I noticed that the right rear passenger tire on my daughter's '01 Honda Civic EX has a tear/cut of about 2 inches that's rather deep, and begins on the sidewall and extends up through the tread. She must have hit something that was sharp, but the tear/cut is rather jagged and not straight. Anyway, it looks like a new tire is needed. I'm also seriously considering replacing the other 3 tires as well. I'll definitely replace the other rear tire.
The Honda came with Firestone FR690 tires (P185/65R15), and the car has 26,500 miles on it. I am rather partial to Goodyear tires, specifically the Regatta 2 and Aquatread 3 tire lines. I've had very good success with both, on passenger cars and vans. I am leaning towards replacing the current Firestone tires with either. Living near Pittsburgh, PA, where the weather brings both a lot of rain and quite a bit of snow, I've found both these tire lines provide a good balance of wet/dry pavement performance and are pretty good in the snow (for all season radials).
Amy thoughts or comments, on other tires that anyone might recommend? I did a search on this thread and came up with a discussion on Firestone FR690 tires for a Honda Civic that was over 18 months old (the search was just for the Firestone FR690 tires, not for a Civic and Firestone). Back then, someone received recommendations for either the Nitto NT450 or Yokohama Avid Touring tires as replacements for the Firestone FR690 tires on a Honda Civic. I'm not familiar with either of these tires.
i've seen the stats for the pilot sprot a/s and i really like wha [non-permissible content removed] has to offer. but are the stats by michelin? of course they have good things to say. after talking with a guy at ntb i've started to compare the pilots sport a/s against the pirelli p7000 supersport and the kumo kh11. the pirelli and kumo anr both all weather and w speed rated. the ntb guy says he used the kumos, they worked great in all weather, and he got 55k out of them. not to mention that they are priced about 75.00 cheaper a piece than the michelins. any input anybody?
Well, I think the Kumho is the odd man out in your comparo. Even Kumho's website doesn't promote the KH11 as all season. Its more of a 3 season performance/touring tire. It would be a good choice as an upgrade on sedans and coupes; if I had a Chevy Impala and wanted an upgrade the KH11's would be good.
The Pirelli's are nice when they're new but they have a rep of getting noisy when worn. But a good choice for the price.
The Michelin is the most technologically advanced tire of its type and the best overall tire Michelin produces. Its light years ahead of the other two in terms of design and mfr'ing quality. If you want a UHPAS tire and can afford it I think it's a terrific choice.
I say stick with what's working for you. If you like those Goodyear's then roll on with 'em.
There are lots of tires in that category; most tire mfr's offer several models. You might want to add the Michelin X-One to your list as its comparable to the Aquatread.
Those Nittos are more of a performance tire and the Yokohama is a good choice if you don't get snow. Yoko's rep for snow traction is not very good, I'm afraid.
thanx for the opinion. i think i am leaning more towards the pilot sport a/s. i've just been weary of michelin. i had a 95 M3. i went through two sets, only getting about 18-25k out of each set before i was tired of dealing with them. 700.00+ a set every year and a half (maybe) wasn't cutting it. but i don't remember what kind they were. they were not all season and i can be aggressive at times. but that's what the car and tires are for. anyway, i'm trying to convert my 69 camaro to pro-touring/everyday driver. whith that info, does your opinion change?
thanks, bretfraz: I know I have Michelins, but can't recall the model number. Will check it out. I knew about the turanza/potenza potential, but hadn't thought of others yet. YOur comment that any car can benefit from a performance tire is what I thought, but I'd hate to be seen as a poseur - putting performance tires on a boat.
A car like an M3 really needs a tire like a Pilot Sport. 18-25K isn't too bad actually from an all-out ultra performance tire.
But a Camaro can get by with less technology unless you've heavily modded the suspension and are going to run the car in Pro Solo or something. I think lots of tires will do the trick for the Camaro. The few pro touring guys I know buy tires on looks and street cred more than anything else, as long as they fit the wheelwells. The Pilot's would be killer, no doubt, but do you really need killer? Obviously its your call - just some food for thought.
