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Comments
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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/
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!)
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 - -
To be more specific, it IS a penny!
;-)
Thanks and Happy Holidays to all.
The Sandman :-)
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?
If you're not in snow much, a really good all-season radial with high marks in rain traction could work well for you.
Thanks,
CUSAFR
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
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
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.
CUSAFR
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Steve, Host