hate to make simple things difficult, but I spent a lot of money for these tires and want them to last a long time, not to mention all the other reasons one constantly hears about proper tire pressure. So, if there is no simple table or anything, when I have the tires mounted this week, I will ask discount tire what they suggest and why.

    CUSAFR
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    because you MAY get a realistic answer.

    Your best bet is to contact Discount Tire and ask one of the consultants. They are much like the Tire rack and have a lot of experience.

    I don't know what kind of car you're mounting these on, and that matters. I don't know what size wheels you have, how you load your car, what kind of driving you do. You've asked a very broad question and you want a specific answer - it doesn't fit.
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    OK, here's the answer!

    First look at the placard on your vehicle. You need 2 bits of information: The tire size and the inflation pressure. It is important at this point to note whether it is a P metric (US standard) and a "hard" metric (No P - European standard).

    Then find a load table for that size and look up the carrying capacity for the placard inflation.

    Then find a load table for your new size (Remember the P vs no P situation) and work backwards, always rounding so that the load carrying capacity gets greater.

    Assuming you have all P metric tires - you could drop about 3 psi from the placard. But personally I wouldn't.

    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.

    Hope this helps.
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    and even more consumers who don't know how to check a tire when it's hot - if you drive into Jiffy Lube for a 10 minute oil change and they "adjust" your tire pressures, I guarantee you're now at the wrong pressure.

    Small tires (175/70-13) gain 3-4 lbs when hot, larger tires (15-17" performance tires) gain 5-7 lbs and truck tires, like the 265/70-17s on your Expedition gain up to 10-12 lbs when hot. Tires should be checked cold, like before you head out somewhere, and adjusted at home. I always tell the Jiffy Lube guys not to check my tires.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    I live in Central Mass, and run fulltime snow tires on my wife's car. I typically put them on around Thanksgiving, and remove around end of April.

    This usually gets through the worst of the pothole season also.

    I think we have Dunlop Gripzak or Graspic or something like that on there now. If I were to buy now, I'd get the Green Diamonds, which grip better than Blizzaks, and last longer as well, as well as being much cheaper.
  • malachy72malachy72 Member Posts: 325
    but I had trouble with previous posts. Opinions on Kumho? Good Value or not?
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
    I am very pleased with Kumho winter tire, see posts on winter tires. Unfortunately, Tire Rack raised prices substantially on my size and availability may be a problem now since there have been several big snowstorms. Not sure if tire and wheel packages are a good deal unless you like to tote heavy tires to your garage/storage area. I got my mounted at Wally Mart; lifetime package about $40/set includes balancing.
  • malachy72malachy72 Member Posts: 325
  • wnicholswnichols Member Posts: 42
    I'm looking for a good replacement for the GY Eagle LS tires on my '99 Mercury Grand Marquis with the handling package. I don't want to change to winter tires, so I have been looking at Bridgestone Turanza LS-T or H and Michelin X-one. They both have good ratings for winter traction and long treadlife warranties. What should I expect from these on a heavy car? Anything else that comes close?
  • zueslewiszueslewis Member Posts: 2,353
    great service from the Kuhmo - I have the 712s and several friends who race autocross run 712s on the car for the street (one for over 40,000 miles - on a Z rated performance tire) and use the Kuhmo V700 autocross tire at the track. That's also the tire (V700) that I'm buying for use next season.
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
    I don't think anything can come close to a winter tire, especially on a RWD in Minnesota!
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    are fair in winter for an all-season tire but we just put Arctic Alpins on our Saturn LW200 which was wearing X Ones and the difference in snow, slush and ice is very large. There is no comparison. The Alpins make the car stick to the road when there is just light snow and ice and even in fair amounts of snow you can do 35-40MPH with confidence; in similar conditions you'll need to anticipate at least an extra half to a full car length for stopping and won't be able to go as fast in snow without the car feeling squirrely.

    If you just want all-seasons then I must say I'm pleased with the X Ones with the exception of winter traction where they do slide around a bit, doing their best with a tread pattern and compound which is not quite up to the task. My father in law has H rated Bridgestone Turanzas and they also seem to be a decent all-season tire but he doesn't like driving on them in winter.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    How about a transponder chip in your next set of tires?


    Steve, Host

  • hgileshgiles Member Posts: 66
    Sensei1 - I was checking this forum and I noticed that you asked about the RE 730's. I have used them on my Prelude (205/50/16). They are incredible. They very gently break away at the limits of adhesion which is not easy to do since they adhere to the road so well. They were great in the rain as well. Tire life is pretty good for z-rated performance tire. They became noisy after 10k miles, but the RE730s have been improved and are listed as RE 730 generation 2. They altered the tire blocks so there is more block to block variation in size. Only the Bridgestone S03 can beat them.
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