Folks who install quality performance tires are seen as smart folks who value improved driving response in all areas and who don't let their wallets make decisions for them. Its the people who buy those "4 for $99" tires for their Mercedes that are seen as the idjits.
i'm trying not to let my wallet dictate my tire package but restoring a car isn't cheap. i'm also trying to look down the road on overall performance and lifespan. how many times a year will i shell x amount of dollars for tires and was it worth it? this car can already light up fat rubber and i want to be able to drive however i want within reason, for the most part. anyone who knows me can tell you i had a love affair with my M3 which was also my everyday driver. though these are two completly different cars i am without a doubt a driving finatic. i am in the process of installing a Performance Suspension complete with thicker swaybars, lower bilstein springs, performance shocks, a complete front-end rebuild, all with polygraphite bushings. being an everyday driver i want all season with a descent lifespan. but with this much hp i want control, handling, and a no fear speed rating.(approx guess is 325-340bhp though the set up it came with boast much much more i don't think it's at the rear wheels) anyway, i'm not going to race the car (at least not in an organized sanction) and looks are secondary to performance.
I know many restorers also like to use tires as close as possible to the original, often Goodyear Eagles with white lettering, etc. I don't know if you want to factor this into your restoration.
I live in Colorado and will be purchasing a liberty in about a month. They come with three tire options, the first is the basic tire which I am going to assume is not going to be all that great. These are the three below:
P215/75R16 BSW All-Season Tires Included P235/70R16 OWL All Terrain Tires $245.00 P235/70R16 BSW All-Season Tires $245.00
I will be doing regular mountain driving, though I tend to stay off dirt in winter (unless the weather is good). Basically figure for light off roading and camping as well as highway and city driving.
We don't get constant snow storms as it is dry out here, but we do get at least a few blizzards a year. I am looking for advice on what tires to get, and I am not sure what those two tire options actually are (I don't know much about tires as this will be my first vehicle). Should I go with one of the tire packages above, or should I go with the basic and purchase other tires. I have heard good things about an all weather (as opposed to all season) tire by Nokian - I think it's the NRW?
Anyway, any advice or good links would be appreciated. Thanks!
I have the Yokohama Avid V4, not the H4 on my car and just went through that near blizzard in Connecticut about a month ago. They performed quite well for a non-snow tire in up to the 3-4 inches of white stuff on the highways. And one reason I picked them was that on TireRack, others rated their snow ability as moderately good. They are excellent in rain and dry. They also are quiet and handle very well.. And they seem to be wearing reasonably well. I've got almost 20K on them and they are about 1/2 worn.
camshaft - the Michelins are great tires, but there are many more selections out there for about half the price - I suggest you shop a bit more, feel free to e-mail me again.
I am getting ready to buy an '03 Accord LX and was considering getting some 17" wheels. My primary reason was simply for appearances. What are the pros and cons of this? How will it impact handling, ride comfort, tire noise, gas mileage, odometer mileage? I don't want to do spend $1K to do anything too stupid just to make the car look better to me. I would also like recommendations on where to buy the wheels (remember that I don't know jack about wheels). I want something that will look good and be fairly easy to clean.....some sort of simple looking 4 or 5 spoke design. Thanks for your input.
i have to say zueslewis, your edmunds bio is pretty impressive. what kind of cars do you race and where? i've been taking your advice on the tires and am still looking. i try to stress to the different dealers the balance i'm trying to strike between everyday driver (all weather) and performance machine. other than the three tires i've posted i either get regular tires or performance. i know more about cars and driving than tires. i have a pretty good foundation of tires and compounds but not who makes what and their model numbers and such. i've followed racing since i was a kid and my father used to drag. so, i picked up stuff here and there. i almost enrolled into skip barber two years ago, but then i became a father.
First place to go is TireRack.com. Plug in your car model, and they'll suggest appropriate tire sizes for whatever wheel size you want to go with, that will keep your speedometer in spec. They also make buying wheels easy, as their interface will only show you wheels that fit your car. DiscountTireDirect.com also provides a similar interface with just-for-your-vehicle sizing. Plus, these sites have plenty of articles on the subject if you're interested in boosting your knowledge before buying.
