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I went to two tire places for estimates, and thought I'd be able to make a quick decision, but instead I'm not certain what tires to get.
The guy at the first place (Ken Towery Tires) said that the rear tires didn't need to be replaced. I said I wanted to get them alll done, however, and he recommended two kinds of tires.
First, there was the Goodyear Assur with Triple Tread. That came to $574 with installation, tax, and road hazard warranty.
The second was a Kumho Solus KH16, which he said was just as good, but came to just $341.
I'd never heard of Kumho before, but he told me it was a Korean tire and quite good. Does anyone out there know anything about Kumho?
The big thing this guy said is that I should stay with an H rated tire for handling.
It's true that one of the things I really like about my Accord is the handling, which makes it fun to drive even around town. I don't ever get above about 80mph on the highway (and then only for brief moments when passing), and so do I really need an H rated tire?
At the Goodyear store the guy said I didn't need an H rated tire. He recommended the 80,000 mile Assurance Triple Tread, which came to $572 with installation, tax, and road hazard warranty.
If I wanted an H rated tire, he said he could put me in a Goodyear Eagle GT-HR for $498.
Any advice?
I could do anything from just getting two Kumho's to getting four Goodyear Triple Treads.
Thanks in advance, Ben
Tires run smoother and quieter than the michelin's---time and miles will tell but I'm feeling pretty good about this deal.
But I ended up buying Goodyear Assur Triple Treds (they spell it that way for some reason) for $570 with everything (installation, lifetime road hazard, and sales tax). Plus, there was an $80 rebate if you bought four and applied for a Goodyear credit card. And so my total cost was $490. That's still far more than I've ever paid for tires, but then again I've never had 80,000 mile tires before. I usually drive about 10,000-11,000 miles per year, and so there's at least a chance these tires will last for 6 years. When you divide the cost by 6 years it comes out to only about $82 a year. That seems like a cheap price to pay to have one of the best tires on the road. So far, my road tests have revealed that for me they perform better than the oem Michelins the car came with. For instance, there's this hill with a stoplight at the top in my town, and often when starting from a stop there before I would peal out, or skid, or whatever you want to call it when starting from a stop at that light. I went there after the Triple Treds were put on (and the stoplight obliged by being red) and started right off without a skid of any kind. So, it seems like these tires have much better traction, which will be especially helpful in snow and rain. I also took my son out to the empty parking lot at the local high school and did some agressive cornering, and the performance was great. My son was having fun, but he said things like "This is like a roller coaster dad! Should I get out of the car and watch you! Giving these tires to you is like giving a gallon of sugar to a kid!"
Ahh, the things kids say. Anyway, I think these are good tires for an Accord. And they are H-speed rated, just like the oems (not that I'm ever likely to get anywhere near 130 mph. I think my top speed ever was 95).
Ben
You might try to recieve a bit of justice in a like manner.
Good luck.
Record the UTQG information and compare it to tires that are similar - same type, same speed rating. In this case, you would want to look at a "touring" tire.
Cheap technique and probably as accurate as needed. But I bought a metal dial gauge and took the back off and adjusted the setting screw to suit me. I compared it with the measurement at their shop and my other two at home.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I am very happy with them so far. They seem to be good handling, quiet tires with decent wet traction, and adequate for me to get through the winter. I would recommend them, as they seem to have close enough characteristic of a premium tire, but at a more reasonable price. They are tehorectically rated for 70,000 miles. I don't know if I will have the car that long, but so far so good.
[sorry--couldn't resist]
Sears has decent gauges priced between 5-10 dollars. Get one with a double chuck --makes it easier on the wrist when the valve stem is near the ground. You can use the gauge to bleed air out if overfilled though some have a bleeder pin.
I prefer the pencil gauges---they take up less space in the visor pouch and /or pocket.
Just stay away from the 1-2 dollar cheapies. They never last.
Keep your eyes open for a good deal on a 110 volt inflater. Very handy for tires and other inflatables. I keep a 12 volt one in the trunk along with a can of fix-a-flat. The 12 volt works real slow but it works.
Harbor Freight has occasional sales on 12 volt air pumps that I carry in trunk. They probably have sales on 110 volt models--if you have a Harbor Freight in your area. Their sale prices are often 1/3 or the shelf price.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
with either the Kumho Solus KH16 or Cooper Lifeliner SLE.