Otherwise, I know just enough about widths and offsets and bolt patterns to get myself into trouble.
As for pros/cons, I assume you're coming from a smaller wheel size -- 15 or 16. The rim will weigh more, which causes your acceleration to drop a little. The ride may be a little rougher, as your tires will be lower-profile. Handling may be a little better or a little worse, depending -- you're increasing unsprung weight, but you may wind up with wider, higher-performance tires.
I raced SCCA Showroom Stock SSGT from '88-91, then relegated to autocross. I rallied in Oregon from '95 to '97.
I currently race SCCA Pro Solo and Hillclimb. I have an MR2 and a PT Cruiser, retired my hot-rodded Mustang in January. SERIOUSLY contemplating a Cobra kit......just bought a Two Brothers-built Honda CBR 900 RR - wheelies, anyone?
Another question on your car project is how many miles will you drive in a year? If you're only doing 3-4,000 miles, buy the Michelins and enjoy - even with "spirited driving", they'll last you a couple of years. If you're driving to shows and functions and doing 10K or so, look harder at Bridestone's and Yokohama's offerings in more of a high performance all season, like the AVS 100 Sport. It's a HP tire, but rated for all-season use, even though it has an aggressive tread pattern (looks cool).
OUTLAWTITAN - offset your rim diameter increase with a lighter weight wheel, like just about anything from Axis, Enkei or Icon (APC). Even a 17 or 18 will weigh much less than your factory wheels (up to 10 lbs less). Depending on the tires you go with, you may compromise some ride quality, but will vastly improve in braking ability and sharpness of handling. And looks, of course. The tire weight increase, if any, would be negligible.
Also check out www.tires.com (Discount Tires), www.victoriatire.com and many others - use your search engine to look up "tires" - it'll boggle your mind.
Feel free to e-mail me - plus 1-4 tire swaps are a specialty of mine.
Went through some digging myself and recently bought a new set of tires for my AWD T&C minivan. I switched from 215x65 r16 MX4s to 225x60 r16 97v ContiExtremes.
I went to Tire Rack for specs and pricing comparison and was about to get them there but stock was low. So I checked my local shop and they even did a price match w/ a small add-on. Still cheaper than their original quotes.
Still too early to tell but if these work out well, I'll get them for my WRX too.
Good luck and keep the rubber on the ground...works better that way ;-)
Ambull - too early for a good eval; only had them a week and drove them in heavy rain once. They felt solid in the rain and pretty quiet in dry pavement considering the aggressive footprint.
Bretfraz, I forgot that I had Michelin's on a station wagon in the mid-1990's (got them at NTB). As I now recall, they were good tires and I would probably have replaced them with the same if I hadn't gotten rid of the vehicle first.
Microrepair, where did you get your Yokohama's? I know they sell them around Pittsburgh, PA, but they are not advertised much at the tire dealers around here.
Our 2001 Odyssey is about ready for new tires(35,000 miles) and I can't wait to replace the Affinitys. This 3.5 Acura engine has too much power and not enough weight in front so the tires spin on the least bit of gravel. Zero traction in snow, even with traction control. I wanted a larger size but no one makes 225/65 and I am not sure if 235/60 is safe on the 6 1/2" rim or will turn safely under the front end. Anyone had any experience with a larger size tire on their Odyssey? I have four teenage boys so I want to increase the weight capacity above the Afinity 96T. For a more aggessive tread pattern the only thing my dealer can suggest is the Pirelli Scorpion S/T that comes standard on the Volvo four wheel drive wagon. This tire comes in 215/65 and is rated 98H. This sounds perfect to me but I was hoping someone else had tried them on their Odyssey to advise me of any problems. Will they be noisy and rough riding? Will they affect the handling of a 4000# mini van? If I opt for a set of dedicated snow tires for our New York winters does that mean just two on the front or must I buy a whole new set? Any help will be apprciated. Thanks, JIM
but it's been about 5 years since I last purchased tires there. I really haven't researched the Yokohama tire line, and I usually only see one type of their tires advertised (usually a performance tire which I'm not in the market for), so it completely slipped my mind that NTB might have them. Today's paper had a Sears advertisement insert that had a page of tires on sale. There is a Yokohama tire advertised, but again, it is listed as a performance tire.
also sold by sears as the XCX/APT. Has anyone used these as I am thinking of buying the LTX-AT as Costco stocks the size (and I get a free zire palm pilot) I need for my 85 Ford 2wd F150, the writeups and survey on tirerack far exceed those of the BFG Long Trail TA that Sams Club stocks, which I was considering. The Michelin Select LT and the LTX-MS were also considered but it is a special order in the 215-75R15(my truck has orig. 5.5 in rims) and I want to be able to get a warranty replacement "right now" if needed, and I occasionally may launch my boat on a wet or dirt ramp. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE LTX-AT / XCX-APT? Has anyone had good or bad service with it?
My dad has them on his 2WD Dodge Ram and while they've been a good tire they do run a little noisy and give a bit of a stiff ride. Par for the course from an A/T tire.
I do not believe the XCX/APT is a relabeled version of the LTX A/T. It appears to be a private label tire for Sears/NTB like so many other tires they sell. Its close to an A/T in terms of design, though.
the BFG LONG TRAIL TA? I am still leaning towards the LTX-AT after reading ALL of the reviews on tire racks survey on the tire. If half of the surveys are accurate it is a great tire that can last 100k miles and give a relatively smooth ride. Durability is more important than quiet here in the Phoenix, AZ area with our 115 degree summer days! Thanks BRET for being there.
The BFG is a decent all-season LT tire, along the lines of the Michelin LTX M/S. Compared to Michelin, Goodyear, and Bridgestone, the BFG is more of a "value" tire. Not bad for the price.
I'm not sure I believe the 100K from an LTX A/T. Who knows what criteria those people are using to state that. And if you are used to all season tires you might be disappointed in the ride quality of an A/T. But lots of people like the looks of an A/T and want/need the off-road traction.
Maybe check out the local tire places that offer something like a 30 day test drive, where you can buy the tires, have them installed and drive on them for 30 days but be able to return them if you don't like them. Ask the places you've been shopping if they'll exchange a set of tires you buy if it turns out you hate them.
Hey ..edwardn1 Put the Michelin LTX A/T's on my Mountaineer about year and 8 months ago. Wanted to go with the LTX M&S but dealer in short supply due to the replacement fiasco with Firestone. So settled with the LTX A/T's. Not many drivers wanted since price was approx $10-15 per tire higher and "considered" more of a "truck" duty tire (stronger sidewall...not much flex, etc). Never have regretted this. Good highway tire. Don't go off road too much but when I had to no problem. Wear has been good. About 25K on them so far and showing little wear. Keep adequate air and rotated. Ride not stiff to me. Prior tires were Goodyear Wrangler RTS so anything will ride/handle better!
...for the input on LTX-AT. I was leaning heavily towards the tire before and your input confirms it. Plus Michelin is offering a free zire palm pilot with purchase of 4. Happy Motoring. ANYONE ELSE HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH LTX-AT?
...no highway noise to speak of except a little at about 20 mph, but hardly noticeable. What I dislike is the squirmy feeling after a twitch of the steering wheel, sort of like the truck is going slightly sideways for an instant, it did not do this with the Pirelli P300-APT tires that I replaced. The new tires are amazingly quiet, more so than I expected from an AT tire, and seems to ride smother on bumps with the same 35 psi, both sets of tires are the same size. Maybe I should of listened to those who told me to get the MS instead. I wonder if this squirm is the nature of off road tires, it doesn't appear to be unsafe.BTW I replaced the Pirellis with Michelin LTX-ATs.
He seems pretty full of his opinion on the matter. Let him Drive On!!
FWIW, I think exceeding the mfr max press rating on the tire is bordering on suicide. I hope someone gets his wreck on videotape. His comments about Kumho's being truck tires are misleading at a minimum. Lots of companies make truck tires. What that has to do with the OE tire on the Sedona is beyond me.
Sorry, I guess some of you did not pay attention. The tires in question are rated by the manufaturer at 44 PSI.