Which of these tires will prove to be the most smoothest
and quietest tire??
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
So the cleanest way to fill is to STILL fill when "cold" (undriven up to 1 mile). However for some, this is not realistic. So an easy rule of thumb is (in addition to 1# psi change every 10 degrees) operation adds app 4/6 psi to the tire.
Smart man!! Lots of data that came out of the Firestone problem indicated that the states where tire failures are most likely to occur are hot weather states and Florida was #5. My vote is for the A temp rating.
It's a non-turbo model with 225/50/17 tires. The objectives for the replacement tires are a smooth, quiet ride, good rain and snow traction, and capable handling (not like the car goes to the track, but responsive enough to safely perform evasive maneuvers).
I've found the following models (and eliminated some, like Goodyear Eagle RS-A, that seem to have very poor reviews, or poor snow traction):
Falken Ziex ZE-512
Avon Tech M550 A/S
Kumho ECSTA ASX
Sumitomo HTR+
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S
Yokohama ADVAN S.4.
Yokohama AVID V4S
Bridgestone Turanza LS-V
Goodyear Eagle ResponsEdge
Big O Euro Tour
Toyo Proxes TPT
I'd appreciate any help in narrowing down the above list.
On another board I come accross a guy who makes such comment:
"Heat build up in tires is created by sidewall flex in the main and, as we all know, heat is the enemy especially when it comes to rubber compounds. Tire OEMs design the tire and test it at max cold inflation. However, a tire design is only tested for a matter of minutes and only has to maintain its integrity for the duration of the test to attain whatever speed rating the OEM is after.
Lower max inflation tires keep their form at lower pressures because they are more robustly constructed. High max inflation tires are cheaper to make and are lighter because there simply isn't as much material in them. Because there is less material in them, high max pressure tires can be built to higher speed ratings more cheaply because there is less centrifical force trying to tear them apart. Load rating applies equally across the spectrum."
As far as I can tell what he writes is not true but it would be nice to point him (or me if I am wrong) to some kind of source about tire construction.
Krzys
Wal-Mart used to do the same thing in their oil shops, except 35 psi was the magic number for them, whether your tires were hot or cold, whether it was a hot or cold day, and whether you came in early morning or midday.
Personally I check my tires once a month with a gauge. If you do the same, use the tire pressure on the sticker on the door jamb as a guide (and I think that is about 30 or 32 psi). I wouldn't go over 35 psi, the number recommended (oddly enough) by one rallye driver.
These comments have some apples and oranges with some bananas thrown in, but some of what he says is true.
Can you point to the other board so I can see where he is coming from?
That is part of my problem - the pressure listed on the door sticker is for 215/55/R16, and I now have 215/50/R17 on the car. The sticker for the 16" wheels calls for 30psi. Thee car sat in my garage all day yesterday, so last night I backed the tires down from 42psi to 35psi. That should have been a cold reading. I may run them at 35 psi during Fall/Winter, and back them down to 32 for Spring/Summer - checking monthly.
Double-check your load rating on your new tires. If it's 90 or better, then go ahead and run the pressures you like. If not, get rid of them and get ones that do. It's a safety issue more than anything else.
The author is...
me.
Krzys ;-)
215/50R17 35PSI/240KPA front and rear (17x6.5 tire)
Truth be told, this is my parents' car. My wife and I are "fixing it up" for them. They have always wanted a set of custom wheels for it, but didn't know where to start when it comes to modifications. My wife and I bought a new set of wheels and tires for it, and an upper and lower billett grill. I had everything installed Monday, and it looks GREAT. The HHR is the Daytona Blue color (I think that's what it was called. It also has the rear factory spoiler on it. Over all, the car looks sharp.
Anyway, my question(s) to this group is, where do I get replacements? The dealer? Or can I just pick up a set of four at WalMart? Are they specially designed for the van, or will any set do? The van is a 2002 Ford E-250 Extended cargo van with full wheel covers (not dog dishes). P.S. I just called the local Ford dealer. They list the price as $59.00 per cover. Any other suggestions?
Some stores, sort of auto flea markets, specialize in wheel covers/hub caps.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
All you need is the wheel diameter, and you're all set.
A salvage yard should be able to set you up for around $100 for all four...
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