This is very common among truck tires.
Apparently , many of you on these boards are not familiar with the broaded range of tires , just passenger car tires.
As far as the holy grail many are citing, the CAR manufacturer's " recommended " tire pressure , it is widely known in the auto industry that that is only a suggestion based on subjective opinion of the engineers , as to what the ride quality will be. If you look at many makes of car you will notice that the higher performance cars will have the tires inflated to higher pressure , close to or at the tire manufacturers pressure.
Your wimpy passenger sedan type cars may have door stickers calling for 28 PSI or 30 PSI. On a light car that is probably fine.
But tires need to be selected and use based on the SPECIFIC operation of the target vehicle.
As we saw with the FORD EXPLORER 28 PSI for a SUV that gets used like a heavy duty truck was TOO LOW. That is part of the reason so many people died. The combination of low pressure , high speeds, high heat neighborhoods ( venezuela, Texas, Arabia ) and high vehicle loading caused numerous blow outs , rollovers etc.
Using low tire pressure on my van ( which wesghs 4700 lbs ) because some one put a sticker on the door that says " 30 PSI" would be just plain foolish.
By the way , in the case of a KIA van , those stickers are published by the KIA US employees , who come from ( you guessed it !) layed off General Motors and Ford engineers!
KIA USA is the sales and marketing arm of KIA Korea and they are the one who " Americanize" the KIA line for domestic use.
Tires are standardized. In this country the standardizing body is the Tire and Rim Association (TRA). In Europe, it is the European Tire and Rim Technical Organization (ETRTO).
There has been a recent change in the standard for the maximum pressure for P metric tires, which are based TRA standards. It used to be that 35 psi was the maximum inflation pressure for Standard Load tires. However, the Europeans had allowed an increase in inflation for special circumstances, like high operating speeds. As part of the effort to develop a worldwide tire standard, TRA recently increased the maximum inflation pressure for P metric tires to 44 psi to include these special circumstances. The load table still ends at 35 psi and the 44 psi is just for these special circumstances WITH NO INCREASE IN LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY.
You will find that most P metric tires now show 44 psi as the maximum inflation pressure, reflecting the change in standard.
I notice on the Goodyear Website some pickup truck tires that are rated to 80 ( eighty!) PSI. These tire were recommended for a Dodge Ram 3500 series pickup. This would seem to contradict the information about the load table ending at 35 PSI.
Is this load table you mentioned only for passenger cars?
That's because those are LT metric tires. We were discussing P metrics (and I was careful to limit the discussion to standard load. Extra load and other permutations are exceptions to what I stated.)
LT metric tires are more like truck tires than passenger tires in that they use higher pressures to achieve load carrying capacity, rather than large internal volume. Typically LT metrics are made of similar materials to P metrics - polyester and steel - but there are some notable exceptions.
40-44psi is something autocrossers use on track days to keep the edges of the tread from rolling under when cornering at the limits of the tire's traction, and to adjust under/oversteer bias. Even then, they let the tires back down to 35 or so before heading back to the city streets -- the ride is just too rough above that.
Whether or not a tire is a Kuhmo brand is irrelevant.
Just purchased a 02 RX300 which has 28,000 miles on it. Start to notice noise when driving, sounded like old pickup truck driving next lane with my windows down. Also notice when vehicle make left turn, the noise get louder, and on right turn the noise is gone. Slightly touch the steering wheel to the right, or left, I can tell dramatic difference.
Went to the dealership and they told it is tire problem. The inner portion of the tires (in driver side) is wavy as they describe it. I told close look to the tires, and notice additional wear for the length of about 1 inch all the way around the inner side of the tires. The outer side of the tire has wear also, but not as obvious as the inner side. (outer more like a radious, and inner more like a chamfer)
Vehicle can keep straight for a long distance when I release the steering wheel. The vehicle was maintenance regularly.
Dealer suggested I get a new set of tires. And maybe need alignment.
Do I need alignment since the vehicle is not pulling to sides going down the road? And what could cause the tires to be wearing out so quickly? It has the bridge stone H/L tire, which is about $100 each and has 60,000 miles warranty on them (after market ones). I want to buy another set of B/S tires but the fact that this set go so quickly worries me. Michelin C/T are good but cost 50% more.
If you have an alignment problem that is different from side to side, then you might have a pull problem. But if you have an alignment problem that is the same on both sides, then you might not have a pull problem, but it could cause wear problems.
And that's exactly what it sounds like. Cupped and rapid wear.
But I'll also bet the tires weren't rotated as they were supposed to be, because this type of thing will show up at over 20,000 miles EVEN IF THE ALIGNMENT IS "IN SPEC"!
Comments
The Honda came with Firestone FR690 tires (P185/65R15), and the car has 26,500 miles on it. I am rather partial to Goodyear tires, specifically the Regatta 2 and Aquatread 3 tire lines. I've had very good success with both, on passenger cars and vans. I am leaning towards replacing the current Firestone tires with either. Living near Pittsburgh, PA, where the weather brings both a lot of rain and quite a bit of snow, I've found both these tire lines provide a good balance of wet/dry pavement performance and are pretty good in the snow (for all season radials).
Amy thoughts or comments, on other tires that anyone might recommend? I did a search on this thread and came up with a discussion on Firestone FR690 tires for a Honda Civic that was over 18 months old (the search was just for the Firestone FR690 tires, not for a Civic and Firestone). Back then, someone received recommendations for either the Nitto NT450 or Yokohama Avid Touring tires as replacements for the Firestone FR690 tires on a Honda Civic. I'm not familiar with either of these tires.
The Pirelli's are nice when they're new but they have a rep of getting noisy when worn. But a good choice for the price.
The Michelin is the most technologically advanced tire of its type and the best overall tire Michelin produces. Its light years ahead of the other two in terms of design and mfr'ing quality. If you want a UHPAS tire and can afford it I think it's a terrific choice.
There are lots of tires in that category; most tire mfr's offer several models. You might want to add the Michelin X-One to your list as its comparable to the Aquatread.
Those Nittos are more of a performance tire and the Yokohama is a good choice if you don't get snow. Yoko's rep for snow traction is not very good, I'm afraid.
But a Camaro can get by with less technology unless you've heavily modded the suspension and are going to run the car in Pro Solo or something. I think lots of tires will do the trick for the Camaro. The few pro touring guys I know buy tires on looks and street cred more than anything else, as long as they fit the wheelwells. The Pilot's would be killer, no doubt, but do you really need killer? Obviously its your call - just some food for thought.
Good luck with your decision.
:-)
P215/75R16 BSW All-Season Tires
Included
P235/70R16 OWL All Terrain Tires
$245.00
P235/70R16 BSW All-Season Tires
$245.00
I will be doing regular mountain driving, though I tend to stay off dirt in winter (unless the weather is good). Basically figure for light off roading and camping as well as highway and city driving.
We don't get constant snow storms as it is dry out here, but we do get at least a few blizzards a year. I am looking for advice on what tires to get, and I am not sure what those two tire options actually are (I don't know much about tires as this will be my first vehicle). Should I go with one of the tire packages above, or should I go with the basic and purchase other tires. I have heard good things about an all weather (as opposed to all season) tire by Nokian - I think it's the NRW?
Anyway, any advice or good links would be appreciated. Thanks!
camshaft - the Michelins are great tires, but there are many more selections out there for about half the price - I suggest you shop a bit more, feel free to e-mail me again.
Otherwise, I know just enough about widths and offsets and bolt patterns to get myself into trouble.
As for pros/cons, I assume you're coming from a smaller wheel size -- 15 or 16. The rim will weigh more, which causes your acceleration to drop a little. The ride may be a little rougher, as your tires will be lower-profile. Handling may be a little better or a little worse, depending -- you're increasing unsprung weight, but you may wind up with wider, higher-performance tires.
I currently race SCCA Pro Solo and Hillclimb. I have an MR2 and a PT Cruiser, retired my hot-rodded Mustang in January. SERIOUSLY contemplating a Cobra kit......just bought a Two Brothers-built Honda CBR 900 RR - wheelies, anyone?
Another question on your car project is how many miles will you drive in a year? If you're only doing 3-4,000 miles, buy the Michelins and enjoy - even with "spirited driving", they'll last you a couple of years. If you're driving to shows and functions and doing 10K or so, look harder at Bridestone's and Yokohama's offerings in more of a high performance all season, like the AVS 100 Sport. It's a HP tire, but rated for all-season use, even though it has an aggressive tread pattern (looks cool).
OUTLAWTITAN - offset your rim diameter increase with a lighter weight wheel, like just about anything from Axis, Enkei or Icon (APC). Even a 17 or 18 will weigh much less than your factory wheels (up to 10 lbs less). Depending on the tires you go with, you may compromise some ride quality, but will vastly improve in braking ability and sharpness of handling. And looks, of course. The tire weight increase, if any, would be negligible.
Also check out www.tires.com (Discount Tires), www.victoriatire.com and many others - use your search engine to look up "tires" - it'll boggle your mind.
Feel free to e-mail me - plus 1-4 tire swaps are a specialty of mine.
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-article?article_id=3464
Went through some digging myself and recently bought a new set of tires for my AWD T&C minivan. I switched from 215x65 r16 MX4s to 225x60 r16 97v ContiExtremes.
I went to Tire Rack for specs and pricing comparison and was about to get them there but stock was low. So I checked my local shop and they even did a price match w/ a small add-on. Still cheaper than their original quotes.
Still too early to tell but if these work out well, I'll get them for my WRX too.
Good luck and keep the rubber on the ground...works better that way ;-)
Microrepair, where did you get your Yokohama's? I know they sell them around Pittsburgh, PA, but they are not advertised much at the tire dealers around here.
Anyone had any experience with a larger size tire on their Odyssey?
I have four teenage boys so I want to increase the weight capacity above the Afinity 96T. For a more aggessive tread pattern the only thing my dealer can suggest is the Pirelli Scorpion S/T that comes standard on the Volvo four wheel drive wagon. This tire comes in 215/65 and is rated 98H. This sounds perfect to me but I was hoping someone else had tried them on their Odyssey to advise me of any problems. Will they be noisy and rough riding? Will they affect the handling of a 4000# mini van?
If I opt for a set of dedicated snow tires for our New York winters does that mean just two on the front or must I buy a whole new set?
Any help will be apprciated.
Thanks,
JIM
I do not believe the XCX/APT is a relabeled version of the LTX A/T. It appears to be a private label tire for Sears/NTB like so many other tires they sell. Its close to an A/T in terms of design, though.
I'm not sure I believe the 100K from an LTX A/T. Who knows what criteria those people are using to state that. And if you are used to all season tires you might be disappointed in the ride quality of an A/T. But lots of people like the looks of an A/T and want/need the off-road traction.
Maybe check out the local tire places that offer something like a 30 day test drive, where you can buy the tires, have them installed and drive on them for 30 days but be able to return them if you don't like them. Ask the places you've been shopping if they'll exchange a set of tires you buy if it turns out you hate them.
Hope all this helps. Good luck.
Put the Michelin LTX A/T's on my Mountaineer about year and 8 months ago. Wanted to go with the LTX M&S but dealer in short supply due to the replacement fiasco with Firestone. So settled with the LTX A/T's. Not many drivers wanted since price was approx $10-15 per tire higher and "considered" more of a "truck" duty tire (stronger sidewall...not much flex, etc). Never have regretted this. Good highway tire. Don't go off road too much but when I had to no problem. Wear has been good. About 25K on them so far and showing little wear. Keep adequate air and rotated. Ride not stiff to me. Prior tires were Goodyear Wrangler RTS so anything will ride/handle better!
Steve, Host
smulvey "Kia Sedona problems" May 15, 2003 7:54pm
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
FWIW, I think exceeding the mfr max press rating on the tire is bordering on suicide. I hope someone gets his wreck on videotape. His comments about Kumho's being truck tires are misleading at a minimum. Lots of companies make truck tires. What that has to do with the OE tire on the Sedona is beyond me.
The tires in question are rated by the manufaturer at 44 PSI.
This is very common among truck tires.
Apparently , many of you on these boards are not familiar with the broaded range of tires , just passenger car tires.
As far as the holy grail many are citing, the CAR manufacturer's " recommended " tire pressure , it is widely known in the auto industry that that is only a suggestion based on subjective opinion of the engineers , as to what the ride quality will be. If you look at many makes of car you will notice that the higher performance cars will have the tires inflated to higher pressure , close to or at the tire manufacturers pressure.
Your wimpy passenger sedan type cars may have door stickers calling for 28 PSI or 30 PSI. On a light car that is probably fine.
But tires need to be selected and use based on the SPECIFIC operation of the target vehicle.
As we saw with the FORD EXPLORER 28 PSI for a SUV that gets used like a heavy duty truck was TOO LOW. That is part of the reason so many people died. The combination of low pressure , high speeds, high heat neighborhoods ( venezuela, Texas, Arabia ) and high vehicle loading caused numerous blow outs , rollovers etc.
Using low tire pressure on my van ( which wesghs 4700 lbs ) because some one put a sticker on the door that says " 30 PSI" would be just plain foolish.
By the way , in the case of a KIA van , those stickers are published by the KIA US employees , who come from ( you guessed it !) layed off General Motors and Ford engineers!
KIA USA is the sales and marketing arm of KIA Korea and they are the one who " Americanize" the KIA line for domestic use.
They leak all too often and they might not seal on the inside, which allows air to leak into the carcass, which may eventually lead to a separation.
None of the tire manufacturers approve of plugs and they will not honor warranties on tires with plugs.
Hope this helps.
Tires are standardized. In this country the standardizing body is the Tire and Rim Association (TRA). In Europe, it is the European Tire and Rim Technical Organization (ETRTO).
There has been a recent change in the standard for the maximum pressure for P metric tires, which are based TRA standards. It used to be that 35 psi was the maximum inflation pressure for Standard Load tires. However, the Europeans had allowed an increase in inflation for special circumstances, like high operating speeds. As part of the effort to develop a worldwide tire standard, TRA recently increased the maximum inflation pressure for P metric tires to 44 psi to include these special circumstances. The load table still ends at 35 psi and the 44 psi is just for these special circumstances WITH NO INCREASE IN LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY.
You will find that most P metric tires now show 44 psi as the maximum inflation pressure, reflecting the change in standard.
Hope this helps.
These tire were recommended for a Dodge Ram 3500 series pickup. This would seem to contradict the information about the load table ending at 35 PSI.
Is this load table you mentioned only for passenger cars?
regards, smulvey
LT metric tires are more like truck tires than passenger tires in that they use higher pressures to achieve load carrying capacity, rather than large internal volume. Typically LT metrics are made of similar materials to P metrics - polyester and steel - but there are some notable exceptions.
Hope this helps.
Whether or not a tire is a Kuhmo brand is irrelevant.
Went to the dealership and they told it is tire problem. The inner portion of the tires (in driver side) is wavy as they describe it. I told close look to the tires, and notice additional wear for the length of about 1 inch all the way around the inner side of the tires. The outer side of the tire has wear also, but not as obvious as the inner side. (outer more like a radious, and inner more like a chamfer)
Vehicle can keep straight for a long distance when I release the steering wheel. The vehicle was maintenance regularly.
Dealer suggested I get a new set of tires. And maybe need alignment.
Do I need alignment since the vehicle is not pulling to sides going down the road? And what could cause the tires to be wearing out so quickly? It has the bridge stone H/L tire, which is about $100 each and has 60,000 miles warranty on them (after market ones). I want to buy another set of B/S tires but the fact that this set go so quickly worries me. Michelin C/T are good but cost 50% more.
Thanks for your suggestion.
HTH
And that's exactly what it sounds like. Cupped and rapid wear.
But I'll also bet the tires weren't rotated as they were supposed to be, because this type of thing will show up at over 20,000 miles EVEN IF THE ALIGNMENT IS "IN SPEC"!
Hope this helps.